She's a Man-Eater

5. Just the Two of Us

"There isn't much information we can disclose to the public as of now," The officer said into the microphone she uneasily held before her. She looked as though she had more to say, but was cut off by a man off camera.

"Officer Ramirez , is it true that the victim– Arnold Mayer– was the same Arnold Mayer who was sentenced to three years on the charges of aggravated sexual assault in 2019?"

Officer Ramirez opened her mouth and shut it again. She tilted her head slightly to the left as if she were thinking, her thick black bangs falling in front of her eyes. She brushed them aside and said, "Yes, that's true."

"Does the Santa Monica PD have any reason to suspect his criminal history may be related to his murder?"

The woman took a deep breath, "It's always a possibility." She glanced at something off camera and focused her eyes back on the lens. "But as of now, no, we don't believe that was the motive. He was released from prison two years ago. If he was targeted because of his record, he likely would've been killed shortly after being released."

The man off camera cleared his throat and asked, "Then, do the police have any possible motives?"

"If our timelines match up..." The officer briefly glanced downward, "If our timeless match up, then yes. After medical examination, we estimated the victim was killed five days before the body was discovered. The victim was arrested two days beforehand after engaging in a bar fight. He was released from police custody when camera footage from the bar proved he had been attacked first after accidentally mixing up his drink with another man's. The victim chose to press charges and the two were awaiting trial. It isn't out of the question to assume the assailant could be a possible suspect."

"And who was the man who attacked him in the bar?"

"I'm sorry, I can't disclose any more information than I already have."

The man prodded more but was only met with the same answer. It went on for a moment or two before Officer Ramirez excused herself and the broadcast cut to commercial.

Oliver sat uneasily at the opposite end of the couch folding his hands together.

"They think it was just some guy who killed him," he said, looking down at his feet. "That's terrible. This is terrible."

Jesse tapped her front teeth lightly and said, "Well, better him than us, don't you think?" She pressed her index finger into her bottom lip. "It's a bit uninspired, though."

He looked up at her and ran his hand over his jeans. He had deep bags under his eyes, he clearly hadn't slept much since that night. "What do you mean "uninspired"?"

Jesse stood up from the couch, "A bar fight is hardly a reason to kill someone." She turned to face him and folded her arms over her chest.

Oliver clenched his fists. He met her eyes for only a moment before looking down again. "You can't be serious," he muttered. "How can you say that after you killed him?"

Jesse narrowed her eyes. Surely Oliver could understand what she meant, her actions were more than justified. "I killed him because he was a rapist. I didn't kill him because he accidentally took my drink."

"That guy, the one they're suspecting, didn't kill him because of that either. He's innocent. How are you okay with him taking the fall for what you did?" Oliver ran his fingers through his hair somewhat frantically.

Jesse cocked her head to the side and bit back a smile. "What I did? I don't follow, Oliver." He visibly stiffened but said nothing. "We did this."

Oliver stirred as if he might stand, but after a moment he remained seated. When he spoke, there was no remaining anger in his voice, "You planned this, didn't you? To kill him?" He buried his face in his hands, "The date thing was just a way to get to him, right?"