The Last Thought of a Beating Heart

Eleven

Darius rolls over and reaches for the alarm clock, swinging his arm in the process knocking empty beer bottles on the floor. Groaning in pain, he slowly sits up in his bed. Swaying from the throbbing headache, he has kept since the morning of his downfall. Getting the image of Giselle out of his head had kept him drinking throughout the night. Rolling from the bed, he plodded to his bathroom, and climbed into the shower.

Knowing he had to open the restaurant this morning, he couldn't be late. Standing under the chilled water motivated him enough to get showered and dressed. He grudging got out of the shower and began making himself presentable for his day at work.

Darius pulls up to the front of the Fat Back's Diner and William Little is throwing bottles and shouting obscenities at the store. Bystanders watch as the man tries to bust windows and destroy the building. Darius notices that he is holding a picture of Giselle and is yelling murderer as he parks.

Slowly getting out of his car, William runs up to him and punches him squarely in the nose causing Darius to stumble backwards. Trying to focus threw his watery eyes, he sees the man lunging toward him again. This time he manages to sidestep the man.

Yelling for William, "What the fuck man? What have I done to you? Who are you?"

William responds with, "I'm Giselle's father, and you murdered her."

"I believe that you are mistaken. I didn't murder anyone."

"You are the bastard that stole my little girl's virginity and taunted her. I have seen the video and she was found dead last night by her younger brothers."

Standing in shock, Darius couldn't process what the man had just told him. Thinking to himself, why did Giselle kill herself? She started the whole thing. Coming back to from his thoughts, William is standing in front of him yelling at him as the police pull up.

The officers walk over to the men and began to break up the confrontation. One of the officers, urges Darius to walk to the side while he spoke to him.

"Hello, I'm Officer Davis and I understand there was a confrontation. Could you tell me what happened?"

"I pulled up in my truck, Mr. Little was shouting and throwing things at the restaurant. I got out of the truck, he runs up to me, punches me in the nose, screams that I'm a murderer of his daughter, and continued to yell until you got here."

"Mr. Wilcott, he recently lost his daughter. We are currently conducting an investigation, and if you could at your earliest convenience come down to the police station and give a statement. I would suggest closing down the diner today."

"Let me make some calls and I'll be down to the station in a few."

Officer Davis looked at Darius with a serious look and stated, "Darius, the sooner the better."