Not So Different

Chapter 5

"It's the cops."

I cursed under my breath.  This wasn't good, not good at all. 

"I'm going to open the door.  Just play along," Jet told me, and before I could ask what she meant she pulled the door open. 

"He-hello officers," Jet said in a pitiful sounding voice, clutching her stomach.  "Is-s there something y-you need?"

"Are you Jet Rowan?"  The taller and older of the two officers asked in a rough voice that probably had to do with the smell of cigarette smoke coming from him.  His face was set in a frown, contrasting his partner's fidgety expression.

"Ye-yes sir," Jet replied in a sickly voice.  If I had not been speaking to her a moment before I would think she was very ill.  What was she playing at?

"Ms. Rowan we would like to talk to you about a shooting that occured yesterday.  Is your father here?"  The older officer asked in an monotone.

"No sir," Jet replied, "He's on a work trip."

"Ok," The younger, stouter officer said, "May we come in?"

"Yes-s sir," Jet said, leading the officers into the main part of the apartment.  I stood there stiffly, in the kitchen and when the younger officer saw me he stopped dead.

"Who is this?" He asked, motioning to me.

"That's C-chris," Jet replied.  "He's t-taking care of m-me.  I g-got sent h-home from school tod-day.  I'm feeling unw-well."  Jet finished, clutching her stomach and sitting down in a kitchen chair as if she barely had the energy to stand. 

"I'll need to see your identification card, boy,"  The older officer told me as his partner eyed me warily.  I pulled my standard issue ID card that every citizen had out of my pocket, glad I had transferred it to these pants when I had changed. 

"Here you are sir," I said quietly handing him my card.  He quickly checked it with his portable ID scanner then handed my card back, satisfied it wasn't fake.

"Now Ms. Rowan, we are just going to ask you a few questions," The older cop said, "And you as well Mr. DeClancy."

"Me?" I asked startled.  Why would they want to ask me questions? 

The older cop ignored my exclamation and faced Jet, "Where were you yesterday at the time of the shooting, Ms. Rowan?"

"I was here in my apartment," Jet replied. 

"And what were you doing at the time the shots were fired?" The younger cop asked in a nervous manor?

"I had just gotten in my apartment coming back from school when I heard the shots." Jet responded in a sickly voice.  "I just waited for the shots to stop and I was about to call the police when I heard the sirens."

"And where were you when the shots were fired, Mr. DeClancy?" The older cop inquired. 

I searched my mind for an acceptable answer that could not be easily proven false, "I was walking home to my foster home on the other side of town.  I didn't hear the shots and only learned about the altercation when I watched the news."

The older cop nodded at this then removed something from his jacket, "Ms. Rowan do you recognize this pen."  He asked holding an evidence bag in his hand that contained a purple ink pen.  "We found it in the alley where the fight occured and found your finger prints on it."