Chapter 12
Willa stepped into the police station, her heart beat rapidly like a rabbit in a race. She didn’t have a good handle on exactly what would happen during this visit. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust the police, but the last time she’d come for help, they’d blamed her for her abuse.
“Willa, you’re here,” Bree said as she stood from the chair where she’d been reading something on her phone.
“Oh wow, you really did show up.”
“Of course. Now let’s see what the police say.”
Bree approached the desk, her smile wide. “Willa is here. You can tell Detective Riser we’re ready.”
“Sure thing. I’ll inform him now.” The officer picked up a phone and dialed.
Worry twisted through Willa. What if they didn’t believe her? She’d gone to the police about Robert before, and they wouldn’t help her. Maybe this was different. That had been in San Francisco, not San Diego.
“Hello, I’m Detective Riser.”
Willa smiled nervously as she studied the man. He wore a suit, like most detectives, and he was clean shaven. The man was tall and had an air of authority, but not cruelty. His hair had some gray in it, so he must be at least forty, maybe older.
“I’m Bree, and this is Willa.”
The detective shook their hands and then led them back to a conference room. The room was nice, with swivel chairs and a huge window looking out over the city.
“Nice view. I thought police interview rooms were dank and dingy,” Bree said.
Riser snorted. “This room is a nice one. We don’t bring people we’re interviewing in here. We just want to make sure Miss Cagney is comfortable while we talk. We want to make you aware.”
Willa feared what Riser would say to her question. “What do I need to be aware of?”
Riser motioned to the chairs. “We should take a seat.”
Bree took her hand after they sat. She was glad Bree had come with her. There was no way she could face this detective on her own. Her stomach was already in knots, and she was having trouble breathing evenly.
“So this guy, Robert, you used to date him?”
“Yes. We broke up months ago. I don’t know why he followed me here.”
“You were living in San Francisco. Is that why you moved to San Diego, to get away from him?”
“Yes.”
“I called the San Francisco PD, and they have a record of you going in. But it sounds like they didn’t listen to you. I wasn’t happy with what the detective I spoke to said.”
“Oh, what did they say?”
Riser frowned and shook his head. “They called Robert. He told them a different story from what you said. The detective up there didn’t take your concerns seriously. But based on what we saw in the trunk of his car, he is in a load of trouble.”
“He’s still locked up in jail, right?” She had to know if he was out.
“He is still locked up.”
“Do you think he will get bailed out?” Bree asked.
“Maybe. But he has done some very bad things, and I don’t think he will escape a prison sentence. If he’s released, he’ll be placed on house arrest. The main issue is that he is here in San Diego, and his residence is in San Francisco.”
“How many people stay at home when they’re under house arrest?” Bree asked.
Riser made a sound like a grunt. “The numbers are not what we like.”
“So, how can you keep my friend safe? Robert seems unhinged, and I don’t want him coming after Willa again.”
Riser nodded. “We’ll make sure to increase patrols. If Robert gets bail, we’ll keep an eye on him. He won’t have the freedom to just run around. I know it’s a scary prospect, but we can help to keep you safe.”
Bree sat forward, resting her forearms on the table. “What was in Robert’s possession that made you all think he was dangerous?”
Riser cleared his throat. “They were very disturbing images. We’re not sure if they were all real, but we’re certain that a few of them are real.
There is a woman who was reported missing a few months ago.
Robert had photos of her. When we saw photos of you in the back of his car, we just had to make sure you were okay.
He told us you were inside the restaurant and made us check on you because we honestly thought, based on the images he had, that he’d already done something bad to you. ”
Willa leaned forward. “He wanted me dead?”
Riser straightened in his seat and frowned. “Wanted may not be the right word. He certainly fantasized about it and had manipulated photos of you. Like I said. It was enough to arrest him.”
“That must have been really bad. So, the other woman, do you think he killed her?” Bree asked.
Riser shrugged. “We’re investigating. We don’t have physical evidence yet, but we’re working on that. I’m glad you’re alive and safe, and we want to keep it that way. So I’ll check in on you, and if he gets bail, we’ll keep tabs on him.”
Willa nodded, not sure how she felt now. Could Robert have killed a woman? She thought he could. Robert wasn’t a good person, too bad she’d learned that lesson after she’d gotten mixed up with him. “Thank you.”
“And if you feel like you’re in danger, please call,” Riser said.
“I will. Thank you for talking to me.”
“Yes, thank you for keeping her informed. This sounds very scary.”
Riser nodded. “It is. Be aware of your surroundings and call if you need to.”
When they stepped out of the police station, Bree gave her a quick hug. “Hey, you have my number, and I want you to check in with me. I’m going to be worried otherwise.”
“Why are you being so nice?” Willa asked.
“Because we all need people. I’ve needed help, and if no one stepped up to help me, I wouldn’t be here.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry.”
Bree squeezed her hand. “I’m fine. And now we need to make sure you’re okay.”
“Seriously, you’re being way too nice. No one is this nice.”
Bree’s laughter shocked her, but she could tell the laughter wasn’t meant to ridicule her. “I know there are some bad people out there, but there are good ones, too.”
“Thank you. Really, you don’t know how much this means to me.”
“I’m glad to help. And I’m serious about checking in with me. I want to make sure you are safe.”
“Thank you. And I will keep you informed. I really appreciate you coming down here with me. I was afraid something bad was going to happen, but you being here was great.”
Once in her car, Willa blew out a breath as relief hit.
The last time she’d visited the police in San Francisco, the officer she’d talked to hadn’t been very nice.
He’d told her she needed to be nicer to Robert, so he wasn’t so mad.
That had felt very weird. Detective Riser seemed to take her concerns seriously.
She wasn’t sure if the police would hold Robert for a long time or just a few days, but hopefully, he would be held until his trial. She liked having the freedom to just live her life without worrying that Robert was watching.
This was how it was supposed to be. Having no threats from Robert, just living was nice. She didn’t have to constantly look over her shoulder, and she felt like she could actually breathe.