At the Stake

'Evening, Miss Sherman,' he said then closed the door.

She gave him a frightened 'good evening' then tightened her hands between her knees.

The inspector grabbed a few files here and there, opened one of the cabinets then sat down behind his desk. His expression was now neutral. 'I'm sure you are aware of why you are here?' he asked her.

She nodded, quietly.

'Good,' he leaned in, clasping his hands on top of the desk. 'Malrich has had quite a number of crimes in its wake: petty crime, vandalism, corporate fraud, shoplifting and public disturbances like noise complaints from parties…Basically, Miss Sherman, I'm talking about slap-on-the-wrist crimes.'

'Your…' she cleared her throat and tried to put on the bravest expression she could, '…Your point, sir?'

The inspector gave a short, hoarse laugh as if he could smell her fear. He said, 'My point, Miss Sherman, is that never in its history has Malrich ever had a case as severe and personal as murder. Most nations in the world do not agree on anything, Miss Sherman, but one thing I'm certain they all agree on is that murder is the crime that deserves the ultimate punishment.'

She gulped and trembled. Her brave expression wobbled.

The inspector continued, 'A crime like murder could get the perpetrator fifteen to, let's say, twenty-five years in prison. And we're only talking about second-degree murder. But first-degree murder, Miss Sherman? And of this kind?' He shook his head mournfully, 'Playing sushi chef with someone's body the way this person did? The coroner even noted that the limbs of the victims weren't severed when they were dead but whilst they were still alive! Do you understand how unspeakable that is? You can't even begin to imagine the pain these people were going through, watching your own arms and legs get cut off while you watched. If this isn't satanic then I don't know what to call it. This kind of evil, Miss Sherman, could shock the devil.'

She closed her eyes briefly. When she opened them, tears slowly made their way down her cheeks. She had given up trying to look tough. 'What are you getting at, inspector?' she asked him. Her voice was very low and unbalanced.

'Good question, Miss Sherman. A question which brings us back to why you're here. Deputy James and I have come to the conclusion…or theory, that it is probable that Justin Foyer and Brittany Bale were in a love relationship. We called Mr. Foyer's closest friends but they deny it completely, saying the very idea is absurd. We obviously know that they were trying to protect Foyer's credentials by denying that he, a pupil, a five-star rugby and basketball player with numerous scholarships would date his teacher. But that is not our reasoning. I'm sure that you were also very much aware that there was only a nine-year age gap between Mr. Foyer and Miss Bale and that Miss Foyer was a rather attractive young woman. And here, Miss Sherman, is where you come in.'

She made an innocent shrug. 'How?'

The inspector folded his arms on the table. His moustache twitched. 'You dated Mr. Foyer for two months and that's a little too short for a relationship if you ask me, even if it's just a high school one. So, Miss Sherman, here are my cards; I'm laying them all on the table. The fact that Mr. Foyer broke off your relationship too early upset you and…'

'Wait…' she stopped the inspector with a slightly outstretched hand. Her eyes were closed tight shut. She opened them. 'Don't tell me you're about to tell me that I butchered my ex because he was or may have been dating my sluttish Biology teacher?'

He grinned slightly. 'I think it was the axe that did the butchering, Miss Sherman,' he chuckled. 'Sorry; bad joke,' he apologized. 'What vexes me though is that you referred to Miss Bale as being "sluttish". Care to explain why?'

'Because she was!' she attempted to shout in anger but managed a squeal. 'Everyone in that school knows she slept with the teachers in her past school so they could put in a good word for her with their principal. I doubt she even had a teaching certificate.'

Inspector Charles leaned back in his chair, his arms still crossed. He nodded thoughtfully. ' "Clarissa Sherman: The ex that axed her ex!" ' He chuckled wildly. 'That's a lot of Xs, Miss Sherman. Good enough for a trademark prison name, that's for sure.' He looked up at the ceiling. 'I can already see it: "Triple X Clarissa. PG eighteen at eighteen!" ' He chuckled some more.

Clarissa did not seem amused in the least. She looked murderously angry. She was now breathing hotly, her furious gaze directed at the inspector.

The inspector continued, 'Miss Sherman, I don't want to waste both our time making fun of dead people. I am a busy man. I'm already looking into a case of a missing psychiatrist. I have to organize a search party for tomorrow if he doesn't show up. So this meeting of ours should reach its end quickly and with results.'

'A psychiatrist?' she asked curiously.

'Like I said, that's just one of the many cases I'm dealing with. What we have on you, Miss Sherman, is motive. We may not have the evidence but the intentions have been duly noted.'

Another tear fell from her eyes. 'And you think I killed them?! Seriously?! Don't you remember what I told you the last time you interrogated me? I dumped Justin, not the other way around! And this crazy idea that I would commit murder…me?! And of such an appalling nature? This is outrageous!'

The inspector waved her down gently. 'Miss Sherman, you are just a suspect. We only believe that you killed Mr. Foyer and Miss Bale out of…vengeful love. A woman scorned hey?' he grinned at her.

She gritted her teeth.

'We'll just call it a crime of passion. Maybe the breaking off of the relationship made you bitter inside. Maybe secretly you had planned to patch things up with Mr. Foyer but when you discovered that he had already moved on to someone else, and that someone else was your Biology teacher, it broke your heart into a thousand pieces. You were devastated, and all that love you had for him turned into a deep fire, an unquenchable and dark hatred. A hatred so strong that it made you grab an axe and lay in wait for Justin Foyer on his way from The Ocean's Tavern bar in WindleDrive. Foyer was a very big guy so you obviously wanted to catch him drunk so that you could overpower him more easily. And who told you his location? He did because his friends didn't know where he drank but only that he was a drinker…a binge. They didn't know where he drank, only because if they did, they would join him and that would increase the risk of him getting caught and he would definitely lose his hard-earned scholarships. I believe Justin Foyer told you where his favorite watering hole was during one of your pillow talks. So you waited for him on the fourth of this month, on that fateful Tuesday night. He staggered out the bar, you waited until he was alone and then you killed him. As for Miss Bale, you had to get her when she was all alone and after a few days so as to make people think that it was just an isolated incident. You did not want anyone to make a connection between the murders.' The inspector clasped his hands over his belly and shot a stern frown towards Clarissa. He added, 'Now, am I wrong, Miss Sherman?'

Clarissa could no longer speak. Her mouth just shuddered as she faced the floor. She trapped her hands between her knees again. Her entire body was shaking violently in fear. She could feel his gaze. That smug gaze. A triumphant and nasty look, she presumed. She was now fully convinced that he could smell her fear. She could no longer hide it. She forced her mouth open. It trembled even more violently.

Someone suddenly burst through the door. It was Deputy James.

'Inspector!' He shouted from the door.

'What is it, James?! Can't you see I'm busy? You don't even bother to knock…'

'Sir…It's urgent! Very, very urgent!'

'Well, then spit it out, James! I haven't got all day.'

James was breathing hysterically, his hat pressed against his chest. 'It's about the doctor, sir.'