The Beast

N I N E T E E N : B R E A K I N G I T D O W N

Slight mentions of racism in this chapter.

***

"So you won't believe me when I say this man didn't kidnap me?" Jessie asked and her voice broke.

The officer in front of her stared at her with his mouth set in a straight line. The he closed his eyes, almost like he was fighting the urge to roll them. "Ma'am until we're able to confirm your mental state is okay, we won't release him."

Jessie stared away, trying to not to let the tears in her eyes fall. All this was her fault! If only she hadn't told Theo about what Patrick had said, he would never have gone and confronted Patrick. Jessie didn't know what happened, but it was so bad that Patrick had gotten Theo arrested under the charges of kidnap and harassment.

So here she was, all alone, sitting in the lobby of the precinct, with the only person who supported her locked up. They wouldn't even let her see him. Apparently, he would "influence" her.

She tried again. "So there's really no way I can see him?"

"No," the officer sighed, "there's no way you can see him". He was being condescending and it was aggravating the hell out of Jessie. But she couldn't say anything. She did not want to risk him getting downright mean. It was better she kept her mouth shut for the moment.

"And I can't bail him out either?" she asked.

"Not today. I've already told you that ma'am," the officer said, scrunching his eyebrows and Jessie could tell he was getting annoyed.

At that moment, Jessie made up her mind. She got up without a word and went out to the streets. She hailed a taxi and got in, her mouth set in a frown.

Soon enough, she reached and gave the driver the money she had to. She walked to the apartment and knocked on the sturdy door waiting for a reply.

A few moments, the door was opened.

"What are you doing here?"

"We need to talk," Jessie replied.

"No we don't."

"Pattie, it's long overdue, don't you think?" Jessie asked, sighing. They had never really spoken after Pattie had done what she did and Jessie hated to admit it, but there was still a part of her that loved her once little sister.

"All I know is you're a murderer and I have no desire to talk to you," Pattie replied and attempted to close the door.

"So that's why you're trying to destroy my happiness? And my life? Because you believe I killed mom and dad?" Jessie asked, holding the door.

"Don't call them that! You have no right! Not after what you did!"

"And that's the thing? What exactly did I do? What did I do for you to hate me so much?" Jessie cried.

"Stop pretending. Stop pretending it's not because of your kind that they died," Pattie replied making Jessie furrow her brows in confusion.

"My- my kind? What do you mean by that?"

"I mean a black! African! Don't you know it's one of you that killed them?"

"No- Pattie, so that's why you've hated me? For something I didn't even do? Do you know how stupid that sounds?" Jessie asked, incredulous. It was stupid, really. She didn't hate any Caucasian because of what Pattie and Patrick had done to her.

"Yeah, sounds stupid. You can leave now," Pattie sneered and tried to close the door again.

"Pattie, don't you miss us?! Don't you miss me? Sometimes?"