**Reviewing Before Advancement Please Standby** Daughter Of the Accused

Chapter one - The accusation

Aria remembered the day that changed her life forever as if it was yesterday and not four years since. She recalled the last day her family spent together blissfully unaware of the events to come. It was Christmas day. Just like every other year her parents home was filled to the brim with decorations. Old and new bursting into view. On the living room window sill, a lit up nativity scene graced the window with its beauty. Bringing smiles to the faces of all those who passed their home. They never decorated the outside of their home but their window decoration was the best in the street. Children would gather around it every year with their parents pointing in awe at the beautiful display the McConaughey's had put together. They were the talk of the street. The year it all changed though the signs were there but it wasn't obvious straight away.

It had been a sad December for everyone ever since her best friend had died. On December 1st 2014 Lucy Yale was found dead behind her shed. It came as quite a shock because she was fine the day before in fact she and Aria had been shopping to get outfits for the party that the street threw every December 1st. No one was aware that she'd never attend another one of those annual parties. At first it was thought she had some sort of an accident but the more the police looked into it the more it looked like she had been murdered. As of the morning of that particular Christmas day they had no leads, no suspects, no ideas of who could have done it as far as Aria was aware anyways. By the evening that changed.

The McConaughey's were gathered around the fireplace. The children had hot chocolate and the adults had a glass of Bailey's. Being only seventeen she was legally too young to drink alcohol but because she was at home with family, had her parents had allowed she could have had some. But in the McConaughey household you had to wait till you were eighteen. She recalled shrugging that off and thinking oh well only got to wait a few months. They were part the way through their favourite story that her father told every year when the knock on the door came. She recalls a feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach as her mother went to answer the door.

In those moments before the door was opened she recalled looking at her father and seeing something different about him. He wasn't the usual jolly person she had seen every year at Christmas. There was an anger in his eyes one that shook her very soul. Even when he seemed to force a smile that anger in his eyes didn't go away. Then he turned to look into the the fire as if to avoid her gaze. She watched as the reflection of the flames danced in his eyes but instead of seeing the warmth one feels when they look into a fire usually. She only saw an empty, angry stare. She wonders now if he had that look all day and how did she only noticed in that point in time.

Then as she continued to look at her father trying to suss out what had changed she heard the door open followed by her mother's voice. "Hello officers, merry Christmas I hope this fine December evening is treating you well how can I help you?" said her mother being overly polite as per usual she recalls. "Hello Mrs McConaughey. I'm afraid this isn't a social call may we come in?" Replied one of the officers. Her mother nodded and said of course as she opened the door wider in order to let them in. She let them into the living room where the rest of the family was and closed the door once they were inside. Aria's father did not look up from staring into the fire but she and her siblings lifted their heads in curiosity. "Mrs McConaughey can you please ask the children to go to their rooms. This is something we'd rather not do in front of them" said one of the officers a sound that hit Aria's ears like a punch to the stomach.

Of course her mother obliged so she and her siblings were ushered upstairs. Her younger siblings went straight to their rooms and began playing. But Aria remained on the stairs and listened. Hidden by the wall that separated the passage by the front door and the living room she made herself comfy as she stayed put to find out what was going on. Once she was convinced that the children had done as they were told Aria's mother proceeded to ask how she could help them. "This matter involves your husband excuse us" the officer said before approaching Aria's father.

"Mr McConaughey, we are here to place you under arrest on the suspicion of murder in the ongoing investigation of the death miss Lucy Yale" announced the officer as my mother gasped then he proceeded to tell Aria's father his rights before asking Aria's father to stand up and put his hands behind his head. Aria's father did as he was told and the other officer handcuffed him. They proceeded to head to the front door with Aria's father as Aria's mother pleaded with them saying there must be some misunderstanding. Before she knew it they were outside. Neighbors watched appalled as Mr McConaughey was lead to the police car that was waiting for him.

Aria went to the front door and stood in the door way in a half daze. At that time everything felt like it was going in slow motion. After taking a deep breath as tears fled from her eyes she stuck her head outside and looked to the left of her to the top of the street. Standing in their door way was Lucy's parents. Her mother's face was buried into her husband's shoulder as she sobbed. Her husband stood watching as the man suspected of his daughter's murder was being put into a police car. A cold hard stare came from his face as he did not take his eyes off Mr McConaughey. Not until the police car was driving away. Then his attention turned to the door way where his daughter's best friend was standing in the door way comforting her mother.

When their eyes locked Mr Yale shook his head before leading his wife inside and closing the door. Aria was gobsmacked she didn't know what to say or do. Her t-shirt got wet from her mother sobbing into her shoulder. She remembered thinking that they should go inside at that point. But her legs wouldn't budge. Then she recalls her mother straightening up, turning around and yelling at the neighbors to mind their own business before whisking Aria inside quickly, closing the door behind them. Mrs McConaughey downed the rest of her glass of Bailey's before turning off all the lights downstairs and heading upstairs. She went into the room of Aria's younger siblings and got them ready for bed. Once they were in bed she went to bed herself. Aria remembers following on behind in the dark and when passing her mother's room to get to hers she could hear her mother crying behind the closed door.

Clearly they weren't going to talk about it anymore that evening so she remembers going to bed too. Logic should have deemed that night as her only chance to get a decent night's sleep before everything spiraled out of control. But who can honestly say they could have had a good night's sleep if that night's events had transpired for them?. I think no one could really. Families ideally shouldn't have skeletons in their closets but unfortunately it's rare to find a family without them anymore.