THE BLAME

Empathy

"Our poor Asher here, is a deep empath," detective Roland sighed, looking at the two confused camp leaders before him. 

"Smart doctor that one," Roland motioned towards the signature at the bottom of the documents where the doctor had signed. "Must been why he'd noted it down," he thought aloud to himself.

Cassidy was the first to speak between her and Jamie, "What does this have to do with anything?" With raised eyebrows, Roland explained to them that empaths do have the drive to be violent if their cause is strong enough, albeit not many or all empaths tend to. 

"Seven months ago, Asher got into a fight at school- as listed in the file." The detective now stood up from his seated position, pacing small strides from left to right in front of the desk. 

"Apparently, someone insulted Mirah and he threw a punch as payback."  This may not have been the first time he did something to the extreme for her, though. He left the forbidden lovers in the office, the door slightly ajar, and headed straight toward Asher. It was dark. Pitch black with the first few faint stars peeking their way through the thick air. The vivid moon hid behind the final cloud in the night sky, making it difficult to spot the boy he was looking for were it not for the torch lights unveiling his location. 

The boy's eyes grew the size of saucers the moment the detective stood in front of him. This spoke volumes to Roland, trained to pick up on such. His time was occupied by a group of friends where Mirah was included. 

"Do you mind me asking where you had received such a wound," Roland pointed to Asher's knuckle which hit another's jaw, seemingly seven months prior. They were inside the small room once again. 

"I-uh," he faltered, "I got in a fight." The boy sound confident although caught off guard. Roland then asked what the fight was about, leaving such a scarred wound on the boy's hand. At first, he didn't answer, but thought no harm in doing.

"A guy insulted Mirah," was all he said and couldn't elaborate. Roland had to call Mirah in to hear her version of the story.

They were in class. Another boy badmouthed her choice in who to date: it was clear to the other boys that Lucas wasn't serious about her, whereas Asher was. 

"I know that it's utterly ridiculous, but I took no notice of Andrew who made the comments. Asher lashed out at him, though. He claimed that whatever choice I make, he valued." She explained in short with a soft voice. 

"Did you know that Jessica sabotaged you on your night walk?" The air shifted quickly at the unforeseen subject change. Then again, the subject remains when investigating a murder. 

"Whitney told me when I came back," she confessed. He asked whether she experienced any negative emotions towards Jessica, to which she admitted she did. "I trusted her- I've known her for a long time. Then she stabbed me in the back, after I've only been good to her. And she threatened me if I weren't to break up with Lucas," she huffed. Instinctively, Roland raised his eyebrows at her final statement. 

There was a moment's silence when the detective then asked whether she and Lucas were serious. She couldn't give him a straight answer. He questioned what her feelings toward Asher was. Again, she failed to admit much.  

She had the perfect motive, he was the great empath willing to do anything for her. A combination for disaster, really. 

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" He inquired, though knowing many interrogations go this way.

"I thought it may have been irrelevant." They sat in a deep silence for a few solid minutes, feeling more like eternity. With every passing second, his stare intensified. 

"I thought I could get away with it." It was a short final answer. Roland didn't buy it. 

"Look me in the eyes and confess again." His bad cop was showing. 

"I killed Jessica Davis."