My face rests against a cold and extremely uncomfortable metal table as I gain consciousness. I bring my hand up to my head as I feel for the knot forming on my forehead.
"Ugh......"
I lick over my dry lips as I pull my head off the table. My eyes follow along the metal until I see a big fat hairy arm. My head raises properly as I look over to the man across from me. He has one hand in his pocket with the other one resting against the table. He gives me a look of disgust as he watches me like a hawk.
"Do you know why you're hear?" He asks, finally breaking the silence with his unhedged voice.
I take in a deep breath, not really thinking of the question as I answer compulsively," Because my brother was murdered."
"Murdered?" He scoffs in disbelief while shaking his head.
My brows raise as I start to realize that he thinks that I killed August. I try to bring my hands up to hand gesture that I'm not the one who did it, but they pull against the cuffs making me grit my teeth in pain.
I gulp, drawing my eyes down to the table.
'A murderer, do they really think I'd do that to my own brother? '
"Sir please, I -" I try to speak but stop, seeing him rise. He slowly walks over to my side of the table and leans against it with his arms cross. I bite my tongue in suspense while he stares down at me.
"We've had our suspensions about Mr. London having a partner in crime, but we've never looked into it being true until we saw you tonight. It all makes sense really. No way he had all the time in the world to just kill and get rid of the bodies in an instant, he had to have had someone on the sidelines. And that someone is you, August."
My eyes widen from hearing my name aloud. A smirk forms on his face as he takes notice to my wariness.
"Now don't get me wrong here, we don't exactly have evidence of you being at any of the crimes apparently. Mr. London is very good at keeping his little secret from others. All I really want to know is why. That's all we want to know right? Why? Why did he do it? What was his motive? Tell me August and you'll never have to see him again."
I hesitantly part my mouth open, ready to speak until the door suddenly bursts open. Shocked from this, the officer gets off the table and stands up straight. A man drenched in rain enters the room with a look of anger. His eyes send daggers towards the officer. Not being able to tell if he's an officer too since he's not in uniform, I look him up and down. He takes a small second to send me a quick glance back before he approaches the officer.
"Sorry sir, they told me to watch him, but I just had to get an answer out of him!" The officer apologizes like he's been caught in a crime. His once eerie energy dies down to guilt as he keeps his head down.
"Get answers and do what huh? Get a fucking trophy for being a hero? Get the fuck out of here, you know your place," the other guys surprisingly says in a calm manner, though his words were nothing but calm.
The officer doesn't argue back as he passes by the guy quickly. Once he's gone, the stranger sighs before loosening the tie around his neck.
I keep quiet, not wanting to say anything to get me into further trouble. Keeping my head down, focusing on the handcuff on my wrists, I can hear the man taking a seat in front of me.
"You hungry?" Is the first thing he says to me. Not expecting this, I look up to find him already staring at me. His beige trench coat is drenched in rain just like his white dress shirt underneath it, revealing his thin muscles.
I look back down, avoiding eye contact.
"Sorry if he had you uncomfortable just now. All any of us is wanting to do is get some answers. For the first time in forever we can feel safe again knowing that James is locked up, but there's still just one thing bothering us...you."
Hearing this, I look back up at the man this time noticing a name tag on his wet shirt reading," Priest."
"..."
"Don't be too alarmed we have nothing on you but that's the weird thing. There's nothing leading back to you even though there's clearly a bond between you and James."
"I-"
"-I don't care about whatever you the two of you had going on personally. All I want to know is the truth about James's crimes. If you just give me that, I can promise you that nothing bad will ever happen. to you again August"
Hearing my name being called out by another stranger for the second time tonight makes my skin scrawl. My brows furrow as I think of what to say. Images of Angus flood my mind, making me teary eyed. I blink away my tears, ready to give him an answer but he says something to make me stop everything I'm doing.
"Angus, he was your brother, right? I'm so sorry for your lost."
Hearing this finally makes me stop holding back my tears. I let them fall as my throat tightens.
'Angus......I miss him. So so fucking much. '
"Why didn't I just listen to him?"
"Huh?" asks the man as he leans forward a bit.
