Punished: Melbrooke Menace

by Dahlia Kent

  Officer Paul Creese hauled me away to his cruiser, opened the backseat door, and unceremoniously shoved me inside.

  The metal of the cuffs sat cool against my skin. They were tighter than I’d expected after watching crime shows of criminals being handcuffed. At least my hands were cuffed at the front and not bent behind me.

  The cruiser’s windows were in need of cleaning.

  The stench of stale coffee permeated the air.

  These were the things I focused on. This narrow scope of awareness was all I allowed myself so I didn’t start screaming in hysteria at the top of my lungs.

  Officer Creese spoke into his radio as he drove, no doubt alerting whoever he needed to that he’d found a new criminal.

  Right. I was a criminal now that I’d helped another one.

  When we arrived at the precinct, he hauled me out of the car and into the squat building. I teetered a little on my heels as I struggled to keep up with his quick, long strides. Shame was a thick, heavy blanket stifling me. I kept my head down so I couldn’t see anything but my shoes and the dirty floor. And so nobody could see my face. Stares followed me. I couldn’t see it, but I felt it crawling on my skin.

  Officer Creese shoved me into a depressing grey room. A metal table stationed between two chairs the only furniture occupying it.

  “Someone will be with you for questioning shortly,” he said in a cold voice.

  The door slamming shut behind him as he left me all alone had never been a more final sound.

  Four

  —

  Once, when I was a kid, I shoplifted bubblegum from a convenience store.

  The owner, Mick, had seen me do it. Instead of calling my parents and telling on me, he scolded me and said how disappointed he was in me. I remembered feeling absolutely terrified when he’d called my name and asked me to put the gum back. I’d felt so ashamed, like my world would end if my parents found out.

  That childhood shame and terror had returned. More potent too. There was no kindly old man to let me off with a scolding. I was an adult and what I did carried a greater consequence. One that could change my life forever. For worse.

  And it was all because of my stupidity.

  Had I listened to Stacy I wouldn’t have been here.

  It was incredibly stupid I’d tried to run. More so that I’d stuck around in the car that helped in the bank robbery. Obviously, the bank would have cameras. They would have recorded the licence plate of my car.

  I don’t know how long I sat by myself in the room with no windows and harsh fluorescent lighting. They’d taken everything I had on me except my clothing and the stupid handcuffs. Another police officer had said I could call someone if I wanted, but who could I call? Definitely not Stacy. Not right now, anyway. I couldn’t call my parents either. I’d left Coburg on less than pleasant terms with them. Sure, they might want to help me out, but they’d be ashamed to know their daughter could have done something so idiotic.

  So I sat and waited, feeling sorry for myself. My life was over now. I was going to prison. I’d forever have a mark on my record. After I got out of prison, whatever dreams I might have in the future would be harder—maybe impossible—to achieve because I was an ex-convict.

  The door opened and I looked up at the sound.

  “Hello, Miss Alston.”

  Another police officer stood in the opened doorway. He was backlit by the hallway light, his features partially obscured. Yet I recognized his silky voice.

  The man in the suit who I’d served yesterday.

  “What are you doing here?” I asked. A fresh wave of embarrassment hit me. It was bad enough I’d been arrested, but now he had to be here to witness it too?

  He entered the room and closed the door, striding toward the table with grace. So light on his feet, he barely made a sound. Yesterday, I’d likened him to a wolf in a suit. Today he wore a uniform that further enforced his air of power and authority. When he sat across from me and fixed me with a satisfied smile, I decided it didn’t matter what animal he resembled. He was simply an apex predator who’d cornered his prey.

  “I am Cole Foster,” he said, then he pointed at the gold badge pinned to the left breast of his black uniform shirt. “I”m the captain of this precinct.”

  “Oh.”

  “Give me your hands.”

  I did so hesitantly and he held them in his big, warmer one while he unlocked my handcuffs. His palms were somewhat rough. Like if he used to do physical labour before ruling the 42nd East York Police Department.

