{"id":2678,"date":"2024-06-01T14:25:17","date_gmt":"2024-06-01T21:25:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/?p=2678"},"modified":"2024-06-01T14:25:17","modified_gmt":"2024-06-01T21:25:17","slug":"a-shower-would-be-nice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/2024\/06\/01\/a-shower-would-be-nice\/","title":{"rendered":"A Shower Would Be Nice"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

prompt: Set your story over the course of a few minutes; no flashbacks, no flashforwards.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

available at Reedsy<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chris wanted a shower. She wanted to go home, get clean, and get out the crusty clothes she was wearing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was no clock on the wall, but the passing of time that could never be recovered still weighed heavy on her. She had to admit to herself that where she sat, at the small table, was exactly what she expected from an interrogation room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her arm throbbed under the bandage. She avoided rubbing it, since that would just make it worse. Her patience was approaching its limit when the door opened. A man and a woman in cheap suits walked in. He sat at the chair opposite hers on the long side of the table, the woman sat in the chair closer to her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cChristina Pavani, I\u2019m Detective Maria Ruiz, and this is Detective Allan Jackson,\u201d the woman said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJust \u2018Chris\u2019 please,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cChris, I know you\u2019ve been read your rights, with those rights in mind, do you wish to talk to us?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhy am I here?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think you know,\u201d Allan said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhy don\u2019t you tell us what happened today.\u201d Maria pointed at the dried blood on Chris\u2019 clothes. \u201cTell us how you ended up walking down Seventh covered in blood.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chris pressed her arm against her chest. \u201cI drove forty miles from the campground to the nearest urgent care center holding my arm like this,\u201d she said, \u201cexcept for at the beginning when I was letting it drip on the floor. That\u2019s gonna be a pain to clean out of the carpet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat do you know about Janine Bowen, your neighbor in the apartment across the hall from yours?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOther than she\u2019s crazy? Sorry. I think she needs a good therapist, but I don\u2019t think she\u2019ll actually kill anyone like she says she will every other week.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHave you reported her for assault?\u201d Maria asked. \u201cThreats like that are\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Chris cut her off, \u201cJanine doesn\u2019t need jail. Maybe a psych ward, but not jail. Why am I here?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat was the last time you saw Miss Bowen?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cProbably last Monday when I was getting my mail. She told me a witch lives in my apartment. I don\u2019t know if she even knew it was me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve had no contact with her since Monday?\u201d Allan asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right. When I left Friday afternoon I heard her in her apartment, screaming at Oprah,\u201d Chris said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maria said, \u201cOprah as in\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOn the TV. You can hear her TV from the hallway, and she was arguing with Oprah about something.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhere did you go Friday?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWent camping. Was planning on staying all week, until I hurt myself this morning. Jumped in the truck and went to the nearest urgent care.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhere is the campground and the urgent care center?\u201d Allan asked without looking up from the notes he was taking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLeonard Galleston State Park. The nearest emergency room or urgent care is there in Midgeville, forty miles west of the park.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMidgeville is less than twenty miles north of here, right?\u201d Allan asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow did you injure your arm?\u201d Maria asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s stupid. I was trying to throw my hatchet, you know, make it stick in the tree.\u201d Chris shook her head. \u201cI had a couple that almost<\/em> stuck, so I threw it harder. It hit on the back and bounced back toward me. I threw my arm up in front of my face, and it gashed me. Thirty-eight stitches.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe seized your truck from the tire shop,\u201d he said. \u201cLots of blood in the cab, but no camping equipment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI left it at the campsite. I couldn\u2019t stop the bleeding, I wasn\u2019t going to take the time to pack everything before I went to save my life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd yet you came back to town to get a tire repaired before you went back for your stuff, or before you went home to change?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was on my way home to change out of this,\u201d Chris said, motioning at her attire, \u201cwhen I hit something in the road that gave me an instant flat. I limped it into the tire place and was walking to the 7-11 to get something to drink when I got picked up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re going to have to take those clothes as well. You\u2019re saying that all that blood is yours, well, we\u2019ll find out. Here\u2019s what I think happened,\u201d he said. \u201cJanine was yelling at you again, and you snapped. You went into her apartment, grabbed a knife from the kitchen and began slashing at her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut she got you with the scissors she had. You ran out, got in your truck, and drove to Midgeville to get treated. The blood trail from her apartment leads to your parking spot.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat?!\u201d Chris straightened up and leaned forward. \u201cDid she \u2026 is she alive?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you weren\u2019t there like you say, who would park in your spot?