Chapter 4 - THE OFFICER AT THE GATE
A dark sedan stopped beside the mailbox.
A county patrol vehicle pulled in behind it.
The music stopped so abruptly that the final beat seemed to hang in the air.
A man in a plain dark jacket stepped into the driveway. Two county officers followed him.
“Ella Bennett?”
“Yes.”
“I’m Thomas Reed with NYPD Internal Affairs. We received your report.”
The side gate opened.
Mark appeared first. His shield remained visible against his shirt.
“This is a private celebration,” he said.
Reed looked at my face, my scraped knees, and the strands of hair still wrapped around my fingers.
“Were you assaulted?”
Charles stepped out behind Mark.
“She threw herself into a chair.”
Mark added, “She has emotional issues. I can give you the background.”
That sentence might have worked on someone else.
Reed already knew Mark had written the background himself.
One county officer moved between us. The other asked whether I needed medical attention.
“Yes.”
Mark stared at me.
For years, I had said no because saying yes created paperwork, questions, and consequences the family considered disloyal.
This time, I allowed the answer to remain.
Reed turned toward Mark.
“Detective Bennett, do not leave the property until the county officers finish speaking with you.”
Mark touched his shield.
“You’re treating me like a suspect?”
May you like
“No,” Reed said. “I’m treating you like an officer whose conduct is under review.”
The distinction frightened him more.
