Page 58 of A Life Imagined
“Can we move this along?”Mathias asked.
The woman behind the counter collected the money and shoved a clipboard toward him.“Fill this out, and we’ll begin the procedure for release.”
“Here.”Mathias passed the clipboard to Laurent, in no hurry to commit his information to record.
“Do I know you?”Laurent asked as they stepped away from the front desk.
“No.”
“You’re a friend of Rayan’s?”Asmarina asked.
“Something like that.”
“Well, thank you.We’ll reimburse you for the money.I’ll be filing a complaint with the public prosecutor, and I intend to get back every cent.”Her words were cutting, but she appeared upset.“You should have seen how they treated him.He did nothing wrong.”
Mathias’s eyes narrowed.How they treated him?
Laurent handed in the paperwork, and they stood around in the lobby, waiting.It was another half hour before the interior door to the station buzzed, and a burly cop with his gut hanging over his belt escorted Rayan out.Rayan looked pale and a little dazed, his shirt stained with dried blood.On the right side of his forehead, just below the hairline, was a large red gash.Mathias slid his hands into his pockets to hide the clench of his fists.
“Did you even bother to administer first aid?”Laurent berated the cop.“He could have a concussion!”
The man gave a shrug and turned away.
“Just wait.You’re going to hear about this!”Laurent called out savagely to the cop’s retreating back.He lowered his voice.“Bastards.”
Asmarina moved to give Rayan a hug.“Let’s get you to the hospital.”
Rayan glanced over at Mathias.“You two should head home.I’m sure this is enough excitement for one day.”
Asmarina seemed hesitant to leave, but Rayan assured her he was fine.Finally, she and Laurent said their goodbyes and stepped away.
“You’ve got something on your shirt,” Mathias said when they’d gone.
Rayan gave him a weary smile.“It looks worse than it is.”
Mathias leaned in to take a closer look.The cut was deep and jagged.He’d need stitches.“Come on.”
They walked to the car parked on the street outside and got in.“You gave them your name?”Mathias asked as he eased out onto the road.
“I wasn’t exactly thinking clearly.”
“What else did they get?”
“Prints,” Rayan admitted reluctantly.“But I used a different address.”
“Fuck, Rayan,” Mathias muttered.“One curious busybody runs those through the international system…”
“The charge will get thrown out.They know they were in the wrong.I was locked up with a priest, for Chrissakes.There will be pushback, and they’ll want to cover up as much as they can.”
At the lights, Mathias turned the car, heading away from the ocean.
Rayan shifted in his seat.“Where are you going?”
“Where do you think?”
Mathias saw a glimmer of panic cross Rayan’s face.“No.Just take me home.”
“You think you have a choice here?”
