Back to PHIL'S POV
I come home from work that day to see the flashing lights of police cars flooding my driveway and the alleyway behind my house. My heart skips a beat at the sight of it, and I know instantly that something is horribly wrong.
When I park and get out of my car, I see two officers, a man and a woman, talking to each other in my driveway. The man is scribbling on a notepad in his hand. When I approach them, they turn to me.
"Hello sir, I'm Officer Shelley and this is my partner, Officer Howard," says the woman. "Are you the owner of this house?"
"Yes, ma'am. Phil Lester."
Howard scribbles down my name on his notepad as I speak.
"And may I ask if you're familiar with a Mr. Daniel Howell?" Shelley inquires.
I hesitate, unsure of how much I should tell them. I decide to turn the question around and probe for information before I give any out myself. "Why?" I ask. "What's the problem?"
"Mr. Lester," Howard pipes up, "A man named Daniel Howell was seen exiting your house today, which led to quite a nasty fight in that there alleyway. Are you aware that Mr. Howell was in your house today, and that he is, in fact, a key suspect in a criminal investigation?"
It takes me a moment to process his words, although deep down, a part of me is not surprised. I knew from the day he broke into my house that he was on a run from the authorities. I guess I just never thought about it actually catching up to him... and like this.
"Did they arrest him?" I ask, continuing to evade their questions.
"He's being taken to the ER. First responders noted some possibly fractured ribs and a few gashes that might require stitches. After he's been treated for his injuries, officers will take him down to the station for questioning."
"Regardless," Shelley cuts in, "we do need to know about any involvement you might've had with the situation. So I'm going to ask you this. What is the nature of your relationship with Mr. Howell?"
~~~
Two days later, after dozens of phone calls and hundreds of questions from every which way, I'm signing in for visiting hours at the county jail. I need answers. I need to see him.
"I'm so sorry," are the first words that escape his lips upon seeing me through the glass. "I ruined everything."
He looks worse than he did the night I met him, the night he broke into my house. His neck and face are bruised all over, his hair disheveled. Looks as if he hasn't eaten in two days.
"I hear there's going to be a trial," I say, my voice low and monotonous. "But all I know is what the police have told me. I need more. I need to hear your story."
He looks to the floor, sighs, and drops his head into his hands. "It's a long one."
"I've got time."
~~~
"I'd just gotten fired from my job at the gas station. I'd been staying in a friend's apartment, sleeping on a futon, but eventually he got a girlfriend and kicked me out. I had nothing but a shitty car. So every night I would just find a dingy car park and rest up in the backseat. I was running out of money fast, but I knew I couldn't go back home to my parents. They fucking hated me, and they always will.
"It got to a point where I started stealing food. I would shoplift from grocery stores, I even carried out a couple of dine-and-dashes. I felt so shitty about it, like I was the scum of the earth. But I had no money, and no one wanted to hire me. It was the lowest point of my life. There were a couple of nights when I genuinely thought about ending it.
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Broken Windows // Phan AU
FanficPhil is awakened at 2 A.M. by a mysterious crash coming from his kitchen. His first thought? An intruder has come to murder him in his sleep. When he creeps downstairs to investigate, however, the man he encounters does not seem to be the malicious...
