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The first people on the scene were a pair of officers, a taller balding man with a large mole on his cheek, along with his short, round companion. They both paused for a few seconds when they came into view and then frowned as they took in the scene.
“What on earth happened here?” the tall one asked.
Nick glanced toward them. “As I told you on the phone, my fiancée was attacked. This man says he was paid by someone on the internet to kill her.”
“Is that so?” The officer looked somewhat bemused, and I saw how it made Nick visibly angrier.
“Is that funny to you?”
When the taller officer caught sight of the expression on Nick’s face, all traces of amusement disappeared. The officer shook his head, chagrined. “Of course not. I’m very sorry about this, ma’am. It’s just that we don’t usually hear stories about planned assassinations here.”
“I can imagine.” He looked genuinely sorry about his initial response, so I gave him a weak smile. “I don’t know how true it is, though.”
“That’s what we’re here to find out,” the other one piped up, pulling out a notebook. “I’m Officer Dodd, by the way, and this is Officer Simmons. We’re going to take you to the station to take down your statements.”
“No,” Nick said firmly. “You’ll take the statements here. I want to get her home and not have her spend the entire day at the police station.”
Officer Dodd looked like he wanted to argue, but one look at Nick’s face, and he changed his mind. He nodded. “Erm, alright. How about we start from the beginning, then? What’s your name?”
“Lisa. Lisa Moon.”
“Do you live around this neighborhood, Ms. Moon?”
“No. I was here visiting my mother. She lives in that trailer over there. I parked my car in the lot and was just heading over when I thought I heard something moving behind me, but I convinced myself it was nothing. Then he…” I gestured to the man on the floor who was watching the officers apprehensively. “…grabbed me from behind and put a knife on my neck.” It all came rushing back at that moment. That feeling of helpless fear and the knowledge that I was probably going to die like this. I’d struggled and fought to evade the blade, but he was too strong. The more I tried to fight it, the more I felt his strength against my body and the sharp blade against my neck. The more I knew I was about to die.
I drew my hand up to my neck now, almost expecting to see it come away with blood. But no. It was odd that I’d not even gotten a single nick in the entire few seconds while we struggled. When I confirmed there was no blood, it didn’t make me feel all that better because the terror was still there, bouncing around inside me. I pushed it back and continued with my statement.
“And then, before I knew it, he was gone. My fiancé here saved me.”
The officer looked toward Nick. “Did you come with her?”
“No,” Nick answered, and I glanced at him, realizing I hadn’t asked him how he found me. He wasn’t supposed to know where my mother lived.
Nick didn’t look at me as he answered, “I didn’t hear from her the whole day and got worried when her phone kept going to voicemail. So I came over to find her.”
“Why weren’t you answering your phone?” the officer asked.
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess it was off.”
“Did you notice anyone following you?”
I shook my head. “No, but I was pretty distracted.”
“Hmm.” Officer Dodd noted something down, and I felt compelled to ask, “What does that mean?”
He shook his head. “Nothing for now. Just writing down your statements.”
“Why aren’t you directing your questions to the asshole who attacked her?” Nick demanded, and I could sense the tension in his voice.
“We’re getting to that,” the officer said, but then he turned and eyed the man on the floor. Then he looked back at Nick.
“He looks like he’s in pretty bad shape.”
Nick shrugged unapologetically. “I don’t take very kindly to people who try to kill my woman.”
Officer Simmons nodded, but Officer Dodd’s lips tightened in displeasure. “You’re supposed to leave the ass-kicking to the police.”
Nick didn’t dignify that with an answer, and the officer gestured at the man on the floor.
