Chapter 31: Assaulting a Police Officer

Ronald sounded pretty freaked out on the phone.

He said his wife, Maria Sinclair, had been acting super weird lately, saying all kinds of strange stuff without even realizing it. When he asked her about it later, she had no clue what he was talking about.

The real problem started in the last day or two. It wasn't just her talking weird; she began doing dangerous things, like holding a knife over her arm while chopping veggies or leaning way out of the window while watering the plants on the balcony...

My first thought was that it might have something to do with the Cancer Twin-Eared Cup.

Perhaps removing the Cup from Ronald's house somehow affected Maria.

Just then, Fiona came back. Since there wasn't much going on in the afternoon, I told Ronald I'd swing by his place after he got off work to check things out.

After hanging out at the cafe for a bit and grabbing a quick dinner with Fiona, I noticed it was getting dark. I grabbed my small bag, closed up the shop, and headed over to Ronald's house.

The streets were pretty empty, and the small town didn't have much going on at night. Everyone was probably having dinner at home.

I turned off the main road and took a shortcut through a small forest to save a few minutes.

The forest was damp and stuffy, reminding me of playing games with my dad in the mountains when I was a kid. Even though I didn't have other kids to play with back then, I still had a blast.

Suddenly, I heard a flurry of hurried footsteps as several figures darted through the dim forest. Quickly, I hid behind a large tree, but before I could even catch my breath, seven or eight burly men encircled me.

"Dennis, where do you think you're going?" the leader asked.

I was caught off guard. "Where I'm going is none of your business!"

"That's him, grab him and take him to the station!"

Damn, they tricked me!

I wanted to fight back, but when I heard they were taking me to the station, I figured they might be cops. I hadn't done anything wrong, and there was no way I could take on several guys anyway.

While I hesitated, the big guys dragged me out of the forest and actually put me into a police car. After a few turns, they took me to the Willow Street police station, took my stuff, and locked me in an interrogation room.

I was totally confused. I had no idea what I had done wrong.

Ten minutes later, the door to the interrogation room opened, and a familiar face walked in.

"Jared?" I was shocked. "You're a cop?"

The big guy who had led the group was now in uniform. He slammed the table in front of me. "You dare address our captain by his name!"

Jared was the captain of the Willow Street police station? Seriously?

I couldn't help but give a wry smile. "Mr. Clark, why'd you arrest me? What law did I break?"

Jared didn't say a word. He just sat in the chair across from me while the big guy barked, "How old are you?"

I was thrown off. "Seventeen, why?"

"Seventeen, huh? What do you do?"

"I run a cafe! Mr. Clark knows that."

"You're seventeen, without the right or the capability to manage a business. How are you running a cafe?"

That stumped me. Lorenzo had definitely pulled some strings to change the cafe's ownership to me and Alicia. Technically, I wasn't supposed to run a business until I turned eighteen.

But even so, this wasn't something the police should be dealing with!

'Jared, if you're trying to mess with me, this is pretty low,' I thought.

"So what?" I decided to drop the act. "What do you want to do to me?"

Jared sneered. "You broke the law, and you have the audacity to ask me what I'll do? By the book, you'll be held for twenty-four hours before questioning."

I sneered back. "Mr. Clark, I might not be highly educated, but I know you don't have the authority to detain me here."

"We don't have the authority?" The big guy chuckled. "Let me tell you, Mr. Clark is the authority. Do you know who Mr. Clark's uncle is?"

"Who?" I had a bad feeling.

"Mr. Clark's uncle is Ronald, the Deputy County Executive and police chief!"

I sighed, figuring it was almost 9 PM. Ronald wouldn't be able to reach me and would probably start looking for me. As a Deputy County Executive and police chief, it should be easy for him to access surveillance and track my phone.

"Scared, aren't you!" The big guy thought I was frightened by my silence. At Jared's signal, he picked up a baton and walked over, tapping it on the table. "Dennis, just confess. And that witch doctor Fiona, you two are in it together to scam people. Otherwise, how could you afford a Mercedes G-Class!"

Jared said sternly, "Dennis, just confess, and I'll only fine you. Pay the fine, and you can go."

Of course, I wasn't going to confess. The big guy, seeing my defiance, swung the baton straight at my chest!

Thanks to Lorenzo's teachings, I wasn't just versed in astrology but also skilled in various fitness techniques.

Since Jared hadn't restrained me, I dodged the baton and shoulder-checked the guy, knocking him to the ground!

Jared erupted in fury. "What the hell do you think you're doing? How dare you assault an officer?"

I smiled bitterly. I was too naive, giving Jared a solid reason to arrest me!

Jared yanked open the interrogation room door. "There's an officer assault!"