Demons and Diamonds

Chapter 2: Murder and Mirrors

All I could do was stare in shock with my hands over my mouth. Following my line of sight, Abby looked behind her and shrieked, a high pitched scream that, I swear, scared off every living organism within a three-mile radius.

"That's a body, Cassie!" Abby struggled to her feet and tripped over to me. "A dead body!"

"Wait...are we sure it's dead? It could just be, you know, unconscious." I had no idea how any unconscious person could stay unconscious through that scream, however.

"Touch it...see if it moves." Abby hissed.

"I am not going to touch it!" I snapped, whipping out my phone. "The police can deal with that."

Twenty minutes later, it was well and truly dark. The police arrived, following the coordinates I gave them (iPhones can do amazing things) and they found us in the forest, huddled together, unable to take our eyes off the body.

"This is exactly how you found it?" An officer asked us after introducing himself.

Abby nodded and I added, "After she tripped over it."

Abby and I were taken back to the station for questioning and our parents were called. We sat in the waiting room, waiting to be taken in individually and questioned.

"You don't think that they think we did it, do you?" Abby asked, shuddering.

"I really hope not, but it's not like we have a motive or anything. I mean, we didn't even know who it was."

Suddenly, the doors were thrown open and a trolley was pushed in. There was a large object on it, covered by a black tarp. Abby and I stared at it as it was pushed past, and I had to blink twice. I saw a spiral of light pink hair dangling from under the tarp.

"Omigod!" I gasped, covering my mouth with my hands, tears welling up in my eyes.

"What? What is it?" Abby craned her neck to get a look at the trolley, but it was pushed through some double doors before she got a good look.

"I think it's Delores." I whispered. "I saw her hair."

"No, it can't be her! Who would do that?" Abby gasped. We had our shopping bags on the ground at our feet, and suddenly, they felt an awful lot like evidence.

"Cassandra Hallowdale? Please come with me." An officer appeared and led me down a short hallway and into a room which was empty except for a water machine and a table with two chairs. He gestured for me to take a seat in one and he sat opposite me.

"My name is Detective Marsh. Would you like some tea or coffee?" He asked. He was a large man with square glasses and a shaved head.

I shook my head. "No thank you."

"Would you feel comfortable answering a few questions?"

I nodded.

"At what time did you find the body?"

"About a quarter to six."

"And what were you doing in the forest at this time?"

"Abby and I were walking home from town, after doing some shopping. Walking through the forest is a short-cut back to our houses. We were running late and didn't want to be out after dark." I recounted.

"And were you ever acquainted with a Ms Delores Snow? She owned a small boutique called the Birdcage in town?" Detective Marsh already knew the answer to this question, he just wanted to see if I'd lie.

"Yes, we were at her store earlier that afternoon. Then we went and got hot chocolate at the Bistro and that was when we began heading home."

"Was there any suspicious people in or around Ms Snow's store while you were there?"