"How are you holding up dear?" Martha asked.
There was no mistaking the worry on her mother's face.
Cassidy gave her a small smile. There wasn't much she could say.
"I'm fine." I think, she added as an afterthought.
Honestly, she had no idea how she was feeling. How had her fingerprints gotten to the crime scene? Sure, she knew the woman, but she had no idea where the woman lived. Had someone framed her? That seemed like the only possible option, but that raised an entire new set of questions. Who would want to frame her for murder?
"Cass!" a voice shouted happily.
Cassidy looked up to see her brother barreling towards her. A genuine smile lit up her face at his exuberant smile.
He crashed into her, wrapping her into a hug.
"Seth," she said happily, hugging him back.
"I haven't seen you in so long. Where have you been?" he asked, letting her go.
"At work mostly," she answered.
"I have so much to tell you," he said, pulling her into the living room.
Cassidy let him drag her to the couch and push her down to sit. He took a seat next to her, so she angled herself to give him her full attention. She had loved Seth from the first moment she had laid eyes on him. Even though a complete stranger was moving into his house, he had looked at her with such happiness in his eyes and the widest grin a two-year-old could muster.
Seth had been the cutest little toddler she had ever seen. And although she had been a stranger, Seth had clung to her the first time they met. Even now, he had never let go. Not that Cassidy would let him. She loved him more than anything.
"Let's hear," she said, smiling happily.
Seth and Martha were the only two persons who could make her smile, no matter what mood she was in.
"I don't know if mum told you, but I joined the debate team. My teachers have been complaining that I should join some extra-curriculars and debate seemed like the best option."
His face showed that he didn't really agree with his teacher's assessment.
"Especially since there isn't one for playing video games," Cassidy teased.
Seth rolled his eyes at her but was still smiling.
"I have my first match up next month. You'll come right?" he asked, his eyes pleading with her.
She nodded. Her calendar for next month was unclear, but she would definitely make time.
"Great. So, you know my birthday is coming up right?"
The excitement in his voice was contagious but she kept her face neutral.
"Really? I thought it passed already," she said, feigning ignorance.
A hint of a smile played on her face as she watched Seth's reaction.
"Don't lie. You won't ever forget my birthday," he said laughing.
"Is this your segue to what present you want?"
He nodded enthusiastically.
"Okay, let me hear what it is. But keep in mind, I'm not as rich as mum and dad," Cassidy said smiling.
Seth laughed before answering her.
"There's this video game I've been trying to get for forever. This one store I know has a few left. I reserved one already. All you need to do is go collect it sometime in the next three days."
"Is that it?"
"That and come to my party," he added.
"Party? I didn't know we were having a party," she said surprised.
"Mum insists we do invitations, but I haven't had them done yet," he groaned.
"So, I'm the first invited guest?"
He nodded.
"Well then, I'll definitely have to make an appearance."
"Kids, dinner's ready!" their mum shouted from the kitchen.
"Are you spending the night?" Seth asked, with a hopeful look in his eye.
Cassidy smiled.
"Of course," she answered.
Seth grinned widely as they made their way to the kitchen.
Cassidy didn't think she could be alone at the moment. Talking to her brother had made her forget temporarily that she may soon be behind bars for a murder she hadn't committed.
---
"Are you ready?" her father asked the next morning.
Cassidy nodded.
She had been summoned back to the police station. They had more questions to ask her and the results from the DNA test was also out. She was surprised they had gotten the results so fast, but her dad said they probably had a rush order on it. They were convinced she was the murderer after all, and they wanted the evidence to prove it.
Wyatt met them in the station's lobby. His face was somber and didn't hold its usual smile.
"Should I be scared?" she asked him, as he led them to the interrogation room.
Her father walked a little distance behind to give them some privacy.
"I don't know. The results came in this morning, but I haven't got a chance to look at it. Adam went to collect it," he answered.
He paused for a moment before he spoke again.
"Are you okay?"
Her lips titled slightly at the worry in his voice.
"I've been better. But I'm not horrible either," she answered honestly.
