The Princess and The Hatter

Chapter Seventeen

Once Upon a Right Now in Storybrooke. . . .

You're sat in the station working though the evidence as Emma takes Mary Margaret's mugshots at the station.

"Please turn to the right." Emma says gently. 

"Emma, this is a mistake. I didn't kill Kathryn." She protests to you both. 

"Of course you didn't. But, while we're  your friends, Emma is also the Sheriff. And I have to go where the evidence leads." You look up from the paperwork at a desperate Mary Margret. 

"Which points to me?" She looks at you and you nod with a sad expression "but Y/N, Emma, yesterday it was David" She continues "there's something not right here."

"I know. But, your fingerprints were on that box, and his are not. So, now we have to deal with this." Emma backs you up. 

"Evidence that says I cut out Kathryn's heart, and buried it in the woods. This is insane." Mary Margret continues to express her disbelief at being here. 

"If I don't book you, with all this evidence, it's going to look like favouritism. And then, Regina will have cause and she will fire me. And then, you know what she'll do? She'll bring in someone who will railroad you. So, please – just try to be patient and trust me." Emma explains, friendly but sightly more sternly than before. 

"We can't even move forward till we verify the heart belonged to Kathryn. And I am still waiting for the DNA test results. But, in the meantime, you need to bear with me. I have to ask you a few questions." You pull a tight lip smile. 

"This is crazy. I would never hurt anyone." She says again as you get ready to question Mary Margret, at that point, your sister is sat in the interrogation room already. 

"Hello, Miss Blanchard." She says almost sadistically in her tone. 

"What are you doing here?" You frown at your sister as you sit, Emma in the corner of the room. 

"She asked to be here as a third party to make sure that you stay impartial." You turn from Emma to Regina in shock "It can only help you."Emma says to Mary Margret who's equally shocked. 

"Fine, sister, play it your way." You turn on the tape recorder as Mary Margret confirms you can ask her anything, that she has nothing to hide. 

"The heart was found buried near the old Toll Bridge. It had been cut out by what appears to be a hunting knife. Have you ever been to that bridge before?" You ask plainly.

"Yes, many times. It's where David and I liked to meet."

"Mr. Nolan." you conform.

"Yes."

"And, you met there, for what purpose?" You ask in the most professional tone ever, trying not to glare at Regina as you did. 

"We were having an affair. I'm not proud of what happened, and I'm sorry. But that doesn't change the fact that I did not kill Kathryn." You nod to Emma who takes the jewellery box out of a cabinet and places it on the table between you and Mary Margaret. You nod thank you then look back to Mary Margret. 

"For the tape, the jewellery box in question has been placed on the table by Sheriff Swan." you say "Have you ever seen this before?" 

"Yes, it's my jewellery box."

"That's what we found the heart in." You state slowly. 

"Don't you see what's happening here? Someone stole that box and put the heart in it. I didn't have anything to do with it. I'm innocent!" She starts to protest in more anger now.