ℂ𝕃𝕆𝕊𝔼ℝ 𝕋ℍ𝔸ℕ 𝕐𝕆𝕌 𝕋ℍ𝕀ℕ𝕂

║THIRTEEN║

     DRAGGING THE WINDOW blinds open, Neil squinted because of the bright rays of light piercing through the window glass into the interrogation room. He walked back to his seat and sat behind the small desk in front of him, he looked at Nicole who was seated in front of their suspect- Timothy O'Brien, going through the missing person case file of Janice.
Nicole smiled at him and he nodded his head, smiling back and then turned his attention to Timothy O'Brien who was seated, timid as a mouse.
"Timothy O'Brien right?" Nicole said, flipping through pages of the missing persons case file.
"Yes, I am." Timothy's lips quivered as he spoke.
"Good. According to what you told Detective Darwin, you said, the relationship you had with Janice is platonic and that you've only seen her in church and nowhere else, isn't it?" Nicole stated looking at Timothy.
"Yes."
"Are you saying the truth?" Nicole arched an eyebrow at him, a sign that she didn't believe what he was saying.
Timothy kept quiet looking at his worn out shoes and his hand clasped together in between his thigh.
"You are not talking? Silence means consent Timothy. That means your relationship with Janice wasn't platonic, you've dated her. You dated her for six months. We saw the last text message you sent to her, you wrote 'I am sorry for what happened in church, I promise, it won't happen again. When next will you be coming to Charlie's dinner. I miss seeing your beautiful face and touching your lovely red hair.'" Nicole read out from the file. "Aren't you Tim church boy? That's the name Janice saved your number with."
"Yes," Timothy replied inaudibly.
"And did Janice reply your message?"
"No."
"Why?"
"We had a misunderstanding."
"What was it about?"
"She saw me talking to another girl in church, the girl and I were close to each other, so she got mad at me. The girl was only asking why I didn't come to work on the previous day ."
"Where do you work?"
"A restaurant, Charlie's dinner."
"After that day, did you and Janice see each other again?"
"No. Did you hear about her missing?"
"Yes, I did."
"And you didn't bother asking about her?"
"I...I don't have her parents number."
"At least you would have asked from friends in church."
Timothy raked his hand through his hair and let out a long sigh.
"Timothy, you didn't ask because you knew where the kidnapper kept her."
"No..."
"You knew because you were the one who kidnapped her, you and Jasper... the two of you molested her, you ill-treated Janice." Nicole told him plainly without micing words. "You wanted to teach her a lesson, you didn't want her to quit the relationship, so you took laws into your own hands, Timothy. Am I right?"
Timothy didn't reply and that made Nicole agitated.
"Am I right?!" Nicole said sternly.
"Mmm... Yes." he finally confessed after much pestering from Nicole.
"Why did you do it, Timothy?"
"I didn't want to, I really liked Janice...I like her...." he cried. "It was Roy, who insinuated the idea. I only complained to him about the misunderstanding between Janice and I, so we conspired to rape her. I regret ever doing that to Janice." he blubbered.
"Who is Roy?"
"Jasper."
"Jasper is Roy? Roy what, what's his surname?"
"Roy Donnelly."
"Roy Donnelly." Nicole said the name and looked at Neil who smiled wryly.
"Why are you confessing now, Timothy?"
"I can't bear the burden anymore. I wanted to own up before now but, I was too scared to do so."
"Do you know where, Roy lives?"
"Yes, he lives in the outskirt of town."
"Timothy, if you cooperate with us, you'll leave the cell. Okay?" Nicole pretended to be his ally.
"Okay." Timothy told Nicole the location where Janice was kept during the time she was kidnapped.
"Thanks for the info." Nicole said after she had finished interrogating Timothy. The police officer took Timothy back to his cell while Neil and Nicole discussed further on the case.
"He knew his name all this while." Neil shook his head in disbelief.
"Of course he did."
"I love the smart method you used on him."
"Let's try and locate where Roy stays." Nicole said as she stood up, carrying the file in her hand and left the interrogation room.

☬ ☬ ☬

The front door to Roy's house opened after the incessant knocking of Neil and Nicole.
"Good afternoon, how may I help you?" A black young English lady with black permed hair having a tint of pink who opened the door said.
"We are Detective's from London police department." Nicole said showing her her warrant card.
"Oh! I am sorry please come in." the lady said, ushering them into her house.
"We don't have much time to waste here. We just want to know if Roy Donnelly lives here." Nicole said after she and Neil sat down in the comfortable small well furnished sitting room in the lady's house.
"Yeah, Roy is my younger brother. He stays here with me but presently he is in Oklahoma City, USA. That's where he goes to school."
Neil and Nicole glanced at each other in shock.
"You are sure he schools there?" Neil asked.
"Yes, is it not Roy Donnelly you are talking about. Is everything alright?"
"Yes. Miss, I am sorry for the inconvenience. We just want to speak with Roy."
"It's no problem but, Roy is out of state now, he will be in London next week."
"Okay. Thanks for your time, Miss?" Neil said.
"Delia... Delia Donnelly." The lady said and smiled.
"Nice speaking with you." Nicole said.
"Same here." Neil and Nicole shook hands with her before leaving her house.
"Miss Delia Donnelly said Roy is a student in Oklahoma, how is that possible when he committed a crime here in London five months ago?" Nicole asked Neil as Neil drove back to the police department.
"I am confused too. The truth is yet to be reavealed."