Affinity

Chapter 8: Whose Side You On?

            

" Good Morning all." The detective sat in front of his desk and situated himself before doing the same for some papers that crowded the length of his workspace.

" Morning." A somber echo bellowed from our mouths collectively.

" I'm sure your aware as of this moment we have no leads into your son's, and your brother's death. I know we got information from you all last night, but I thought we should all re group this morning. In the heat of the moment things slip our minds that a new day can help us regain." I threw a sidelong glance to Rah who caught it midway and alley-ooped it back to me. This was a fishing mission, they took our truths with a grain of salt and this 'friendly' meeting was a way to stink out the lies they believed we told.

            I wasn't gonna be the first to speak Travis wasn't my blood no matter the bond I knew existed between us, I would not speak unless asked to do so.

"Everything we told you last night was all we know." Rah spoke and heads nodded in agreement, mines included.

"Ms. Ever when was the last time you saw Travis?" Ok, my cue it is then?

" It's been months, almost a year, probably last time I saw him was at Christmas." Rah and his parents nodded their heads to corroborate my statement as they recalled the last half of Christmas Day the preceding year.

            He scribbled facetiously on a notepad, I saw him jot down one word from my viewpoint and 'Christmas' was not the identifier.

" And the last time you spoke to him?" I worked hard to not show my discomfort but I didn't need to, the Turners had effaces of incredulity to come to my rescue. Varying ranges of defense and anger rose from their beings as they too, now looked at the detective sideways, but I played it stoic. I answered the question quickly and accurately I had not a thing to hide, all anger could be dispelled once out of this man's presence.

" Prior to when I'd seen him yesterday I hadn't spoken to him since that last Christmas."

            " Ok, thank you Ms. Ever." He hesitated on his words but I didn't linger on this point, I focused on leaving. I listened as the detective posed the remaining questions to Rah and his parents; he stole glances at me when believed my attention span to be waning. I shouldered my weight into Rah and found that his stance was rigid; mutual feelings of distrust emanated from our beings. I met the detective each time with engaged interest and he sulked away with his dragged gaze hesitating as I disappeared from view each time.

            " What the hell was that?" Rah's father intoned the previous once out of earshot from the police district we'd emerged from moments ago.

" I swear I have no idea where that came from, I know nothing. What I told you yesterday is all I know." I was emphatic, exasperated at the thought that anyone could think I had anything to do with Travis' death.

" I know that. I'm not questioning you Ab, I'm questioning those motherfuckers." It was the first curse word I'd heard Mr. Turner utter since my knowing him, I had to admit I was just a tad flattered it had been used in my defense.

            " I'm not feeling how this thing is looking." Rah was at my defense, at the ready.

I had no stake in this conversation. I had no inkling whatsoever as to why the detective had singled me out as he had. I was doubly glad that Rah and his family recognized that as well and not placed doubt in me as the detective had.

" No one is." Rah's mom didn't break her plaintive stare as she spoke the words; it was noted these were the first she had spoken about me or indirectly to me since her son's murder the previous day. All heads swiveled to catch her phrase, it wasn't long enough to be a sentence. The previous was a statement that confirmed that along with her husband and son she believed I had nothing to do with her son's murder. I was a heartbroken bystander along with them.