  “Thanks,” I mumbled, flexing and rubbing my wrists.

  “So, Miss Alston,” he said, putting away the handcuffs in his pocket and leaning back in his seat. “It appears you’ve found yourself in some trouble. Would you mind giving me a detailed rundown of your day today?”

  I pursed my lips and sat up straighter, trying to appear in control beneath his unwavering gaze.

  “I’m sorry, but I don’t want to say anything to you, Captain Foster. I want a lawyer.”

  “Do you have one you’d like to call?” he said, a condescending note to his voice as if he already knew the answer.

  “No,” I said sullenly. “But isn’t the city supposed to provide one for me if I can’t afford one?”

  “Yes, but that would be a mistake.”

  “That’s not true. A lawyer will help me—”

  “Do you know why you were arrested?” he cut in.

  “’Accomplice in a bank robbery,’” I repeated what the arresting officer said. “But it’s not true! I wasn’t an accomplice. I was—” I snapped my mouth shut and shook my head. “I want a lawyer.”

  “We have clear footage of you and your car at the crime scene, Miss Alston. After you were brought here, we searched your car.” Before I could respond in outrage that they weren’t allowed to do that, he continued. “We found a suitcase full of clothing and two thousand dollars in cash in your purse.” Then he leaned forward. “Here’s what I think: you were fleeing Melbrooke after participating as a getaway driver in the robbery, and that two grand was payment for your services.”

  “That’s not true,” I said immediately.

  “Which is a shame,” he continued in a taunting voice as if I hadn’t spoken. “Two measly thousand dollars and an arrest for your trouble. Yet your partner makes off clean with the other fourteen thousand for himself. You got the short end of the stick.”

  Horror gripped me. “He stole sixteen thousand dollars?”

  “I’m so impressed with your basic arithmetic skills.”

  I scowled, despising him for his sarcastic remarks. I couldn’t believe I’d thought he was attractive.

  “He wasn’t my partner,” I spat. Angry desperation to prove my innocence fuelled me to speak against good judgement. “I know it looks bad, OK? I panicked and I thought if I left Melbrooke to clear my head, everything would just… I don’t know… blow over!” I threw my hands in the air. “But I swear, I didn’t know Jackson was going to rob that bank. It was the first time I’d ever met him. Our first date. I didn’t know he was a thief. I don’t even know if ‘Jackson’ is his real name.” I ran my fingers through my hair in frustration. “I need a lawyer. I’m not supposed to be speaking to you, Captain Foster.”

  He was quiet for a moment, staring at me. His silent gaze made me uncomfortable. He had this presence that was hard to ignore, yet it was too intense for me to stare at him directly for too long. He was like the sun. But something told me he wasn’t the type of person who brought warmth into your life. Fire in your blood and heat between your legs, maybe.

  “I’m the only one you need, Jenna,” he said. It irked me how good my name sounded on his lips, especially now when he was standing between me and freedom. “Did you know that an accomplice to a robbery can be charged with the same sentence as the individual who committed the crime?” I didn’t respond. I couldn’t when a lump of fear was lodged in my throat. “Bank robbery carries quite a heavy punishment. The maximum sentencing
is twenty years. And if a weapon is involved, twenty five years.”

  My eyes widened.

  Jackson had a gun…

  Twenty-five years in prison for a crime I didn’t commit? I’d be close to fifty by the time I was free. The pit of my stomach fell and I started to feel nauseous. A cold sweat broke out on my skin.

  “I didn’t know,” I whispered, on the verge of tears and staring at my lap. “Please believe me. I didn’t know he was robbing a bank.”

  “I believe you.”

  I looked up sharply. “You do? So why are you keeping me here? Shouldn’t you be out looking for the guy who actually committed a crime?”

  “You might not have robbed the bank or willingly helped the thief, but you committed a wrong, too,” he said. There was a steely note to his voice and his eyes gleamed, their depths so dark it felt like the longer I stared into them I was falling into a void. “You ran away instead of coming forward and owning up to what happened. You took the money. There are consequences to your actions.”

