TMI (2014 Collector's Dream Winner)

TMI - Chapter 41

Meg only stared at her with wide dark eyes. The woman slid the laptop around so Meg could see the screen. “Do you recognize this?”

Meg wiped the tears from her eyes to clear her vision and peered at the machine. “It’s my wall.”

“Your Facebook page, correct?”

Meg nodded.

The woman leaned over and scrolled down. “I want you to look at something.”

Meg bit her lip. Like she had any choice?

The woman clicked a link to a video someone posted. As soon as it played, Meg’s stomach pitched and she clapped a hand to her mouth.

Bailey’s voice, thin and shrill, filled the room. “Tell him!”

“Oh, God!” Meg clutched her ears and shut her eyes.

“Open your eyes. Watch,” the woman commanded.

Meg didn’t need to watch. She’d been there. She remembered every gut-wrenching minute, right up until the end. “I’ll kill Chase, too.” Her voice sounded raspy, even desperate. Her eyes looked tortured. Chase kept tugging on her arm, but she wouldn’t go with him.

“Is this you? Did you say “’I killed my dad and I’ll kill Chase, too?’”

Meg shook her head. “I— I didn’t— ”

“No? No, that’s not you or no, you didn’t threaten to kill Chase Gallagher?”

Her heart skidded to a stop and she stared at the detective. “I didn’t threaten him.”

“Miss Farrell, I’ll ask again. Is that you on that video stating, ‘I’ll kill Chase, too’?”

“Yes, but—”

“Where is Chase Gallagher? When did you see him last?”

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know where he is or you don’t know when you saw him?”

“I don’t know where he is. I saw him yesterday.”

“Yesterday when?”

“After school. He was angry.”

“Did you argue? Did you threaten him again?”

Meg shook her head frantically. “No! It wasn’t like that. He was mad at his parents, not me.”

A sharp knock on the door sounded. Meg snapped her head around. One of the secretaries came in, spoke to Mr. Poynter too quietly for her to overhear. Meg’s lip trembled and her stomach rolled. “Please tell me what happened. Why are you asking me these questions?”

Detective Barilla looked at her sideways and a moment later, nodded. “Your classmates seem to think you’re a danger to them. A time-bomb about to go off.” Barilla scrolled to another comment. 

Meg looked ready to strafe!

Wouldn’t surprise me LOL

She’s a bad ass; she’d totally shoot.

She paints death all the time ;)

“Word spreads, Miss Farrell. Fast and far. Classmates talk to other classmates, a parent over-hears and calls a few more parents. Someone calls the school. Your principal was concerned about this video, and later — the ‘strafe’ term so he called us. Who were you going to ‘strafe’?”

Oh, God! Meg rocked on the hard chair, shaking her head.

“Do you have a gun, Megan? Are there weapons in your house?”

There was a gun once. Suddenly, Meg was six years old again, gripping her ears and staring at her father’s body, blood pooling on the tile, chunks of — of stuff — clinging to the walls of the master bathroom. I never wanted kids! Swear to God. Swear to God.

“We tried to talk to Bailey Grant and Chase Gallagher. Only Chase is gone… nobody’s seen or heard from him since yesterday. And Bailey seems to think you’re the reason why.” Detective Barilla leaned in. “Did you hurt Chase Gallagher, Megan? Did you kill him?”

Oh, God, Bailey. Oh, God, oh, God. “No!” She shook her head vehemently. “No, I swear.”

“You swear. Megan, the video shows you clearly saying ‘I’ll kill Chase, too.’ Who else did you kill?”

“Please.” She begged. “Please let me go home.”

I never wanted kids!

“Who did you kill, Megan?”

I never wanted kids! “Shut up!” She screamed. “Shut up, shut up! I killed my father! Is that what you want to hear?” 

Swear to God.