Posted June 17, 2021, 5:41 p.m. by Civilian Ragna Idun McKenzie (Future Citizen) (Jennifer Ward)
Posted by Civilian Seamus McKenzie (Future Citizen) in Earth - An Unexpected Meeting
(snip)
“So I’m sure why I’m here is common knowledge. I am investigating the events of yesterday that occurred on these premises at approximately 1600 hours between one Argyle McKenzie and one Ragna Edman.” He looked at Ragna and said “So Miss… I’m gonna have to ask you some questions. Now normally I’d ask you to talk to me in private -” and he glanced at the assemblage, “- but I can see as that may be an issue. So I will allow…” and he looked around and then said “… the two ladies to stay. Does that work for ya, Miss?”
DCI Tannery
“Da?” and Ragna held her hand out to him. “I know you have it.” Cuyler stood slowly and walked to the opposite side of the bed, reached carefully into his pocket and passed Ragna a heavy piece of parchment. Ragna unfolded it glancing at it and nodded. She held it out to the inspector. “Mrs. Ragna McKenzie actually. We were married two weeks ago in Bømlo, Norway.” The marriage certificate was signed as presided over by Cuyler Edman and witnessed by Devlin Mattsen, Oddvar Edman, Helka [Gormsdóttir] Edman (which he would recognize, if familiar, as a royal line), and seven more witnesses.
Tannery looked at it and nodded, then pulled out a micro PaDD and took a picture of it. “Congratulations to ya both.” he said to Seamus and Ragna.
Ragna squeezed Seamus’ hand. She didn’t like him leaving, but the Inspector hadn’t really given her a choice, but he hadn’t isolated her either. She knew her father and Uncle wouldn’t go too far, and she was pretty sure Seamus would probably circle back and be a lot closer than anyone realized. It didn’t really work for her but she nodded to the Inspector anyway. Helka walked over and spoke softly, “I’ve got her Seamus, I promise.” And she slipped into Seamus’ spot behind Ranga, helping her sit somewhat upright. Ragna squeezed Seamus’ hand one more time. “Please have a seat Dectective Chief Inspector, it will help me. It is hard for me to crane my head up at such an angle for too long.”
RagnaSeamus grunted at the police officer and then walked away with Cuyler and Oddvar, glaring over his shoulder util the two older men each put an arm over his shoulders and walked him away. DCI Tannery tapped out the cigar and took a seat at the foot of the bed, and Tara then sat next to him. “Ya can just say DCI, if ya like. Rest is a mouthful for sure.” and he looked at Ragna, but not hostilly. “So tell me lass… ya seen a doctor? If’n ya hasn’t, I can send for one.” Tara cleared her throat softly and looked at Ragna. “I have the doctor’s report inside, my dear. Would you like me to bring it out for the Detective Chief Inspector?”
Ragna started to answers, she knew she had been, there was no way she hadn’t. Otherwise she’d still be unconscious, but if she had memory of it it was vague and unclear. She nodded at Tara, “Please Lady McKenzie. And if you would in the cabinet with the comm unit there is a large PaDD. Would you bring that as well please?” Tara nodded and left to go inside. When she returned Ragna took both things from her. She glanced over the medical report briefly and handed it to Tannery. On the PaDD she tapped away quietly and then, “If you would accept the document on your device, DCI, I have signed the needed legal forms so that you can speak directly to the doctor without worrying about any privacy laws.”
Tannery spoke softly, but there was an edge to his voice… but it didn’t seem directed at Ragna. “So… Mrs. McKenzie. I heard your story and I’m just gonna take that as your preliminary statement. Thinking back on what you said, though, I do have a few questions. First… ya say ya had a knife on ya, yeah? But ya cut him across the face with a trowel? Why’d ya do that, then? Why not go for the knife?”
