"What did they say?" Nick asked as he came toward me.
I jumped back and ordered him to stay there.
"You don't trust me?"
"I don't know you." I said in all honesty. I felt like an idiot for trusting him as much as I had. Nobody had been on the property last night aside from my mother, Nick, and I. He was the only suspect.
"What did they say happened?" He said, now harsh against me.
"She was stabbed with something other than a knife."
"And you think I could do something like that?"
I could see the pain in his eyes now. His hands were clenched into fists as his chest was moving fast.
"I don't know. If it wasn't you-"
"I saw someone last night. Your mother let him in. She gave him a kiss on the cheek and allowed him in."
"What time?"
"One. Maybe twelve. It had been dark for sometime and my watch sticks sometimes but I know it was late-or early, depending how you look at it."
"And I'm just supposed to believe you?"
"He had dark hair. Stood five-eleven. Had glasses that he took off repeatedly in the time he stood before her. And he wore a suit. Odd for the time of night I thought..."
"You have got to be joking."
"What?"
"You just described my history teacher. He always wore suits..." I admitted out loud. But I knew a piece of information only someone who saw him would know.
"He also had ribbon tied around his left wrist...."
It was as if he read my mind. My history teacher had worn a blue ribbon on his wrist since the night his son died from cancer. His wife had divorced him as his son was in the hospital and that was all he had left.
"So you are saying that my history teacher killed my mother?"
"He was the only one I saw. Her light was turned on for about ten minutes before it went out. But I never saw him leave. I fell asleep about half an hour later."
I stood in my stance for some time before the question that was urging me finally got spat out.
"Why didn't you want me to tell the cops you were here?"
"How do you think it would look? Someone you hardly know staying in your barn. Able to access the house anytime...I had no alibi but you have my word I stayed here all night...I liked your mom. She was funny and nice...."
Just then it hit me. She was gone. My mother was truly gone. I was now alone. The only Masson left.
"Are you okay?" He asked me as he saw me still in my position.
"She's gone." I blurted out before falling to my knees.
Before I hit the floor, I felt an embrace-caring and tight wrap around me.
"It's okay. I understand."
Those four words helped me more than anything I could have ever imagined.