The Interrogation of Damien Nero: A Remembrance of Light

The Accused

"I could never tell you specifically what it was that drew me to her. There were many things actually. Her long crimson hair that she pulled back with the utmost grace; the way she carried her entire body, adorned with only the cheapest and ragged clothing, but always managing to appear gentle; her fair skin, soft and supple to the touch, and her emerald green eyes of jade that mesmerized me. I love everything about her. I would do anything for her, such is our eternal love..." Damien Nero chorused as if proclaiming his unwavering devotion before God himself.

"You are positively mad, and we are getting absolutely nowhere with your nonsensical twaddling! All you have been doing, for the past 3 hours I might add, is blabber on about nonsense. This is not a poetry recital!" Inspector Andere howled while rubbing his eyes with his hands, the skin roughened by a lifetime of work.

"My deepest apologies, Inspector Andere. Oh, how I do pray you can forgive me!" Mr. Nero sighed, audible sarcasm thick in each of his words. He stretched as much as he could to make himself more comfortable in his chair, though his hands were bound to the desk in front of him.

"Watch your tongue. If it was not for me, you Sir, would be long hanged and lying amongst the maggots! Merciful as I am, I am running low on patience, Mr. Nero. Now, despite the substantial time lost, I will endeavor to begin our little interrogation again. Depending on your cooperation, I may even allow you to pay a visit to your 'beloved'."

Mr. Nero paused, his expression changing into a deformed grin, until he ultimately nodded.

Inspector Andere had baited Mr. Nero with false promises he would not be able to keep, but in desperation, he reached for anything to quicken the interrogation. They were both running out of time, the sentence to be carried out the coming sunrise. Inspector Andere's eyes were red from sleep deprivation; meanwhile Mr. Nero's were wide with presumably the hope of laying eyes upon his 'lover' once again.

Mr. Nero indeed should be long dead for his crimes. He had been caught with all the evidence needed to convict him twenty times over. He was an incomparable, almost phantasmagorical, man of twenty and seven years. Once, he was well revered by the community for his large sum of wealth and high standing position and wondered over for his enigmatic demeanor and lack of frequent public appearances, now turned revolting scoundrel by his recent doings. Both the interrogation and Mr. Nero's life ran on borrowed time granted by the razor thin patience of the merciless crowd outside.

After what seemed like an eternity in the interrogation room of the only police station in the small town of Rosemer, Inspector Andere found it extremely difficult to keep up with Mr. Nero's antics. Despite his desperation for the exhumation of truth, he could not help himself from once again regretting his choice of extending the due date for the delivery of Mr. Nero's sentence.

In a small town such as Rosemer where scandals happen too few, starved of excitement, the denizens as well as most of the authorities hesitated none at the decision to watch Mr. Nero's, or rather anyone's, lifeless body dangle off the better end of a rope. Yet both the inspector and Mr. Nero found themselves here in this predicament.

In addition to the near impossibility of the task, Mr. Nero's words seemed genuine enough but left a bitter taste in Inspector Andere's mouth. Even though he spoke truthfully, there was a trace of something unconfirmable.....mocking, sarcasm, double entendre. It was unclear, but it poisoned Mr. Nero's every word leaving his exact meaning unpinnable. This would be the longest night in Inspector Andere's career of nearly 25 years yet.

However, there was something unnerving about the whole affair which prompted Mr. Nero's arrest. Something that Inspector Andere could not piece out but deeply disturbed him nonetheless, perhaps even more than the seemingly irrefutable facts and evidence before him. There was something hidden. Something hidden that Inspector Andere could not leave buried.

Inspector Andere sat up in his chair, letting out a long sigh in the process, "Alright. Now then from the beginning, Mr. Nero."