From Hell

Chapter 1: Interview Room 3

"Interview commenced at 12:09 am, Monday, seventh of August 2023, first interviewing officer present is DCI Thomas Becket, and interviewee...."

Lina stared at the suspect on the other side of the interview table. One cigarette after another lit while awaiting their arrival, the ashtray positively overflowing; he refused to look Lina in the eye as he gave his name.

"Benji Haines." Sharp and clipped rolled off his tongue with a plume of smoke, and he sat back from the table when DCI Becket leaned on Lina's shoulder.

"Second officer present, DI Lina Haines." Stating her name and rank for the recording, Lina pressed back in the chair, arms crossed and waiting for Thomas to begin the interview.

Due to their marital status, Lina should not have been permitted to sit in on the interview. Still, as one of the arresting officers – and a promise to the superintendent that she would not speak – Lina found herself in interview room 3, with a front-row seat to her husband's interview.

Driving to a residential street in Whitechapel, shortly before 11 pm, after a concerned resident called about a pair of women's legs poking out an alley, they arrived thinking they would find a woman severely intoxicated or high on meth.

Not after turning on their flashlights, a woman stabbed multiple times, or that a man would be crouched beside her, a hoody bundled up and pressed over the countless wounds.

A man Lina instantly recognised to be her husband, Benji.

"...So, can you explain what happened?" Thomas started, opening the thin file on the table. Beyond the preliminary insight of the coroner and what they deduced themselves, they held little in the way of information on the victim, "How you came to be in the alley?" Thomas spread out the four pages they could scrape together, waiting.

Dressed in the standard-issued grey tracksuit – Benji's clothes collected for evidence – there were specks of dried blood on his hands, under his fingernails, and some on his cheek. He fidgeted, making the chair creak; he kept his eyes on the table.

"I was coming back from my brothers, it was his wife's birthday, when I saw her lying half out the alley." Benji paused to inhale sharply on the cigarette, tongue flicking over his bottom lip, "I checked to see if she was alright...and, well..." he waved a hand as if telling Thomas he knew the rest.

Thomas made a note on the edge of a page, sliding it across for Lina to read. A simple question, asking if the sister-in-law's birthday was an accurate account. Florence's birthday was today, but Lina knew a dinner was arranged for Sunday due to her husband's inability to get her actual birthday off.

Not allowed to speak, to be heard on the record talking, Lina was reduced to a nod. Thomas ticked the question, "What time did you leave?"

Benji was rubbing under his lip with a thumb. Something he often did when nervous or anxious. "Ten, half ten, maybe?" He was unsure and left his lip alone to light another smoke, the cold, astute focus of his blue-green eyes narrowing, "Look, I had nothing to do with her being stabbed. I only tried to help," Finally, Benji looked across the table at Lina, almost imploring her to believe him.

Since coming onto the scene, Lina remained indifferent, detached from the damning evidence before her. Benji could be an arsehole, but he wasn't violent. Lina did believe Benji when he said he was only trying to help, but a court would consider Lina, a biased witness, and honestly speaking, there was little in the way of help she could offer. Her hands were firmly tied.

This was why Lina shaking her head back at Benji, wounded her when he sat a little straighter, dismayed by her lack of assistance. His mouth slightly agape in disbelief, it soon became a sharp scoff, and he threw himself back in the chair, gnawing at his lip in agitation.