I wipe my running nose with my free hand as I continue to speak softly," Why didn't I listen to him when he told me to leave? He told me to leave James so many times and I gave him the coldshoulder each time."
Remembering the last words, I said to him, I stop speaking. The man lets out a troubled sigh, as if he genuinely feels bad for me.
"Listen August, I'm willing to work out some kind of agreement here if you just work with me," he takes out a thin piece of cloth from his inner coat pocket and hands it to me, I take it, wiping my eyes with my free hand. "I want to help you. You are technically the only victim of James's to still be living so I find it hard to believe that you actually helped him in any crimes. Although I do have a sensing suspicion that I may be wrong. Before tonight, I had no idea of your existence so it's hard to want to trust you......well, it's hard for me to trust anyone but I'm willing to make an exception. Information for some a lesser punishment you'll most Definitely be given after this interrogation."
I space out for a moment, still processing everything.
"August look at me," he says in a soft tone. My eyes meet his as I look up. A deep grey sight of orbs stare into my soul, almost as if their searching for something. He tilts his head to the large glass mirror to our right without breaking eye contact," You see that? Just behind that wall is a room filled with people who don't give a shit about what happens to you."
"And you do?" I say, straightening up in my seat. 'Who does this guy think he is trying to make me believe the same bullshit the other guy just came in here with? All I want is some fucking time to mourn my brother by myself. '
The man's jaw locks as he leans back some," Look, I won't sit here and act like I'm going to give you any pity because you are still a suspect in multiple crimes. But I will say that I've been investigating this case for months now trying to find James London, I just need some closure. Isn't that what his victims deserve? Isn't that what you deserve, closure?"
I stare into his eyes, wanting to trust him but I feel the same way he does about me. 'Who am I kidding? This will be the easiest route for me. I won't last a day in prison.' My shoulders relax as I let out a deep breath.
"I have one request."
"Anything."
"Can I please just get some water?"
Without saying anything the man looks to the large mirror and nods. Seconds later a different man dressed in uniform enters the room with a glass of water. When he places it down, he sends me a dirty glare making me not wanting the glass anymore. After he leaves, I finally take the chance and just chug down the water. The man who I'm assuming to be "Priest," watches me like a hawk but not like everyone else. He looks at me like he's trying to figure out who the hell I am and how I fit into everything.
I let out a deep breath after finishing the water.
"Want some more?"
"No."
"Okay then, are you willing too corporate now?"
I nod soundlessly.
The tension in the room dies down as I begin to tell Priest the whole story on how me and James met without skipping anything. I admitted to helping take part in his crimes and even admitted to having a strange relationship with him. Priest listened to me the whole time without saying a word as he wrote down everything on a clipboard the same officer from earlier brought to him. I explained in detail about how James murdered his victims and where he could find their remains. I tried to not break down while I spoke, but I ended up doing it anyway twice, but priest was understanding and gave me all the tissues I would need. When I got to how me and James encountered Angus, that's when I really broke down. I told him about how Angus tried to give James a chance but couldn't and explained to him how much I wish I could take everything back. There were a few times I couldn't tell if he was listening or imagining the ways James killed all his victims, but I could definitely tell that he was a mix of upset, disgusted, angry and almost scared. However even after my story he still didn't break eye contact with me.
I sat in the chair I had been sitting in for two hours now, finishing my fifth cup of water for tonight while Priest finished writing down some things. When he got done, he stared over all his notes that filled a total of three pages and wiped his face slowly.
"This is unbelievable-," he pauses.
"-all the lives that could've been saved."
I sit quietly, staring down at my cuffs as I think,' All the lives I could've saved if I wasn't blinded by own selfishness. If I wasn't so damn wrapped up with the idea of someone loving me, none of this would've happened. I was so stupid to believe him and now......I don't have a brother anymore. '
Without a word, he gets up. My eyes watch him carefully as he opens the door and leaves. Minutes later he returns with a set of keys and releases me. I carefully caress my bruised wrist as I stand up. Finally meeting his height, I come almost face to face with him.
'He's the same height as me. '
"Follow me."
