Destination 1974

Chapter 15

| My soul is like glass; transparent and fragile. |

~***~

The clock ticks, the light hums, and the room is cold. I daze at the air conditioner as the ribbon knotted to the vent blows with cool air. It makes a humming noise as it gradually stops, causing the ribbon to dangle lifelessly. I knock the table once, pause, and knock it two times quickly. I look over at the wall with the black glass as my knuckles rest against the hard surface. I start to tap my knuckles, one after another, drumming quickly, and repeating the pattern.

It might be a window, but trying to look through it is like trying to see in the depths of a murky lake. All I see is a dark void with my strained reflection staring back at me, mocking me - judging me.

The door echoes in the small room as it opens, bringing a little more light from the hallway. I scratch my hangnail as the door closes before a figure approaches from behind, walking around the table and revealing that it's Detective Frank Martin. Another person, to my surprise, walks from the other side, Deputy Donna Martin.

"So, who's watching the show?" I thumb towards the giant opaque window, "your whole team of fuzz, or just papa bear?" I start, bringing in a solid icebreaker I spent the last thirty minutes making up.

It sounded better in my head.

"You should be worrying about other things right now, Desdemona," Donna slaps a document in front of me, "this is the document you were clutching when we found you. Why this one?"

"Wow, you have superb memory there, Donna," I give her a wicked smirk, "Donna and Frank. Such an odd coincidence."

Frank pauses, "what's an odd coincidence?"

"Donna, a great song by none other than a man named Franki Valens," I lean in and wink at Donna, and I smirk as I see her shoulders become tense. Frank slams his fist on the table on top of the document and points at it aggressively. I don't flinch as I keep my sly stare on him.

"Do you know this child?"

I glance down at the photo, "I know of her, yes," I look back at Frank.

"Do you know where she is?" he asks, leaning against my invisible wall. I shrug and look over towards Donna.

"How would I know? This file says she was six when she went missing," I glance at the document and point at it, "and she disappeared back in 1963 --" I sit back and tap the table, still eyeing Donna since she seems to be the more fragile of the two, "-- it's a pretty cold case, and practically useless to what's happening now."

Donna steps forward and leans close to me, "you know where she is. You're just trying to have us chasing our own tail. You see, we know how you work, Desdemona," Donna points to the window, "because we have a witness who is an expert on all of your little manipulative tricks watching you right now."

I remember the name of that window now; one-way glass. My mother told me about them.

I suddenly realize who Donna is talking about. Clyde; he's on the other side of the one-way glass? I glance over at it and instantly regret my actions when I see the look of success on Donna and Frank's features as they've caught me in a brief moment of weakness. I completely turn my head to the mirror, and glare at my reflection. I know I'm looking directly at Clyde, and I speak to him with my eyes.

What are you thinking right now?

"Where - is - she?" Donna's voice interrupts my thoughts.

I slowly turn my head, looking Donna directly in the eyes. They depict a gemstone, with specks of amber and emerald. "You may think you want the full truth, but you won't like it."