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Lily inhaled deeply as the bars closed around her. She had never been claustrophobic, but she felt she understood the fear now. Despite being able to see the room around her, she felt as though she'd been placed in a shoe box. Her tears had not ceased since Sheriff Chambers had taken her away. At least he hadn't cuffed her. Even in anger, her tears had come hot and streaming down her face.
"I don't understand," she wailed, hating herself for sounding so pathetic.
This was always how she'd sounded when Ray hit her. She'd vowed not to feel that way ever again, but now it was as if Ray really was here, hurting her. Even in death, she could not escape him.
Sheriff Chambers sat on his desktop. Deputy Bixby stood nearby, glaring at him.
"I'm sorry," the sheriff said. "I don't like doing this sort of thing. We haven't had many women in these cells. In fact... I think you're the first."
He blushed and cleared his throat. "Our, uh, facilities aren't exactly set up for a lady, if you know what I mean. If you need the wash area, just tell either myself or Bixby, and you can use the one behind closed doors."
"Th-Th-Thank you," she said and fell onto one of the cots.
"And don't worry," Sheriff Chambers continued. "If we get any other, uh, inhabitants, I'll make sure to put them in a separate cell. No one will go in there with you."
"Th-Th-Thank you," she said again, and this time buried her face in the pillow. It stunk of old whiskey and cologne. She tossed it aside and cried into the mattress instead. It wasn't much better.
After several more minutes, Lily sat up, apparently having cried herself out. She looked at the sheriff and felt anger replacing her fear and grief. "Why am I here?" she demanded.
Sheriff Chambers looked almost embarrassed. "We have a witness who says they saw you kill Ray."
Her eyes widened. "Saw me kill him? Impossible."
He shrugged. "I admit that I find it a little hard to believe myself, but I've got to act on these things when they come to me."
"The word of one person is enough to arrest me?"
"It wasn't just one person," he told her. "There were two of them."
Lily's mouth dropped open. "Two people say they saw me kill Ray?"
He nodded solemnly.
"What two people?"
"I can't say," he told her. "At least, not yet."
"Why not?"
"They claimed they were in fear for their lives. I promised I'd keep their names out of it until it came time to go before a judge, then they'll have to speak."
"And they're willing to do that?" she asked, dumbfounded.
"That's what they say."
"I don't like it. Smells like rat to me." Bixby looked at the sheriff, who said nothing.
"Is it Bridget O' Malley and Patty Simms?" she asked.
The sheriff stiffened. "What makes you think it was them?"
"I've had words with them both of late. Especially Bridget. The last we spoke, she threatened me."
"What did she say?"
"That I'd be sorry."
"See," Bixby said. "I told you there was a rat."
"Hush," Sheriff Chambers barked.
Edward rushed in just then, followed by his father.
"How dare you arrest this woman?" Edward shouted. "You're lucky you're still standing. A lesser man would have knocked you to the ground by now."
"Is that a threat?" Sheriff Chambers said, steeling himself against Edward's outcries.
"Edward, please," Lily said. "You'll only make things worse."
"This is ridiculous. How can he lock you up like this? There's not a shred of—"
"They have witnesses," she said quickly before he could put his foot in it again.
"Witnesses?" said Charles Saunders. The news seemed to disconcert him.
"I didn't do it though. They're lying."
"Of course, they are," Edward said, turning to Sheriff Chambers again. "I demand you release her. I'll pay any amount you want. Name your price."
Sheriff Chambers said, "Your father tried this once already, remember? Didn't work out so well for him, did it?"
"This is different. Lily's a woman. Certainly, you don't intend to keep her jailed here indefinitely."
"I haven't decided what I intend to do just yet. I need to look into a few things first."
"Fine. But there's no reason she has to be jailed while you look." He withdrew his billfold, and Lily screeched.
"Stop it!"
He turned to look at her. "I'm only trying to help you."
"No, you're trying to buy your way out of this because you think you can. You think you're entitled to whatever you want. You think money is everything."
"Lily, I—"
"Just go, before you make things worse." She burst into tears again and lay back on the cot.
Edward stared at her a moment, unbelieving, then left. His father lingered a moment then went after him.
It was not until after they were already gone that Lily realized Edward had missed his train.
* * *
