One for the Team

28 | after

The police is at Roman McGee's house again.

"I don't understand why you're searching everything. I mean, I do, but –"

"Good," the detective says, sitting down on the sofa. The McGee family insisted on conducting the interview in the living room. Said there was no need to go down to the police station if they were all here already. The detective decided it didn't really matter. There is a cup of tea in front of him and he's looking at the steam coming from it.

"Finn told me you were in on it."

"Well, Finn's an idiot, I'm not surprised." Roman shrugs. He's sitting on the couch across from him, a coffee table in between them where the tea and cookies are. Roman hasn't dared to move for the cookies, even though his mother said they were his favorites.

"He said he saw some messages between you and the others, and it happened here, at your place. Am I supposed to believe you had nothing to do with it?"

"Yes, you are!" Roman spits out in frustration. None of this makes sense to him. "I didn't know Levi was coming. I didn't fucking invite him. You think I wanted him in my fucking house?"

The detective nods, "Tell me about the prank again. You don't need to spare me with the details this time."

"I didn't know, okay? I had no clue they were planning a prank. I was a victim as well, remember?" Roman's voice is whatever is left of the tug of war in his throat. The detective can't help but find his frustration childish.

"Well, you're not dead, are you?" he asks.

"Look, detective, if I was in on it, I wouldn't have played the game, would I? I don't know what messages Finn saw, but they weren't about the prank, okay? Milo and Ace are a very good go-to when it comes to getting drugs, that's all."

The detective seems unimpressed.

"Okay, tell me about what happened that night then."

"But I've told you this already." Roman frowns. "You didn't tell me everything, did you?"

"Well, it's not something I like to talk about."

"You should start talking," Solomon says, and it sounds too much like a warning for Roman to stay quiet.

"It was a party." He sighs. "We won the game that morning. We wanted to celebrate. There's nothing wrong about that. I invited loads of people, but I did not invite Levi. I didn't. I promise –"

"The bet."

"Yes. I was getting there. There was this bet going around to see who could get with more girls that night. Whoever won got a prize. It was just a stupid game. Anyway, I fucking won. Obviously. So, I went to collect my prize. Ace and Milo had it all set up in one of the guest's rooms. So there I go, high and drunk and horny. They blindfold me. Say it's supposed to be a surprise until the very last minute. When suddenly it isn't anymore."

The detective waits for more.

"See, I didn't take the blindfold right away, I was enjoying the mystery. So now I'm half-way naked, already with my hands on her, when the excitement is just too much, and I just fucking take the blindfold off."

"Who was the big prize?" the detective asks, sipping from his tea. His notebook is open on his lap.

"As if you don't know already." Roman frowns.

"No one else went in the room with you. I want to know exactly what you saw."

"No one else was there until everyone was." Roman spits in disgust. He's still disgusted, "They had Levi tied to the bed so he couldn't move, and they put something in his mouth too, so he couldn't talk either. I should have known, of course, but like I said, I was fucking drunk –"

"You should think of stopping the mentions of illegal substances," the detective warns him.

"Oh, fuck, yeah, well, anyway, obviously, when I saw him, I got the fuck out of that room. It was horrible. They were all just standing there. Waiting. It was insane. Everyone started laughing when they realized I almost made out with Levi. They wouldn't stop laughing. I was so angry, I kicked everyone out. All of them. The party was over. I was done."

"Everyone left?"

"I thought so." Roman nods. "The cops showed up not too long after, but you probably know that already. Apparently, the neighbors made a noise complaint. Of course, everyone was gone already, and I smelt like a weed plantation, so they took me in. Got a free sleepover at the police station, which was great. The next morning, my parents bailed me off. Grounded me. That was also great."

"So who untied Levi? How did he leave?"

Roman scratches the back of his head. He thinks he's off the hook. "Well, probably his boyfriend."

"Finn?"

He almost laughs, "Ah, so you know?"

"Rumors spread fast."

"Well, he was at the party for sure. I remember seeing him at some point, looking for Ace, Milo, maybe even Levi actually. I don't really remember. I didn't see him again, but I heard that apparently Ace and Milo locked him in my bedroom so he wouldn't get in the way. That's probably how he saw the messages. People say he managed to get out, jumped out of the window or some shit. He probably untied Levi. We all thought he had just run away at first. Left town. I fucking would have if I was him. Sure, the whole thing was embarrassing for the both of us, but at least people didn't see me in that fucking state, you know?"

"Well, his body is in the morgue right now, so I think we can exclude the runaway option, right?" Solomon says, putting down his cup of tea.

"I guess."

"For what is worth, we don't consider you a suspect. You were in a jail cell when Levi was killed."

"Holy fucking hell!" Roman's sigh of relief almost makes the tea go cold. "Couldn't you have told me that earlier?"

"No."