Page 22 of How May I Please You

Without another word, I burst through the door and walk over to Jay Brock. He’s asleep in his bed with a mound of cotton balls in his mouth. His face is bruised and battered from the damage you inflicted on him, and his nose is visibly crooked. This is what happens when you disrespect me. God, I fall more in love with you every day.

“Jenkins, wake him up for me please,” I say to the uniformed officer closest to me.

“You got it.”

Jenkins steps up to the bed and places a hand on Jay Brock’s shoulder, shaking him gently as he says his name. It takes a moment for Jay to open his eyes and shake off the fog of the medicine coursing through his veins, but eventually he makes eye contact with Jenkins.

“Sorry to bother you, Mr. Brock,” Jenkins says. “I know you're tired and have been through a lot, but it’s imperative that we get your statement before you go into surgery. We don't want you to forget anything, and a detective has been assigned to your case. So, if you're up to it, we need to get this statement right now. Then you can go back to sleep. Sound good?”

Jay nods.

“Good,” Jenkins continues. “Alright, this is Detective Monroe from the Seventh Precinct. She’s a fantastic detective who will help you put all of this together and bring in the people who attacked you. Give her every detail you can by writing it down on this notepad.”

Jenkins hands Jay a small pad and pen from his pocket, and Jay nods again. Then, Jenkins moves aside and I step forward. The second Jay sees my face, his eyes widen so much I think they'll fall out of his face and roll onto the floor. With Jenkins and Flannery behind me, I allow myself to smile at Jay while showing him my badge so that he knows just how fucked he is.

“Good evening, Mr. Brock,” I say, still smiling as I sit on the edge of his bed. “As my friend, Officer Jenkins said, I’m Detective Monroe from the Seventh Precinct. I understand you were attacked tonight, is that correct?”

Jay stares at me, tears quickly filling his eyes.

“Aww, I know the memory of the attack is hard to relive,” I go on. “But I need you to think about it … keep thinking about exactly what happened to you in that alley, and try to remember who your attacker was. Picture their face in your mind. I’m going to ask you some questions, and you can either write the answers down or simply nod your head. Either way is fine with me. Can you do that for me?”

Jay nods slowly, fear entombing his body.

“Good, let’s start with the basics. Your name is Jay Brock, and your address is listed as 2305 Fairway Terrace in Colonial Park on your driver’s license. Is that correct?”

A single tear falls down Jay’s cheek as he nods.

“Good. It’s important that we get that right so that we know exactly where to find you if things don't go well … I mean, if we need to ask you more questions. Now, were you attacked in the alley next to The Black Collar BDSM club tonight?”

He nods up and down.

“Okay,” I reply, jotting the info down on my own notepad to make the show look real for everyone in the room. “How many people attacked you, Jay? Just nod when I say the right number. One? Two? Three?”

He nods.

“Oh, so three people attacked you. Interesting. Were they all male?”

Jay nods.

“Did you know these individuals?”

He shakes his head.

“Okay. You're doing great, Mr. Brock. Now, here’s the most important question. Could you identify the people who attacked you? Do you remember their faces? Now, before you answer, just remember that my name is Detective Monroe, and I know where to find you … if you're having trouble remembering the details. Now, could you identify the people who attacked you tonight?”

After a moment and more tears falling from his face, Jay shakes his head no.

I grin. “That’s too bad. Even if you saw security footage of people entering and exiting the club, you still couldn't point them out?”

He shakes his head again.

I smile from ear to ear.

Good boy.

chapter

fifteen

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