Paint the town red

Chapter XLIX

I woke up just after the alarm, and I was surprised that my pillow was all wet. When I touched my face, I felt an unpleasant moisture, and then I lay down on my back and chuckled quietly. "Great. Now you're crying in your sleep," I thought, looking at the drawing on my ceiling for the umpteenth time. I dreamed about Max, Pierre and Oscar. In my dream, I seemed to see from the outside how he killed first my best friend, and then this unfortunate Oscar. I saw it, I screamed, I wanted to help avoid it, but I couldn't do anything. I began to feel hopeless again, but only in a dream. In reality, I didn't feel anything - my loved ones are gone, Max is behind bars, and I was the one who made him kill all those people, and now I'll be the one who puts him behind bars.

After lying in bed for a while, I got up and took a cold shower, then went to the kitchen to drink coffee. I have no appetite again, so I can leave the house before Yuki wakes up and tries to stuff something edible into me. I knew for sure that the neighbor was still asleep, because I didn't hear him prowling around the kitchen, as it usually happens, so I tried not to make any noise. And he needs to sleep it off, because on Monday he starts work, and there he'll only have to dream about rest.

Having finished packing for work, I left the house and went to the station, stopping at a cafe on the way and grabbing a large cup of coffee. There's gonna be an interrogation today about the murders of Carlos and George, and I'm sure Max will pull some stunt or try to play on my feelings. I remembered those texts from disposable "burner phones", where the then unknown killer wrote that he liked to see my despair. He likes it, but I won't give him that much pleasure. He likes to get me emotional, well, two people can play this game.

When I entered the station, I didn't meet anyone at the entrance, but Liam was already waiting for me near the office. I was surprised by his early visit, which I immediately told him about, and we entered my office. He just wanted to check on me after yesterday, and I told him everything as it is: about my thoughts, and about my feelings, even about my extremely unpleasant dream. Liam listened to me, and then again offered to come with me to the interrogation room, but I refused again.

While we were talking in my office, Mick came to us.

"Good morning. Charles, it's time for the interrogation. Liam, are you coming?"

"Yes, of course."

"Then let's go."

I nodded and left the unfinished cup of coffee on my desk. Liam and I left the office, and the three of us walked towards the wing of the building where the interrogation room is located. For some reason, today, even without the pill, I feel calm. Maybe I'm just burned out after all these events? Although, if I'm burned out, I wouldn't cry at night, huh.

Frederick, a couple of officers and another man were already waiting for us at the room. Mick told us that Frederick listened to Liam's words and asked the D.A. to replace the former psychiatrist because he didn't have any credibility. We greeted new psychiatrist and he introduced himself as Daniel Ricciardo.

Daniel said he got a brief look at the case file and the transcript from yesterday's interrogation. The psychiatrist didn't seem very serious to me, but because of how and what he said, my doubts about his unprofessionalism were dispelled in the blink of an eye. Frederick wished Mick and I luck and the two of us entered the interrogation room.

Max was sitting at the table, and his hands were strapped to the table again. He was sitting with his head tilted to the side, and his face showed no emotion. But when I sat down on the chair opposite him, it was as if he "turned on" and became animated. He looked at me with his blue eyes the color of the sea, and smiled a little sadly as he pulled his hands towards me, but the handcuffs didn't allow him to reach me. Now he looks like a bullied and offended child, not a murderer.