Crime (h.s. au)

Chapter Twenty Five

Ava

I make my way up to the home of Katrina Meyers, Officer Oliver by my side. I knock on the door and Katrina's mother answers shortly, welcoming us in.

"Thank you for coming here," she tells us, shaking our hands.

"Thank you, Jane," Jessi tells her, leading us into the living room. I take in the surroundings and it seems like a normal middle-class home. Not too extravagant but perfect for a family.

I see Katrina sitting on the edge of the couch, and she looks up at me. The scratches on her face are barely visible, and her lip seems to have healed nicely.

"Hi, Katrina," I say to her, taking a seat at the chair closest to her. She sends me a smile and sits up, Jessi and Jane joining us shortly.

"Mom, can you give us space?" Katrina asks, and her mother allows it.

"I'll be upstairs. Please take it easy," she says to her daughter, kissing the top of her head. She leaves and Jessi sits on the chair beside me.

"How are you feeling?" Jessi asks and Katrina nods. It's a loaded question to ask someone in her position, but getting just a simple gesture is enough.

"I'm feeling a little better; better frame of mind now that I've rested," she tells us, and I give her a small smile.

"Is it alright if we ask you a few questions?" I ask, and she nods. "Do you mind if I write or would you like me to record?" I wonder, her blue eyes meeting mine.

"Can you just record?" she asks quietly, and I agree with her. I pull out the recorder and set it on the table, hitting the button to start it.

Katrina takes a moment to get comfortable, and I watch her closely.

"Today might be hard to talk. It's going to be a little more...invasive, but we won't ask you anything about the night," Jessi says, and I fold my hands on my lap.

"Okay, I just might need to stop sometimes," Katrina sighs, and I reach over.

"If you need to hold my hand, you can. I know it's hard," I understand, and her head nods. I give her hand a squeeze and retract back to my seat.

"Can you tell us about the date you were on?" Jessi starts, and I press my lips together.

"His name is Jonah Leonard and he's a senior at NYU, where I go. I matched with him on Tinder two weeks ago. We had talked a lot before meeting up and I suggested going to dinner in a public place. He was all for it, so we met up," she starts, and I take note to how she seems fine discussing this boy. She doesn't seem tense or upset, leading me to believe the date was fine.

"He was respectful, didn't want anything more?" I ask, and she looks over to me.

"Jonah didn't seem like he wanted to hook-up. It didn't feel like he wanted to, and even in prior conversations, he didn't seem like some of the other guys I matched with," she explains, and I turn my attention to Jessi.

"Have you been in relationships prior?" she asks Katrina, and Katrina nods.

"I was in a two year relationship with a boy I met at NYU. His name is Mason Burns. I, um, broke up with him a few months ago because it just wasn't working out. He didn't take it well, but I haven't seen him much since the break-up," she explains, and I clench my jaw. Men who usually are broken up with usually take it bad, and can sometimes lash out. I hope that wasn't the case.

"Is he still at NYU?" I inquire, and she nods.

"I'm not sure if he's still here or he went back home. We finished exams last week, so he could have went back to Minnesota, where he's from," she elaborates, and I nod. I'm itching to take notes, but I have to settle to listen to this interview over again to do so.