Page 58 of The Marine

Briar clears her throat and looks at me.

Shit.

No way I’m letting anyone think I’m the guilty party here. I shift on the sofa and move her, waving the guy over. “She does. Her father was strangling her,” I tell him.

He glances at me quickly as he makes his way over with some medical equipment. He takes in the deep red mark on her neck and crouches, reaching to gently touch it.

Again, his eyes dart to me.

Fuck this.

I hold up both hands and step away.

“I saved her. She’s in no danger from me.” I growl.

“Sure. Can I get you to sit on the chair over there, please, sir?” He points to an armchair.

“He didn’t hurt me.” Briar tells him. “It’s...he didn’t...it’s okay.”

I glare at her.

Why isn’t she telling him her father hurt her?

“The police will be here any moment now, so you can give statements. Were you hurt anywhere else?” he asks.

“...then that angry big man flew in the door and punched him. For no reason,” Mrs. Sutton says.

What the fuck?

I stand.

Then sit again as the paramedics both flinch. It’s subtle, but I saw it.

When the cops arrive a few minutes later, I stand once more, thinking here comes a bunch of sound-minded people who will understand what’s really going on. When they ask me to go down to the station thirty minutes later, reality sets in.

––––––––

IT TAKES THREE hours, but eventually I leave the station, making sure I clarify I was never arrested.

“No. You are free to go,” the cop says.

I glance at the clock on the way out. It’s after two in the morning.

Mr. Sutton didn’t press charges, and the policeman I was dealing with said he had no former record of domestic abuse. The fact my record was clean as a whistle meant he was happy to let me go.

“This time.” He clarified, telling me to keep my nose clean.

When I reiterated what I’d seen, he explained without Briar making a statement or filing a complaint, there was nothing he could do.

His advice? “Get a new girlfriend, pal.”

I got a little angry at that part and he finally looked at Briar’s medical records when I insisted.

Pushing my luck.

“Jesus,” he muttered.

When I finally got a look, it was clear she’d been abused all her life. I’m no expert, but it looked like she had way more broken bones and injuries than the average kid.

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