Paper Hearts (Camren)

Chapter 7

Lauren watched from behind the one-sided mirror as Dinah questioned the young man who kept his head low the entire time. Dinah and Shawn had been in the interrogation room for at least two hours now yet still, he refused to speak.

“Mr. Mendes, if you choose not to co-operate with the police then I’m afraid we can charge you. You don’t want that, do you?” Dinah said gently with a hint of firmness in her voice. Shawn said nothing, frustrating even Dinah, who was normally patient.

“He’s not talking.” Lauren clenched her jaw, they weren’t going anywhere at this rate. She grabbed a bunch of files from the table next to her and flicked through them hastily, searching for something that could make Shawn talk. “We can’t afford to waste time. The police can only keep him detained for up to 24 hours. It’s been almost 16 hours. We have to get any information we can before then.”

Camila, whom had been sitting in the corner, observed Lauren silently.

Dinah sighed and looked at the mirror with tired eyes, knowing that Lauren was watching them from the other side.

“I’m going in.” Lauren mumbled, clutching the files in her hand.

Camila got up from her seat almost immediately, “Should I come with-“

“No.” Lauren cut her off, “You stay here.”

“But I-“

“Look, Camila, I understand that this may be new and perhaps exciting for you but interrogating a suspect is not all it seems, okay? It’s not like in the movies where they bang the tables and yell at the subject until they confess.” Lauren ran a hand through her hair, annoyed. She didn’t need this after spending the agonizing 2 hours waiting for Shawn to utter a word. “Just let me do my work.”

“I…” Camila sat down slowly and bit her lip, “Sorry.” ‘She’s mad… I made her angry.’

Lauren left the room without another word, leaving Camila alone briefly before the door opened again and Dinah entered.

“That has got to be the most frustrating interrogation I’ve ever experienced.” Dinah said as she sat down beside Camila.

Camila stayed quiet, her mind still thinking about how she had made Lauren angry a second ago.

Dinah lifted an eyebrow after receiving no reply from the brunette, “Are you okay?”

“Y-Yeah, I’m fine.” Camila reassured her before giving her a weak smile.

Dinah noticed this but decided not to question her since it seemed like Camila didn’t want to elaborate any further.

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“Mr. Mendes, care to explain why the tracker lead back to your apartment?”

Lauren sat with her arms crossed, staring at the clearly nervous young man from the opposite end of the table and waiting for him to speak.
Another 5 minutes passed by and still, nothing was said by either of them.

“Or perhaps why you were going through Miss Cabello’s trash a few nights ago?”

Shawn said nothing.

“Is there no explanation, Mr. Mendes?” Lauren asked him, “Nothing to say for yourself? No words to deny a thing? If you keep going at this rate and refuse to answer my questions then I’ll be right to assume that you’re somehow associated with Ludo.”

The room behind the mirror stayed silent as Dinah and Camila sat at the edges of their seats, thinking that Shawn was going to crack soon. The door opened and Normani entered.

“Any progress?” Normani asked the two of them.

Dinah shook her head and kept her eyes on the interrogation next door, “Still not talking.”