SO COLD (18+) currently editing

Chapter 25

***

Someone had knocked over a photo frame and no one was owning up to it. I didn't care but I made a fuss about it until Chief Michaels slapped his thigh in irritation, saying sharply. "If you don't speak, the pair of you are going to spend the night in jail. Shay?"

"Should I send the bill to the police department? My late grandmother brought this photo frame from Taiwan, it was the last item she gave to me, now I have nothing to remember her by." I sniffled for dramatic effect.

"You better hope my men don't find anything."

"Well, I'm sure they will be finding something," Irvin said as if it was obvious, pausing purposely, waiting for the attention of the officers. "There'll be worms and shit."

"Imagine if they find a centipede." I awed.

"Imagine that!" Irvin agreed, nodding enthusiastically.

Stoned faces met our eagerness.

A blonde man with intense blue eyes spoke. "Maybe they could do with two nights. What do you say, Chief?"

Michaels made a noise of agreement, "Sounds good, Alex. And correct me if I'm wrong but did anyone else smell alcohol on their breath?"

Simmons, a mousey brown haired, hairy upper lip lady said. "Driving under the influence," she grimaced, "yikes. That's going to look bad."

"I've got a brilliant lawyer," Irvin smiled mischievously, "haven't I, Chief?"

An officer came in from the garden, sopping wet, and troubled. "Chief?" he called and they murmured in low voices. Chief Michaels straightened up, a grave expression plastered on his face, and after the longest moment of unnerving silence, gestured for Simmons and Alex. "Take them down to the station."

"What happened?" I yelled as I was manhandled out of the door.

He ignored me but I caught on to the end of their conversation: "... found three bodies, still digging..."

***

I had been elbowed into a room by a tired officer. "Sit. Someone will be with you soon." The room was a little bit bigger than a closet, white walls, table, chairs, and camera blinking at me, perched on the wall. I took a seat and crossed my legs. Waiting. I didn't know what to expect. I tried planning what I was going to say but everything sounded dumb. I've been having flashbacks about my childhood that I suppressed about a woman getting murdered so Irvin and I decided to see if there was any truth to it by digging up my back garden like grave robbers. It was ridiculous. Stupid.

I wanted information, I was agitated, fingers twitching, standing up, sitting down, head going round like a horse on a carousel, bright light blurring, dots in my vision, seeing Dad. In the end, I switched off and head on the table, I closed my eyes.

Blank.

***

"Ms. Canon," a woman in a suit walked in, closely followed by a man, she had a tired face, too many lines, creased and blotchy, short black hair, glistening white dentures. Her partner was handsome, combed back hair, welcoming smile, father-like, the sort you'd see in the park playing football with his kids, and flirting with the cashier but always going back to his wife at night. I didn't like him. Too perfect. "I'm detective Ruth Walker, this is my partner Adrian Burnham. I take it you know why you're here?"

"Good cop. Bad cop." I pointed at Walker, then Burnham. "But for the sake of this meeting, you're switching roles. Am I wrong?"

"This isn't a game, Ms. Canon, I–"