Page 25 of He Doesn't Deserve You

“Hi, Emily. I’m Detective Logan.”

Detective Logan walked Emily over to another officer seated at a desk. The officer looked up as they approached. “Detective Monroe,” Detective Logan said, “this is Mrs. Anderson. She wants to file a report.”

Detective Logan placed a reassuring hand on Emily’s back. “Detective Monroe will take good care of you,” she said, her voice comforting. With a final supportive nod, Detective Logan turned and headed back to the reception desk.

Detective Monroe pointed to a seat beside his desk and said, “Please have a seat.”

Emily took a seat and said, “Thank you.”

Detective Monroe leaned forward, a look of concern on his face. “What’s going on?”

About a week ago, I was at the bar in the Ritz-Carlton. Someone put something in my drink, and I passed out. The next day, I woke up without any recollection of what happened that night or how I got to my hotel room.”

“Do you suspect you were raped?”

“No, I don’t think so. However, when I was about to leave, I found an envelope left on my doorstep. A woman is claiming she’s carrying my husband’s child and is demanding $500,000; if I don’t pay, she’s threatened to hurt my daughter.”

“Why didn’t you report this when it happened?” Detective Monroe asked, his tone gentle but probing.

“The note said if I contacted the police, they would hurt Ava. It said they are watching me.”

Emily couldn’t help but notice the detective at the desk across from them; he wasn’t working but listening intently to everything she was saying.

“You keep mentioning they,” Detective Monroe pressed gently. “Do you know who is doing this?”

“Yes, not at first, but now I do.” Emily hesitated, glancing at the clock. It was getting late, and she knew Roman would be wondering where she was.

“And who would that be?” Detective Monroe asked, leaning closer to her.

“Maggie Culliver, she paused, “Roman Martinez is involved somehow,” Emly replied, her voice tinged with betrayal. “He is…was a friend of mine,” she corrected herself. “And his friend, Travis—I don’t know his last name—is involved too.”

“Okay,” Detective Monroe continued gently, “what proof do you have that this happened?”

“I have the note. I don’t have it with me, but I can get it. You can also get the hotel’s security tapes. Watching them might reveal who spiked my drink and possibly who left the envelope with the note outside my hotel room door.

Emily glanced anxiously at the clock. “Look, it’s getting late. My daughter is in danger—Roman has her. I can take you to them, but we need to move quickly. I have to get back before something bad happens to her.” Emily stood, “We need to go now.”

Detective Monroe raised an eyebrow and said, “Wait, how did Roman get your daughter? Did he kidnap her?”

“No, not exactly,” Emily replied, her frustration growing. “I left her with him. Roman is a private investigator. I went to him for help, not realizing he was involved.

“I’m not following,” Detective Monroe said, maintaining his calm demeanor. “Please, sit back down and explain how Roman came to have your daughter.”

Emily’s patience was at its breaking point. “I don’t have time for this,” she snapped, her voice edged with desperation. Her mind raced, wondering if Travis had already contacted Roman and what he might be doing to her daughter. She reassured herself that Roman would never harm a child, but deep down, she wasn’t so sure.

“I’ll explain everything once my daughter is out of danger. Right now, she needs me. If you don’t come with me, I’ll go by myself. Please, promise me you’ll get the tapes and look into it,” she pleaded before rushing out of the police station.

14

Roman rose from the chair and walked over to the sandbox. “Are you hungry? How about I make you some lunch?”

Ava stood up from the sandbox and reached for Roman’s hand. “Okay.”

As they headed toward the house, Roman asked, “What would you like to eat?”

Ava looked up at him with her big brown eyes. “Do you have any chicken nuggets?”

“No, but I can order some,” Roman replied.

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