MANDELLA

PART 1

"Mandy, the only way I can help you is if you tell me something." I stare blankly at the clock behind Sheriff Houston, which reads one thirty-five a.m.

"What are you hiding Mandy?" Inside my left pocket I graze the eighth letter I've received from Him. In the right is a crumpled picture, the start and reason for all this mayhem.

"Mandy, please I'm begging you. Have you seen the pictures?" I glance at the pile of security recordings spread before me. All of them show me crouching before a bloody corpse of a woman, seven in total. Each with an 'x' carved above their belly buttons.

"Isn't it guilty until proven guilty?" I nod towards the pictures. "Isn't that your evidence right there? So typical for this town to assume the black girl did it. Isn't that what drove the Smith's out of town? Over a "stolen" iPhone only to be found days later behind a trash can. The town almost drove that poor boy to suicide with their toxic racial and discriminatory behaviour. And now I bet they must be wondering why a well-respected Asian family even adopted me. Since they're the "model minority", like you said to me once before, I probably should have followed suit. Instead now I'm a suspected murderer." I look up at Sheriff Houston again, my eyes challenging him.

Houston stares back at me. "Please don't think that. I've seen you grow up over the years in this town. I know you're a loner, but I can't see you murdering people. But when I look at these pictures, you're obviously involved. It's been weeks, and now we're at seven murders." He pauses and sighs. "Mandy, are you the murderer?"

"No."

"Do you know who the murderer is or how to find them?"

I debated with myself. I needed to find the true suspect, they hold the key to finding the family in the picture. Sheriff Houston and I have odd relationship, though there are times he has got my back. There are moments where I feel he's out to get me. The rumours the town has spread about me are slowly getting into his head. But I have to admit I can't solve this on my own. I need his help.

"Maybe. But I want to find them myself. I need to prove to myself who the real murderer is. And you can help." My eyes wander the room a little then go back to his.

"You know something, don't you Mandy?" He stares at me quizzically. "What is it?"

I ignore his claims and look away as he studies me. "I'm sure you can make it happen" I say. "You have to let me do this on my own Houston. I'll take the blame and everything if anything goes wrong."

It's all bluff but at this point its whatever that can help get me out of this interrogation room. The real suspect is out there and I fear another girl will be found dead tonight.

Houston doesn't say anything for a while, he puts both hands on the table, his eyes level with mine as he continues to study me. He wants me to spill but I won't and he knows that. Saying nothing else he then walks out of the room. Minutes later Houston comes back holding a walkie talkie handing it to me. "I don't know what you're up to, but if there's one thing I can do, it's to trust you. I'm not supposed to do this, but you know something that we don't. So, don't do anything stupid, alright Mandy?"