Chapter 17 - Blue Lights
I walked down the hallway and opened the front door. The porch was illuminated by the flashing blue and red lights of two parked cruisers in the driveway. Four uniformed police officers stood on the steps, flanked by Detective Alvarez—the empathetic, sharp-eyed woman who had quietly taken my official statement at the precinct earlier that afternoon while Grant was at work.
Grant, still held against the wall by Marcus, craned his neck to see the doorway. When he saw the badges, the last remnants of his bravado vanished. "This is a misunderstanding," he shouted in a panic. "This is a private, family disagreement!"
Detective Alvarez stepped into the foyer, her eyes immediately scanning the room before settling on me. She noted the heavy makeup on my cheek. "Mrs. Mercer, are you safe standing here?" she asked gently.
May you like
I took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the last three years finally beginning to lift off my shoulders. "Yes," I said, my voice shaking slightly from the adrenaline, but it did not break. "I am now."
Grant pointed a shaking finger at me. "She’s unstable! She bruises easily, she has anxiety, she lies about everything, and she steals medication! You can't believe a word she says!"
