MISC «morose! morose! morose!»

XII part one interrogation

XII.

    Beauty  the rest of them; a religious girl — she believed God had plans. Sometimes she questioned them. What good would it serve her to serve him? So she abandoned him altogether.

    In one of the chest drawers she'd cast away her cross. It was dainty, silvery. In sunlight — it camouflaged with skin, like no ordinary piece of jewel.

   The knowledge of its location flooded her father's insides. He'd think about it. Obsessively. Minutes stolen from daily routine turning them unproductive. How unusual for Raymon Vernoff — a workaholic who married late, his sole reason for existence being his family.

    Various flashes of pictures, out of blue, would dote his vision while he'd be watching a documentary with class; stirring evening soup; looking at her wife, who appeared to be Blyth's apparition — from looking ghostly to feeling dead.

    Fear would seize him by sides. His little girl. Screaming. Wailing. Daddy.

     When he put on his vest the next morning, he'd an epiphany; Such epiphany that was the the sum of all epiphanies in the world.

    Seeking help.

    "You called us, sir?" The British male student held the office door open, for his mates Raymon presumed, to get in. Specifically his sisters. They followed. Both blond, hair twisted, skin like a block of obnoxious cheese, accompanied with a man whose midnight locks were so enviable that girls hated him for not seeing a barber. He, too, didn't look well, face unshaved, unwashed, overused napkin tucked out of breast pocket, typical posture of hands in pockets. Green. "Morning," it was a whisper when he spoke.

    Raymon collected them and had them sat around his desk. The office was breezy, with two drapes flying indicating two windows on either side, odd fashionably, and the PhD frames were fairly, detestably worn out. The kids, right. "Ahem," he said gravelling looking at each of them. "I hope you realise the seriousness of this case... My daughter's been missing... "For days and days. No one knows where, no one knows how. Ellie nodded at him to continue, unapologetically. "You were friends with her. Her, everyone else."

    If that meant kicking a few extra bucks for charity functions and acting concerned on mental health awareness week and owning the charge of student body, thought Eleanor, then yeah guilty as charged. "You are the royalty," he stated. "You can make the seas part. A lot of students are afraid of... The interrogation. But they listen to you. So I thought... Was hoping to start with royalty."

    Normani paled. Kaisei and Westerly 's jaw locked. Three siblings, and the queen's boyfriend; A drug dealer. One can almost be never too careful.

     Said Ellie, "Can you circle back after proper rest —"

     "— I don't need rest, I need answers! You guys have no choice but to co-operate."

    He was turning red, it caused Nora to draw in a sharp breath, contemplating their next move, hers, she was the weakest member. "You don't deserve to be royalty," spoke her subconscious.

    Luckily, they had Kai for matters delicate.

     "We understand"

     "Yes. And be honest."

     The siblings had their impeccable bond — at that time, it used to be the strongest at the face of earth — and if Wes and Ellie were parents to Nora, they'd do anything in their very power to stop Raymon for putting two and two together.

    "Of course," then there was Kai. Sweet, sincere, too goddamn pathetic.

     Ellie imagined the pain the two men shared on losing their beloved. With that, she also realised men can be emotional. However, visual creatures as they are, how much would it take to cover a murder?

    "Good. It all just happened suddenly," his words were hollow, acidic, "Bly," eye lit, "was really, really thrilled that night, I can't wrap my head around her disappearance..."

    Nora was churning. "I'm sorry, sir."

    Raymon didn't have the energy to comfort her into thinking he was all right. He was so out of place. So silent.

    "Do you need water? I can get some in a minute —"

    Raymon held him back by arm. "Oh no, no need. Peon? A jug, thank you." He took a generous sip once he was obliged, "sit Seon. "

    The chair was scraped once again. Kai looked the most worried. "As I was saying — for my contentment — please share where you were that night, seven, eightish?"

   Alibis.

    Wes gulped like no man had ever. Ellie glared when he reached out for a glass. Nora's heart quivered, very loud quivering, body shaking. Her anchor? Kai. For he looked so much worse in his unadorned form. "Everything is & will be confidential."

    Right.

    "That's a relief," Ellie spoke, bored.

     The others were gripped with terror so vast that they almost wanted to confess outright. But that's not how it goes; not in Ellie's world. This is her game. Wes and Nora — players. Kai's eye sent wide as soon as his girlfriend remarked.

    "Relief you say?"

    "You see, Kai and I were having sex. We left early, without telling anyone, impulsively... And his father is religious. You get what I'm saying?"

    Raymon had to have her crowned; nobody was as bold as her, small slender framed Eleanor Penn. What a woman.

     He was a little thrown off. "Yes... Is that true, Seon?"

    Kaisei Seon exchanged a look with her, pink faced. Honestly, are all girlfriends like that? He couldn't answer. "Um yes." He tried to, "I'd a little too much to drink."

    Wes added, "We do not need the details, Seon."

    Raymon peered at Nora then. Her turn.

    She was his good student, someone to count on if any other is sick, the one who had too much on the plate.

     Demure eyed lass.

     "Wes was with me, at the house. Doing practice papers and whatnot."

     She had to bit her tongue. There wasn't a word false in her say. Even so, inside she thundered. "Is that right?"

    "Yeah. That semester I had failed," he responded glumly.

    "I remember"

     Nora wasn't finished yet.

    "So Ellie had grounded him to come to prom, so he won't with us..."

    That's when Wes intervened. It was interesting.

    "You must be wondering how come Normani didn't attend the event. To clear your doubts, I'd let you in on full version of the story."

— PART ONE —

unedited sry