\u201d Maria asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLots of people. I don\u2019t use my spot, since my truck doesn\u2019t fit. I park on the street. Is Janine\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maria leaned forward toward Chris. \u201cCritical but stable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Allan set down the pen he\u2019d been writing with. \u201cYou better hope she pulls through.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, yeah, I hope she doesn\u2019t die, but I didn\u2019t hurt her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cChris,\u201d Maria said, \u201cwe\u2019re looking at your phone records, checking the GPS data for the last few days, and\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes, please! Why didn\u2019t you start with that? Call the urgent care place, call the ranger office at the campground. Shit, if you do call the rangers let \u2019em know I\u2019ll be back for my stuff in spot C-9.\u201d Chris groaned and leaned on the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maria leaned closer. \u201cListen, it\u2019ll take a few days but we\u2019re going to find out everywhere you\u2019ve been. If you want to change your story, now\u2019s the time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019s nothing to change. I just want to go home, take a shower, put on some non-crusty clothes, go pick up my gear and pretend this weekend never happened.\u201d She turned her head to look directly at Maria while keeping it laying on the table. \u201cI should probably get Janine a get-well card or something, at least, right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI thought you didn\u2019t like her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t. I don\u2019t hate her either. She just needs \u2026 help.\u201d Chris groaned again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A rap on the door brought Allan to his feet. He stepped out and closed the door behind himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor what it\u2019s worth, I think you\u2019re telling me the truth, but Detective Jackson thinks you\u2019re our prime suspect. We know you two have had beef in the past, and the blood trail from her apartment leads to your parking space.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhich my truck doesn\u2019t fit in, like I said.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor him, though, that\u2019s enough. I\u2019m sure you can see how that\u2014\u201d she was cut short by Allan coming back into the room. He handed her a paper, and she nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDo you know anyone that would want to hurt Janine?\u201d she asked. \u201cAny enemies?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNot really. We\u2019re at the end of the hall, and there\u2019s a utility room next to her apartment and a storage unit next to mine. I think I\u2019m the only one that hears her when she\u2019s going off.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maria asked, \u201cWhat about visitors, did she have many?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHer sister comes about once a month, and a guy I think<\/em> might be a caseworker every two weeks. Every time he leaves though, she gets more riled up and talking about killing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDid they get photos of you when you came in?\u201d Allan asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe need to do that. It\u2019s so that we have a record.\u201d He prompted her to stand and took photos from every angle. \u201cI\u2019ll need to see the wound, too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chris nodded and peeled the thick bandage back. It had begun to stick some and was soaked halfway through. Allan sucked air through his teeth and Maria said, \u201cYeesh!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chris looked down at the long line of stitches. \u201cI was afraid to look,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s longer than I thought.\u201d She covered it back up after he took several shots of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Allan spoke up. \u201cThanks for your time, Chris. Our desk sergeant talked to the ranger, and they were worried that someone had snatched you from your site. You left your fire pit going and blood everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, shit, I forgot about the fire.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe saw the bloody hatchet but didn\u2019t touch it, in case he needed to call state police to come collect evidence.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chris groaned again. \u201cDoes this mean I can go?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah, you can go, Chris,\u201d Maria said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re, uh, still going to need those clothes,\u201d Allan said. \u201cI\u2019ll have one of the female officers get you some sweats and escort you to the showers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFine. They\u2019re junky old camping clothes anyway. A shower would be nice, though.\u201d Chris stood. \u201cWhat about my truck?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAfter you get changed, I\u2019ll make sure you get your property tag so you can get your truck out of impound at no cost,\u201d Allan said. \u201cOur guys already have everything they need from it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maria handed Chris her business card. \u201cI\u2019m sure I don\u2019t have to tell you not to leave the state. If you think of anything that might help us, call.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The detectives left as a uniformed officer came to escort Chris to the showers. It wasn\u2019t her shower at home, but it would do.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

prompt: Set your story over the course of a few minutes; no flashbacks, no flashforwards. available at Reedsy Chris wanted a shower. She wanted to go home, get clean, and get out the crusty clothes …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[208],"tags":[234,214,210,209],"class_list":["post-2678","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-trunk-stories","tag-contemporary","tag-drama","tag-fiction","tag-short-story"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pxT7i-Hc","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2678","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2678"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2678\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2679,"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2678\/revisions\/2679"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2678"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2678"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2678"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}