"Can we please talk about this?" Molly pleaded, her voice trembling slightly. She sat stiffly in the cold chair of Interrogation Room #3, her hands fidgeting nervously on the table.
Detective Inspector Ferrer, leaning casually against the table, gave her a measured look. "Miss Gomez, let me clarify—you’re not under arrest," he said. "This is merely an interrogation. Cooperation will only help us."
Molly’s gaze flickered to the one-way mirror, her reflection barely visible in the harsh fluorescent light. "I—I don’t understand why I’m here," she said, her voice cracking.
Ferrer placed a file on the table and slid it towards her. "Then let’s make it clear, shall we?" he said, flipping open the file. "We have a few questions about your connection to Miss Amara Turner and what happened the day you visited her."
Raine stood by the watch glass, the faint chill of the afternoon brushing against her skin. She had slipped out of her flat’s window just after three, unnoticed by Zane. Christopher’s message had been brief but urgent—Molly was next to be questioned, following the police’s earlier interrogation of Andrea.
“What’s your impression of this young lady?” Christopher asked, his gaze fixed on the room beyond. “You didn’t bother coming for Ms. Mercado’s turn. Why’s that?”
Inside, Molly’s voice trembled as she replied, “Sir, if this is about Ms. Amara... I don’t know anything about how or why she died.”
Raine’s expression remained unreadable. “Let’s wait and see,” she murmured. “Trust isn’t something we can afford to give lightly.”
“Fair point,” said Chris.
“What’s the team found? You mentioned new results,” Raine asked.
“The analysis revealed traces of hallucinogenic drugs in Amara’s last meal,” Christopher replied. “A lethal dose. It spiked her anxiety, which ultimately led to her death.”
Raine’s lips curved into a smirk. “So, not some mythological mystery after all. I knew it.”
“Where’s your companion? Grown tired of him, have you?” he teased.
“He’s... been acting strange lately,” Raine admitted, her voice faltering. “Something feels off, and I don’t want to add to his stress.”
Christopher hesitated, his words trailing off as a memory flashed across his mind. “So, you’re finally... showing concern for others,” he said at last, clearing his throat to mask the weight behind his remark.
“First of all,” began Detective Sergeant Cruz, her voice steady as she delivered the familiar caution, echoed softly by Raine as she observed from behind the glass, “anything you say can be used against you in a court of law.”
“Understood, ma’am,” Molly replied, her voice barely above a whisper. Her feet tapped nervously beneath the table, betraying her unease as her eyes flicked to the papers the officers shuffled before her.
“You have the right to consult an attorney before answering any questions and to have one present during questioning,” the sergeant continued. “If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you at no cost before questioning, should you wish.”
“Do you understand the rights that have been explained to you?” DI Ferrer asked, his tone firm.
“Yes, sir,” Molly replied.
“Please print your name here,” DS Cruz instructed, tapping the designated line on the document. Molly complied, neatly writing MOLLY AGUILERA.
“Now sign it, exactly as it appears on your Philippine ID,” Cruz added. Molly hesitated briefly before signing with a fluid motion of her left hand.
YOU ARE READING
The Missing Link
Mystery / Thriller4× Featured In the once peaceful town of Nueva Aurora, a string of gruesome murders shakes the community to its core. Victims are left heartless--literally-- after their organs are surgically removed. Science teacher Lorraine de Verra, with dreams o...
