GUN IN MY HAND

CHAPTER 52: KEEP YOUR HANDS TO YOURSELF

'Don't blame me, love made me crazy

If it doesn't, you ain't doin' it right'

"So you were by Carrion beltway last night?" The man lifted an eyebrow, the movement making a wrinkle appear on his otherwise young face and letting guess Officer Brooks had already done this many times, while all my nerves were standing on edge in this kind of unknown territory.

Well, technically, the room we were currently in looked pretty ordinary with its cream walls and simple desk settings. There was no bright light in my eyes, no one-way mirror, and the seat under me was rather comfortable. Yet it didn't take away the nerve-wracking atmosphere and the reason why I was here; I could feel it from each erratic bang of my heart until each drop of sweat on my cold skin, and it worsened with every passing second of silence.

"No." I met briefly the pair of brown eyes on the right before coming back to Officer Brooks's lifted eyebrow.

Raymond had been unusually quiet so far, only observing silently beside his colleague, and I could have almost forgotten his presence if it wasn't for the pins and needles his gaze created on the tip of my fingers.

I couldn't reach for the fidget toy in my pocket, not even the pendant at my neck. I couldn't twist my fingers, nor flick them in a motion that was too familiar. But could I let my hands rest flat on the table? On my thighs? On my stomach? No, I would certainly leave obvious traces behind. So what was I supposed to do with my hands then?

I raked through my memory as I was sure we'd talked about it.

"So where were we last night?"

"At our place in Carrion for our date." Blade smirked, his features so assured until even the bad intention in his dimple that the only thing that sounded shocking was the word 'date' through that wicked smile.

I could almost see us laying on the grass, our bodies tangled together and my eyes shining at an infinite that wasn't the sky... My heart was already fluttering at the 'memory' of that surprise date, but it didn't go far as that same burden held it back down in the pit of my stomach.

"Is it where you planned to take me?" I asked in a small voice.

"No, but this one's better 'cause there's no one there to discredit our alibi."

So he'd planned to take me somewhere where there were people? I didn't get to form the question that he shook his head, and as I couldn't find any clue in his eyes, it only remained a question mark. Would I ever know?

"The thing is you'll be the only witness, and they'll probably ask you if I say that, so you gotta be prepared for an interrogation too."

Here were more weights and lies pending...

"Daddy's boy should avoid it, though." He nodded dismissively towards Spencer, too busy searching for something in his jeans pockets, and the gesture seemed to deepen Spencer's frown as much as his words.

"Hey! It's not because my dad is the sheriff that I'm above suspicion."

"Because your daddy reported you were around last night then?" Blade finally looked Spencer in the eye, and it was under a cocked eyebrow that made Spencer avert his gaze down.

Though in spite of their small rivalry, I was sure we could all agree it was a good thing, at least, at the moment.

"So coming back to the interrogation." Blade pulled out his pack of cigarettes before turning to me again. "The most important to know is that they'll try to gain your trust and say they just want justice, but that, we already talked about."