Harry
"Can you walk us through the night you went on a date with Katrina Meyers?" I ask Jonah Leonard, his body sitting across from me in the questioning room.
"Yeah. So I met up with her at Jameson's. Around seven, I believe," he starts, calm and composed as he speaks. "We had a good time and we genuinely hit it off. I met her on Tinder, of all places. I downloaded it on a chance I'd find a relationship and when Katrina and I were talking, it was actually so nice to have a decent conversation."
I nod, taking note. Ava decided to allow me to conduct the interview with the Tinder date, but she made it clear she wants to question the step-brother. She has a knack for getting information out of people in an effective way, and with how that man was acting the other day, there's a very good chance he'll crack under pressure.
"It was good talk and never really any awkward silences. It was nice; a breath of fresh air. The date ended around ten, I want to say, and I offered her a ride home but she wanted to Uber. I totally understood, especially from her standpoint. Men have a bad rep and so I called her an Uber. Hugged her goodbye and went back to my place after," Jonah tells me, and I press my lips together.
He sounds like he's a good enough guy, but there is no way of telling anymore. The good guys can turn out to be the bad ones just as easily.
"Where do you live?" I ask, and he gives me his address.
"Do you live with anyone?" I follow up, and he nods. He gives me the names of his roommates and I write them down.
"What did you do when you got home?" I ask, and he takes a sip of the water I have laid out.
It was set there to hopefully have him drink to get his DNA to match with that collected from the rape kit performed on Katrina.
"I was playing video games with them. We live streamed that night; something my friend's been doing. We don't get a lot of views," he laughs, and I give him a small smile.
"What kind of games?" I ask, and he explains. I'm not all up to date with the video games kids are playing. My father never let me play any; I was put into fight classes and trained to work for him.
"What's the name the live is under?" I ask, and he gives me the handle.
"I'm just curious, but can I ask why I'm here?" he asks, and I click my pen.
"An incident occurred shortly after your date with Katrina. She was raped in Landon Park," I say, and his face falls.
"What?" he asks, disbelief in his eyes.
"She was taken on the street by her apartment. Then taken to the park and raped. She gave us your name, simply because you were the last person she was with. Then a few others of men she knows. We're just speaking with you to understand where you were that night," I elaborate, and he runs his hand through his hair.
"Holy crap," he breathes out, "I would never. Honestly, Katrina is like, the first girl I've talked to in the longest time. I respect her a lot, sir, and please, if there's anything I can do to help."
I hold my hand up. "Jonah, please. I understand. It's tough news to take in, but I appreciate your time. I'll be in contact with you, but I ask you not to contact her for a while. She's not in a good state, emotionally, and she's quite traumatized."
He nods his head. "God, I feel awful I can't do anything to help," he says, and I purse my lips. If this is a show, it's a phenomenal one. However, I don't think that's the case.
"It'll be alright. I appreciate your offer, but I think the information you've given me right now is all I need," I say, and he nods.
I escort him out and walk into the station, going back into the questioning room after I grab a pair of gloves and an evidence bag. The cup is placed in the bag and I take it to my office, dropping off my notes.
After I drop the bag off to the lab, I go to Ava's office and take a seat.
"Got his DNA and the boy feels like shit he can't help us," I say to her, her eyes glancing over to me.
"What do you mean?" she asks, and I sit straighter.
"I gave him a brief overview and he seems like he wishes he could have helped her. He seemed like he felt bad and felt sorry. To be honest, the kid doesn't seem like he could have done anything, but I have to check up on a live stream to confirm his alibi," I explain, and she nods.
"Sounds like a plan to me. Katrina called me this morning and I talked with her for a while. I think she just needed reassurance," she explains, and I bite my lower lip.
"When is the step-brother coming in?" I ask, and she looks at the time.
"Twenty minutes. You want to watch?" she grins, and I nod. It probably seemed way to enthusiastic based on the laugh she gives me.
"Good. This man pisses me off and I've never even met him," she tells me, and I scratch my jaw.
"He's a creep. Met him when I went over there; he was nervous around me but he has quite an attitude," I tell her, and she gives me a slight nod.
"Sounds good; I'll keep that in mind," she says, and I leave the office shortly after to let her prepare.
