The Prisoner Project

FIFTEEN

I didn't reply. It seemed rhetorical.

Standing up and walking round to my computer, she tapped a button and it came on. "What did you want to tell me?"

All of a sudden, I didn't want to tell her everything. Perhaps it was the way she had looked at me, or a tone in her voice, or simply the fact that I was wary of everyone. But something told me to hold a little bit back.

  "Listen to this." I started.

And I told Mirabel everything that Banshee had told me about his childhood. Hidden in my tone was a hint of pride that I had managed to get as much out of him. Perhaps Mirabel would understand that his childhood contributed to what made him what he was. I told her everything.

Everything but the letters. Everything but his promise to tell me what he thought was going on. Everything but my promise to him.

And when I had finished, Mirabel, unlike what I had expected, remained impassive.

After a moment of silence, she sighed. "Victimisation."

I spun around to face her. "What?"

She frowned at my reaction. "Perhaps you think we're stupid, and that's your personal judgement, but I'm not stupid enough to not know everything you told me is bullshit."

"You don't believe me?"

"I do. I know he said that to you, Aria, but-" She paused, a brow shooting up. "Do you believe him? Trust his words?"

I looked away. "I...I don't know."

She folded her bony arms across her chest and scowled. "Aria. The man is singing like a proverbial canary. He's spilling his spineless guts and it's been eight days out of fourteen. Yet, you think you've had him all figured out."

That's not what I thought. If only she knew how confused I was. How much I felt like I had the weight of a dead body on my shoulders.

"Do you think a man like Banshee started killing because his mother pushed him around now and then?" She queried, eyes narrowed.

"It was physical and mental abuse."

"So he killed her, and he started killing because of that? That's ridiculous. He didn't kill people that looked like her, no. Nicholas killed everything and spent hours crying over their mangled corpses before running away. How do you even believe anything but the fact that he's a mad man with no justification?"

  "He-"

"I'm not the person analysing your interview but I can already sense your  naivety, Aria."

I shook my head. "But I saw the scars. He doesn't even know I'm telling you this so why would he lie?"

Her eyes rolled in disbelief. As though she couldn't believe I could be so naive. "Anyone can self harm. It's a useful prop." She watched me wince and scoffed. "The fact that you think he doesn't know you're telling me shows how much you trust his words."

"I don't trust him!" I protested.

"Then why tell me all this bullshit like I'm going to want to understand him or help his case?" She muttered. "Why tell me anything at all? You're supposed to be speaking to a recorder, not me."