The thugs wallowed in frustration and defeat.
After years of wrongdoing, they'd finally gotten their comeuppance, and nobody shed a tear for them.
The officers' indifferent attitude crushed whatever hope the criminals had left. They looked ready to throw in the towel completely.
While the interrogation dragged on unsuccessfully, the female officer processing paperwork for Phoebe's group hit a snag.
Harriet and Charlies's records went through smoothly. But when she pulled up Phoebe's file, the officer's eyes widened. The system showed only a recent return from Heather to Coralia—nothing else.
When pressed for details, Phoebe's response was ice-cold: "No comment."
The officer's training kicked in, setting off alarm bells. She requested that Phoebe contact a family member to sign release papers, but Phoebe flat-out refused.
This refusal only made things worse. The officer escalated to her captain.
