Where is my daughter? Her voice cut through his words like a blade. Ma'am, there was an incident at the school. Officer Lauren, she interrupted, each word precisely measured. I asked you a simple question.
Where is my daughter? Ry gestured weakly toward the holding room. Judge Kingsley brushed past him without another glance, her displeasure radiating off her in waves. Blake hurried to unlock the holding room door. Maya looked up as her mother entered.
Despite the handcuffs and the humiliation she'd endured, she sat with perfect posture, chin raised. "Are you hurt?" Judge Kingsley asked, examining her daughter carefully. "The cuffs are too tight," Maya answered calmly. And Officer Lauren used excessive force during the arrest. Multiple students recorded everything.
Judge Kingsley turned to Blake. Remove those handcuffs now. Blake fumbled with the keys, his hands shaking slightly as he unlocked the restraints. Maya brought her arms forward slowly, rotating her shoulders to ease the stiffness. Angry red marks circled her wrists where the cuffs had bitten into her skin.
Judge Kingsley's eyes narrowed at the sight. Tell me everything. Maya recounted the events clearly and precisely. Evan's initial harassment, his escalating behavior, the staged confrontation in the courtyard, and Ray's dramatic arrival. She described how he'd ignored the principal's protests and the witnesses who tried to speak up.
Other officers had gathered near the holding room, listening. Several shifted uncomfortably as Maya detailed Ray's conduct. The illegal threats about confiscating phones, the excessive force, the fabricated charges. "We have it all on video," Maya finished. "Multiple angles, and the school's security cameras should have captured everything, too." Judge Kingsley placed a gentle hand on her daughter's shoulder.