Perfection (Red Wrists 1 REWRITTEN EDITION)

Part Twenty

Detective Xavier was eager enough about new information to come pick me up at the school.

The students around had gone inside already, as school was starting for the day. Tim, Pax, and Harper stayed back to see me off, but as the sleek black car of the Detective pulled up, a pang of fear spiked in my chest. I looked back at the trio of boys and went. You think you three would be okay with coming with? Don't call me a chicken shit but I don't feel safe alone with a stranger right now."

Pax was the first to reply, a smile beaming across his face before going, "First of all, I'm glad you consider us more than strangers. Second, I'd take any chance I can get to ditch school for the day."

The driver window rolled down, and I saw the old familiar face of Detective Xavier. He had gotten older since I saw him last, but the case had gone cold 10 years ago. There was no reason for him to visit still since then. "You've grown," he stated, giving me a once-over. I nodded in agreement, and he pointed to the back seat. "Hop in, kid."

"Actually," i mumbled, "if my friends could come with, I'd feel a lot more comfortable. A lot has been going on lately."

Detective Xavier nodded for Pax and Harper to enter, but gave Tim a death glare. "Are you sure this bastard's your friend?" he asked, keeping his eyes locked on Tim.

I nodded again, heading over to sit in the passenger seat before Xavier snapped, "No. You." He pointed at Tim. "You're getting shotgun, pal." Tim shrugged, looking uncomfortable about the situation as he rounded the car and got into the passenger seat.

After we all entered and buckled in, Pax plopped between Harper and I in the back, Xavier started the car and drove away. "I already called your school and told them I'd be taking you for the day. There shouldn't be any problems there. You know as well as I Emma that this meeting us pure business, so lay it on me. What new evidence do you have?"

"My house had security cameras," I replied, smiling up at him. "If we accessed the footage storage system, we-"

"Kid, the cops already took all the camera footage. The files for that night had been destroyed."

I shook my head, continuing, "Did they take the backup storage too?"

Detective Xavier's eyes widened, stopping the car and turning back to me. "Backup storage?"

"There's a separate storage system in my parents' room. Behind a fake wall in the closet. I'm guessing no?"

A shine came to Detective Xavier's eyes as he replied, "Kid, damn your memory issues, but you could have just solved the case. If we get ahold of those files we can finally find out who really killed your parents. We can prove who the guilty party is." Glancing over at Tim, he added, "And prove the wrongfully convicted as innocent, hopefully."

Pax let out a nervous laugh as Xavier started the car again, driving towards my old home. The one I lived at when my parents were still alive. "It's gonna take a couple hours, kids. Feel free to take a nap in the time being." Pax let out a sigh of relief, flopping over to lay on Harper as he sifted to get comfortable.

Harper let out an amused laugh, draping his arm over Pax's shoulders as Pax quickly drifted off to sleep. He pulled his phone out and shuffled through a few music tracks before putting ear buds in. Pax, though mostly asleep, stole one of Harper's ear buds and put it in his own ear. The two of them were so close, it almost made me jealous. I sighed, leaning against the window and getting some much-needed sleep. The nightmares these past few nights made it nearly impossible to get decent rest.

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"I could take you to the police right now, you know." I peeked my eyes open, seeing that we were in fact parked outside of a police station. I was in the car still, but everything looked and sounded blurry. I pretended like I was sleeping still, looking up into the passenger seat to see Tim with him arm on the window sill, his face half-buried in his arm as he stared at the police station. There was a hint of fear in his eyes. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't go in there and turn you in?" Xavier demanded.

"The tapes," Tim replied. "If the camera footage doesn't prove me innocent, I promise you, I won't give you any problems."

"Emma doesn't even know does she?"

Tim stayed quiet, sitting up and leaning forward. He rested his elbows on his knees, his head in his hands as he said, "I thought she'd know. I told her, man. I straight up told her who I was, but I don't think she really understood what I meant." 

In a flash, we were in my old house again. Tim and Xavier were standing over my parent's bodies, the child cowering in the corner.  I stood up as well, confused and concerned. The child was shaking so badly. He looked right at me, sobbing loudly, "Emma, it wasn't me."

Tim sighed, running a hand through his hair as he looked at Xavier and said, "I'll tell her everything. I just want her to see those tapes first."

"And if they don't prove your innocence?" Xavier asked Tim.

"I don't know," Tim muttered, hugging himself. "This has been bothering me for years, you know it has." He walked over to where the child stood, still hugging himself. He seemed to be looking down at the child. I couldn't tell what he was feeling, his back still turned to me.

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I opened my eyes again, being shaken awake by a half-asleep Pax. According to the clock, a couple hours had passed. I glanced out the window, seeing my old house outside. My parents' house. "We're here," Pax mumbled.