Owen whispered, "She's under interrogation. Mr. Martin, if you're really worried about her, I can take you to the monitoring room."
While standard protocol would prohibit such actions within a police station, Benjamin, who had cultivated positive relationships with law enforcement, was an exception. Furthermore, given the presence of numerous close friends of Paul and Scott among the station's personnel, Benjamin was intimately acquainted with its procedures and regulations.
Owen, who had been financially supported by the Martin family during his studies, had been serving at the police station for quite some time. He was very polite to Benjamin and the Martin family while abiding by the station's regulations.
Owen led Benjamin into the monitoring room, from which they could see Harper sitting in a room opposite two female police officers, who were asking detailed questions about Harper's relationship with Benjamin, her views of the Martin family, and various other topics relating to the matter.
Benjamin observed Harper in the chair, who was calmer than he had imagined. If they had not been at the police station at the moment, he might have mistakenly thought that she was just chatting with two regular friends.
The interrogation lasted for nearly an hour.
After collecting the transcript, a policewoman stood up and said to Harper, "Ms. Mitchell, you are now a suspect in this case, and the evidence implicates you, so you may not be able to leave the police station at this time. You must remain here until we ascertain your innocence."
As soon as the policewoman finished speaking, Harper was immediately dissatisfied.
She asked, "Am I not a victim?"
She was being targeted by so many people because of public opinion on the Internet. Even if she was suspected of being involved in the collapse, the police should not detain her until conclusive evidence was obtained.
However, the incident put so much pressure on the police that they had to make such a decision temporarily.
Owen also received the news on the phone. He looked at Benjamin with a complicated expression. After hanging up, he said to Benjamin, "Mr. Martin, Mrs. Martin may have to stay in the police station for a while and cannot leave."
"What do you mean?"
"The police station is surrounded by numerous reporters. Upon discovering that Mrs. Martin came to the police station with us, they initiated live broadcasts. If she is released now, we can't explain it to the public. So..."
"So you want to detain her, right?"
Benjamin was composed, yet his eyes were cold.
Owen nodded.
With a sullen face, Benjamin picked up his phone and walked out.
He dialed a phone number and explained the situation to the man on the other end of the phone, who replied, "I'll be there in about fifteen minutes."
During this period, Benjamin could not meet Harper.
All actions must adhere strictly to the established rules.
Fifteen minutes might not seem lengthy, but for Benjamin, it felt interminable at that moment. He repeatedly checked his watch, and his expression was somber, devoid of any hint of brightness, much like the dreary weather.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: I Once Married You (Harper and Benjamin)