  “Please,” I begged. I shut my eyes and a few tears leaked from under my lashes. I was fed up of crying. Fed up of feeling so helpless. “Please.”

  “Please what?”

  “Please help me.”

  He remained silent, his stare as tangible as a physical caress. I opened my eyes but I kept my gaze down, feeling foolish for asking him for help. He wasn’t going to help me. He was a part of the justice system. His job was to see that wrongdoers paid the price for their actions.

  “There is a program for which I think you’ll be perfect,” he said. “You wouldn’t need to face a court trial and risk a sentencing that would ruin your life forever. Instead, you’ll dedicate one night to this program where you’ll be… punished.”

  I frowned. “What sort of punishment?”

  “I can’t disclose the details until you consent to joining the program. And only after you’ve been brought to the facility where your punishment will occur.”

  “And it’s only for one night? I won’t go to jail?”

  “One night, and then you’ll be free to return to your life as it was before.”

  “But I’ll still have a criminal record, I guess?”

  “You will not.”

  Stunned, I sat back in disbelief. If it’s too good to be true, it probably is. Those words repeated in my head in Stacy’s voice. But what did she know? If she were in my position, she definitely would take this deal.

  I didn’t have to think about it too long. I definitely didn’t want to risk prison time by antagonizing Captain Foster with a multitude of questions. Although he made me uncomfortable, I chalked it up to my underlying attraction to him.

  Whatever the punishment that was meted out in this program, I’m sure it wasn’t as bad as being imprisoned. Captain Foster was a police officer and a leader of his precinct. His job was to serve and protect people. He wanted to help me. Nothing could go wrong.

  Rubbing my lips together, I nodded.

  “I want to participate in the program.”

  He smiled then reached into his pocket for a recorder. He set it down on the table between us and pressed a button. A red light blinked on.

  “Lean forward and repeat what you just said.”

  That red light made me hesitate, yet I did as he asked.

  “Now state your full name,” he said.

  “But you already know—”

  “Say it.”

  “Jenna Marie Alston.”

  “Your full address?”

  “338 Galveston Drive, East York, Melbrooke.”

  “How old are you?”

  “I’m twenty-two years old.”

  “Are you a virgin?”

  “Excuse me?” The question was so random and inappropriate. I blinked, heat rising to my face. “What does that have to do with anything?”

  “Answer the question,” he demanded, a glint in his eyes. “And tell the truth. If you lie, I’ll know.”

  I opened and closed my mouth before I finally answered in a small voice.

  “Yes.”

  With another satisfied smile, he reached for the recorder and turned it off, tucking it away in his pocket.

  “You’ll serve your punishment tomorrow night. I’ll collect you at your apartment at 10pm. Shower and dress.” His gaze skipped over me. “What you’re wearing is perfect. Wear something similar.” Then he stood and walked to the door, opening it. “You can leave now, Miss Alston.”

  I rose on stiff and unsteady legs, my lips working to ask him more questions. But I was too eager to get home to my bed to stick around in the precinct.

  As I passed him, he grabbed my hand, forcing me to look at him.

  “Don’t run away again, Jenna,” he said, his voice gliding along my skin. The heat of his touch seeped into me, warming me more than they should. “If you do, I’ll find you and I’ll make sure you’re punished to the fullest extent of the law. Do you understand?”

  His grip tightened on me and he pulled me closer. He towered over me, large, powerful and frightening. The last words he said to me yesterday came back to me.

  It’s good you’re afraid of me, Jenna. Remember that fear. It’s the only thing that might protect you from me.

  “Yes,” I said softly.

  “Yes, who?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  He released me and I couldn’t get out of the precinct fast enough after they returned my purse and car keys. Of course, they didn’t return the two grand.

