Chapter 95: Have It Your Way

Apart from Jessica, everyone else that had been involved in the altercation at the hospital was brought to the police station. And that included Crystal, Amy, and the rest of the news crew. Of course, these last few were not cuffed, nor were they forced into the back of the vans.

As chance would have it, Crystal was driven to the station by Officer Parks, the man who’d let her stepmother get away. It wasn’t his fault, though, and Crystal didn’t hold him responsible. He had treated her like a gentleman, and he hadn’t once remarked on the stench that clung to her.

When they arrived at the station, Officer Parks led Crystal to his desk to get a statement from her. Once she was seated, he told her that he wouldn’t be able to talk to her for about a half-hour, but he got her a bottle of water and an egg salad sandwich, ensuring she had everything needed before he disappeared.

Officer Park’s desk was situated near the front of the building, and to the left of it, there was a long bench that ran from one side of the room to the other. A metal armrest separated each seat. It was here that her assailants had been brought to sit while they waited to be processed, and they were handcuffed to the armrests.

Crystal saw the woman who’d supplied the eggs, and she glared at her. The woman scowled and shouted, “What are you looking at, you skank?”

Crystal smiled coolly and said, “I am looking at you, memorizing your appearance so that I can pick you out of a line-up later and call you. out in front of a judge and jury!”

“As if!” The woman laughed and said, “When the dust settles, you will be the one up shit creek without a paddle! You! Not me! Just wait and see! By the end of the day, we’ll all be free to go. And your stench will follow you wherever you go, no matter how many times you try to wash it away!”

“Oh, shut up,” Crystal said, turning away. The other woman began to rant and roar, but she closed her eyes and blocked it out. This woman attacked me without provocation - she reminded herself - And if you let her get under your skin now, she wins!

A few minutes passed, and finally, the woman shut up. Crystal looked at the clock and grimaced. It was hard to believe that less than ten minutes had gone by since Officer Parks had left her alone. On the other hand, it seemed like a lot more time had passed. She closed her eyes again, and despite her current situation, she fell asleep.

When she woke up, Officer Parks was standing next to her. He was repeating her name softly, and when she opened her eyes, he said, “I’m sorry to have kept you so long. Something came up unexpectedly. I’m here now, and we can begin. My supervisor, Chief Oskin, has been asked to lead. We will be taking your statement in an interrogation room because there’s more space, and he will be asking most of the questions. Before we go, though, do you have any questions?”

Crystal shook her head, and as she stood up, she looked at the clock. Oh my God! - she thought I’ve been asleep for nearly three hours!

Chief Oskin led Crystal and Officer Parks into an interrogation room, and he invited her to sit across from them. Once she was seated, they offered her a coffee or a bottle of water. She asked for a coffee, and Oskin shouted for his assistant to bring one. Once it arrived, the assistant left and shut the door behind her. There was a rectangle recording device in the middle of the table. Chief Oskin turned it on and said, “My name is Chief Gerald Oskin. Beside me is Officer Stephen Parks. This conversation is being recorded. Please state your legal name and that you understand that your statement is being recorded.”

“M-My n-name is C-Crystal Smith,” Crystal stammered nervously. Her face turned red when she suddenly realized that she’d given the wrong name. “Umm... that’s m-my m-maiden n-name. My m-married n-name is D- Davis.” Crystal began to panic, but she didn’t know why. All she knew was that something about the way the Chief had spoken to her made her feel like she was on trial or something.

Officer Parks: “And do you understand that you are being recorded?”

Crystal: “I d-do.”

***

Chief Oskin saw the video of Todd begging Crystal for mercy, and he suspected that she was guilty of Parental Abuse. He thought - If I can get her to confess, I can put her away for at least two years! So he looked her in the eyes and asked, “How old are you?”

“I’m eighteen,” Crystal replied.

Chief Oskin: “Tell me all about what happened.”

Crystal stated everything that had happened, and then she signed a paper stating that everything she’d said was true. Once that was done, Officer Parks - who still seemed sympathetic to her, despite his supervisor’s hostility, said, “We’ve seen the video, and we have your father’s medical certificate from the hospital. So long as you’ve been honest with us, you shouldn’t have any problems. However, if it turns out that you’ve been lying, according to article 260 of the Criminal Law, we will have no choice but to arrest you and detain you at the Remand Centre while you await trial.”

“I understand,” Crystal said. “Are we done?”

“We’re done,” Officer Parks replied. Chief Oskin leaned forward to turn off the recording device on the table, and then he said, “We will take your phone now. As evidence.”

Crystal flinched when she heard that. She had secretly recorded her altercation with her father, and although she had no idea if it could be used against her, she suspected that it could. She gave the Chief a dirty look and said, “I’m not giving you my phone. I was assaulted by a gang of people, egged, kicked, and scratched. They spat on me and pissed on me, but you are treating me like the bad guy. But I’m not the bad guy! I am the victim already, and I will not allow you to victimize me further!”

Chief Oskin laughed and said, “Have it your way.” Then, he turned to Officer Parks and said, “You know what to do!”

There was nothing that Chief Oskin enjoyed more than an uncooperative suspect.