Startled out of her romantic muse by the aggressive knock on the door Amy rushed into the apartment. Sam got to the door first. Two police officers waited to be asked in.
"May I help you?" he asked.
"We’re looking for Samuel Decker."
"I’m he. What’s this about, officers?"
"We’d like you come to the station with us to answer questions about Ms. Trisha Neal. She was found dead last night."
"We don’t know her," Amy said from behind Sam.
"Let me grab my coat," he said, quickly discounting her. With that he followed the officers down the hall to the elevator.
Amy rushed to the police station and came to a uniformed cop behind a glass window. "They just brought my fiancé in here. His name is Sam Decker."
"It’ll be awhile. You can have a seat over there." He gestured with a nod of his head to the chairs.
"I need to see him."
"Look you can’t be in there while they’re interrogating the suspect."
Amy put on her best puppy dog eyes and pleaded with him. "Please, Officer Kenton, I need to be with him."
With his ‘everyone is guilty until proven innocent look he snorted, "Only his lawyer can be there lady."
"Has his lawyer been called?" she asked gruffly.
"Don’t know, ma’am, maybe you should call him."
Her hand shook as she tried to put the money in the phone. As she listened to it ring her stomach turned. "Laura hi, it’s Amy," she said to her friend.
"What’s up?"
"Sam’s in trouble and could use a lawyer."
"What happened?" Laura asked.
She began her story as hot tears rolled down her face. Her friend listened and then called for her husband. Amy stood there holding on to the wall as she waited for Dallas to come to the phone.
"Hi Amy, what happened?" asked Dallas’ smooth, calm voice.
Amy told the whole story again, hoping he would agree to help her.
"I’ll be there in a while."
She sighed. "Thank you."
Sitting down she waited for Dallas. Her head hurt from all the questions running through it. Why did Sam go with those cops so quickly? How does he know her? She closed her eyes and tried to calm herself.
The fake wood paneling in the lobby area was darkly grained and dismal. It pressed her mood further down and her insides cried out for this to be over. She picked up a magazine but without interest tossed it back on the table. Going to the vending machine she bought a cup of coffee. She took a sip of the hot liquid, winced at the thick, bitter taste and put it down.
Amy met Dallas as he blew through the doors in his brown corduroy suit and wild uncombed hair bobbing with every step as he marched up to the window and addresses the officer behind it. "I’m Dallas Banford. I believe you’re holding my client, Sam Decker, and I’d like to see him."
"Hang on." Kenton picked up the phone.
"Thank you," Amy said as she huged Dallas.
"Sure, sure, I’d do anything for you guys." He flashed a smile to assure Amy everything would be alright.
"Who is this dead girl -- whatever her name is."
Dallas shoved his hands into his pockets as he gave her the victim’s name.
"Did you know her?"
"Not personally." Dallas hesitated a moment before he continued. "She was the entertainment at Sam’s bachelor party."
"So, why do they have my fiancé in here and not any of the others guys from the party?" Amy could feel herself becoming hysterical.
"He gave her a ride home that night -- the night she was killed."
"Okay, Mr. Banford," Kenton said as he hung up the phone, "I’ll take you back to ‘em." Unlocking the door he held it open it for Dallas.
"You sit here and I’ll keep you posted." Dallas picked up his brief case and slid through the door.
With her elbows on her knees she held her head in her hands then, moving slowly, she leaned back to rest her head on the cool wall.
She checked her watch and it was a little after 3 a.m. She was about to jump out of her skin. She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on her breathing. A deep breath filled her chest like a ball of fire. She squeezed her eyes shut until the pain was blown out with her exhale.
"Amy?" Her eyes snapped open and Dallas was towering over her. "How are you holding up?"
"Fine," she said as she stood up, "Is it done yet?"
"No, not yet." She could see his tired face lined with serious concern. "I’m going to call a friend of mine who has more experience with these types of cases."
"Why?"
"Sam just told us he knew the victim intimately for the past two years." His voice was low not wanting anyone else to hear.
The fire scorched her lungs again as she tried to breath and her skin felt as if sharp nails were being dragged over it.
"If he’s charged with murder he should have the best lawyer, don’t you think?"
She nodded in agreement. "He’s in a lot of trouble, isn’t he?"
"Some, but they can’t find anything else on him."
"Yeah? Will that get him released?" Amy’s eyes filled with tears. Sam was going to jail.
"I’m gonna call Wayne, okay?" Dallas pulled some change from his pocket and headed for the pay phones. Amy stood helpless watching him. She folded her arms and hugged herself. She was scared but quickly her feelings turned to anger. "Well, Wayne will take the case. I’m going to go back in there." He gave her a small weak smile while rubbing her arm a moment, then turned and disappeared behind the door again.
Anger, rage and humiliation ran through her body. If Sam could sneak around behind my back then God only knows what else he could do. Amy couldn’t sit anymore she had to move. She started pacing from the vending machine to the pay phones and back to the little orange plastic chairs in the corner.
Thoughts and images ran rapid in her mind. The Sam she thought she knew was gone, all that was left was an ugly, cheating snake. Today was supposed to be their wedding day, but she couldn’t marry a man who lied and cheated not to mention murder. There would be no future for them if he was sentenced to life in prison. Her whole world had collapsed around her and she didn’t know what to do next. Of course she’d have to deal with Sam. She’d tell him what she thought of all this and demand an explanation. I’ve never been so humiliated in all my life, she thought. Standing still for a moment she wondered, so what am I still doing here, what am I hanging around for?
She bolted out of the door and to the curb where she was forced to stop while a string of cars passed by. Caught by a man swearing loudly at a young cop she turned to watch. The cop tried to get the prisoner through the side door of the station but every time the cop grabbed his arm he would jerk away. Finally the cop grabbed the man and with the leverage of his weight flung the prisoner though the door.
The prisoner was twice the size of Sam and looked mean and angry. Sam would never survive a night behin dbars with guys like that. With his soft blonde hair, sky blue eyes and tall, thin built, he’d be their plaything in no time. Poor Sam, Amy’s anger melted as her heart filled with guilt. She couldn’t bear the thought of him locked up.
Amy turned around and marched back into the police station and paced back and forth. Could I forgive him enough, she wondered, to marry him today? No, she couldn’t do that, she had a lot to work through but one thing she could do is see him through this. If he was tried and convicted she’d deal with that then, but for now she would believe in him.
Amy sat down and waited patiently. She watched Officer Kenton laugh and joke with his co-workers behind the glass. As she was watching them, the door opened and Dallas strolled out followed by a tired looking Sam.
"Well, he can go," Dallas smiled at them as he patted Sam’s back. "I’m going to take off now. We’ll see you guys later."
"Thank you." Amy gave Dallas a hug. Turning to Sam she slid her arms around his waist and hugged him.
Sam squeezed Amy tightly. "You aren’t mad?"
"I’m hurt but I’m not mad." She smiled up at him glad they now had a chance to work this out. "You know we’ll have to postpone the wedding." At the surprise on Sam’s face she continued. "Honey, I think we have too much to work through, I don’t think we should get married yet."
"I know, but what are we going to tell everyone?"
"I don’t know. Let’s go home and try to figure that out."
Reluctantly Sam agreed as she took his hand in hers and led him out of the police station. They walked to the car as the sun awoke a sleepy sky.
