Concealed

(Police Arrival)

"Maam we're going to need to step out of the crime scene", the Officer directed.

I-I-I think I know who that is . . . I quietly said in shock.

"We'll ask you to come into the station for questioning soon, we'll gather all of the information then", she bluntly stated.

I walked back out to Heather's car where everyone else waited.

"Ar-Ar-Are you okay?", Heather asked.

It's nothing compared to what you see on TV, seeing it in person is surrealistic and horrifying. But worst is that I think I knew who it was.

Laura and Evelyn were closer to the car, but when I said I might know who was killed, their gaze shifted over to me and pierced right through my heart; The pressure from everything overwhelmed me and left me sitting in the parking lot like a little girl lost without her mommy.

The next 5 minutes were silent- I couldn't tell if they thought I was guilty or what because their lack of expression left me in this corner like they think I'm the one they suspect.

Thankfully, a few officers broke the years of silence and whispers, and came to tell all of us to meet them at the precinct.

(A little later at the Precinct)

"Okay, we'll question whoever found the body first", the officer called out.

I looked at her and followed her back to a secluded room. She said to sit in there and two investigators will be in shortly.

Not a moment later, a very petite lady with long, silky brown hair with a very sweet portrayal; and an older man probably in his 60's, stern and grumpy, threw open the door.

"I'm officer Leila Leighy and this is Officer Scranton. Who might you be?", Leighy asked.

I'm Noel Shaw, I just recently moved into my Aunt's old house.

"So, you're not really from around here then, are you?", the old grump questioned.

No- I'm not. I actually lived in Tallahassee for a while and then decided to come back up when my Aunt passed away. But my family has had a stake in this town generations back, I said hastily, but not rude, responding to the man.

This Mr. Scranton almost purposefully led the blame to me. He made it seem that since I'm not from around here, that it would give me even more motive- but isn't it the opposite way around?

"So, can you recreate what happened earlier tonight at the restaurant?", Leila politely asked.

Yeah, I can. We decided to go out to dinner and we decided on The Barbie Grille.

"Whose, we?", Scranton raged.

Leila looked at him in a disappointed manner, probably because he was acting like this "bad cop" to boost his frail little ego.

We- meaning Heather, Laura, Evelyn and Me. I said.

I continued on ignoring the interruption . . . So, we decided to eat there and everything was fine. We ordered drinks and appetizers, but Evelyn spilled marinara sauce on her shirt and both of us went to the bathroom to wash it off. We washed it off and then I noticed a pool of blood leaking from under one of the stalls. Evelyn screamed and ran out to call 911, but I decided to just to "investigate" and there was the girl head first in the toilet.

"Thank you for that. So, we profiled her as Alexa DiSantos and one of the officers said you might have some correlation to this girl?", Officer Leighy assumed.

Yea . . . I said with disbelief. A few days ago, she came to live with me when her father was trying to hurt her and that was a whole fiasco itself. The police were involved in that too. Not even 24 hours later, I saw her roaming my property. I don't know what she was doing, but when I tried to confront her, she had just hopped in a car and went off. A little while after she sent me a text that kind of said her father and her, made up and she was staying with him again. If anyone should be guilty, I'd bet it would be him.

"Okay, that makes sense", Leila scribbled on a small notepad.

Scranton looked up again with that mischievous face like he was about pester and accuse me again. "Well, you've already had a previous encounter with the police, it sounds like you're a troublemaker, Ms. Shaw", he bluntly accused again.

"I think that's it for now, Ms. Shaw. If we need to follow up, we'll contact you".

I walked out of the room and everyone was gone. I dragged myself outside, but Heather's car was gone. I just ended up calling a taxi to take me back to my car.

(Back home)

I walked up the stairs, unlocked my front door and plopped on the couch. We had gone dinner to eat, but that obviously didn't happen. I looked at the fridge and nothing caught my attention. I opened the freezer and there he was, Ben & Jerry. Ben & Jerry has gotten me through the toughest times and tonight it's the perfect time to divulge right into the decadent pint. I grabbed the pint and a spoon and sunk into the couch like a cruiseliner that just hit an iceberg- and i was okay with that.

I turned on some movie about girls fighting at a wedding, but the words to it kind of just faded from my mind from the sugarcoma I was putting myself into.

(Ding)

I looked at my phone and it was a message from Heather. "Sorry, had to get home, Mike said it was an emergency. Don't be worried about everyone else, they found rides back to their cars."

"You're fine!", I texted.

A few moments later she added Laura and Evelyn to the chat.

Evelyn messaged immediately, "We can set up dinner at my place next Saturday, since we missed out tonight."

Laura chimed in too like a teen still in her Taylor Swift phase. . . "Yes!! Can't wait girls."