  “Where are you going?” asked a man in an ill-fitted suit and thinning black hair as I exited. He scowled at me, his watery grey eyes suspicious. “Aren’t you supposed to be inside for questioning?”

  “It’s over. They released me,” I said and hurried away before he could prevent me from leaving.

  As I drove home, I couldn’t help this nagging feeling that maybe I’d been wrong again.

  Maybe I’d been foolish to trust a dangerous man like Captain Cole Foster.

  Maybe he was the devil, and the bargain I’d made with him was much worse than serving a lifetime in prison.

  Five

  —

  “Jenna, where have you been?” demanded Stacy as soon as I got home.

  “Out on my date with Jackson, remember?” I kicked off my shoes, grateful to be barefooted again.

  “But I thought you were coming back here.”

  Shit.

  “I went for a walk. Wanted to clear my head,” I lied.

  “In heels… for hours?”

  I smiled tightly. “Wasn’t as bad as you’d think.”

  I hurried to my bedroom door, desperate to get away from her questions. I wasn’t good at lying, especially under pressure, as evidenced by how easily Captain Foster got the truth out of me tonight. Though that was his job. Getting me to confess was probably a walk in the park for him.

  She frowned, her gaze suspicious. She opened her mouth, and I knew she had more lectures about Jackson being a terrible guy. Which I already knew.

  “I’m so tired, Stace,” I said with a sigh before she said anything. “Today was a long one for me with work and then the date with Jackson. I don’t even know how I’m still upright. I’m going to bed.”

  She bit her lip then nodded silently. It was unlike her to not press an issue, but I was too relieved to care. I slipped into my room and shut the door.

  I tossed and turned and probably got about four hours of sleep, if so much. Early in the morning before work, I anxiously checked the news. While there was a report of the bank robbery, there was no mention of me. Stacy was still asleep so I couldn’t tell her what happened. I didn’t even think I wanted to. I knew I’d rather carry this secret to the grave. If I could trust what Captain Foster said, I’d serve my punishment for the one night and then all that happened would be buried.

  At work, I could barely keep up with the customers’ demands. I mixed up orders, spilled drinks, and got shouted at by customers and Fred alike.

  “Today’s no
t your day, kid,” said Susan sympathetically. “You all right?”

  “I’m fine,” I said, a little sharper than I’d intended. She raised her eyebrows then left me alone.

  The day sped by faster than usual. While I’d always felt like the days dragged when I was at Fred’s, it zoomed toward the end of my shift today. I headed home on foot because I’d been unwilling to drive to work and risk another arrest. As I walked, each step felt heavier than the next. I heard Captain Foster’s warning in my head—if I ran, he’d make sure I was punished to the fullest extent. I guessed that meant he’d make sure I was sent to prison for over two decades.

  So I had to take my punishment, whatever it entailed. In a way, it felt like he was blackmailing me. Then again, I was the one who agreed to join his program. I had the alternative to continue demanding a lawyer. But his promise of only one night of punishment had sounded a lot better than taking a chance on going to court.

  What sort of punishment required I dressed up, anyway? Reluctant to dwell on it, I told myself to keep a positive mindset.

  When I got home, Stacy was gone. She worked nights as a bartender at a trendy pub four days a week and usually didn’t come home until two or three in the morning. Perfect for me because by then I would be asleep and wouldn’t have to face her questions and comments for another night.

  As it got closer to ten, I got ready. I showered and found a summer dress similar to the one I wore yesterday. Just like Captain Foster commanded. Resentment filled me as I put it on. Yesterday I’d done this with so much excitement. I’d been looking forward to meeting the man of my dreams in person.

  Instead, he’d turned out to be a scumbag who had landed me in trouble.

  Trouble I was getting ready to pay for.

  A knock sounded on my door.

  Captain Foster dressed in a black dress shirt and pants stood on the other side of the peephole I peered through. I reared back as if his presence alone had attacked me. My heart raced a little, my hands shaking as I unlocked the door and forced a smile to my lips.