The Unknown

Part 6

It wasn't that far away from my imagination, the police station I mean. Men in uniforms wander here and there, some with files in their hands, and others holding junkies and rapists in handcuffs. I sat away from that scene, anyway. I was locked up in a room chained to a table. Who else would they suspect in this circumstance? No one is the answer. At this moment I regretted not making any acquaintances with someone related to the police, but regret didn't matter that much then.

"What are you doing in Macvils, Mr. Miller?" asked the officer who entered the room a few minutes ago.

It took me longer than enough to find a proper answer to that.

"I've had some doubts that my grandfather –Stephen Miller- who had been gone for a while might be here, in Macvils," I said

"According to your speech, you don't know much about the myth of Stephen Miller people trade every day," he said.

I threw a glance at the pile of paper in front of him on the table.

"What are these?" I asked pointing my head at the file.

"You are escaping the question, which isn't good, and also which means that you've heard of it all. Yes, these are plenty of things related to you and your old man, a copy of house 33 property contract, which says it belongs to him, along with other things" he stated.

"How did you get that so fast? I mean the immovable office is like thirty minutes from here." I wondered

"Macvils is a small town for the police to handle. We have a copy of everything, everywhere, don't worry about it," He smiled

"But this," he continued taking out a small piece of paper from his pocket.

"This isn't really legal yet. I thought you could take a look at it before I consider it an evidence" he handed it to me.

I gave a long look at the folded piece of paper, which was from its first sight, smeared with the receptionist's blood.

Picturing the dead man in my car came to my mind once I saw the red color, it made me queasy and about to see the digested form of my breakfast.

I took the piece of paper and unfolded it.

'I am sorry, sir. I didn't mean to be mean'

If I told the officer that this was my grandfather's motto in college, I don't know how many troubles I will be getting myself into. There was something creepier, anyway, did Stephen Miller killed a man and maimed his face because he refused to let me stay in the hotel? Because he was mean to me?

It was some kind of protection, I think, the most horrific one.

"There is more on the back," the officer said.

"I've told you how dangerous is house 33, and yet you stepped there by your will. You are going to pay for that"

"I never went to house 33" I threw the notepaper on the table.

"We didn't know who he meant by that, you or the dead man, but we know that Stephen Miller's fingerprints are on this notepaper, on the body, and everywhere inside your car. They are fresh." He replied.

My eyes watered accidentally, from how shocked I was, or how terrified I was. It was a nightmare that nobody could escape, ignoring what to fear and what to don't, not sure what to believe and what to don't. Never expected that the first corpse I ever get to see becomes of a man that's been murdered in my car.

"Am I charged with anything?" I asked in a weak tone.

"You are not. You are a Miller but not the one we are after. You were here just to know how serious the danger is. I will lead you outside" he said

I walked with the officer to the main door, where he offered me his number to be in touch if anything happened. I thanked him and took my way back to the car.

Although it smelt like rotten meat –which was there literally, anyway- it was my only ride, that's why I took it to the carwash.

I found no point in staying in this hateful city for one more second. After what I've seen there, I was more than ready to make Macvils only a memory to forget. I seated my belt to take the road back home.

No need to mention the parental investigation that lasted for hours about where, why, and when did I go.

I never exposed a word about what happened there, and I thought I would never do.

It was the most perfect timing to get a shower, the best shower I have ever taken. I believe I was recovered after I stepped out of the bathroom, brought back to where I belong, physically and mentally.

I rushed to my dirty clothes in the laundry to save everything in my pockets, because I remember I forgot a two thousand dollars check there once. I took out my wallet, my pack of cigarettes, and of course, the piece of paper that dyed my pocket in red, and which would take forever to take the stain out of my pants. I took my way back to the room when I heard my mother cheering and mumbling in improvisational words. We were expecting Emilie -my sister. She was coming back from a scholarship program in China. But her flight is meant to land five hours from now, it could not be her. I jogged my way to the front door to see my mother turned away from me to hug a person, whose face was looking at me in the eyes once I showed up.

"Hello, Cody" smiled Stephen Miller.