Shattered to Pieces |Percabeth Story |

15

William Dare
(Didn't expect that did u 🤓)

Normally I am the person sitting on the other side of the desk; questioning people on what they saw, if they were to blame. This is the third time in the last few days that I've been sitting on the receiving side of the desk; answering questions my own colleagues throw at me.

With all the training and experience I've had, I know exactly how to act so my story looks truthful. This is the third time I've had to tell the story from start to finish, my colleagues taking notes on if my story ever changes. It doesn't.

I'm a smart man. I had my suspicions about Ben, how he treated his niece. I don't see anything wrong with it. I was brought up that if I did something wrong I get punished, and it's how I've brought up my own daughter.

"Okay, Will. Let's start again. Why did you go to Ben's home?" a female officer, Jenny, asks.

"He hadn't had a day off in years and I figured it was weird that he didn't even call in to say he was sick. So I went to check on him. No one answered the front door but I saw through the window that the back door was open and so I knocked next door and a woman, Sally Jackson, answered. She looked kind of worried but I didn't ask why. I just went into her garden, climbed next door and found Ben lying on the floor."

"And what time did all this take place?" Jenny asks.

"I was on my break, so around 12.30pm," I reply.

"Can you describe the sight you saw?" Jenny asks.

"It was horrific," I answer, sniffing and wiping a fake tear from my eye. "Ben was just laying there in a pool of blood, not moving. I knew he was dead. There was a horrible smell in the room and I noticed there was sick in the sink. I guessed Ben had been dead for a while since he was starting to smell also. I checked his pulse and then called the cops."

"There were no weapons on the seen?" Jenny questions.

"Nope," I lie easily.

"Nothing that suggests Ben hurt his niece?" Jenny presses.

"There was nothing at all," I say firmly, thinking of the leather belt that I saw on the counter.

"You were a close friend of Ben, am I correct?" Jenny continues.

"Yes. We were great friends," I say.

"Have you ever witnessed Ben act abusively towards anyone?"

"Never. He's a well liked man and he loved his niece more than anything," I say.

"Okay, that's all for today. Thank you for your time. You may leave," Jenny announces, closing the notepad she had been writing in.

I leave the station and drive home, a cocky smirk on my face. How easy. I could get away with murder.

I arrive home in less than ten minutes.

"Rachel!" I call out as soon as I close the door behind me.

My brat of a daughter appears in front of me in seconds. "What is it?" she asks.

"Get me a beer. I deserve a drink," I say before I climb the carpeted stairs and walk into my bedroom.

I stand in front of my tall, wooden wardrobe and then open the doors. Inside, are many clothes that belong to me; casual clothing, smart clothing, and even my work clothes.

I crouch down and feel around for something at the bottom of the wardrobe. I feel around until my hand connects with the leather belt that I retrieved from Ben's kitchen. The blood on the belt is now a dried brown colour. I grin, knowing that no one suspects what I've done.

I'm safe. There's only two people who know how I treat my own daughter; my daughter herself and Ben's niece. All the evidence that the cops have found suggest Annabeth is a murderer. Someone will catch her and she'll go down and she'll forget about telling the cops how I've treated Rachel. I knew that day I brought Rachel back home with me that Annabeth knew, and I punished my daughter that very night for telling that blonde brat.

But that doesn't matter now.

All that matters is that my secret is safe.

Sally Jackson pov

It's been three days since I've seen Percy and I haven't heard from him. I'm worried sick. 'I love you. I'm sorry. I have to protect her,' was all he wrote on the note.

Those words weren't reassuring and when I heard the sirens blaring down the street and the cops racing into Annabeth's house I was worried further.

Percy loves Annabeth. I know that. But would he kill her uncle? I can't imagine my kind-hearted Percy doing such a thing, yet he is protective of his loved ones and will do anything to keep them safe, even if it means running away with them.

I just pray to God he is safe. I wish there was a way for him to contact me but I found his cell phone upstairs in his room. He could be dead right now or badly injured. I just wish I knew where he is, if he's okay, so I could stop worrying so much.

The cops questioned me the same day William Dare found the body of Ben and I showed them the note Percy left me, knowing if I hid it I could get in trouble.

I explained to them that I went grocery shopping and when I came back he was gone. I didn't report his disappearance because I knew the police wouldn't do anything until he was missing for twenty-four hours. As far as I know, there's no evidence that Percy was there at the crime scene, the police haven't told me much. I know as much as everyone watching the news does.

The police are only keeping me informed if anyone has spotted Percy and Annabeth. So far, no one has come forward and said they saw them, which is both a relief and worrying. I know if they are found then the two teenagers will be in big trouble.

I wish they had called the police instead of running away. It looks suspicious that they ran off and they could've easily shown that it was self-defense because I'm pretty sure it was even though I wasn't there, but the cops don't know that.

They don't know how Ben treated Annabeth. I am so ashamed that I didn't call the cops when I first found out what was going on in the house next door. Maybe it was because I've felt the fear that Annabeth felt, which kept me from telling anyone. I regret that decision now.

If I told the police how I heard Annabeth's screams and saw the bruises that were evidence of Ben's cruelty they wouldn't believe me because Annabeth is missing and Ben is dead so he can't confess.

I'm so scared for my son and his friend. It must be hard for them on their own, hiding away, trying to survive while not being found. Everyone is watching carefully for them, waiting to get them behind bars, thinking they are evil teenagers. They are not evil. They are good kids and I wish everyone could see that.

I'm sick of sitting by the phone, waiting for news about Percy. I need to do something. I need to look for them and make sure they are okay. I need to know that my son is safe. But where could he be?

If I were to runaway, where would I go? Where is a good place to run to for someone who lives in the city? It would be a place with fewer people and since no one has seen them the place can't be busy at all. They can't have gone too far.

I sit, thinking hard about where I would go, for hours and hours. Finally, I straighten up. I stand, grab my keys and cellphone from the table and walk out of the house. I hop into my car, turn on the engine, and drive to where I would go if I were to run away.

A place that is secluded and quiet. Near but also quite far. A place many people go if they want a break or to get away for a while...

The countryside.