Darkness Calls [SHELVED]

Darkness Calls [Chapter 6]

“I already told you everything I know.” Which wasn’t a lot, I mentally added.

The deputy regarded me coolly, his expression never giving way to anything other than being damned unnerving. In a big city, he’d probably be higher up the authoritarian food chain but in the backwater town of Willowbrooke where murders were about as frequent as atomic bombs, he was relegated to a simple deputy. Though I wouldn’t be surprised if he took on the sheriff’s mantle soon.

“What were you doing at the site of Sheriff Matthew’s death?” he asked again, leaning forward, his elbows on the table. We were in one of the interrogation rooms at the police station. Piper was probably seated in another. I was surprised they’d felt the need for more than one. It was furnished with nothing more than a table with two chairs that faced each other. Fluorescent lighting cast the room in the harsh, flickering glow.

I crossed my arms and pursed my lips stubbornly. He’d been asking the same questions for three hours now. The repetition was meant to accomplish one of two things - to jog someone’s memory or to frustrate a suspect to the point of slipping up on his/her lie. I was pretty sure he was trying out the latter with me.

After mine and Piper’s encounter with Tim in the woods, we were found by some deputies who were scouring the place for evidence. Maybe we would’ve been able to talk our way out of it but they were able to find us because of my screaming.

Tim had vanished before they arrived, just like he did in the cafe. And that wasn’t the weirdest thing to happen.

The memory of that big black dog tearing into Sheriff Matthews made me shudder but I fought down the emotions that threatened to well up with it. I’ve been good at doing that for the past few weeks and I wasn’t letting this break through.

“I already told you,” I repeated. I could have told Deputy - I let my eyes travel to his name patch - Thomas everything but given how strange the entire day was, something told me it wouldn’t go over too well. I told him as much as seeing Sheriff Matthews because I knew Piper would have done the same and I didn’t want to be held even longer because of an inconsistent story. The part about the dog, I left out, because not even Piper saw it. Had I gone crazy?

We stared each other down for what seemed like an eternity until the door to the room opened. Light flooded into the room, making it apparent just how dim it had been. Uncle Mason walked in, eyes awake with a ferocity I’d never seen before.

“Thomas,” he nodded to the deputy before his gaze settled on me. “Dinah, come on. We’re leaving.”

“We’re having a conversation,” Thomas said, rising. He was well over a head taller than my uncle with a barrel chest and arms that made me think he could also benchpress him. He took a step toward my uncle, which made me worry for the latter’s health.

I rose, ready to act if I had to. This man was not hurting the only family I had here. And then I thought about what I was about to do and blinked. Did I really just consider launching myself at this truck of a man?

It looked like I didn’t need to, though, because uncle didn’t even blink. He strode toward me. “Dinah isn’t under arrest. You don’t have just cause to keep her here.” Although his back was to the deputy now, the way he held himself made me think the deputy wouldn’t be able to get the drop on him at all.

“She could well be,” the deputy countered. “She was at a crime scene, Miller.”

“And yet she’s not.” Uncle stared at him. Hard. “If you want her down here so badly, get a warrant.” He turned his attention to me and it took quite a bit to not flinch. There was so much intensity in his gaze. “Dinah,” he said simply before turning and walking to the door.