Old News

Questions and Pizza

“And what is your relationship to Mr. Payne?”

I tried to look the police officer straight in the eyes so he would know I wasn’t lying, but I had always been shy. I felt my cheeks immediately start to heat up as I made eye contact with the man, so I looked over his shoulder.

“We’re friends. Close friends. We’ve known each other for years.” I said. Why couldn’t Harry have come in with me? I would have been less nervous.

“You say you were visiting family at the time of Mr. Payne’s disappearance?”

I nodded. “I was at a funeral in LA.”

“I’m sorry.” The police officer said sympathetically.

I nodded my head, not trusting myself to speak without bursting into tears, further humiliating myself.

“And how often do you see Mr. Payne?” The police officer asked.

“Usually a few times a week.” I guessed, then remembered something. “Although we haven’t been seeing him as much recently. He’s got a new girlfriend.”

This caught the police man’s attention. He sat up straighter. “Who is this girlfriend?”

“Her first name is Reece. I don’t know her last name.” I said slowly. He jotted something down on his notepad.

“And do you like this Reece? Have you felt any hostility towards her?” He asked, not looking up from his notepad.

I frowned. Hostility? Not really. Intense dislike, yes.  I shrugged. “I don’t really like her, but I don’t feel... hostile towards her.”

“Do the others feel this way?” He asked. “The rest of your group?”

I smiled. Group. “Yeah. Nobody else likes her either. We’re all nice to her for Liam’s sake, but there’s just something... fishy... about her.” 

He nodded. “Do you know where Reece was on the night of Mr. Payne’s disappearance?” 

I shook my head slowly. “No. I wasn’t there.”

He tapped his chin with his pen. “Right. Any other information you can tell me about Reece?”

I shook my head. “Sorry. I actually don’t know much about her. Just that she’s dating Liam... I think she works at a bar maybe... other than that, nothing.”

“Can you tell me what she looks like?”

I pursed my lips. “She’s quite tall, taller than me. She’s got blonde hair, it’s straight. Um... I think her eyes are brown. She’s very pretty.”

The police man wrote all this down then stood up very suddenly and flashed me a smile. “Thank you, Mrs. Styles. You may have just saved your friend.”

I shook his hand slowly and let him lead me out of the room and back to a seating area where Louis was waiting. 

I sat down next to Louis with a frown. What did he mean I may have saved Liam? What did Reece have to do with anything? Did they think she was involved with Liam going missing?

Louis was talking to me. “Jenna? Jenna. God. You have to stop zoning out like that.” Louis was scowling, shaking me gently. 

I blinked. “You should be used to it by now.”

He rolled his eyes. “I can’t tell if you’re unconscious or what.”

I made a face. “If I was unconscious I wouldn’t be sitting up.”

He made a face right back at me. “Smarty pants. Anyways, I was asking you about the interview thingy.”

“Questioning.” I corrected. “And it was actually really fast. Are Eleanor and Harry still in there?”