“Why now?” He laughs.
She narrows her eyes. “Because tonight when I texted you and you said you were at a bar, I thought it was a bad idea and so I rang Ben and he wouldn’t pick up my call. Who in the hell does that guy think he is?”
Cameron points his spoon at the door and smiles stupidly. “You should go tell him off, in front of the other guards. Right now. Do it.”
I drop my head and smile. Fuck Cameron is a troublemaker.
Bridget puts her hands on her hips angrily. “You just want to get rid of me, Dr Dickhead.”
Cameron points his spoon at her. “Bingo.” He smiles as he shovels in his food.
“God, you’re so fucking annoying,” she snaps as she storms out the front to find Ben.
Cameron shakes his head and with a mouthful of food mumbles, “Poor prick, she’d be a bitch I reckon.”
I smile and shake my head and then hear some male voices I don’t know outside the front door.
“No, you cannot come in,” I hear Bridget’s raised voice reply.
Cameron and I frown at each other and I stand and make my way to the front door where I see four policemen talking to Ben and the security guards on the driveway. One of them catches my eye and immediately stops his conversation.
“Mr Stanton.” He nods.
“Hello, can I help you?” I ask.
“Yes, we would like to speak to you,” the officer replies.
I frown. “Have you found her?” I ask hopefully.
The policeman hesitates. “No, I’m sorry we haven’t.”
My heart drops.
“We would like to ask you some questions,” he replies.
I roll my eyes. “This can wait till tomorrow,” I reply. I’m half pissed and furious with these idiots. They are just going round in circles.
The men exchange looks and I storm inside. For four weeks I have seen them dance around and tell me they have this investigation under control. What a joke. Nothing is under control.
They follow me into the house.
“Excuse me,” Bridget snaps. “You were here all day and you are not coming in now. Come back tomorrow at a decent hour,” she snaps.
They exchange looks again.
“Mr Joshua Stanton, you are under arrest for the murder of Natasha Marx,” the officer announces as he takes his handcuffs from his back pocket.
The room falls silent.
“You can’t be serious!” Cameron yells.
“Anything you say can and will be used against you,” he continues.
The two police officers walk over to me and I push one of them away from me in shock. “What?” I yell.
“He didn’t do it, you idiots!” Bridget yells hysterically.
“Bridget, calm down,” Ben whispers.
My father walks down the stairs. “What’s going on?” he asks.
“They are arresting Joshua,” Bridget yells.
His face drops in horror and his eyes find me across the crowded room.
One of the policemen tries to grab my arm and I rip it from his grip. “Get away from me,” I yell.
The policeman shakes his head. “Don’t make this harder than it already is, Joshua.”
I screw up my face. “Get the fuck out of my house,” I yell.
Two of the policemen jump me and I struggle and my mother starts to scream as she runs down the stairs.
“I didn’t do anything,” I yell.
“He’s innocent!” Ben yells. “This is absurd.”
I struggle to break free and I see the gun come from someone’s belt.
“No!” Bridget screams as I fight.
“Mr Stanton, come quietly or we will have to taser you.” The policeman holding the taser gun yells.
“Get out!” Cameron starts to yell. “You are not taking him anywhere.” He starts to struggle with the policeman holding the gun and one of the policemen pulls out his radio. “Back up required,” he snaps. The policeman tries to grab my hand again and I push him so hard he falls onto the floor.
From behind I am hit with an electric current so strong I fall to my knees as I hear the screams of my family. I am paralysed.
“Stop it! Stop it!” Bridget screams. “You will kill him.” She pushes the policeman in the back.
“No, no,” Victoria, Tash’s mum, yells as she runs down the stairs in her pyjamas. “Bridget, stop it,” she yells.
Next thing I know I am in handcuffs being dragged into the back of the paddy wagon to the sounds of screaming.
Electricity is running through my body like fire… burning me from within.
The door slams with a thud… and I am alone in the darkness.