The officer seemed to notice her confusion and added in a gentler tone:

"If you don't have an attorney, we can assign you a public defender."

Amelia nodded slowly, her mind racing at full speed. She needed time to think, to plan her next move. Every passing second was a second further away from Anaís.

"Thank you," she murmured, following the officer toward a wall-mounted telephone.

While she waited to be assigned a lawyer, Amelia mentally replayed the events that had brought her to this point a