Are You Sure? (Marina)

Forty-Eight.

Carina

An email hit my inbox and I smiled as I saw it was the confirmation email for our flights to New York. 4 days with Maya away from the usual routine of our days, exploring a new city. It could be romantic.. I should make up my mind about this whole marriage thing by then.

A knock on my door pulled my focus from my wandering mind, "Come in." I exited the email and fixed the new photo frame over my desk. The one that once held the spot as my background. Now a new one took its place and the other sat on my desk. A more evident reminder of all I had gained.

When I looked up I saw a police officer and I inhaled as I stood up to welcome him in. He was wearing a form fitting black suit but his badge sitting snug on his black leather belt sold him out. "Dr. DeLuca?"

" Si , How can I help you officer?" I pointed at the seat in front of me.

"I'm Detective Marcus, I came down to get a statement from you and whether you wanted to move forward with pressing charges on one Shannon Salinas?" He looked at his notepad and I could tell he was pretending to no be familiar with his reason of visiting.

"I thought I gave that over the phone. I apologize for not coming in but I was- sick." I sat back down and put my hands over the desk.

"Which is why I'm here now. I understand you are a busy woman and I hate to interrupt your work day doctor but we can't proceed with opening a case without a formal statement." I nodded at him. He had his sharp jaw set in tight, his 5'oclock shadow already coming in at noon. He had this cocky way about him that I hated seeing in men. This sense of entitled dominance.

"Right.. it's still the same testimony. She pushed me from behind against my car repeatedly, we argued and she struck me in the face. The security guard has the tapes right?" I had to watch my tone, I don't have problem with authority, but American authority made me anxious. It was also interesting that over a month later they were tracking me down, at work no less, for a formal statement.

"Yes ma- Doctor.. which is why I wanted to ask what the discussion was about because it also shows that you struck her first." He tapped his pen against the knee the brought up to cross his legs. The detective was getting cozy and I had a patient. This wasn't a formality thing, something had changed.

"Then as you saw, she pushed me twice before that. Then went on to insult my partner, it was an impulse. I tried to leave, and that's when she once again pushed me from behind and punched me in the face so hard it made my lip bleed. I know I hit her but it was a matter of self defense." He wrote down his notes and then spoke as he continued to write.

"I understand that Dr. DeLuca, I'm just trying to understand the train of events. The video and your previous statement line up. This version does too, hers is just different." He watched me, waiting for my reaction but he didn't get one.

"Then the evidence should be enough to drop this, no ? I want a restraining order, she needs help- I'm sure you witnessed she was disgruntled. I don't want her near me or to continue to harass me." I crossed my arms over the desk and he narrowed his eyes at me.

"She says she was your dealer." My face went cold. "That you got upset when you she wouldn't give you oxy and that pushed you to get her fired. Not that it helps her case much more but given your status. That's a serious accusation." He knew my status? Either he violated my privacy or she said something. Either way this was no longer a conversation I wanted part of.

"That's not true. I've never asked her for drugs. She's been harassing me for months because I turned her down. The hospital fired her because she didn't pass a drug test." I leaned back and crossed my arms.