They stopped outside the interrogation room and he turned to her. His eyes bored into hers.
"I believe you didn't do it Cassidy, but the evidence is saying something else. Please tell me you can prove your innocence," he pleaded.
"My dad is going to try his best," she answered.
He nodded, knowing there was nothing else either of them could say or do. At the end of the day, his job was to catch the murderer, even if it was her.
Agents Field and Jones were already in the room, both seated, staring at her with their cold gazes.
"Take a seat," Wyatt motioned.
Cassidy sat on the opposite end of the table, her father taking the seat next to hers. The interrogation room felt extra chilly today. She always felt cold when she came in but today, there were goosebumps on her arm. As though warning her of the danger she might be in.
A knock on the door sounded before anyone could speak. Adam poked his head in.
"Come in," Agent Jones commanded.
His tone was rough and made Cassidy jump in her skin. Was he going to be talking to her like that as well? Trickles of fear swept through her.
"I have the DNA results," Adam announced to the room.
"Well what does it say?" Agent Jones demanded.
Adam gulped. Guess Cassidy wasn't the only one who was affected by Agent Jones.
"It was a match to the sample that Cassidy gave us. The blood we found at the scene is Cassidy's," Adam announced.
The fear that had been trickling burst like a dam throughout Cassidy. It felt as though Adam had just hit her physically with those words. She couldn't believe any of this was happening right now.
Agent Field took the report from Adam and glanced it over before handing it to her father. Leon looked through it, his face hard and not revealing what he was thinking. He gave the report back to Adam when he was done.
"It's a match," he told her silently.
Cassidy couldn't take it anymore. How could they be accusing her of such a crime?
"This is getting ridiculous," she shouted, unable to stop herself. "I didn't kill anyone."
"Your fingerprints and DNA were found at the scene. That makes you our prime suspect," Agent Field said.
Agent Jones turned to Adam.
"Apply for the arrest warrant," he ordered.
Adam hesitated for a moment.
"Now!" Agent Jones roared.
Cassidy found herself flinching at his demand. Adam scrambled out of the interrogation room.
She sighed. She was really in some deep shit now. What was she going to do? Rose was her alibi. But she was sure the detectives were going to have a bunch of questions she couldn't answer.
"We're going to start again," Agent Field said, pulling Cassidy's attention away from her thoughts.
"Start what again?"
"The interrogation. You can refuse to talk as you've been doing so far, or you can start talking. You should know that the evidence we found is enough for a judge to issue an arrest warrant. We should have one within the next couple of hours. It would be in your best interest to start talking."
Cassidy looked across at her father.
"Answer their questions," he told her softly.
She took a deep breath before turning back to the detectives.
"Ask away," she said, mustering all the confidence she had left.
"You said during the last interview you were at home at the time of the murder," Agent Field started.
"That's correct."
"What were you doing?"
Cassidy opened her mouth to say she was doing nothing but that would be a lie. It was best she came clean with the truth right away.
"I had a long day at the bakery. I got home and was drinking some wine when I had a visitor," she answered.
"Who?"
She could see everyone lean in in anticipation. Cassidy looked at Wyatt as she answered.
"Rose," she answered.
So many emotions ran through Wyatt's face in that moment, it was impossible for Cassidy to focus on just one. She saw shock, confusion, disbelief, even anger.
"You never mentioned any of this to me," Wyatt said.
And an even worse emotion, hurt.
Wyatt had been there for her through it all and had tried to help her the most. She should have told him about Rose's visit. She knew she should have.
"I didn't know how to bring it up. And then with everything that happened yesterday, I didn't get a chance," Cassidy apologized.
Wyatt didn't seem to accept her apology. She made a mental note to talk to him after.
"You were with Rose?" Agent Field questioned, as shocked as Wyatt. Even Agent Jones seemed a bit surprised.
"She came to my apartment. She knocked on the door and came in when I answered. We had a conversation, but she left soon after."
"What did you talk about?" Agent Jones asked.
