David pulled out, concentrating on the traffic.
“On, my God, all my things are in there.” She just realized how appalling that was.
David glanced at her. “He’s not taking your things, Nia. Why don’t you lay back and rest?”
“I don’t need to rest.”
He grunted. “Yes, you surely do need rest.”
She gasped and pulled down the visor to look at herself in the mirror. Besides the shadows under her eyes, she thought she looked normal. “I don’t look that bad.”
“No, you don’t look bad at all, but you do look tired.”
“I’m always tired.” She looked around. “In all the cops shows I’ve watched, the perp never gets to ride up front.”
David snorted. “You’re not a perp.”
“Then, why was I arrested?”
He rolled his eyes. “You’re not being arrested. You’re being detained. If you were more rested, you wouldn’t be so muddled right now.”
The only word she heard was detained. “Oh, my God, that’s horrible. You suspect me of doing something bad, but I didn’t. I know all perps say that, but I’m telling you the truth. But then don’t all perps say that also?”
He reached over and patted her hand. “Nia, settle down. You’re not in trouble. Relax, we’re about there.”
She stared at him, trying to figure out what was going on, but her mind was sluggish from lack of sleep and stress.
They pulled up in front of a large white stucco building. David got out and then came around to help her out. Then he grabbed her purse.
She tried to reach for it, but he held it out of her reach. “Why can’t I have my purse? I don’t have a weapon in it. I swear. Check it. I know you shouldn’t believe me because every perp says that, but I’m telling the truth. Dump it out.”
They walked through several hallways. Everyone stared at her and said hello to David.
Nia looked around and then up at him. “You’re very popular.”
David snorted. He pulled her into a small conference room with a big mirror.
She glanced around. There was a table with eight comfortable-looking chairs. Turning to David, she asked, “Who’s going to question me?”
He grinned and set her things down on the table. “Would you like some coffee?”
She looked at the purse and then to David. “You haven’t checked my purse, David. You shouldn’t trust anyone. Why, I saw a show where a sweet little old lady robbed a bank.”
He smiled and crossed his arms over his chest. “But you said you didn’t do anything and that you didn’t have any weapons.”
She gasped. “You’re not supposed to believe a perp, David. Don’t they teach you this in police school?” she yelled.
He grunted, shook his head, and then laughed out loud. “Are you hungry?”
“No.”
“Why don’t you try to rest? I’m going to get your coffee. I’ll be right back.”
“All right.” She sighed and exhaled, releasing some of the tension she felt. Then she started to pace back and forth. Even though she was exhausted, moving helped settle her like nothing else. She jerked when the door opened again.
“Here you go,” David said and set the cup down.
“Thank you.” She picked up the cup and took a sip. Her face puckered up. “Yuck. Don’t you have any cream or sugar?”