The Mackenzie house is immaculate, from the pristine white walls to the polished furniture. It would appear at first glance that nothing is out of place, but should a visitor pay keen attention, they would sense the melancholy atmosphere completely surrounding them. It's almost as if I'm being choked. Despite the sadness that is being emitted from every corner of the room, I manage to remember my aim: find out more about Antoine Mackenzie, and try to find out about anyone who has been in a similar situation.445Please respect copyright.PENANAW0ywCjqhBj
"Thank you, again, for doing this, Miss James."445Please respect copyright.PENANAveNhWv3JvE
"Reina. Please, call me Reina. And I'm happy to assist in any way possible. I can't imagine how painful this must be for you." 445Please respect copyright.PENANAZ7L4NvOKJf
"What do you mean?" she asks curiously, catching on to the suggestive tone in my voice.445Please respect copyright.PENANAJMAsOf6QZw
"I believe that your son was murdered, Mrs. Mackenzie, and I think that you believe so too."445Please respect copyright.PENANAqu4NG9v59w
"No, he killed himself," she states, sounding extremely unconvincing.445Please respect copyright.PENANAYmCpHNTK6G
"You don't believe that."445Please respect copyright.PENANAxJHJImfx0o
"Why are you doing this?" she asks me, sounding angry.445Please respect copyright.PENANAvwa6AvswFc
"Because I want to get justice for your child," I say slowly, stating the obvious.445Please respect copyright.PENANASvl4gSjpo0
"Listen to me. You need to stop," she says, stepping right up to me, whispering harshly into my ear.445Please respect copyright.PENANA49wgjyvmJ1
"What?" I ask, absolutely confused.445Please respect copyright.PENANAwi79BrfSxr
"My child is dead. You're alive. Unless you want to end up dead too, you will drop this. We have no power. You see them white people out there? They've got the power."445Please respect copyright.PENANA9rnjGLkVym
"I have a policeman on my side. They closed the investigation, but he's investigating it on his own."445Please respect copyright.PENANAFxIlLSVIk1
"If they closed it... then they gonna kill him, too."445Please respect copyright.PENANAqQUMFqWBeS
I look at this woman in pure frustration. This is her dead son. How could she be so dismissive?445Please respect copyright.PENANAvI6OCf08eZ
"Listen, I love my son, "she tells me, sensing my judgement, "but I'm not gonna ask you to die in the name of his honor."445Please respect copyright.PENANAFl3rdna2yS
"This is more than that," I say, using a different tactic. "There are other people that this has happened to--"445Please respect copyright.PENANA15SHb3kwyX
"--and you're not gonna to change that, because if you try, you'll get strung up, just like my boy. I don't want to talk about this no more."445Please respect copyright.PENANAIqr6I88JPa
With that, she walks off, to talk to one of the other mourners.445Please respect copyright.PENANAnMW91H7kVm
I sigh in exasperation. This is going to be harder than I thought.445Please respect copyright.PENANAyN97Qz5c2a
***445Please respect copyright.PENANA4fbwM1VApT
After playing my heart out at the funeral, I walk around the yard aimlessly looking for someone to talk to... someone who looks approachable. Of course, it's not that easy. What do I say? 445Please respect copyright.PENANAPJuhYgkT7H
"Hello. I'm trying to properly investigate this young man's death, which is probably a murder. Now please tell me everything about him, as well as anyone else you know that has possibly been lynched."445Please respect copyright.PENANAtM5f2ugABs
No.445Please respect copyright.PENANAtI6F7Zwckk
I sit by an apple tree in the yard, and lean my head back, and begin to drift into unconsciousness. However, just as I'm about to fall asleep, I feel a harsh pinch on my arm. I yelp in surprise slapping my arm harshly.445Please respect copyright.PENANAAAkklDi4fY
"Shoot," I mutter as the dead ant falls off, a bump now rising on my arm.445Please respect copyright.PENANAEXK7altwXi
"Annmarie should put a warning label by this tree," a voice from the dark.445Please respect copyright.PENANATquwH7yNfq
I look up, and see a tall woman standing above me.445Please respect copyright.PENANAglgCjNgM07
"Who's Annmarie?"445Please respect copyright.PENANAkH2eC3uBAz
"Mrs. Mackenzie," she replies, holding out a hand to me.445Please respect copyright.PENANAjBLxGjmFo5
"Ah," I say, nodding as she pulls me up from the ground.445Please respect copyright.PENANAPtNdSQlzbp
