> Julia started to turn toward him, gaze torn but damn glad he was there,
> before the officer that had been taking her report interrupted.
>
> "Ma'am, we really need to get this finished." he said, sparing the man a
> glance as he poised pen and pad in hand.
>
> "Then you should have been taking notes the first time I - " Julia started
> to snap, only to swallow the rest of what she was going to say and take a
> deep breath in which her shoulders unconsciously sagged after she released
> it, and continued the description "Black Ford, Texas plates. Z84-389. It
> had two antennas, one in the front, one in back."
>
> She looked at the police car parked behind him and nodded once at it "Most
> likely for a police scanner with the way it looked."
>
> The police officer gave her a look and said kindly "You don't have to make
> guesses ma'am, just tell me what you know."
>
> Julia's gaze flashed as she bit off tersely "As soon as I start making
> guesses I'll let you know."
>
> Her whole form was tense. Time was ticking away and here this jerk was,
> incompetent and patronizing her.
>
> She could feel her nails digging into her palms as she tried to keep from
> belting him a good one and ending herself in jail and unable to help get
Kat
> back.
>
> Of course that didn't stop her shoulders from shaking slightly with the
> effort of keeping from exploding at him.
>
> Another officer heard what Derek had said and was beginning to question
him,
> staring by nodding at Julia "Was this woman authorized to pick Katherine
> Corrigan up? We couldn't find anything in the school records giving
> authorization to a Ms Julia Walker. Only Mr. Derek Rayne, Ms. Alexandra
> Moreau, Mr. Nick Boyle and a Father Callahan."
>
Derek:
Derek could tell that Julia was under a strain and close to her boiling
point. He laid a hand on her shoulder squeezing it reassuringly. He looked
distracted at the other policeman. "Yes, she had my authorization to pick
her up. I haven't had an opportunity to contact the school yet," he added.
"Katherine's mother is quite ill and I'm afraid we have been a bit
preoccupied with that." Then another thought occurred to him. "Alexandra
Maoreaux was with her," he gestured at the other young woman irritation
beginning to fill him. "Why does that matter right now? She's not the one
who took Kat and that is quite obvious."