"My apartment. The bakery. It was nothing important. I told her the police was looking for her and she – she didn't seem to care. She talked about our past and that she's knows where I've been all this time."
"What do you mean she knows where you've been?" Wyatt asked.
"She said she always knew where I was. That it hadn't been the right time to come and see me but now was the right time."
"Did she talk about the murders at all? About the family that was killed recently?"
"No, we didn't talk about that. She asked why I didn't do the deliveries though," Cassidy added, not sure if the latter was important.
"Deliveries?" Agent Field asked.
"Our bakery offers delivery options. I usually drop them off, but my partner, Lisa, wasn't in town and I asked Lance to do the deliveries. It was a total last-minute thing."
"So, you're saying you should have been the one to deliver the cake?" Wyatt asked.
Cassidy nodded, not sure how that was important.
"Do you know why the cake was ordered?" Agent Field asked.
"Umm," she racked her brain trying to remember. "I think a party. I took the order over the phone. The person said that they were having a reunion and that they wanted a cake. A triple layer chocolate. I took the order and address down. They paid the deposit directly into my account, so we didn't meet in person. Is this important?"
"It may be. Someone else besides the family could have ordered the cake. They chose to order it from your bakery specifically and not any other," Wyatt replied.
"Let's not get carried away with theories," Agent Jones interrupted.
It was actually a good theory. Cassidy had never thought about that. Maybe the person framing her was the one who had ordered the cake.
"I suggest you listen to all your theories. My client is innocent," her father stated.
"That's not what the evidence says," Agent Jones retorted.
"Evidence you found on a door handle. We both know that's circumstantial at best. There's no way you can link your 'evidence' to the murder. My clients DNA and fingerprints were not found anywhere close to the scene."
"And what reason do you have for her fingerprints and DNA being at the scene?"
"It could have been from a previous visit. Someone else could have planted it. My client has a clear alibi for that day. She was at work and then with her sister. Not once was she alone. Therefore, she did not have the time to drive to Greenville, kill an entire family and then get back home."
Both Agents sat quiet for a moment. It looked as though they didn't know what to say.
"If that's all the questions you have, we'll take our leave now," her dad said, pushing back his chair.
"We have more questions," Agent Field blurted quickly.
Cassidy looked across at both agents. What more could they possibly ask her?
"Let's say that your lawyer is right and you're not the criminal. That still doesn't explain why someone would be framing you. Your sister, Rose, could still be the one behind all this," Agent Field said slowly.
It looked as though she was gathering her thoughts to speak.
"Are you simply trying to delay my client until your arrest warrant gets here?" Leon asked.
A guilty looked flashed across Agent Field's face before she shook her head and retained her neutral expression.
"No. I do have questions. Let's go through the process of ordering a cake and the delivery methods you use."
For the next two hours, Cassidy answered the same questions over and over. The Agents kept asking her the same thing, maybe hoping she would trip up somewhere and admit her guilt, but there was no guilt to admit.
Her head was pounding from all the talking and all she wanted to do right now was sleep. Just lay in her bed and maybe sleep for the next twenty-four hours. That mightn't be enough. Forty-eight hours of sleep sounded better.
A crash at the door had Cassidy instantly perking up. It sounded like someone had run into the door.
"Who's out there?" Agent Jones demanded.
The door opened and Adam walked in. Cassidy immediately tensed. Every time Adam had come into the room it was to deliver bad news. The expression on his face was telling her this time was no different.
"What?"" Agent Jones asked.
"The warrant has been issued," Adam said softly.
"Already?" Wyatt asked surprised.
Cassidy wasn't sure how long the process was supposed to take but apparently not two hours.
"Arrest her," Agent Jones stated.
Agent Field stood from her seat and walked across to Cassidy. Cassidy looked at her dad, fear coursing through her. She didn't believe this would actually happen.
Agent Field pulled Cassidy to her feet and took her hand and pulled them behind her back.
"You're under arrest for the murder of the Adams family. You have the right to a lawyer. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law..."
The rest of the words drowned out as Cassidy felt the cold metal on her wrists. Shit was really fucked up now.