"I'm Chloe. Antoine's godmother."445Please respect copyright.PENANAEX3yVbjcjh
"Reina."445Please respect copyright.PENANAVz9Z6GkUtf
"You're the piano girl. You played beautifully," she complements me with an all-white smile.445Please respect copyright.PENANAlMKeaXL94W
"Thank you," I tell her, following her as she walks back towards the rest of the mourners.445Please respect copyright.PENANAl1z1FkLCxi
"Just out of curiosity, why did you come over to me?"445Please respect copyright.PENANAP66RrAQYa0
"I came to see if you were okay. Most people don't fall asleep on the ground by an apple tree when they're at a funeral. Unless they're drunk, that is."445Please respect copyright.PENANAJvKWxp5XRi
I feel my face heating up in embarrassment. I turn away from her so that she doesn't see my face change from light brown to cherry red.445Please respect copyright.PENANABV4HaS4iyw
"I'm sorry."445Please respect copyright.PENANAqFynO89iTB
"It's all good. You should have asked for a bed, though."445Please respect copyright.PENANArSwP0hsBuu
"That feels a little intrusive."445Please respect copyright.PENANAsUbT62lPly
"Nah. We won't be using Antoine's bed again, anyhow."445Please respect copyright.PENANAnJrTVNIZgm
Damn. That would be the perfect opportunity, wouldn't it? Stay in the boy's room, see into his life. Then again, I don't want to piss his mother off.445Please respect copyright.PENANACt4SOCpzRr
Damn it. Damn it to hell.445Please respect copyright.PENANA5LUN9TgGQK
What's wrong?" Chloe asks me.445Please respect copyright.PENANA8tTvQ3bf26
"I'm investigating Antoine's death." The way that it sounds kind of strange, as if I myself am a police officer.445Please respect copyright.PENANARIBGgpz9fm
"Well, that is kind of... dangerous."445Please respect copyright.PENANAiMbRNQ0j8o
"I still want to do it, but his mother doesn't want to help."445Please respect copyright.PENANAX0bTWiVmPf
"His mother doesn't believe in martyrdom, especially with her experience concerning this kind of thing."445Please respect copyright.PENANAmp3QaBBhAy
"What do you mean?"445Please respect copyright.PENANAg0BlDAqQ1c
"Uh, I shouldn't have said that," she mutters to herself.445Please respect copyright.PENANABg1oUWgQBx
"Listen," I say to her in the best pleading voice that I can manage. "I need your help. There are others--"445Please respect copyright.PENANAmLcCkFNYXc
"Oh, I know that, darling," she says, her eyes telling me so little, yet so much. "I know."445Please respect copyright.PENANAlsHINQuUlm
***445Please respect copyright.PENANATJGuUt81zE
"He was on his high school track team. He loved sports, but concentrated on his education in community college. He was studying to become an engineer. Loved fish. Hated red meat. Nothing here for a motive for a hate crime, apart from the obvious. Race."445Please respect copyright.PENANAnYbg3vC8ml
"Was he a part of any activist groups?" Officer Tiller asks, looking exceptionally pale on the bright computer screen.445Please respect copyright.PENANAz4uJcfbrXz
"No. I checked. His mother is exceptionally paranoid; she'd never allow it."445Please respect copyright.PENANA6dRTpFmIJ2
"Was he dating anyone?"445Please respect copyright.PENANAXuG5VzJ2UU
"No."445Please respect copyright.PENANA6t16JPh0dD
"Was he outspoken on any firm beliefs?"445Please respect copyright.PENANAI5CqpYGzw8
"No."445Please respect copyright.PENANAgp3M6UEw4n
He lets out an exasperated sigh.445Please respect copyright.PENANAjl66r2WnUm
"This is frustrating," he mutters, pulling a hand through his blonde hair.445Please respect copyright.PENANAbvo5E31eP6
"I did find some hope, though."445Please respect copyright.PENANA5b6VwBDUvA
"What?" he asks, suddenly sitting up a little straighter.445Please respect copyright.PENANADBmp4ab7PK
Antoine's mother, Annmarie, Has a friend Chloe. Chloe is Antoine's godmother; she is the one who told me about him."445Please respect copyright.PENANAdARKBF0854
He looks at his computer screen with newfound enthusiasm, waiting for me to continue.445Please respect copyright.PENANAgF6rZu47uF
"Chloe's son, Johnathon -- Annmarie's godson also died in this way. That's part of the reason why Annmarie is so paranoid -- she saw her godson as her son. Chloe is just more open to risks than Annmarie."445Please respect copyright.PENANANLl620yQjO
"And?" he asks, the excitement growing on his face.445Please respect copyright.PENANAu3nEzeTbvM
"I've convinced Chloe to talk to us about her son."445Please respect copyright.PENANAmRk0a38V2S
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