46. Isabella
CHAPTER 46
Isabella
I squeezed my fingers together, trying to stop the trembling in my hands. The air conditioning was blowing directly onto me, and when I tried to move, the agent who had yet to give me his name demanded that I sit back down.
“Why hasn’t anyone called for my lawyer?” I asked.
“You’re not in trouble, Mrs. Vitali,” the agent said, though his tone said otherwise. “We’re just having a conversation.”
“A conversation that couldn’t wait until the morning,” I pointed out. “One that I’m not allowed to walk away from.” I wrapped my arms around myself, rubbing my icy skin. I was glad that the member of the SWAT team who’d arrested Lorenzo had allowed me time to get dressed before they brought me here, but I regretted not taking a sweater.
I winced at the throb in my lower belly. That was another thing: I had been here for hours, and they had refused to let me go to the bathroom. They kept putting it off in a gentle kind of way, but it was becoming an issue.
“I really need to use the restroom,” I said.
“Soon,” the agent promised.
“I’m six months pregnant,” I reminded him for the fifth or sixth time. “You can’t keep me from going to the bathroom.”
“I’m not keeping you from anything,” he said. “I’ll take you down to the restroom as soon as you walk me through the last few months. You quit your job, dropped out of school, and married a man fifteen years older than you. That seems really drastic.”
An argument was on the tip of my tongue, but I swallowed it back. Don’t talk . It was the only thing Amalia was able to say to me before I was led away. I had to be strong for Lorenzo and for myself.
I sat up straighter. “I don’t have to say a word to you. I’m his wife, so you can’t make me,” I said. “If you’re going to continue to keep me here, I want my lawyer, and I need to use the restroom, or I will piss on this chair.”
He stared at me, trying to decide if I was bluffing or not. I stared back, eyebrow raised in defiance. When I didn’t back down, his shoulders deflated. “Fine.” He stood up. “Follow me.”
The agent walked me down the hall to the bathroom. When I closed the door, I realized there was no lock. Seriously? But the need to go outweighed my need to have a door that locked. When I finished my business, I quickly washed my hands.
A different agent, a woman now, was waiting for me in the hall. “Isabella?” She smiled warmly. “I’m Special Agent Lewis.” She walked me back down the hall, and when we opened the door, she swore out loud. “Why is it so cold in here? I am so sorry; I’ll get the temperature turned up for you.”
She disappeared for a moment, but whatever she did, the room did get warmer. I sat back in my chair, wincing at the dull pain that radiated up my spine. Agent Lewis sat down in front of me, still smiling like we were good friends.
“That’s better, isn’t it?” she asked.
“I appreciate,” I said. “Where’s my lawyer?”
“Mrs. Vitali, I don’t think you understand what’s going on here.”
“No,” I cut her off. “I know exactly why they sent you in here. The intimidation wasn’t working, so now, you’re trying to be nice to me in hopes that I’ll tell you something important.” I sat back, wincing as my back popped, and crossed my arms over my chest. “I have nothing to say except that I want my lawyer.”
The friendly smile cooled although it didn’t disappear completely. “When are you due?” she asked, eyes dropping to my belly.
“Three more months or so.”
She hummed. “It would be a shame if CPS showed up to the hospital on the day you deliver. Don’t you think?”
My chest seized up, but I kept my face neutral. “Do you normally threaten pregnant women like this?”
“I’m not threatening you,” Agent Lewis said, holding up her hands. “We’re only talking.”
“So, I’m here just to have a conversation, right? Because I’m not in trouble. You dragged me out of my bed, barely giving me the chance to get dressed to what, exactly? Share clothing tips? Talk about our nails?” I shook my head. “Get my lawyer, or let me go.”
Agent Lewis stood up again. “We can hold you for twenty-four hours. Maybe you’ll feel ready to talk after some time alone.”
But when she opened the door, a man was standing outside, frowning. “Get her out of here,” he said.
“But—”
“The lawyer is kicking up a fuss because he hasn’t gotten to speak with her. He’s threatening a lawsuit.”
I choked on a laugh, and Agent Lewis turned back to me. She looked murderous. “Well, I guess you’re out of here, Mrs. Vitali. I wouldn’t try leaving the country if I were you.”
I didn’t say a word to her. Instead, I skirted around her and stepped out into the hall. I was led back to the central hub of the station, and when I saw Elio and Amalia, all of my calm deserted me. Amalia must have seen the shiver that ran through me because she ran and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. “Don’t give them a thing,” she said in a low voice. “Stand up straight and walk out. Fall apart in the car.”
So, that was what I did. Amalia sat in the back with me, holding and rocking me as I sobbed. “Lorenzo is going to be fine,” she said over and over. “Nothing is going to happen to him.”
I tried to believe her, but until he was in my arms again, nothing was going to make me feel better.