you ask me if i'll get along, i guess i will some way (for lou, others welcome)

[doublethepain]

It hardly seems fair that his luck should be so awful. Coming off the heels of learning that the curse on Siren Cove is real, nearly having his workplace crumble to the ground thanks to the loose Hydra, and being used as a chew toy for a sea beast only to arrive home to find the police waiting for him makes him wonder what it is, exactly, that he's done in the past week that has provided him with such bad karma.

At least the officer who approaches him has the decency to look regretful, Spencer thinks. He's shown a photograph, one picturing him with a shovel in the cemetery on that night he'd gone digging with Lara--though she is thankfully missing in the shot--and sighs heavily, neither confirming nor denying anything. It's hard to deny photographic evidence, though, and as he's being cuffed and read his rights, all he can think about is what he'd said to Lara that night--truly, no good deed goes unpunished.

He's given his one phone call nearly an hour after sitting in his small cell and he's grateful that this time, he doesn't have to share it. He stares at the phone for a long moment before picking it up, his fingers hovering over the numbers as he considers who he should call. Not Cosette, he'd never ask her for the bail; not Lara, he wouldn't want her to incriminate herself in any way just for his sake; not Joel, and Spencer doesn't even know why Joel's come to mind. It hits them then, the right person to call, and he quickly dials the number he'd committed to memory after seeing it listed once in her library patron file.

"May I speak with Louise Abasi? Hi, hello, Lou, this is Spencer Waters. So sorry to be a bother but I was hoping you could do me a favor..."

Comments

[doublethepain]

"Precisely the opposite, actually," he says. "They'd be likely not to change their minds at all and why should I care, right? I didn't do it. I shouldn't care." He's veering off topic, he knows it, but he's on a roll now and he leans forward, resting his elbows on his legs.

"Did you know that there have been 316 cases of post-conviction DNA exonerations in the United States? Eighteen of those 316 people served time on death row and the average length of time served in prison by those people is 13.5 years. Did you also know that the average age of exonerees at the time of their wrongful convictions was twenty-seven? That's how old I was when I found my mom dead in our backyard. Two years is a long time to have my name cleared but it's not really cleared, is it? For most people, it's not enough. With the murders starting back up, the attacks, the destruction of the town? People want someone to blame. I'm not willing to be that person, not again."

He can't remember the last time he'd said this much in such a short period of time, and he regrets it a bit because Lou doesn't deserve to have all of this unloaded on her. He lowers his head, rubbing his hands over his face as he takes a few deep breaths. "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry, Lou, I just can't be here. I'd give you a ride home, but I don't drive. I'd be willing to ride in the cab to make sure the radio stays off, though."

[louise_abasi]

You poor, poor thing. She has to remind herself that he is a human being, an individual, not a puppy she can bring home and make everything all right with lots of hugs, food and blankets.

Lou closes her eyes for a second. Maybe a long second, but she's sure to meet his eyes before he looks away. "Last time I checked the number was 314, but I have been out of it for a while. I'm going to get you checked out now, before the sun rises. I'd appreciate it if you would be my cab-nanny. A lot."

"And I'll cover you with alibis until the moon and back to prevent that from happening, Spencer. The civilians of this town have to open their mind to new possibilities."