Shattered Relations | Aru Shah AU |

III

ARU
The blanket felt warm and heavy on her shoulders. Very much like straitjacket.

Her friends didn't look any better. The police officers had carried off the body, and none of them had spoken a single word.

"That was Professor Shakhuni." Mini said, finally, in a small voice.
All of them turned toward her, and she sniffled.

"He--he was going to teach us biochemistry." She looked like she was trying hard not to cry.

"Have any of you been allowed to call your parents?" Aiden asked in a low voice.

They were sitting in the biochemistry lab, and Aiden was staring at the pool of blood on the ground.

They shook their heads, when an officer came towards them, her face a mask of sympathy.

"Alright, kids," she said, slowly. "I'm Officer Opal. Could you please explain your connection to the deceased?"

Mini's fingers curled in on themselves, and she said, slowly, "Only I knew him, I think. He was supposed to teach us biochemistry."

"And what were you all doing in the college at ten at night?" She asked, suspicion entering her voice.

"We're students here." Brynne said dully.

"The college shuts at eight." Opal shot back.

They all exchanged uneasy looks, and Aiden began.

"The girls' apartment building is opposite the main campus building. We were all meeting them there, when I saw a bloodstain on that window." Aiden pointed to the window near where they had found Professor Shakhuni.

Opal scribbled all this down, and said, "So, you rushed over here, worried that the deceased−"

At this, Mini shot up, her face bloodless in anger.

"He had a name. Show some respect to the dead." She growled, her fists clenched.

Opal regarded her coolly, and said, "Most murderers show extreme emotions at the reference of their victim. You aren't helping your case, my dear."

Mini sat down, her jaw clenched. Aru's temper flared too. She opened her mouth, but Rudy beat her to it.

"You can't possibly think Mini killed him? She was with us the entire time!"

Opal's gaze hardened, as she glared at Rudy. They all glared back.

"The word of children won't convince--"

"You can't arrest anyone either. You need proof. Evidence."

"Somebody was threatening the professor. Do you know anything about that?"

Silence settled in the group, like a thick, uncomfortable, blanket. "We just found Professor Shakhuni. We don't know anything about this..." Aru said faintly.

"We deserve a phone call." Aiden added. "Will we need a lawyer?"

Opal cast a beady look in their direction, and said, slowly, "Fine. And no, you won't need a lawyer. You're free to go."

They all pulled out their phones, and Aru's finger hovered above her dad's contact.

How would she phrase this? She couldn't say, "Hey, dad, did you know that somebody killed a professor and we found his body?"

She pressed "Call" anyway, and after three rings, he picked up, his voice harrowed.

"Aru? It's eleven at night, why are you calling? Are you okay?"