Delaying the Inevitable

Ashley walked to the living room like she was walking to her execution. Anxious about what to expect from the police waiting there for her, nausea weighed heavily on her stomach, every step like a hammer to her head. Peter led the way, while Zack’s mother accompanied at her side, their presence not the least bit comforting as she played out the possibilities in her head. This was because of Hannah, that was for sure, and maybe they just wanted to talk to her, but all the young, blonde cheerleader could picture was being thrown in prison. Did they suspect that she was helping Hannah all along? Did they know she let her sister run?

Her thoughts turned to her father, remembering his call last night, demanding that she come home. He had been so mad, at Hannah for doing something so criminal, at her for keeping it from him, at himself for raising two reckless and inconsiderate daughters. His family had been torn apart and they’d made a mockery of him, of his profession. As a district attorney he was expected to be a paragon of the law. That his own house was in disarray, cast his entire position in doubt. A position that for now, he still held though.

The nervousness gripping Ashley lightened, her apprehension softening and turning to hope as she realized what she needed to do. Peter stopped beside a woman, older than him but younger than Monica Bishop, with dirty blonde hair and a nice figure. She smiled, a kind, comforting, tight-lipped smile as she appeared completely relaxed and non-threatening with her hands in her pockets. But her eyes betrayed her, cool blue, confident and intuitive as they searched Ashley’s face for any sign of guilt. Despite her demeanor, this woman was absolutely a danger.

“Miss Woodsen?” She produced a badge from her pocket before identifying herself. “My name is Joan McClane, I’m a detective with the A.R.P.D. I’d like to ask you a few questions. We can do it at the station, or here if you’d be more comfortable.”

It was a trick, Ashley was sure. This woman didn’t care about her comfort, only getting her to open up. She shook her head and asked, “Have you talked to my dad yet?”

“The records say that you’re eighteen, isn’t that correct?” The detective shifted from one foot to the other, and folded her arms as she stared harder at Ashley’s expression. “We don’t need your parent’s permission to talk to you.”

“You might want to talk to him first,” Ashley let a small smile form on her lips. “I’m sure the current District Attorney would like to make sure his daughter was properly represented before she spoke to the police.”

“Woodsen?...Woodsen!...You’re Damon Woodsen’s daughter?” she exclaimed as she realized who she was dealing with. And if Ashley was his child then that meant Hannah was also. She hadn’t personally contacted Hannah’s parents last night during the search, and the name ‘Damon Woodsen’ on a sheet hadn’t meant anything to her until right this second when she understood why it had been so familiar.

This complicated matters, but it didn’t really change anything. Even as D.A. he couldn’t stop the police from talking to his daughter, and he wouldn’t be able to stop the case being brought against his eldest daughter. However, if the case could be made without involving Ashley, he’d recommend that the prosecution take that route, meaning that anything Ashley said here might well be useless in the long run. If she wanted Ashley to talk, she would have to convince the blonde teen that it was a good idea.

“I’ll level with you. We have the recording of Hannah’s confession. Technically, it checks out. All we want to do is confirm the details on the recording and since your voice is on it, that means we just need you to give us your account of what happened,” The detective continued, relaxing her posture and smiling calmly. “You knew what your sister did was wrong, and you wanted to do the right thing. I can appreciate that. But if you want us to be able to use the recording, then I need to hear your side of things.”

Ashley folded her arms and shook her head firmly. “I’m not saying anything more until you talk to my father and I talk to my lawyer.”

Joan sighed, resigning herself to the fact that she was going to have to go through Damon Woodsen if she wanted to make any progress with his daughter at all. It wasn’t a problem, just bothersome, since she now had to take the long path to the same result, which was Ashley talking to her. They could delay all they liked, but she was certain she would get to the truth of the matter, one way or another. But Ashley wasn’t the only teen she wanted to speak to.

“What about the other one?” she asked, looking to Peter. “Robert’s daughter, Heather. I said I’d like to speak to her too.”