When the time comes, I walk to the room behind the questioning room and wait. I grab my notebook and watch the step-brother walk in with the Chief.
"Can I get you something to drink? Water?" he asks the man, and the step-brother nods.
My lips smirk and I really hope he actually drinks from it. It will give us DNA we need if he does.
Ava enters shortly after and I watch the man's eyes widen, the Chief joining me shortly.
"This should be fun," he tells me, taking a seat beside me.
"Marcus Olsen, my name is Lieutenant Nicks," she says, taking a seat after setting a glass of water on the table.
"Nice to meet you, ma'am," he smiles, and I frown. I bite my lip to keep myself from acting on his shameless looks towards her.
"I have a few questions to ask you about your whereabouts from about two weeks ago," Ava starts.
"Go for it," he grins, and I take a deep breath.
"Could you tell me what you were doing the night of the eighth?" she begins, and he sits up.
"I go out on Fridays with my friends," he tells her, my hand clicking the pen.
"Where did you go?" she continues.
"We went to Lockhart's," he explains, and I cock an eyebrow. It's a bar right next to Jameson's, the restaurant where Katrina and Jonah had their date.
"Who were you all with?" Ava persists, and he takes hold of the cup, but doesn't drink.
"A few of my old friends. We work in construction," he says, and Ava writes it down.
"And what did you do after you were at the bar?" she asks, and I look up to watch his composure. He seems to have stiffened.
"I, uh, went to smoke out in the alley," he says, and I roll my eyes. Poor attempt at an alibi if I've ever heard one.
"Where you with anyone?" Ava wonders, but he shakes his head. Then he takes a drink of water. I almost feel relieved.
"No. After I smoked, I went home," he says, and Ava nods.
"Are you familiar with the fact that your step-sister was raped that night?" she asks, and my eyes are attentive on him the entire time.
"I am, yes," he says calmly, and Ava folds her hands in her lap.
"Do you have any idea who could have done this?" she continues, and he swallows hard.
"Nope," he says, taking another sip of water.
"Katrina has mentioned you've passed inappropriate comments to her throughout the time you've known her," Ava says, and Marcus clenches his jaw.
"Oh really?" his words coming across as snarky.
"Yes. And I believe your friend, Anthony Vance, has as well," she continues, and he scoffs.
"It was all jokes," he says, beginning to laugh towards the end.
"I'm sure she found it hilarious, Mr. Olsen," Ava states firmly, and Marcus' face falls.
"Now, I wasn't around when you spoke these things to her," Ava starts, but Marcus cuts her off.
"The girl is a compulsive liar. She'll say anything to make herself seem like a princess," he remarks, and Ava remains stoic.
"So that makes you think it's okay to tell your step-sister 'I'm gonna fuck you till you can't breathe'?" Ava says, reading off of her notes. The Chief widens his eyes and I bite my lower lip. Everything I read about Katrina's experiences with her step-brother caused me to have the same reaction.
Marcus Olsen seems to have been rendered speechless.
"Or how her boobs were growing nicely? Or that she has a nice ass?" Ava continues, and I glance at the Chief. His eyes are wide, and mine are much the same.
"What about your comment to her that 'blondies always fuck the best'?" Ava says, and my eyes watch Marcus visibly turn whiter than a ghost.
"Now, these comments were made to her since you met her, and when you met her, she was thirteen years old. Do you have any idea what that means in your defense?" Ava inquires, and Marcus shakes his head.
"That's verbal sexual assault to a minor. She may be an adult now, but charges can still stand," she tells him, and he clenches his jaw.
"Do you still think she's a princess now, Mr. Olsen?" Ava states harshly, and Marcus clenches his jaw.
"No, I don't," he says lowly, and Ava stares at him.
"And why's that? Are these statements true?" she questions, and he stands up.
"I'd like to talk to an attorney," he says, and Ava nods.
"Thank you for your time, Mr. Olsen," she says calmly, the Chief leaving the room. He escorts her out and I meet Ava in the hall after she collects the water cup, but she moves me back into the room.
"What a piece of shit," she mumbles under her breath, and I snort.
"You got that right, Nicks."