Destined

Sixty Three

And that ladies and gentlemen is how I found myself in this interrogation room. Because an officer showed up at my place and found me holding a gun with my boyfriend in the room. They took me, Vince, and the gun, to the police station. We were put in separate rooms and had been questioned for the last two hours. Well, I had been questioned, I didn't know what was happening with Vince.

Detective Aubrey had been gone over fifteen minutes. I knew because I'd sang Fall Out Boy's Church in my head five times. I was trying to stay calm, but I wasn't sure how much longer I could do it. I've read about interrogation techniques. They leave the suspect in the room for hours, isolate them, to make them think their mind's playing tricks on them, it's very effective.

I was trying hard not to think about Talia. I wonder if she knew I'd been arrested.

Strangely, I was not mad. How could I be when I myself am a murderer too? Why was it okay for me to defend myself but not her to defend her sister? I knew in that case, the law wasn't on her side. If they found out she was responsible, she would be finished. And I didn't want that to happen. But that she'd dragged Vince into it, didn't sit well with me either.

I couldn't dwell on it long because the door opened and in came Detective Aubrey. I guess he wasn't going to make me wait long.

"You're free to go, Miss Sanders," he said.
"What?" I asked, surprised.
"You can leave,"
"I don't understand,"
"Do you know why you're here, Miss Sanders?"
"Because an officer found me in possession of a gun that wasn't licensed to me?"
"Do you know why that officer was at your house in the first place?"
"No,"
"One of your neighbors called. Said two girls next door were screaming the place down, it was a noise complaint that got you here,"
"Oh,"
"So then the gun, same gun we discovered shot our victim, is an exact match. And it's registered to your boyfriend. So I don't even have to ask how you got your hands on it, I'm just curious to know what you were going to do with it,"
"Nothing, I found it in my house,"
"Really? You think he placed it there? Why would he do that?"
"Vince didn't do this,"
"Why so sure?"
"Because I know him!" I screamed, angrily.
"According to putrefaction, Tyler died between the hours of six and eight pm of the twenty sixth,"
"Vince was out of town that day, for a book signing, you can check,"
"He left there at half passed six, that's an hour and a half of unexplained time,"
"He was with me,"
"See? That's what I don't get. He said that too. And I'm almost inclined to believe you, since you said it before I told you what he said. But remember, you told me that you were with Miss Fawn at that time. Which makes me believe you're trying to cover for him. Or for her. Either way, you couldn't have been in two places at once. Do you really want to associate yourself with this crime?"

And there it was. I was caught in a lie. I had been with Vince, while Talia was out with Jonah hiding the body. If I didn't come clean now, Vince could be arrested for something he didn't do, something he didn't know.

"What motive would Vince have for killing Tyler? They were friends," I said.
Detective Aubrey shrugged, "You tell me. You have personal ties to them both. Maybe Tyler got inappropriate with you and he was defending your honor?"

Detective Aubrey was one hell of a story teller. He was clearly in the wrong profession.

"Vince didn't do this," I repeated vehemently.
"The only way you could possibly know that is if you knew who did it,"
"Or if I was with him at the time it happened. I'm his alibi,"
"Are you saying that you lied before? That you weren't with Natalia?"
I sighed, "Yes,"
"You realize lying to the police is a crime?"
"Yes,"
"And why should I believe you? Maybe you're lying now to protect him,"
I stared at him, feeling defeated, "I can prove it,"
He stared back at me, "How so?"

The detective let me have access to a computer and I logged into my email. Why I still had those videos, I'm unsure. I hadn't actually watched any of them but they'd served as a reminder, for me to always be vigilant. To be careful. And to remind me to view myself as a survivor. Not a victim.