“Looks like Heather didn’t come home last night,” Peter explained, deducing the outcome from the fact that he’d slept in Heather’s bed with Ashley and no one had come to kick him out.

“She probably just went home with her father,” Ashley added quickly as she saw the gears beginning to move inside the detective’s head already, trying to account for both Hannah and Heather’s disappearances. “They were at a charity gala last night with Zack, but they left before he did. If Heather didn’t come here, they probably went home.”

“Really? So, you must have talked to Zack before he came to the police station last night,” Joan surmised, egging Ashley on to talk more. “But if they were at the charity gala last night, then that means the recording was from the night before that.”

She already knew this to be true, from the details hidden in the data of the recording which was in the report that came back from the tech lab, and because the events of the charity gala where the young Zack Bishop had become CEO of Ravers Enterprises was all over the news, although it had been overshadowed by the scandal at the Azure Rocks Nugget this morning. Although she already knew these details, getting Ashley to confirm them was simply another ploy to get her talking.

But Ashley didn’t take the bait. “I already told you, I’m not saying anything more.”

“Alright then, I’ll check in at Ravers Manor and try my luck there. Then I’ll talk to your father, and we’ll work something out, so don’t go anywhere, Miss. Woodsen.” She paused, making eye contact with Ashley to ensure that her words had gotten through, before turning to leave, when Monica called out to stop her.

“Wait,” she said, stepping forward. “You said that Zack was at the police station last night. I’m his mother, Dr. Monica Bishop, so can you tell me if he’s still there? There’s something important I need to discuss with him.”

Joan looked the woman up and down for a few seconds, mulling over whether to tell her what she knew, but there was an undeniable family resemblance between the two. Relenting, the detective told her, “he was at the station, but he left last night to take Lisa Rivera home. You should check there first.”

“Wonderful,” Monica nodded and smiled, glad to have some confirmation of the whereabouts of her son.

Again, Detective McClane turned to leave, but this time stopped herself, rubbing her head as she half turned back and said, “There was one other thing. A couple of officers talked to Richard and Olivia Walker this morning. They said their daughter was also staying up here, but they haven’t been able to get in touch with her.”

“That’s right, Victoria is here,” Ashley admitted, the sickness in her stomach returning, knowing that she would have to tell the officer about Shawn Lewis. “But her phone was broken a couple of days ago, so that’s why they haven’t been able to reach her. You can tell them to call me. They should have my number.”

“I can do that,” Joan agreed, as she turned fully to face the teen, her hands on her hips. “But I’d quite like to talk to her myself.”

“That’s not going to be possible,” Monica spoke up, saving Ashley the trouble. As a doctor, even an OB-GYN, she was quite familiar with having to deliver difficult or troubling news. “The shock of this morning’s events has caused Victoria to become mute. I’ve examined her myself, and deemed the cause to be psychological. At some point you may be able to attempt communication, even if she doesn’t get her voice back, but I’m afraid that stressing her out further right now would only exasperate the issues.”

The detective frowned, becoming irritated with all these barriers, keeping her from doing her job. “What kind of doctor did you say you were again?”

“Obstetrics and gynecology, and I run a clinic in town,” Monica replied coolly, not much liking having her credentials questioned. “I assure you, I’m more than capable of performing a routine examination and performing a rudimentary diagnostic on her condition. She’s in perfect health, and the rapid onset of the condition coupled with the context within which it happened, makes it clear that this is definitely psychological.”

“I understand. All the same, I think I’ll arrange a second opinion,” Joan noted, before looking to Ashley once more. “I don’t suppose you’ll enlighten me about anything in-regards to Miss. Walker’s situation, will you? Did she mention having problems with anyone before this happened?”

Ashley pursed her lips and glanced at Zack’s mom, who silently urged her on. Taking a deep breath through her nose, she revealed, “She was in a…relationship, of sorts, with a guy called Shawn Lewis. It was consensual, for the most part, but he wasn’t good for her. She got away from him, and then this happened. He’s the one you should be investigating.”

