Sam limped into the dark room, he sat in a chair next to Wiley. They were both looking through the one way glass. "You really shouldn't be here." Yeah I know but I wanted too. I need to make sure she's ok". "Ms. Sidney, I'm Captain Jon Josephs, I work with Lieutenant Howell. Josephs was a big guy and definitely intimidating. I'm going to ask you some questions about the other night. Is that ok?" She shook her heard , "Yes," she said.
They were sitting at a small rectangular table, across from each other. "Please state your full name for me." Josephs, was questioning Mara in the small room across from them. "Mara Sidney," she answered. Ms. Sidney, can you please tell me where you were on the night of December 16th?" "Yes. I was with Sam, Lieutenant Sam Howell. We were out to dinner at a restaurant in downtown Knoxville." "And what time was it when you left?" he asked.
Mara squinted her eyes trying to remember, "Uh, about 9:45 I think. "Ok," Josephs said, "and why did Lieutenant Howell stop the car about 15 minutes later?" He asked. "Sam got a call, you know that already." Mara was super nervous, she felt her palms getting sweaty. "We saw a man, he was trying to break into a car that was parked on street. Sam thought he could handle it, we didn't see anybody else there."
Sam looked down, he was so angry with himself. What was he thinking in the first place when Mara was with him? "What did the man look like?" Josephs asked. "I couldn't get a good look at him, he had a baseball cap and jeans and he was pudgy and short, 5'6 maybe." But the other one was tall, but thin.
She was trying to remember what they looked like. But all she could remember was the man running behind Sam. "He starting running in back of Sam with the crowbar." She swallowed and looked down. "He hit Sam so hard," she said as she was trying to hold back tears. "I really didn't get a good look at either of them. I was scared to look too close.
" Sam was sitting on the edge of his seat, clutching his fists. "And what did you do, once the suspects starting hitting Lieutenant Howell?" Josephs asked.
"I called 911. It took me a few tries because my hands were shaking so bad. I .. I knew he had the gun in the glove compartment, he had showed it to me and how to use it. I didn't know what to do... I completely bluffed.. I told them" she stopped talking trying to remember her exact words. "Well we have here on the 911 call. Quote, Get the fuck away from him or I'll shoot your dicks off, and I'm a pretty good aim," Jospehs said.
Mara looked down in embarrassment. The Captain laughed to himself, but thought she was really gutsy… "Sounds quite brave actually," he said. "Well it worked" she said." Tell me Ms. Sidney," Captain Jospehs moved in a little closer on the table. "Why would you get out of that car, knowing you could have been hurt or worse …."
There was an awkward silence, deliberate on the Captain's part. "Are you serious? What kind of question is that?" "Well," he replied. "We just like to get an idea of your state of mind. You did shoot a gun off Ms. Sidney," he answered.
Mara swallowed "my state of mind!?" she said angrily. "I don't know, how would you feel if you saw someone you lov..I mean care for was getting the shit kicked out of them! Look Sam means a lot to me, enough that I walked out of that car and risked my own life, so what the hell does that tell you!" Mara got up angrily, "I think we're done here." she said and stormed out of the interview room. She was so tired of everyone questioning her feelings for Sam and secretly judging her. What did everyone want?
Captain Josephs just looked up at the mirror with a smile. He knew they could see him on the other side. Sam pressed his lips together and smirked. "What the hell did you tell him," Wiley asked. "I just asked him to get a little personal with her, that's all," he replied.
"Sam, you're playing with fire here man. She's been through a lot. It's not a game!" Wiley yelled. "I know it's not ok, you don't think I don't know that!" Sam was angry now. "But she's so worried about all these things that don't matter, I just want to know how she really feels".
"So what do you want her to do? Push aside all her fears and just fall for you without question?" Wiley yelled. "She not a young stupid girl, Sam. She's a grown ass woman. Maybe you need to accept what she wants. "Sam rubbed the back of his head and then grabbed his chest with his other arm and sat down. His ribs were hurting. It was a stupid idea to leave the hospital, but he had to know. He needed to hear how she really felt.
"You just heard her, she loves me. But she's just scared to admit it. This age difference really got in her head." "Listen Sam, she's wonderful. She really is. But it's not just that. She has her own kid. "Oh don't start with this too," Sam cut Wiley off. "You, my mother, Jesus, even Mara. Your all broken records. What am I supposed to do just walk away because I may or may not want a kid one day. And what if I met and fell in love with Sally down the street and she couldn't have kids, should I just walk away then too?" Sam questioned him.
Wiley looked confused, he never thought about it that way. "Listen, man I get what you're saying I do. But this is you we're talking about here. I mean hell the longest relationship you ever had was in high school. You said it yourself. Everything you're saying is great Sam, but you can't just talk the talk, you have to walk the walk!" "Wiley, this woman makes me feel a way that I have never felt before, and I'll be damned if I'm gonna let that go."