Broken Marilyns

THE HARROWING TREE

THE HARROWING TREE

A long couple of days had passed since my meeting with Sergeant Ritter and this morning I finally got the call - Bradley was being taken in for questioning. My stomach dropped as a whirlwind of "what-if's" swallowed me whole.

My legs began to quiver the moment I walked through the tinted glass doors of the Police Department. This all started because I needed a big story, but I'd unearthed something bigger than I could have ever fathomed. This evil was spiraling out of control to the point where I wasn't sure I could stay in Aldbrook to deal with the aftermath.

Turning to go down the hall to the interrogation room, I almost crashed into Jack. Rolling his eyes at me, the two officers Jack was talking to looked at me with contempt. "Excuse me," I said numbly and walked through the stone-faced men.

"What are you doing, Jenna?" Jack hollered behind me. My heart leapt up into my throat. "You attacked my wife, you're trying to get Bradley pinned as a killer - what's wrong with you?" I withered as he slashed his words into me. Turning around, I saw a once expectant smile taken over by a slanted expression his eyes defined as disgust. Brutal disgust. I regretted everything I'd ever told Jack, I wanted to take him out of my flesh. The things we did curdled in my memory.

"I'm not the asshole who cheated on his wife. Fuck off," I walked away from Jack for good.

Sergeant Ritter greeted me at the end of the hallway with a sad smile. This was undoubtedly a nightmare for any sergeant - learning that one of your boys could be dirty. "They're still questioning him," Ritter crossed his arms. He looked terrible.

"Is he saying anything?" I asked anxiously. I wanted this over with. I think everyone did.

"He's talking but they haven't told me anything yet. It's gonna take a while - you might as well take a seat and get cozy. You want a coffee?" I shook my head and sat down. I was too nervous to hold anything down. After an eternity, the investigator came out of the room shaking his head and pulled Ritter aside.

"Jenna," Ritter came over to me after the investigator left to explain what happened but Bradley walked out of the interrogation room and interrupted him.

"Remember when I told you not everyone wants to be found? The pictures you found in my basement were girls I went looking for and found. They didn't want to come home, Jenna. It happens. I have written statements from all of them." Why didn't you tell me? I wanted to ask, but then I realized I never gave him the chance. I only dug until I saw what I wanted to and then I crucified Bradley.

"I'm sorry, Bradley I -," I had no words.

"I just don't get it. I gave you everything. Did you even look up those girls? All except Julia are alive because of me. I helped them get off the streets, off drugs. That's why I have pictures."

"What about this picture?" I pulled out the color photo of Aubrey I'd found behind the black and white copy. Bradley looked at me in disgust.

"Aubrey gave me that picture of her for our anniversary - a week before she ran out on me. She said it was from a camping trip she took with her mom the weekend before. Check my schedule - I was working that whole weekend."

"How do we know the pictures are from that weekend?" I pressed on.

"There's a time stamp on the bottom. You can check the drug store where she got them developed, talk to her mom, I don't know. What I do know is you can't prove I was there because I wasn't. I didn't kill Julia or Kelly," or Kelly?

"Kelly still hasn't been found." Bradley huffed and gave a rattled grin.

"I know you need a good story, but this is my life and I don't want you in it anymore," Bradley fumed, turning to Ritter to continue his verbal rampage, "and ya know...I can't believe you'd think me capable of something like this, Serg." Turning away from us, Bradley walked off.