10.08.2017573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrYPSy2GGUG
5:30 pm573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDkeMdLCux9
The central court of England
Why am I here?
It felt as though someone had clogged my ears as all the sounds around me sounded muffed. I could smell a faint scent of cologne and sweat; the rest was...unclear.
There was a tiny, almost invisible, scratch on the wooden frame before me. It looked like someone had scratched it with their nails,
that was something a nervous mind would do...573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq7BZPOfRAo
"Mr. William"573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG3zEASzx5W
I wanted to do it too...573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDqn0iJXzYu
"Mr. William"573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhTQGBb7J2z
Was I nervous too?573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlCJtbj0CzE
"Sir!"573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTXnvD5dPJE
Snapping back into reality, I looked around the silenced room to find everyone staring at me.
A bit uncomfortable from all the attention, "Yes." I spoke.573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcGTCl53yGe
"Do you swear that the evidence that you shall give shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?"
"Yes, I solemnly swear that the evidence that I shall give shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth."
"Now, Mr. William Winter, I hear you are a private detective?" Robert asked with a sly tone lacing his voice573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWmp3ELQLyN
Mr. Robert Faloney, the most cunning prosecutor living.
He is probably the reason corruption exists.573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhxV2I72Rcg
"Yes, I work with my sister, Raven Winter."573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoijMcfqcNQ
He nodded in response. "Why did you go to Miss. Bella's house at such an odd time? And might I remind you, your honor, a fellow neighbor reported spotting him walk up to her driveway at around half-past nine."573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdvooorE0f0
The court grew silent once again, only the ticking of the clock managed to pierce through the tense atmosphere.
I was used to being in court. Me and my sister used to come here often for our clients. That was when we were studying, 573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqsuu8ig8sX
It's been so long...
The court as I remember was never as filled as it was today, a lot of women had gathered around Helen, a few holding her hand the other sending spiteful looks my way.573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡISv5py8jI5
I looked around until I caught my sister's eye. She gave me a subtle nod and smiled my way.573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfI7MXSbo8f
That was all I needed...
For now.573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Cx2140rDW
"She called me, Bella did."573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhcNf28EgEc
"Are you saying that, Miss. Bella called you over herself?"573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDG6GMeRPxx
"Yes."573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqe0TlaLrhJ
"For what reason?"573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡufHQ7WZWO5
"She had told me that she wanted to tell me something important."573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvD1AaltPQ4
"Do you have an idea of what that might be?"573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWvre5ObTdA
"No."573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWw520zgKR8
"And so, you walked down to her house?"573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtJWDtwUPUM
"Yes, it was only a few blocks away."
"Did you go empty-handed?"573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDjEdBwcZ69
I paused for a minute.573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsYBQMvYvdK
I have to stay strong,
I need to get out of here,
I need to catch him...573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlZlRRFg9bg
"No, I bought flowers along the way. White roses with a hint of pink."
"Did you, by any chance, have feelings for Bella or- "573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1H1DQa4kEn
"Objection your honor, this question is irrelevant to the case," Jenny spoke upstanding. She looked quite mad as she glared at Robert with hatred filling her eyes.573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvBFvru0RFH
Jenny Davis.
She had studied with us in high school, but obviously, that wasn't the only reason she agreed to fight for us. She had this immense hatred for Robert that never seemed to die.
Probably because he was always one step ahead of her.
Probably.573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwudA36Oau8
"Objection dismissed." The judge announced as he turned toward me again.573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaLB6KHQLxb
"No, we were just friends," I answered.573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3g3vbL2b8U
"Are you sure?"573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsQ1D5rdewk
"Yes."
"What did you see when you entered the house?"573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ETlsVrM2S
What did I see?
What did I see...573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV60YpLd5Qm
The memories hit me, her lying on the floor, a noticeable depression on one side of her head. Blood soaking the carpet under her, the bloody hammer laying on the floor a few feet away.
I felt my heart pound faster by the second, as I remembered dropping my bouquet, my knees buckling as I fell to the floor, kneeling beside it,
and...
not believing my eyes...573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgFhaEbZwN5
"I saw... her in the l-living room." I started. "She had been hit... No, umm..."573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3C8aJ2n0jV
I felt a drop of sweat roll down my temple, my throat felt like sandpaper. I fisted my shaking hands in an attempt to stop them from moving uncontrollably.573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3gFbcIbpHT
You have to stay strong.
For her.573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgYB8X6tscg
"Your honor, clearly my client is not comfortable in sharing a memory of his friend who was bludgeoned to death."573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1VNqgAVjSf
I flinched hearing the last words Jenny spoke.573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGaWgRGkUyB
"That's enough Mr. Robert. I shall now pass the final verdict..."
