Red Roses dark Secrets

Chapter12: You can't keep running from the truth

The stark, fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, casting a harsh glare in the small interrogation room. Miller sat across from Carter, who was slumped in his chair, a veneer of bravado barely concealing the fear lurking beneath his defiant exterior. Hayes stood nearby, arms crossed, watching closely as they prepared to dig deeper into the murky waters of the case.

"Carter," Miller began, his voice steady but firm, "we have a lot to discuss. You're not leaving this room until we get some answers."

Carter looked up, his jaw clenched. "I've told you everything I know. I'm not a murderer!"

"Is that right?" Hayes interjected, stepping closer. "Then explain why we found traces of your fabric on Sarah's clothes. How do you think that happened?"

Carter's face paled slightly, but he quickly masked it with anger. "I told you—I never hurt her! We had a fight, but I would never—"

"A fight?" Miller interrupted, leaning forward. "That's interesting, because multiple witnesses have come forward saying you were possessive, controlling. You wanted her to cut ties with her friends. Why is that?"

"I was just trying to protect her!" Carter shot back, his voice rising. "She didn't understand the danger out there! I loved her!"

Miller felt a surge of frustration but kept his voice calm. "Love shouldn't involve control or fear. It sounds like you had other motives. Tell us about the night she died."

"I was at home," Carter insisted, his gaze darting around the room. "I can prove it! Check my alibi!"

"Funny thing," Hayes said, her voice cool and calculated. "Your neighbors heard a commotion that night. They remember seeing a man fitting your description leaving around the time of Sarah's death."

Carter paled further, panic flashing across his eyes. "That's not possible! You're making this up!"

"No one is making anything up," Miller pressed, his voice low and steady. "The evidence points to you. And if you're innocent, now's your chance to tell your side."

Carter's bravado began to wane. "I don't remember," he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. "I just wanted to protect her. I loved her. But she didn't see that."

"Protect her from what, Carter?" Miller pressed, feeling the tension in the room thicken. "From her friends? From her life? Or from yourself?"

Carter's hands trembled slightly as he looked down at the table, grappling with the weight of his emotions. "I just wanted her to be safe," he murmured. "I didn't want to lose her."

Miller felt a flicker of understanding. The man across from him was drowning in a mix of obsession and fear, desperate to cling to something that was slipping away. But at what cost?

"What happened that night?" Miller pressed again, softening his tone. "You can't keep running from the truth, Carter."

A tremor ran through Carter's body as he fought to hold back tears. "I don't remember clearly. Everything's a blur. I was angry, and then... I just remember the darkness. I can't remember what happened."

Hayes exchanged a glance with Miller, sensing the shift in the atmosphere. "The darkness?" Hayes repeated. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know!" Carter shouted, suddenly losing control. "I just wanted her to love me back. I wanted her to see how much I cared! But she was pulling away, and I—"

"You what?" Miller pressed, sensing they were close to a breakthrough. "What did you do, Carter?"

"I don't know!" he cried, burying his face in his hands. "I was scared. I didn't want to lose her, and I don't know how it got to that point!"

Miller felt a rush of emotions—anger, frustration, but also a pang of sympathy. This was a man trapped in his own mind, struggling with the consequences of his actions. "You need to be honest with us, Carter. Lives are at stake here."

Carter looked up, desperation etched on his face. "I didn't mean to hurt her! I loved her! But I was losing control. It was like something took over, and then... nothing."

Silence fell over the room, the weight of Carter's admission hanging heavily in the air. Miller leaned back, allowing the gravity of the moment to sink in.

"What do you mean by 'something took over'?" Hayes asked, her voice steady but probing. "Are you saying you blacked out?"

Carter nodded slowly, his gaze dropping to the table. "Yeah. It's like I was there, but I wasn't. I could feel myself slipping away, and when I came back, it was too late. She was gone."

"Carter, you need to understand that this is serious," Miller said gently. "We need to know exactly what happened. If there's a chance that someone else was involved—"

"I don't know!" Carter yelled, frustration pouring from him. "I just remember feeling angry and helpless. I didn't want her to leave, and I... I just lost it."

Miller exchanged a glance with Hayes, sensing they were at a crucial turning point. "We can help you, but you need to tell us everything, starting from the beginning. What led up to that night?"

Carter took a deep breath, trying to regain his composure. "We had been fighting more. Sarah was talking about breaking up, and I didn't want that. I couldn't handle it. I thought I could convince her to stay. I thought... I thought love would be enough."

As Carter began to recount the events leading up to that fateful night, Miller listened intently, piecing together the fragments of a story filled with love, desperation, and loss.

"I went to her apartment that night," Carter continued, his voice shaky. "I didn't want to let her go. I wanted to show her I cared. I thought if I could just talk to her, we could work things out."

"And then?" Hayes prompted.

"I don't know. We started arguing again, and I just... I lost it. I remember grabbing her, trying to make her see. And then everything went dark."

"Carter, you need to remember if anyone else was there," Miller urged, leaning in. "Did anyone else come by? Did you see anyone outside? Think hard."

Carter shook his head, frustration mounting. "No! I don't remember! I just wanted her to stay with me!"

"Please, Carter," Hayes said, her voice firm yet compassionate. "You're not going to help yourself by hiding. If you can remember anything—anything at all—it could change everything."

"I can't!" Carter cried, tears streaming down his face. "I just... I wanted to be someone she could love! I didn't want to lose her!"

Miller felt a mixture of anger and sadness as Carter's cries echoed in the small room. This was a man who had become lost in his own obsession, unable to distinguish love from control.

"Carter, we can help you," Miller said softly, knowing that the path ahead would be complicated. "But you need to face the truth. If there's anything else you remember, now is the time."

As Carter's sobs filled the room, Miller could see the glimmers of truth buried beneath the layers of guilt and fear. He knew they were getting closer to unraveling the threads of the case, but it would take time—and courage—from both sides.

"Take a moment," Hayes suggested gently. "We're here for you. Just breathe."

As silence enveloped the room once again, Miller couldn't help but wonder what would come next. Would the truth set them all free, or would it only lead to further destruction?

After a few moments, Carter's breathing steadied, and he looked up at Miller and Hayes, vulnerability etched across his features. "I... I'll try to remember more," he said quietly. "But I need your help. I can't do this alone."

Miller nodded, his resolve solidifying. "We'll help you, Carter. But you have to trust us and be honest."

As they continued the interrogation, Miller felt a shift in the atmosphere—a fragile thread of hope weaving its way through the darkness. They were inching closer to the truth, and with it, the possibility of justice for Sarah.