Page 77 of Strays
A flicker crosses Borgianni’s face. Jay’s words are dangerous. A reminder of what we could do if we stopped holding back.
But Borgianni lets it pass. Composes himself again. “Was the subject armed?”
“Not visibly.”
“Did you check?”
“No.”
He flips a page. “Did you render aid?”
Wait. That’s it? No baited questions? No twisting our words to make us sound feral for the record?
“Our mate is a doctor,” Jay replies. “She called EMS.”
Borgianni turns to Fontes. “You verified the subject was intoxicated and verbally escalating?”
“Yes.”
“You supported Officer Jay’s decision at the scene?”
“I did.”
I think I can’t be more surprised until Sergeant Wilsbone speaks. “Not ideal,” he says, looking directly at me. “But justified. The subject posed a threat and returned to private property after being removed. The officers didn’t pursue. He came to them.”
I blink. Did he just say justified?
“As of now, Luc Knolson has not filed a formal complaint,” Borgianni says. “That may change depending on his recovery and legal representation. A Use of Force report has been submitted and will be reviewed by Command Staff and Legal Affairs. Interview concluded at 0918 hours. IA File 25-117B. Review pending.”
He clicks the recorder, and that’s it. No suspension. No reprimand. No threats.
They let us walk out.
I can’t even label what I’m feeling. Relief? Confusion? Suspicion? Disbelief?
The rest of the day drifts by like I’m sleepwalking. The only thing that cuts through the fog is the fact that Jo doesn’t text.
She’s usually busy, sure, but she always finds a way to reach out. Always. Until today.
When we get home, she’s already there. I can smell her from the garage, lilies and lemon on my tongue. When we step inside, she’s lying on the couch with the TV on, but her eyes are fixed on the ceiling. She doesn’t move.
Jay steps toward her slowly. “Jo…”
“I got the full report,” she says, cutting him off. “One of the ER nurses sent it over.”
None of us speaks. We wait.
She finally looks at us, but her eyes are different. Tired. Detached. “Luc has a concussion. Pretty bad one. Fractured zygomatic arch. Nasal fracture. Imaging didn’t show any brain bleeding, which is good. But he was out long enough to need observation.”
I swallow hard. “Is he still unconscious?”
“No, he came to this morning. Disoriented. Combative. They had to sedate him to keep him from ripping out his IV.”
Jay exhales through his nose.
Jo watches him. “I told Kacy about the drugs, but she already knew. When they cut his clothes off in triage, they found a baggie in his jeans. The ER staff logged it, security called it in, and the cops have it now. It wasn’t just that,though; his bloodwork showed a BAC of 0.22, and the tox screen came back positive for cocaine.”
“She wants him to press charges,” she adds. “Says she’ll testify on his behalf.”
