𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫, 𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘀

𝟎𝟓𝟎

"𝙳𝚎𝚖𝚘𝚗𝚘𝚕𝚘𝚐𝚢"
ɴᴏᴀʜ
𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘦'𝘴 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘦

"MATTHEW BENTON," I whisper to myself. I am stiff in my spot.

"Did Emily ever introduce you?" Penelope asks.

"No, she didn't," I mutter and slide off her desk. I walk myself out of the office and go to the round table room, finding it empty.

"Shit," I mumble and sit in one of the chairs.

I grip my knees tightly, watching my knuckles turn white.

"You have to stay calm," I think to myself.

I take a deep breath and grab my bookbag. I pull out my book and take the post-it note out of the last page. I stare at my own handwriting, the name Matthew Benton written with confidence.

Maybe that's why Emily is so concerned about the case. Maybe she knows something I don't.

No, she definitely knows something I don't.

Why else would she care so much about it? She hasn't spoken to him in years. She said he was a mess.

But what if that mess was my father?

—
ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ
𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘶

Emily walks into the interrogation room, quietly sitting across from Father Paul Silvano.

"Explain to me why you were the last person in the room when three men died," Emily snaps, not having any patience left to give.

"I'm a Priest, I was there for them spiritually,"

"They weren't on their deathbeds," Emily argues.

"Not physically," The man replies.

"Did you kill them?" Emily asks.

"No," Father Paul quietly says.

"But you're not sorry any of them are dead," The woman is quick to think of a way to get Father Paul to crack.

"Physical death is always sad, but now their souls are in Heaven. For that, their families have peace."

Emily glares at the man. How can someone be so cynical? To believe that people must die because their souls were 'possessed'. Emily left religion behind too long ago to understand.

Father Paul reveals that he told Mr. Benton he could relieve Matthew of his evils. This infuriates Emily further.

"What did you tell the other family members?" Emily badgers him, "After you watched their sons die? That it was God's will?"

"I've never laid a hand on anyone with malice in my life."

"Then explain these deaths to me!"

"You know the power of evil." Father Paul tells her, "You've been fighting it a long time."

"Preghi ancora? (𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝘆?)" Father Paul asks Emily.

"Questo non riguarda me. (𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗺𝗲.)" Emily replies in quick Italian.

"Be strong," Father Paul advises, "The storm's almost over."

—

Noah finds solitude in JJ's office. She saw the team heading towards the round table and quickly rushed off before any of them could speak to her. One word from her mouth and they would know she knew something she is not supposed to.