Breaking Emily

Measure 21

~ Measure 21 ~

   I started my internship on May 3rd.  I was set to shadow Madelyn, one of the top scientists of the department.  She asked me what I was interested in, and I immediately told her one thing I’ve always wanted to work on.  A cold case.

   She took me to the cold case section where stacks and stacks of boxes were lined up on shelves across the walls.  I gasped.  There were so many. 

   “Have at it.” she said, “Pick one that suits you and we’ll look together.  Sound good?”

   I nodded and thanked her as she walked away. 

   I looked up at the never ending shelves of boxes.  They were all in alphabetical order from A to Z, and I walked up and down each of the rows to find each one.  Under D, there were so many titled “Jane Doe”.  That means they were never identified.  My heart broke for those people.

   I reached the end of the shelves and made it to the W section. 

   That’s when one of the boxes caught my eye.

   Cameron Walter – 2013

   I pulled the box from the shelf and lifted the lid. 

   Cameron Thomas Walter – 19

   Brown hair, blue eyes

   5’7

   Born: March 29, 1994

   Death: 2013

   United States Marine Corps

   I lifted the information sheet to find the photos of the suspects.  I gasped.

   I was staring right into the face of my Cameron.

  

***

   I knocked on his door after work that night and he opened the door with a frown. 

   “I told you to never come back.” he said.

   I grabbed his shirt and rammed him back against the wall of his house, making the house shake and one of the picture frames fall to the floor and shatter. 

   “You liar!” I said, “What the hell were you thinking, Cameron?  Or should I even call you that?”

   “What are you talking about, Emily?” he demanded.

   “You lied about everything.  About being a marine.  About your family.  About where you came from.  And even your identity.” I hissed, “Sean Walter.”

   He shook his head. 

   “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” he said.

   I pulled the picture from my coat and shoved it in his face. 

   “The murder of Cameron Thomas Walter of 2013.  A marine that had come home from overseas.  Or should I better say as… Hannah’s ex-boyfriend!” I said, “I remember everything now.  Clear as day.  He disappeared one day and never came back.  She loved him and they were going to get married.  But you wanted her, Sean.  You wanted her.  So you cornered him somewhere and killed him before he had a chance to fight.  Then you took his identity.”

   Cameron’s eye twitched as he nodded. 

   “Congratulations.” he hissed, “You figured it out.  Now what do you plan on doing with it?”

   “I’m turning you in!” I cried.

   He laughed.

   “Think twice about doing that sweetheart.  The ball is in your court now.”

   I tried not to scream as he walked away and turned the corner of the hallway.

   I stormed out the door and drove back to the apartment.  I ran into my room and smiled.  The dog tag and the bullet were right in my bag where I had left them. 

   I got back in my car and drove as fast as I could to the forensics department.

   I had a cold case to crack.

***

   Just as I thought, the blood on the bullet matched the real Cameron Walter’s to a tee.  Driving to Sean’s house, I held him down as I called the police to come and make the arrest.

   The police showed up and I told them I’d just solved the case of Cameron Walter.

   Then I showed them the bullet and the dog tag.

   The cops looked at each other and nodded.

   They grabbed my wrists and pulled them behind my back, handcuffing me and throwing me against the car.

   “No!” I cried, “What are you doing?  It’s him you want, not me!  Let me go!”

   “You have the right to remain silent…”

   I watched Sean as he smiled from the doorstep and nodded to me.  I had tears running down my face as the police shoved me into the car and drove away.