Coffin Scent: A Testimony

Chapter Five - For The Better

FOR THE BETTER
In five seconds, I took up the deal.
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"In the police station, I was interrogated by Laura. She asked me about Lisa: why her body was lying there and what I knew about her. The police did not know about my history with her, so I did not contribute the details of that. I was also asked about Lisa's husband and daughter. I admitted that I didn't know anything about them, but that's when Laura mentioned the photograph they found in my pocket. No matter what I said, she was not satisfied. Worse yet, it seemed like nobody knew anything about Adrianne's whereabouts. Someone had called the police and told them that two figures were spotted hanging a body. Both my fingerprints and my daughter's were found on Lisa's clothes, but she has been missing since that day. I did not know whether she was the one who called the police or where she was staying. Add to that the fact that my head was swimming from intoxication, blood loss, and withdrawal.

"I was thrown into a prison cell for a couple of days while the investigation continued. As a graveyard keeper, I was naturally bound to be around corpses, so the fact that it was in my cabin did not serve as enough evidence. The photographs were explained away as the victim's belongings. However, the issue of Adrianne's fingerprints remained open to debate. During the trial, Laura requested that my familial circumstances be investigated. She claimed that they made it evident that I was unstable and capable of such a crime. Thus, the court also requested a psych evaluation, which led me to you, doctor.

"Although the process took no more than a couple of hours at a time, Laura's interrogations seemed to stretch on forever. I clearly remember her hostility when we first met. She was furious with me for supposedly murdering a mother; I believe that stemmed from her past as an orphan. With time, as we progressed in our sessions, and I enrolled in a rehab program to recover from my drinking problem, she began to see me for who I really was. She saw that I genuinely cared about my daughter and she began to accept that I am not a murderer. Now, we get along very well, and I'm planning to propose to her after all of this mess is over.

"I guess this is our last meeting. It was brief, but I'm glad we got to talk, doctor. Thank you very much for everything so far. You've helped me start over by listening to me with an open mind, helping me navigate my past, and supporting me throughout my rehab. Now, perhaps I can make up for some of my sins. I'm also slightly at peace knowing that Laura supports the idea of adopting Haze, Lisa's daughter. While I still don't have any clues regarding Adrianne's whereabouts, I'm hoping that she's safe and happy with some foster family. I hope they treat her better than I did."