"I'm not a bad person Remi."

☆

"So, what do we so next? Follow the oil spill?" Chanelle looks at Remi wide-eyed and Remi cannot pick up on the sarcasm in her tone. 

"Well..."

"I'm kidding." She rolls her eyes. 

"So what do you suggest?" Remi says, as she scans her eyes over the vehicle. It causes Chanelle to question. 

"Do you love this piece of tin more than your brother?"

"Of course not! I'm looking for more clues." But the car seems void of any. 

"Quite the detective. But are you good at acting?" Chanelle says all of a sudden, as she leans in between the two seats in order to retrieve a blanket laying on the parcel shelf.

"Acting? Why?" Remi says, as she watches the other female shroud her head as if going to sleep. But she jumps at the sudden wrapping on the driver's window.

"Miss?" 

Remi's eyes meet the gaze of a man, dressed in a police uniform. She looks once again at Chanelle, who now seemed to be feining sleep. 

"Miss, please wind down the window." The request comes again from the officer as Remi reluctantly looks back and slowly winds down the window, just enough that she can speak to the man. 

"What seems to be the trouble officer?" Remi asks, trying to keep her voice as innocent as possible. 

"Are you the owner of this vehicle?" 

"Uh… who wants to know?" She smiles sweetly at the man, seeing him take a note pad from his jacket pocket. 

"I do." The officer replies, sounding unimpressed. 

"Oh, of course." She laughs, although she is the only one. "Then yes I am." She pulls down the visor, which houses a small section where she kept her driving licence. She hands it over to the officer who checks the details. "See. That's me." She points to the image on the card, then to her face. 

The officer gives the card back, his demenour changing a fraction. "Can you tell me why you are parked here Miss Tennet?" 

"Why?" She says, as her nerves make her once again emit a fake laugh. "Is it a crime to be sitting in my own vehicle? If you must know, I've been to a party." 

"In your pyjamas?" The officer questions. 

"It was a pyjama party." Remi is quick to reply, feeling rather smug with the reaponse. 

The man leans in a little taking in the peaceful passenger. "Who is your companion?" 

"My friend….she is very tired. Shhh. Don't wake her." Remi puts a finger to her lips. 

The officer emits a heavy sigh. "Miss, your vehice has been flagged as a wanted vehicle. I'm sorry, but you will need to accompany me to the station…" 

"She will accompany you nowhere." 

Remi feels the presence of something to the left of her peripheral vision. Something cold and cylindrical. It causes her to freeze in place as her eyes again look at the officer, who takes a step back. 

"Miss Matheson." He sees the woman in her full glory. A gun pointing in his direction. 

"It's good you know who I am. It saves time." She says, her hand never once waivering from it's position. "So this is what is going to happen. You are going to walk on. You didn't see me, my friend here or this vehicle. Well… you may find this piece of tin burned out in a while…"

"What?" Remi tunes to the gun's barrel without thinking. 

"Yes miss. I understand." The officer seems unphased by the instruction. 

"Good, but just in case…" Chanelle raises her other hand, capturing the number on the officer's jacket on her phone. "238503. I will find you should you choose to be a hero." The officer backs away, as both Remi and Chanelle watch him walk away and get back into the police car, with Chanelle finally lowering her gun. "What?" She looks at Remi who in that moment had so many questions. 

"You have a gun? My car burnt?" 

"At least he did his homework. You have no idea what I'm capable of." Chanelle proceeds to get out of the car, slamming the door closed behind her. 

Remi is left sat behind the wheel. She has the keys in the ignition. The road in front of her. She could, in that moment, switch on the ignition and put her foot to the floor, but did she really want to make an enemy of this woman? Were their intentions even the same. 

Before she has a chance to deliberate further, the driver's door swings open. "Are you not coming?" She sees Chanelle looking down at her. 

"You said you didn't have a gun." 

Chanelle chuckles as she looks down at her high heels. "No, sweetheart. I said I have a sharp fountain pen." She looks back at Remi with a grin. "I simply chose not to answer your question directly." 

Remi looks down at the steering wheel. "So, am I a hostage now, like my brother?" She can hear Chanelle exhale a sigh as she deliberates the question. 

"You can go?" 

"What?" Remi looks at Chanelle with surprise. "I can go?"

"Sure!" Chanelle gestures towards Remi. "Feel free to explain to the police where you have been for the past 12 hours. I'm sure they will be all ears and will totally buy whatever story you come up with, with your acting skills." Chanelle leans into the car a fraction. "But I suggest that you staying by my side right now is your best option for finding your brother. We know more than they do, and you staying off grid will act as a distraction." 

"The police won't hurt me. I am innocent. Rio is innocent."

"Is he? Where is he now?" Chanelle questions. "Will the police really understand why he has chosen to help my brother?" She looks Remi in the eyes. "Only you and I know. Only you and I understand." 

"So I don't really have a choice, do I?" Remi sinks into the drivers seat. 

"I'm not a bad person Remi, I am simply honest…, well in most things. I know you are innocent of any wrongdoing. I know your brother is innocent too. But before you make your choice, just think… Who would you rather make an enemy of? The police, or me?"