that august night - c.l.

30. Kids?

Police light shinned over Elena's face as she parked her car near the scene, where ambulance cars took place. She didn't see anyone in them as she walked past but police track was already set up. Elena saw Ashley and ran up to her. "You didn't have time for make-up either?" - She tried bringing some light to whatever she was about to see but Ashely didn't smile at all.

"Whatever you are about to see, isn't worth the time you would put in make up..." - Elena got worried at the tone her partner spoke in but started putting one leg in front of another to the door that seemed she wouldn't erase really quick.

Even though Elena woke up less than a half an hour before, her instinct started working already as she observed the scene as Ashley led the way. There was broken vases, picture frames etc. Couch in living room was messed up and out of place, glasses and plates were out of kitchen, and knives were all over the floor. They walked through the living room and she could barely see the kitchen that was connected before they went off to the stairs, on the next floor.

Everything seemed clean in the hallway and stairs on the second floor and it was just about the time when she could see what was so horrifying. "Do you want to see the guy or the kids first?" - Ashley turned to her as Elena was taken back. "Kids?" - She breathed out not believing that there could be dead children somewhere in the house.

Ashley took that as an answer and opened the doors of the children's room. The horror in this room could not match with any scary movie she had ever watched. Blood splashed over the walls, kids' toys bloody and their pillows soaked in bright red color.

Every single one of them was in their bed, laying in a pool of their own blood. Elena's heart stopped, seeing such a scene in front of her as pathologists took photos and tried to understand the scene better. Elena's mouth slightly fell open as she saw that every child had a bulled in their throat, which meant they suffered through the death and drowned in their own blood.

They seemed younger than ten and such nice kids, she couldn't imagine how the parents felt... Where are they? Why hasn't Elena been introduced to them yet? Elena turned around to face Ashley with white face. "What happened here?" - She managed to say as Ashley sighed. "Come with me."

They walked towards the main bedroom in which Elena assumed the parents were, but the bed wasn't messed up, which meant they weren't laying in it. But there was a body in front of their bed. A man with a bullet in his chest, it probably missed his heart but gave him enough time to suffer and die.

Elena walked over to the broken window in front of him, and saw a gun under it. It seemed like whoever shot him dropped it and ran through the window... but who was the man? "Is this the father?" - She assumed, but there was doubt because she couldn't believe a father would kill his kids in such ways.

"No, this man's identity we still don't know... but what happened, according to the story of mother, Jessica Allison, she sent her husband to buy groceries for tomorrow, earlier this evening. He got held up with his friends and when he came back, which was before an hour, he found the scene like we did. His children murdered and dead man on his floor without his wife in the sight." - Ashley talked as Elena walked through room looking for something new.

"She came back before half an hour with bruises all over her arms and neck. Jessica claims this man tried to strangle her on the floor in the kitchen, and when she managed to escape she got here, took the gun her husband owned and shot the man. She jumped out of the window, scared to do anything else, and she started searching for her husband but police found her roaming the street." - Ashely seemed to finish her explaining but Elena noticed something wasn't right in this story.

"Where is his gun? We have hers I can see." - Elena pointed at the gun under window where broken glass was spilled. "That's why they called us. We searched the whole house there is not one single trace of his gun... only hers... even though we have our doubts that Jessica did this... we have no proof she didn't kill her children." - Ashley continued as Elena looked back at her.

"Were they already questioned?" - Elena asked. "They were but not for too long. They were waiting for us. They are downstairs in the dining room." - Elena followed Ashely down the stairs looking one more time at the children's room before walking towards the dining room with her thought running all over the place.

Elena asked Ashely if the parents spoke English and she confirmed saying how they moved from America here a few short years ago.

"Mr. and Mrs. Allison, my name is Elena Neville. I am lead detective on this case." - Elena started shaking hands with each one of them. The mother was shook, her eyes tearing and never drying out while the father, Emiliano, didn't seem to be calmed either. He let down few tears and it could be seen by his bloody red eyes while he held his wife in his arms, slowly drawing shapes on her back to calm down his shaky hands.

Elena suggested that other officers leave the room, only leaving Ashley and her with parents. "You already gave the report to the police, you need to inform me about what happened, and do you mind answering some of the questions?" - She tried to sound calm and nice not to disturb them for the series of the questions that are about to be asked. They both nodded as Jessica quietly sobbed.

"Mrs. Allison, you said that you sent your husband to buy some groceries outside, when was that exactly?" - Ashely took out her notebook writing down whatever they would say.

"Around 8pm, I finished with bathing all three of my kids and I was in the living room the whole time..." - She seemed on the edge of tears so she moved to Emiliano. "Mr. Allison, when did you get back?"

"Before hour or so..." - He answered. "Why so late?" - Elena asked. "I got held up with my friend. When I was in my car, to go back, I remembered he called me earlier this day and I called him back. He told me how he was back in Monaco and he wanted to have a drink or something... so I texted Jessica how I won't be home early, and when I came back... I found the house like this." - Emiliano explained with few short breaths in between each sentence.

"And what then?" - Elena continued. "I saw that living room and kitchen were destroyed, I went upstairs calling Jessica but she was nowhere to be found. I went to kids' room and found all three of them in the pool of their own blood." - Emiliano stopped as a tear rolled down his cheek, taking in a deep breath before continuing.

"Then in our bedroom I saw dead man on the floor and broken window. I called the police then..." - He seemed to be done talking because he couldn't find the strength to do it anymore. "Mrs. Allison, can you tell me what happened when your husband left the house?" - Elena moved on to Jessica giving Emiliano some time to calm down.

"Um, I got his text and I went back to the living room to watch TV, then I figured I could take out the dishes from the machine so I got up and did that... and then I heard three loud  bangs... at first I thought it was just pyrotechnics somewhere in the neighborhood but it was too loud for that..."

"And then a man came down the stairs, he held a gun in his hand and he went towards me, I started throwing things at him, plates, glasses, vases, anything I could find. I wanted to take a knife but he wrapped his hands around my neck and threw me on the floor... I took a piece of broken plate and stabbed it in his shoulder."

"Once he let me go, I ran upstairs because I knew that my husband held a gun in our bedroom, I took the gun and once he stepped in the room, I umm... I pulled the trigger."

"I thought there was more of them to come from downstairs, I yelled over to my kids not to come out of their room and to lock their doors, I jumped through the window, I wanted to find my husband and call for help... but then the police found me first and they brought me here..." - Jessica explained with more tears threatening to spill down her face. "When did all this happen? Do you know the time you heard shots?" - Elena continued with questions.