Frozen by Fear [DEADLY SECRETS#1]

Kabanata 16

Kabanata 16

Ace's POV

"Tell us how it happened one more time Mr. Evans. A summary. You don't have to go into as much detail as before." Detective Kim glances over at Detective Lopez then gives me his serious cop look.

I bang my forehead against the table in the interrogation room. Lightly, of course. I think I've been knocked unconscious often enough in the last 24 hours. Courtesy of my girlfriend, uh, ex-girlfriend. I don't even know what the f*ck to call her anymore. Lover? Deceiver? Assassin? Definitely murderer.

I lift my head up off the table and give the detectives a tortured look.

"Really?Again? How much longer is this going to last? We've been going round and round for the past five hours. I need to get home and be with my mother."

"I think my client has answered enough questions, detectives." My lawyer, Mr. Lao says.

I hold up a hand, "One more time, then we're done?"

The detectives look at each other again, but said nothing. What are they doing? Telepathic communication? Detective Lopez returns his gaze to me.

"One more time." I let out an exasperated breath.

"Fine. This is what happened. I was with my girlfriend, Waverly, in my room when we decided to go downstairs, to the kitchen, for some food. We were passing by my dad's study, when we thought we heard a loud thump. I thought that maybe my father had fallen and gotten hurt, so I went inside. Waverly followed me into the study, where we saw my father, being held at gun point by a large man wearing a ski mask and gloves."

"And you didn't see the color of his eyes?" Detective Kim interrupts my story.

"I already told you, 'No'. It all happened too fast and my eyes were on the gun." I look at both detectives, then continue.

"Anyways, my father's bodyguard was already dead on the floor. In front of our eyes, the masked man threw a knife and it hit my dad's wrist. My father had been reaching towards his desk drawer. He keeps a gun in there."

"We found it." Detective Kim informs me.

"Yes. Then the man shot my father and I thought that for sure we'd be next. The man turned the gun on us. I begged him not to hurt us, especially Waverly. You see, she's a very sensitive girl. I think the shock of seeing something so horrible as murder had her really upset."

"You love her?" Detective Kim asked again.

"I already told you that I do." I have a bitter taste in my mouth.

"Even though the gun was on me, I went over to my father's body to see if he was still breathing. He wasn't. It also got the gun off of Waverly and solely on me. While I was crouching over my father's body, I was hit on the back of the head. I'm guessing with the gun. My world went black."

"And that's when you fell into the crime scene, laying in it while you were unconscious?" Detective Lopez asks, while looking at his notes.

"Yes."

"And that's why the clothing covered in blood was found in your bedroom and blood was found in your bathroom sink?" He asked.

"Yes, I when I woke up, I was lying next to my father's body, in a pool of blood."

"And Waverly was gone?" Kim asks for the one-hundredth time.

I show my anger at this point, since it fits the false story that I'm giving the cops.

"Yes, like I already told you, Waverly was gone. I can only assume that the killer tookher with him."

"Then, after waking up, what did you do?" Detective Lopez asked.

"I went downstairs and told my mom. She ran upstairs and I followed after her. When she saw my father's body, she broke down. I had her sit down on the couch and called the 911 for the police, ambulance, whatever. Then, I called the guardhouse down at the gate and asked someone to come up to the house. When the guard arrived, I asked him to stay with my mother. I then went to my room, cleaned up and changed clothes, then I left."

"Why?" Detective Kim asked again.

"I already told you," I said in an annoyed tone.

"I was freaking out about Waverly being missing. The only place I could think to look for her was at the hotel. I didn't know if I would find her there, but I had to try. I sped over there in my car and ran up the stairway. She wasn't there."

"We didn't find any belongings of hers there, in her room, when we checked it. Unfortuantely, the maids had already been in their to clean it. Do you really thinkthat the shooter kidnapped her, or do you think that she ran away out of fear?" Lopez seems to be eager to look at all possible scenarios.

Well, she's definitely ran like a coward, I think to myself. But I tell the cops, "I really don't know, but what I do know is that you have to find her for me. She could be hurt, scared or in the hands of a murderer."

"We've ran the information that you gave us. We found no record of an Waverly Rose Collins, seventeen years old, matching the description you provided. Are you sure that you don't have a picture of her?"

I grind my teeth, as a pain runs through my chest.

"No, unfortunately, I don't. Don'tyou have her on the hotel security camera?"

The detectives share another look, "That's the oddest part. Our men are still running through the security tapes. So far, every time they have Waverly on camera, her face is averted away from the camera or the camera just misses her face."

Clever girl. She sure made a fool out of me. I push back those thoughts. They aren't for now, but later.

"So, what are you going to do about finding Waverly?"

"Aren't you also worried about us finding your father's murderer?" Detective Kim asked, with a speculative look on his face.

Little does he know that Waverly and my father's murderer are one in the same. I glared at him.

"Of course I am, but my father is dead and Waverly is still alive out there somewhere. You need to find her."

"I think it's time that my client goes home to support his mother through their mutual grief," Mr. Lao says, diplomatically

"Just a minute," I told my lawyer.

I look at the two detectives, "Why would someone kill my father? What do you know of my father's business dealings?"

The detective glance at each other again, Lopez answers, "Not much, but what we do know is confidential information."I look at them in disbelief.

"Even from his son?"

"Of course, any information that you wish to provide would be helpful, but we can't share our information. As to who killed him? We're just as stumped as you are."

Detective Kim seems genuinely perplexed, but I have a feeling that he's not telling me everything he knows. Obviously, they must know something. But, if my father was a criminal like Waverly said, wouldn't they question me to see what I know?

My lawyer stands up and I follow his lead. The detectives see us out to the lobby ofthe police station, promising to stay in touch with their progress in the case. I part ways with my lawyer in the parking lot.

When I get to car, I punch the steering wheel.

"F*ck! F*ck! F*ck!" I've been holding it in for hours now.

Last night, when I woke up alone in Waverly's hotel room, I broke down, but then I picked myself up and went home.

The place was a madhouse. Cops walking in and out of the house. Forensics, paramedics, detectives, uniform cops and family members called in for support. Not to mention the journalists who were clamoring outside the gates, trying to get the story out of anyone coming in or out of the place.