Shattered Inside (Yandere!Cheater x Reader)

LIII

"When did you last see Mrs. Arcanum, Mrs. Davis?"

The cold white walls of the interrogation room did nothing in calming you down, only further accelerating the dread and fear that dwelled in the depths of your stomach. No matter what you tried, your breathing remained uneven and ragged — despite wholeheartedly knowing that you played no role in Tiffany's murder whatsoever. If you were so sure of your innocence, then why was it that you still felt sick to the bone?

The detective who had knocked on your door this morning sat in the chair across from you, his face unreadable — as was his posture and aura. He endured the tense silence with professional patience, not saying a word as he continued to look at your expectantly.

You closed your eyes and took one deep breath in order to sort your thoughts and give him the answer he was looking for. "About two days ago," you replied shakily while nervously staring at the glass of water he had offered to you so kindly after your arrival at the police station. You did everything you could to avoid his analytical grey eyes, but in doing so, you only became more suspicious. "We met at Swanlake Park because she wanted to talk things out with me."

Detective Anderson hummed and jotted down your words. "What did you talk about if I may ask?"

You winced at the memory of what had happened that afternoon between the two of you — how you had been too proud and angry to forgive her. Gently wrapping your arms around yourself to shield your shivering limbs from the sterile and cold walls, you breathily explained, "Well, Tiffany and I used to not get along for decades." You paused, not sure how to go on with how difficult your history was. You would surely be stuck here all day if you had to talk about everything that had gone down between Tiffany and you, anyway. Finally, with courage that came out of nowhere, you raised your gaze and looked the detective dead in the eyes. "But actually, I think we were close to... getting along with one another when we met up two days ago."

He did best in not letting his surprise at your sudden change in demeanour show too much. At least you seemed to have loosened up a little bit, your nervous gaze now having shifted into a melancholic smile aimed at the wall behind him.

The detective quickly recovered from being caught off-guard and easily continued, "Do you think anyone could have had reasons to kill Mrs. Arcanum?"

Although you froze in surprise at his forwardness, your smile only wavered a little bit before it adopted a bitter twinge to it. "Yes. As a matter of fact, I do." A sigh escaped your lips while your exhausted face twisted into a genuinely pitying frown. "I know that her marriage with her husband was a broken one, and that she didn't get along with her daughter well, either."

The detective didn't seem surprised by your revelation, or if he was, he at least did well in hiding his reaction. "Interesting. That would match up with some of the evidence we've found. But some things still don't necessarily make sense," he whispered to himself, very much surprising you with how open he was with the case that usually ought to remain confidential. There was not a lot of time for you to further dwell on this strange detective when he turned his attention to you again, his eyes polite yet cold. "Is there anyone outside her household that could have had any motive for her demise?"

You shook your head, generally clueless. "Not... Not that I could think of."

"Then that's it, Mrs. Davis." The detective briskly rose from his chair and shot you a simple smile that warmed up the cold mood of the room a tad bit. He turned his attention away from you and instead to the notes and files he had sprawled out on the desk in front of him. "Thank you for being cooperative—"

"Detective, can I see the crime scene? I... I need to find out who killed her— I owe her that much." Your eyes grew in size at the words you had just blurted out without realising. The detective froze in his movement and returned his whole attention to you, wholeheartedly surprised at your request. Not fidgeting under his intense look, you sighed and explained, "She made allusions to leaving soon, but I didn't think it would be by death."