120 She’s Out There

(Winona)

What’s going on? They’ve taken Steve off again and I don’t know if he’s said enough yet. But the officers said nothing, just that it was over.

I’m being led out of the police interview room. My mind is racing, a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. Do they have enough on him? Did I do enough? Every second with him in there was torture.

His smug face, the way he taunted me—it’s all burned into my mind. But did we get what we needed? My head is aching, the uncertainty gnawing at me. Whatever is happening now must be important. Maybe the Judge decided something else, and the trial is going ahead sooner than Abby’s operation in three weeks.

Gordon is waiting in the hallway. His presence a comfort.

“What’s happening?” I ask, my voice more panicked than I intended. The anxiety bubbling inside me is threatening to overflow.

Gordon walks beside me, his expression grave. “Winona, I need to tell you something,” he says, his voice low and cautious, as if preparing me for another blow.

“