George began to squirm, his body jerky and wild. Satisfied, Tilly finally relented, flinging George away and settling back into her chair as he collapsed onto his knees, sputtering out garbled breaths. Eventually, he slowly rose, staggering his way up his chair legs and plopping into the seat. Tilly could feel his pulse from across the room. Clicking on the recorder embedded into the table, she began the official interrogation.

“Hi, Mr. Curio, I am Tilly Erickson, Senior Agent, Cybercrimes Division. You are here today, July 28, to discuss potentially important information regarding the recent terrorist strikes on Stone Mountain. Your compliance is completely voluntary, and no charges have been brought against you at this time. However, you are strongly encouraged to answer openly and clearly about your involvement in this incident. There is nothing preventing you from becoming a suspect. Am I clear?”

George nodded, his bloodshot eyes anchored to the floor.

“Mr. Curio, please respond verbally, for the record,” Tilly instructed, a smile tugging at her lips.

“Yes,” he coughed out, his voice scratching through the air.

“Great, now we can begin,” Tilly announced, clicking her pen and twirling it in her fingers. “What is your occupation, Mr. Curio?”

“I’m a used car salesman. I buy and sell used cars.”

“How long have you been a used car salesman?”

“About five years.”

“Where do you get your cars?”

“Just here and there, you know.”

“I don’t. That’s why I asked.”

“Um, mostly clunkers on Craigslist and estate sales out in the boondocks.”

“Where do you store your cars?”

“Next question.”

“Where do you store your cars?”

“That’s proprietary information. It can’t be recorded.”

Tilly leaned forward and clicked off the recorder. George eyed her closely. A small thump came from behind her. Someone was leaning on the mirror. They were being watched. Curio stared at the mirror.

“Are you ready to answer my question, Mr. Curio?” Tilly inquired.

“Are you ready to suck my dick?”

Tilly suppressed a chuckle. He really thought that she’d choked him because she’d lost her cool, because she had a temper like some down-and-out Law & Order cop dealing with a divorce and the death of a partner. What a fool. Tilly didn’t have a temper. She’d choked his monkey ass because she had authority. Nothing further was needed. She decided to toss out a lifeline.