Tannery, DCI
Ragna shifted, foolishly trying to push herself into sitting more upright. Pressure on damaged palms, and pulling and straining her abdominals, and she couldn’t quite stop the sound of pain that escaped. Helka admonished her softly, and she sat quietly while everything settled. Then she met Tannery’s gaze. “Yes, I had my knife, a handheld trowel and rake. I always do when I work in the garden. I use the knife to trim the plants or take cuttings. I put the knife in my belt before I stood up. The trowel and rake were already in my hands. They are heavy. I assume you have seen Argyle McKenzie? He’s a large man, DCI, when he appeared I purposely put one tool in each hand, hoping the weight of them would add force if I should have to take a swing at him. Not a nice thought but it was clear immediately he isn’t a nice man. Why not the knife? I suppose in the moment it didn’t occur to me to drop the trowel and grab it. But,” she looked around, she wasn’t sure where it was. “It’s no more than a pairing knife, it’s very small. I don’t know where it is.” She looked around the area again. She looked at Helka, “Did you find it inside?” Helka had cleaned the bed and she shook her head in the negative. She looked at Tara, perhaps she had seen it when she was with her the day before.
RagnaTara nodded and went to the garden tool rack and brought back the trowel. It showed no sign of the struggle. Tannery looked at it and said “Pretty clean. Ya sure this is what ya used?” Tara spoke up and said “It was left out in the rain, I’m afraid. When Seamus and I arrived we were only concerned about Ragna… the rest was left till this morning. I picked it up and put it back. Ragna hadn’t told her story yet, so the meaning of it wasn’t clear at the time.” Tannery looked at her and nodded once. “Makes sense, I suppose. I will be needing to take it with me, though.” and he pulled a clear bag out of his pocket and dropped it in and sealed it.
“Now, Ms. … I mean Mrs.… McKenzie… apologies… you said you exchanged some heated words, that Mr. McKenzie made threats. Maybe not explicit, but inferred. So tell me… when he said those things… about dinner or jail or McKenzie property and such… how did that make you feel?”
Tannery, DCI
Helka had a sudden sharp sinking in the pit of her stomach. How did it make Ragna feel? Really? She sent up a silent prayer to Idun to protect her daughter from her own mouth. Ragna was having similar thoughts. It pi$$&# her off…no that was now. She wanted to be angry. She stared past Tannery across the garden, watching it replay. “Terrified. Shock when he told me he was the McKenzie. To claim such an untruth at home would carry severe legal punishment and banishment, or more, depending on the person’s actions. Mostly terrified, very very alone.” She reached up and took Helka’s hand where she was holding Ragna up right. “A simple answer for a complicated feeling that words can’t describe. The man had plans and there was nothing I could do about it. So had helpless to that list. I suppose, now, I want to be angry, but at the time, I just wanted to get away.”
RangaTannery looked at her and said “And as you felt all those things… helpless, scared, terrified, shocked… what did you think he was going to do? You don’t have ta be specific mind ya… I just need to know where his words and actions took your mindset.”
Tannery, DCI
Ragna licked swollen and only slightly still busted lips, wincing as she almost bit her lower lip out of anxiety. She bit back an angry take a good look at what I thought he was going to do! Yelling at the inspector wasn’t going to get Argyle locked away. The words came, truthfully and clear, but slowly. “I knew he was going to beat me into submission. He told me quite clearly he was going to break every bone in my body.” She closed her eyes, she understood now, why battered women hated talking to the police. The questions were necessary, but so inane and insulting. She opened her eyes meeting the Inspector’s gaze. How to put it without being specific or vulgar? “Then he told me he was going to break me. I have no doubt he would have continued to beat me and then do as he pleased.” The pain waved through her and she groaned. Her mother rubbed her hand up and down her arm. She breathed raggedly through the pain for several moments and then she returned her gaze to Tannery. She blinked several times, tears there but she worked to keep them from falling. Blubbering wouldn’t get the answers to his questions out. “He put his mouth, his breath, his spit on my skin, on my neck and whispered in my ear.”
Ragna
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