Chapter 43: Hollow

                                    

                                          
Her skin felt cold and clammy. Her body completely stiff and unsatisfied, frustration bleeding through her veins where lust once was, crystallizing like a terrible chemical and plaguing her body with this frigid, dreadful fury.
                          
Sallie had never been inside of the Police Department in Des Moines. She had never needed to go inside. Always walked past it...until now.
                          
Sat in the interrogation office, alone, Sallie stared numbly at the table. There wasn't anything there that was at all fascinating. There was nothing. And that was what she was staring at. Nothingness.
                          
The shame of being interrupted fucking her best friend had finally filtered out of her system, and replaced it was a cold, terrible wrath that her own mind did not comprehended just yet, for it seemed too great for her little, monkey brain to figure out its existence.  
                          
She was waiting for it to rise above the surface of the shield her consciousness created to protect her. It was the same numbness she felt.
                          
The Self-Titled masked remained clutched in her hands, dressed and was forced to return to the city after the police infiltrated the cabin and ruined their Valentine's night. Something Sallie was looking forward to since...forever.
                          
Her first Valentines night, ruined.
                          
She didn't know where Corey was exactly, but she was aware he was in another room nearby. He probably has been through the same interrogation as she had.
                          
The door behind her opened. She didn't react. Instead, she listened for the footsteps of the police officer walking behind her, stepping around the table and sat at the seat opposite her.
                          
The same face, Richard Night, looked at her intensely. His stubble was annoying her now.
                          
"Knight." Richard grumbled, clasping his fingers together on the table. "So, just to make it clear, what happened?"
                          
"I fucking told you." Sallie grilled, annoyance evident in her tone. Richard had expected it. "Corey and I were spending Valentines together in the cabin."
                          
"And you've been living with him since Christmas?"
                          
"Yes."
                          
"Why?"
                          
"Because my fucking dad loves his girlfriend so much that he was willing to let me get abuse. And when I stood up for myself, he didn't like it and kicked me out." Sallie blurted out, almost sounding rehearsed. But it was clearly the truth. Richard knew her story matched with her friend.
                          
"Kicked out? Okay." The police officer nodded, folding his arms and leaned back. His eyes cast aside for a time, sighing deeply. And then they flicked back to her. "So you weren't kidnapped?"
                          
"No, sir." Sallie instantly replied. "Corey didn't fucking kidnap me. I went to his place after I was kicked out from home and have been living there for several weeks now."
                          
"You planning in moving back with your dad anytime soon?"
                          
"Unless his wife dies, no."
                          
Richard had to admit, he liked how blunt this woman was. But from the detailed description from both Corey and Sallie on how Sam was with Sallie, he understood her hatred towards the woman. It was the perfect motive to leave home, really.
                          
When Richard opened his mouth, there was a knock on the door. He grumbled, rolling his eyes.
                          
"Come in,"
                          
On command, the door opened, and another police officer stepped in. He looked slightly younger in comparison.
                          
"Yeah, he's not talking anymore."