-
I never thought walking out of a courtroom could make me feel this weird tingling in me. I hated coming to the court. It was mostly for the murders or robbers I and my sister had caught over the years.573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOxHJFylodo
I felt a hand caress my shoulder, "Are you okay?" Raven's voice spoke softly.573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSusZAizJvt
I gave a small nod in response trying my best not to meet her eye. She always knew when I was lying, but she did not ask anything. Instead, we stood there in silence, that was before I sniffed a familiar scent.
It smelled like... strawberry...573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgqHppgszc1
That smelled like... Anna...573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3zMzE66bN5
"William!" Anna exclaimed as she ran into my arms. Picking her up I held her close to me.573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs4rQfuftlo
I never get tired of that strawberry scent...573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDTQiYuqkXj
"Are you okay?" she asked in a low voice. I chuckled softly, a ten-year-old was asking me if 'I was okay'.
If only she knew...
"Yeah, I am fine Anna..."
"They didn't blame you for that, did they? If they did, I will go and kick them where the sun doesn't shine!" she exclaimed.
Raven turned a light shade of red hearing the words our little sister just shouted, while I laughed.
Flustered, "Where did you l-learn that?" Raven asked.573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkwBkgiKlsg
"Uncle James asked me to kick the guys where the sun doesn't shine if they come near me. Now that you asked me, I forgot to ask where that place is... Do you know?" she asked looking at me.573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtAUPkEYHE3
"Umm... yes... but, you don't have to know. And, if the guys do come near you, just give me a call. You do know I carry a gun around right?" I whispered the last part into her ear which made her giggle.573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTqU38JxYxb
"That's enough of playing around. Let's go home..." Raven spoke.
Home...
After all of this, I still had a home...
-
11. 08. 2017573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeZNoC3W96N
2:00 am573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVUFouOUAwi
The Winter estate.573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡchClaDltOu
573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE6B9WypDgz
"Drinking wine this early? That's a rare sight..." Raven spoke as she walked over to me. I was standing on our balcony, holding a bottle of wine.
"Is Anna asleep?"
"Yeah, she seemed very tired. We should try not to bring her into this, I don't want to stress her."
"I agree, would you like a sip?" I asked holding up the wine bottle in my hand. I needed a drink and was too impatient to get myself a glass, so I ended up drinking from the bottle. Under normal circumstances, Raven would've lost it. I am surprised she wasn't glaring at me right now.
"No thank you, I don't drink at this time."
"How are we twins?"
"I wonder that sometimes too..."573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPj6RJawcYu
Raven smirked, "I checked our birth certificates, by the way, I am elder than you."
"No way, by how much?"
"Three seconds." She said proudly.
I frowned, "That's rubbish!"
Raven let out a laugh, probably at how childish I was being.
It was nice, to forget what had happened for a moment.573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPf3mNFutAq
"Raven, I need to talk to you about... um... the case."
"Bella?"
I nodded.
She gestured me to continue.
I sucked a deep breath in,
"That night, Raven I saw someone standing right outside her window."573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiQ7kQsAaoq
Raven narrowed her eyes at me while studying me closely.
Probably trying to decide if I was telling the truth.573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTFqHRaqHeR
"He was a bit shorter than me, probably about two centimeters. His right front tooth was chipped off at the end, a-and he was wearing a black hoodie and black pants. And he smelled like... ink."
"His face?"
"It was too dark. But I know for sure he did it..."
"How? He could have been someone passing by."573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaVzQHEIAQq
"He... he... smiled. Raven, He smiled at her-her body... while she laid t-there..."
My voice was cracking now.573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwhyocn2Oyx
I can't hold on,
Not anymore.573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNQa7AkcsiV
I felt my sister's hands around me, as she slowly pushed my head down to the crook of her neck.
A strong scent of lavender hit me.
It was... calming.573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrX14wnRFpy
"It's okay to cry. You don't have to stay strong in front of me, okay?"
Hearing someone say that made me tear up. In no time I was sobbing while shaking in my sister's arms.
The whole time she patted my back and from time to time, ran her hand through my hair.
"I miss her..."
"I know, and I believe you."
"What do you mean...?"573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRFgNhFFRtB
"About the man you saw. I am sure he exists. And we will find him, I promise."
"Thank you..." whispered, Raven shushed me in response and stood there patting my back as I continued sobbing in her arms.573Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOSzSu5DZYH
It pained,
It felt like I had a hole in my chest.
More than seeing Bella dead, what made that hole bigger was the fact that I could have saved her...
If only I had taken the car...
If only I had chosen not to buy flowers...
If I was a few seconds faster...
Could I have stopped this Enigma from unfolding?
_______________________________________________________________________
Next chapter coming on- 6.12.2020 (coming Sunday)
Thank you for reading ^u^
-misswriter278
ns3.21.114.165da2