Joan’s face brightened, almost amused that Ashley had agreed to tell her anything. Finally, it seemed that there was an actual lead for a case, rather than wading through more red tape to get what she wanted. It was refreshing, and she decided not to press her luck. She’d see what she could find out about this Shawn Lewis person, and, if need be, come back armed with more information.

“I’ll be in touch,” she said as a final farewell, a promise and a warning. This time though when she turned and walked away, she did finally leave.

The three breathed a collective sigh of relief, relaxing as the intensity in the air seemed to dissipate almost immediately with the detective’s departure. Ashley flopped down on the couch, lying stretched across it with her face buried in a cushion at the other end. Peter sat in a single seater next to her, but Monica remained standing, chuckling at the blonde, reminding her of Taylor returning from her exams, strung out and exhausted.

“Fuck me, that was intense,” Ashley grumbled into the seat, then rolling over slightly and looking up at Zack’s mother. “Sorry, Mrs. Bishop.”

“It’s alright, Ashley, I understand. I’m not so easily offended, and I’ve told Zack off many times for saying much worse,” Monica conceded with a comforting smile. “I think you handled yourself well under the circumstances.”

“That’ll only have delayed them for now though,” Peter remarked thoughtfully. “Your dad won’t be able to stop them from talking to you. Eventually, you will have to give your side of the story.”

“Later,” Ashley said, rolling onto her back and closing her eyes. “When I haven’t had to break up with my boyfriend, say goodbye to my sister and hear that my friend’s face splattered with semen has been publicized in her parent’s local newspaper. AND after I’ve figured out what I want to tell them.”

“If you don’t mind my asking, what is the secrecy with this video that Hannah had of Heather and her father?” Monica asked, the events of yesterday and the destruction of her marriage having made her completely forget about it. “Zack mentioned it when convincing me to tell Gregory about my, um, affair…” She blushed, feeling ashamed to be admitting to falling to her desires to the teens. They were supposed to be the ones governed by their whims, not her, a middle-aged adult woman. “Uh…but, he never did explain what exactly was on the video.”

The question made Ashley sit up. She chewed her lip as she contemplated what to say, glancing briefly at Peter. But, much like Zack, she drew the conclusion that she shouldn’t be the one to tell Monica about Robert and Heather becoming much, much closer than father and daughter should. She shook her head and said, “I’m sorry. Have you asked Mr. Ravers about it?”

“No, I haven’t had a chance yet,” she said, grimacing. “You do know what’s on the video though, don’t you?” Slowly Ashley nodded, to which Monica tsked and folded her arms. “It’s frustrating because it’s beginning to seem like everyone knows about this video apart from me. Well, I suppose I’ll simply have to ask Robert himself. Maybe I’ll seek him out next, after I find Zack.”

“At least you know he’s probably with Lisa. Tell him I said ‘hi’ when you see him, no, wait, don’t,” Ashley crossed her legs beneath her as if she were meditating, and rocked gently back and forth. “I don’t want him to think I’m still thinking of him. Or is that just weird?”

Monica tilted her head as she watched the blonde teen, adding up the clues in her head. “Ashley, this boyfriend you broke up with, it wouldn’t happen to be my son, would it?”

“Um, yeah, but it didn’t last very long, only a week, if even that,” she admitted, downplaying the relationship, though she couldn’t help but add, “Despite that, it was special to me.”

“And he’s already moved on?” Monica raised her eyebrows. Heather hadn’t been kidding about Zack being sexually active. “I thought I raised him better than that.”

“No, it’s my fault, really,” Ashley explained, hanging her head a little. “And I told him to go be with Lisa. She’s ready for the kind of commitment Zack wants, I’m not.”

“I’m not sure if that’s true,” Monica noted, as she edged towards the door. “Recognizing that fact shows that you’re more mature than you know. Anyway, I should get going, if I want any hope of catching Zack today.”

“That’s right,” Ashley blinked, her eyes wide with realization. “You never said why you needed to talk to Zack.”

“Oh, that’s quite simple,” she said, reaching for the door handle, already halfway out when she finished her sentence. “I have the results of his DNA test.”