Where She Lies

Chapter 2: It Was Inevitable...Or Was It?

Some things are just inevitable. Sickness, sadness, passion, and death are some of those inevitable things. You can't keep it from happening no matter how hard you try. I make myself comfortable and shake myself awake from my thoughts so that I can listen to Wyatt's story. After all, I'm the one who had asked him.

"Anna was a remarkable human being. She was almost perfect; that is if it could ever be possible to have a perfect human being walk the earth. I knew her before I took the case on her death. We met at the local diner around August last year," Wyatt leans forwards on his desk as he talks.

"The one by the woods?"

"Yes, that one."

"Continue," I nod at him thoughtfully.

"I'd occasionally pick her up from work and take her out places to hang out for a bit. We were good friends; I was devestated whenever I found out that she went missing. However, I just knew that I had to take the case. I couldn't stand letting anyone else handle it. Such a wonderful person deserved to have their case handled properly and thoroughly taken care of."

I take notice to the way his green eyes turn bright and illuminate when he talks about her.

"You were smitten with her, weren't you?" I question him.

His lips curl into a small smile almost like a cat when it hears the sound of a mouse.

"I won't say that I was," he glances sideways to the window to watch the pouring rain, "but I won't say that I wasn't."

"Fair enough. I'm curious about something though. The police officer told me that you had the case, thus implying that it's solved? Tell me something, who murdered my sister?"

"You're right about me not having the case anymore," he looks back at me, "but you're wrong about it being solved. I dropped the case after we found her."

"Why?"

"Why? Initially I had wanted to do everything that I could. However, there was absolutely no evidence at all. None. Also, the thought of seeing her like that pained me too much. I couldn't bare looking through her files, going back to the scene, hearing about her, I couldn't even think about her."

I clasp my hands together on my lap and find myself frowning.

"I see..." I say quietly.

"I'd still help if I could bear it. Believe me, I honestly want to," he shakes his head and sighs. "I'm sorry..."

We sit in what would be total silence if it weren't for the rain. After a few moments a thought pops into my head and I decide to speak up, even though it might not be wise to - considering my thought.

"Wyatt," I pause, careful not to break the ice I'm oh so steadily sliding on with this subject, "don't you have a younger brother named Quinn? I heard he was arrested for being a part of a major drug deal that was going down."

"Yes...where are you going with this?" He eyes me carefully.

"Is he capable of thinking like you can? If so he might be able to h-"

"Help? Were you going to say that Quinn could help with this situation? No. No, I don't think so. Please don't even bring up that idea. Yes, he's my little brother. Yes, he was arrested. Yes, he was a part of the deal. Besides, he's in prison and there's no possible way he'd ever be able to help you out anyways. I'm sorry."

"Okay...thanks..."

For nothing.

"You're welcome. It's getting even later by the second now so I suppose you should leave."

"Yes," I stand up, "I suppose I should."

I excuse myself from his office without another word. All that I've learned so far is that he clearly disapproves of Quinn and that he liked my sister. Great. That sure is a lot to go off of. And another thing bothers me as well. Why would he drop the case right when they found her? He did say that it was because he couldn't emotionally take it, but some part of me just doesn't believe that. What are you hiding, Wyatt Deupre?

***

I walk through the cool night air as the breeze blows. I make my way back past the diner on the corner and notice how the neon sign glows vibrantly in the dark compared to everything else. Perhaps I'll come here in the morning for breakfast. I'm assuming it's around two or three now which makes me sigh. I know that I need my sleep, but I kind of don't want it. To me, sleep seems like a waste of time. There are so many other things I could do instead of sleep. I could investigate my sister's case. Maybe I can figure some leads out by asking around my campus the next day that I have classes.

I go to a college about ten minutes from where I live. It helps that it's the community college. Speaking of which, it's Wednesday, which means I won't have classes today. I fish my key out of my pant's pocket and unlock my door. I throw the key on a stand that's beside my front door before staring at the pile of newspapers on my kitchen table. My eyes drift over to my sister's old cellphone that's resting on top of the newspapers.

I shuffle myself across the room and pick up her pink cellphone with skulls on it. I wonder...I turn on her phone and scroll through her contacts. Mom, slacker of a father, me, her college roommate Andi Layne, Wyatt Deupre...my eyes scan the last name in her phone in surprise. Highlighted in a blue bar of light from my scrolling down resides the name I've been hearing all but good news about. Quinn Deupre. Was she friends with Quinn? Or did she just happen to have his number due to Wyatt? No...that can't be right either...he was arrested one whole year ago.

Thoughts lull about in my head for a few more moments before I give up. I turn off her cellphone and carefully put it back where it was. I'll just have to look into this; but first, I need some rest. I make my way to my bedroom and flop down on my bed with fluffy black pillows and lavendar sheets. I trace the pattern on the ceiling with my eyes quite a number of times before finally lulling myself to sleep.