"Where are we going?" "To the restroom," he says without looking at me," It'll be a long time before anyone here actually wants to escort you to it, so I'll do it now. Try not to drink anything for the time being because you'll be locked up for a while.
I only nod as I follow him out the room. The room we left from connects to a dark room with five officers in it and one Plus size man scoffing at me.
"Priest what the hell is this?"
"He's given us everything we needed; I can at least give him the human decency to take a piss."
Priest stands before the group of men only looking at the large man, who I'm assuming to be a captain. The rest of the group of officers keep their eye on me with their hands close to their guns. I take a step close behind the only man here who seems to not want to kill me.
"No handcuffs though? This is outrageous!"
"Look if he tries to run, I'll do what you all want and out a bullet between his eyes," he says calmly, making me return back to my place away from him.
The large man groans but steps out the way for us, nodding at priest with trust. I follow close behind him as we exit the room into the rest of the police district, we're in. In the vast bright hall of people, we make our way to the restrooms where he leads, trusting me to stay behind him at all costs.
We walk for a good couple of minutes before I finally see the restroom sign at the end of a long hall. The last door on the right next to it swings open as an officer pushes someone wearing a bright orange jumpsuit out of it. The prisoner stumbles a bit before he's able to balance himself. A few people including Priest stop in their tracks just to watch the officer escort the prisoner towards us. The whole hall goes eerily quiet as this happens. Soon as they get closer to us, I'm hit with a deep wave of fear as I see James's bruised yet distinguished face. As he passes by, he notice's me and smirks through his chapped bleeding lips. The officer really did a number on him, but it didn't really leave an impression for him, he just kept his eyes on me until the officer lead him into another room. The hairs on my arms raise until the doors are closed. Once they are, things go back to normal as everyone around us goes back to what they were doing.
"Hey," Priest says from Infront of me, making me turn back to him. He stares at me calmly as he softly says," He can't harm you anymore." As if knowing what he's thinking of, his words soothe me instantly.
"Here's the bathroom, don't take too long."
"Okay......" I say stepping out in front of him.
"Wait."
I stop walking as I turn back to him.
"I'll do as best as I can to help you, but I can't promise you the world. I need you to understand this," his eyes stare into mine, making sure that I'm aware. "I understand," I nod.
"Good," he says before standing in front of the door with his arms crossed. I close the door, heading straight for the sink. I cup my hands into a bowl and splash lots of water on my face in a way of cleansing it.
Letting out a deep breath, I turn off the faucet and stare at myself in the mirror. Life for me has been changing way too much. All I wanted is happiness and this is what I get.
'I really don't know what'll happen after this and it honestly makes me scared. '
After like three minutes of relieving myself and getting time to breathe, I exit the restroom only to find Priest replaced with the officer who interrogated me first.
I keep distance from him as I ask," Where's priest?"
Without answering me he places back on the cuffs on me, making me groan a bit. My heart drops as he begins leading me away from the bathroom.
'Where are we going? Back to the interrogation room? '
The grip the officer has on my wrists causes my eyes to tear up. My heart drops as we pass by the room we were once in, but I don't question him, not wanting to stir up anything. The officer leads me to a hall where there's little to no people and pushes me into a broom closet. I collapse to the ground as I trip over a mop. He pulls down on a string that connects to a rusted light bulb and stands over me with an angry look on his face.
"What are you doing?" I ask, struggling to get up.
"Shut up fag!" He lands a kick into my stomach causing me to groan in pain. My body curls into a ball in attempt to ease the pain. He balls his fist tightly, ready to strike again until the door suddenly swings open. Priest grabs him by his collar and pulls him away from me without a struggle. Soon as he's away from me, he crouches down and helps me to stand. I take his hand and try to stand straight but flinch as my muscles throb in pain. He pulls me close to him and helps me to get out of the room.
"He told me that the captain needed me, I told him to watch you but, on my way, I figured out his plan to hurt you. I'm sorry, this was on me."
"N-no, it's fine really. I kind of deserve it." I say weakly. He bites his lip as he gives me a conflicted look. A group of officers run over to us to take the officer who assaulted me away as he screamed horrible homophobic things about me. The short walk back to the interrogation room was completely silent.