INFECTION 2.0

~ NINE ~

“Will you talk with me for a moment?” his voice was kind and a bit tired. “I can wait and have a female officer join us if you’d be more comfortable.”

“It’s very late Mr....”

“Detective,” he smiled softly, “if you insist on formalities, otherwise you may call me Car, and I do appreciate how late it is. Do I ever.” He kind of sighed that last part to himself. “Just a couple minutes?”

She stepped aside to let him in.

As he held out her purse he asked, “How are you doing? Are you alright?”

Tandy took the bag without a reply.

“Do you need medical attention?”

“No.”

“We have the guy down at the station. I’d like you to come down, fill out a report, ID him and we can go ahead and press charges.”

“All I want to do is go to bed and forget it happened, Detective.” Her voice sounded wavering.

Car nodded, “Without you, the only thing I can stick him with is a disorderly conduct charge, misdemeanor, and small fine at best.”

“It’s really something I don’t want to mess with.”

The man nodded as he took his wallet from his pocket. “I shouldn’t even say this, but it doesn’t hurt my feelings that you don’t want to make an issue out of it. This night has been absolutely crazy.”

She looked over at the man. It wasn’t his words that caught her attention but the tired, exhausted tone in the voice.

“We’ve gotten probably more than twenty calls of incidences similar to what happened with you tonight. It’s a madhouse back at the station. And the EMTs are going nuts too, from listening to the radio.” He chuckled quietly and without humor, “you’d think there should be a full moon at times like this.”

From his wallet, he produced a business card. “I do want you to protect yourself,” he said as he handed it to her. When she didn’t immediately reach for it he set it down on the little table next to the sofa. “A file is opened on the guy, and his picture is being taken and put in there. So, in the morning, or a day or two, you come on in and give us a statement, okay? You didn’t do anything wrong and you still have control. You can get this guy off the street so it doesn’t happen again.”

Tandy only nodded as she stared off at nothingness.

Car paused for a moment watching her, “Okay, then, my number is on this card. Also, we work with some really good people I can recommend if you feel the need to talk to someone.”

She continued to nod but made no move or sound.

He waited for a moment longer then stepped to the door. He just about told her to have a good night but stopped himself before saying anything that dumb. Even after twenty-five years in service finding the right thing to say could be difficult. He settled on saying, “Make sure you lock this door behind me.”

It wasn’t until after the door closed that she looked up to where he had just been. Come back, something in her mind screamed, don’t leave me all alone.