The Innocent ↝ ÉLITE ¹

TWENTY THREE

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
Interrogation

          LOOKING AT THE photos of her bloody heels in front of her, Arlo blinked, using her sleeve to wipe her runny nose. She looked up at the mirror to see she looked like Diego after he threw a tantrum, red in the face and eyes, snot running down her nose and her hair a tangled mess.

She couldn't believe how much things had changed in a few days. One minute she was dancing with her friends and the boy she had feelings for like a normal teenager and the next she was trying to comfort her friend as she died, helpless to save her. One minute she was sitting in a classroom, doing an exam on equations and the now she was sitting in a police station being questioned and close to being accused of a murder. Her life had completed turned upside down in the span of one minute when she found Marina on the verge of death.

"Your heels were covered in Marina's blood." The Detective continued after Arlo's prompt to arrest her. "So were you and Samuel. You say Guzmán would never hurt her and you say you didn't, but don't you think in a split moment of rage, you could hurt her? Especially after she left a bag of weed at your house where your siblings live and your little brother found."

Arlo swallowed as she looked to her lawyer who nodded. "Do you think I killed my friend with a pair of...heels? And if you do, do you think I'd leave them there?"

"Why were your shoes there?"

"I found out she was running away and I tried to go after her and I can't exactly...run in heels." Arlo breathed out. "Or walk in them for that matter. So I took them off and I left them on the floor. Samuel went to talk to her after I did and I didn't wanna interrupt them so I didn't go back for them. And after they had finished talking, Samuel practically ran out and he was so upset so I went after him and decided I'd get my shoes later."

"Why was he upset?"

"He didn't manage to convince to her to stay either. He was upset and desperate that he went to go talk to the person he hated."

"Guzmán?"

Arlo nodded. "Yeah. He then stormed away again and I lost him in the crowd. Guzmán...and I got into a little– it wasn't an argument, but it wasn't exactly a pleasant conversation either. So, I left the gymnasium to get my stuff and go home, but I forgot my heels. And I went back to the pool room and I saw...her. She wasn't moving." The girl finally looked up at the woman in front of her. "Do you really think I murdered my friend with heels?"

"No." The woman deadpanned. "I don't think you would. Given the seriousness and surface area of Marina's wound, a heel wouldn't have made that much damage. We think the trophy she won was the murder weapon as it hasn't been apprehended yet and she was last seen with it. So no, I don't think you killed Marina. But I do think you saw something. Where do you think Samuel was?"

"You think Samuel did it? He was hopelessly in love with her and he's the nicest person I know. He wouldn't hurt a fly."

"Funny." The detective mused. "He said the exact same thing about you."

Arlo licked her lips, her hands still shaking as she swallowed the lump in her throat. "What do you...what do you want me to tell you?"

"What did you see?"

The girl grew annoyed at the repeated question, but nonetheless answered it anyways. "I went in to get my shoes and I saw her on the ground."

"What did you hear?"

"I didn't hear anyth–" Arlo abruptly stopped when she remembered that night again, but it slowed down in her mind. When she entered the pool room, she had heard loud footsteps running.