10.08.2017501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ888fKxXPVI
5:30 pm501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz0GmP45keR
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...501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQACuVNgAzB
"Mr. William"501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2VxcyLJlb1
I wanted to do it too...501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9DKui7qHP9
"Mr. William"501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIH61ssCu9P
Was I nervous too?501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRT6m7M3Ys9
"Sir!"501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFXeWKAQrlZ
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.501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3CzLlpZEM0
"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 voice501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr8J4ke2lZk
Mr. Robert Faloney, the most cunning prosecutor living.
He is probably the reason corruption exists.501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVdCFxNChdB
"Yes, I work with my sister, Raven Winter."501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4W3LEAzyx5
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."501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO4jGVJD2iz
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, 501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx4DDwYc7i2
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.501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ875b4rHWOz
I looked around until I caught my sister's eye. She gave me a subtle nod and smiled my way.501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEMYXHRlsil
That was all I needed...
For now.501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtp9bPvGLEw
"She called me, Bella did."501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVAX7N0v5VL
"Are you saying that, Miss. Bella called you over herself?"501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ78FnEmwtPp
"Yes."501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNQJslceJmN
"For what reason?"501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIz7II8R23e
"She had told me that she wanted to tell me something important."501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW80Bdehj8X
"Do you have an idea of what that might be?"501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkrsU268N7q
"No."501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjg6XQ6V2YR
"And so, you walked down to her house?"501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9vhg1hxMmM
"Yes, it was only a few blocks away."
"Did you go empty-handed?"501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz27T3Fkehw
I paused for a minute.501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡei16VtxGeV
I have to stay strong,
I need to get out of here,
I need to catch him...501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIED1vGRmsT
"No, I bought flowers along the way. White roses with a hint of pink."
"Did you, by any chance, have feelings for Bella or- "501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHxMfECzPlc
"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.501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoYuAeRFWsC
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.501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzsN0tP2TBD
"Objection dismissed." The judge announced as he turned toward me again.501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuNbNV7oeBx
"No, we were just friends," I answered.501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKVOA5LZgQf
"Are you sure?"501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiOBYxr35c7
"Yes."
"What did you see when you entered the house?"501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSxURhwjCEc
What did I see?
What did I see...501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0NZuQhuPuN
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...501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBXp3ltjm1k
"I saw... her in the l-living room." I started. "She had been hit... No, umm..."501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsZip7ywiPH
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.501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4WEqePtZpP
You have to stay strong.
For her.501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiwvLodZnlq
"Your honor, clearly my client is not comfortable in sharing a memory of his friend who was bludgeoned to death."501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC546AWFTUk
I flinched hearing the last words Jenny spoke.501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaC1p1pzJfn
"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.501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEm008qq8eY
I felt a hand caress my shoulder, "Are you okay?" Raven's voice spoke softly.501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAw1Unz9QoI
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...501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGCFSk4MxOb
That smelled like... Anna...501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz9R2aF9yg1
"William!" Anna exclaimed as she ran into my arms. Picking her up I held her close to me.501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0NNFUSs7C0
I never get tired of that strawberry scent...501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡglgNKfeZ5b
"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.501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbRc9d7NyF5
"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.501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuCRn3KzYW9
"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.501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrDUXxhDHTZ
"That's enough of playing around. Let's go home..." Raven spoke.
Home...
After all of this, I still had a home...
-
11. 08. 2017501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ26l8xWtwvE
2:00 am501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNoreY9I5iB
The Winter estate.501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKQbYaElEcn
501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaO8jNau6sw
"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..."501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqzZU2RBTuC
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.501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡokyAOegqEy
"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."501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFXgeUF9y7h
Raven narrowed her eyes at me while studying me closely.
Probably trying to decide if I was telling the truth.501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ndY46dvll
"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."501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ508WdsqytV
"He... he... smiled. Raven, He smiled at her-her body... while she laid t-there..."
My voice was cracking now.501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc1jXL0Sj8q
I can't hold on,
Not anymore.501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjucveLynHa
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.501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRyY8029K8X
"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...?"501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFTGUz51Vpz
"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.501Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVrJWXa1TJD
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
ns 15.158.61.5da2
