10.08.2017539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZocmgQgYVP
5:30 pm539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcpe13XOxI2
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...539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmWe5tnTlMH
"Mr. William"539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡehWyPWTsc9
I wanted to do it too...539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiqChvcyxGn
"Mr. William"539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0BFfvaD2Sn
Was I nervous too?539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTgzCW1TJKj
"Sir!"539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ60axpjcaBk
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.539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjfiGXr9WIF
"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 voice539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8H99PxXJZk
Mr. Robert Faloney, the most cunning prosecutor living.
He is probably the reason corruption exists.539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWwqWqdavB5
"Yes, I work with my sister, Raven Winter."539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiyqjNE01Fe
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."539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIkhSvVp0Ol
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, 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1KbfOfgDle
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.539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcOJJVBgbhU
I looked around until I caught my sister's eye. She gave me a subtle nod and smiled my way.539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqyjlq9eaRX
That was all I needed...
For now.539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIf4aQdD7lj
"She called me, Bella did."539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkBFhdnlvbF
"Are you saying that, Miss. Bella called you over herself?"539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡETJLjZgr8F
"Yes."539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBqk2v6Tz67
"For what reason?"539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡagug5saobw
"She had told me that she wanted to tell me something important."539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK3tokRlarR
"Do you have an idea of what that might be?"539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJlV74VBqX0
"No."539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxVOJwhdRjp
"And so, you walked down to her house?"539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs6fXEthGKL
"Yes, it was only a few blocks away."
"Did you go empty-handed?"539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3toUa60iQf
I paused for a minute.539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxXdLNR5CcW
I have to stay strong,
I need to get out of here,
I need to catch him...539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkUwdo1f6Ty
"No, I bought flowers along the way. White roses with a hint of pink."
"Did you, by any chance, have feelings for Bella or- "539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAaBUi9BkvS
"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.539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNCDBCE8BU9
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.539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlv9D9rDiex
"Objection dismissed." The judge announced as he turned toward me again.539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpA8a7QqH0Z
"No, we were just friends," I answered.539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW5Qoa8d1T3
"Are you sure?"539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMfHC88re0g
"Yes."
"What did you see when you entered the house?"539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYa1lKQiJu4
What did I see?
What did I see...539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ15qZNjHHuN
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...539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV5mHflQGX4
"I saw... her in the l-living room." I started. "She had been hit... No, umm..."539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHhBdyef7Bt
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.539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡudeFuYyVjm
You have to stay strong.
For her.539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcCj5R09lw9
"Your honor, clearly my client is not comfortable in sharing a memory of his friend who was bludgeoned to death."539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Eer63qtcg
I flinched hearing the last words Jenny spoke.539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2hMcG3LrdA
"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.539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNqXRivTIBq
I felt a hand caress my shoulder, "Are you okay?" Raven's voice spoke softly.539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡymiS9bDNMD
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...539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvpjR6i2fFd
That smelled like... Anna...539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjVvn0jG4Ww
"William!" Anna exclaimed as she ran into my arms. Picking her up I held her close to me.539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW8p9ytX8q8
I never get tired of that strawberry scent...539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuDDfV1WKuK
"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.539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV0suwYRCGJ
"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.539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNv9NCOrzRg
"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.539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOX7Tf8ZR0Y
"That's enough of playing around. Let's go home..." Raven spoke.
Home...
After all of this, I still had a home...
-
11. 08. 2017539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnxX2aG8fA3
2:00 am539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1su3XSj8x1
The Winter estate.539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjvLt07G4FG
539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJCp28z1wh8
"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..."539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ70uBl4YgOG
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.539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvTvhvhAd7g
"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."539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ma6n9nDtw
Raven narrowed her eyes at me while studying me closely.
Probably trying to decide if I was telling the truth.539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvUgthgJyGh
"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."539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsjeY8q0tlS
"He... he... smiled. Raven, He smiled at her-her body... while she laid t-there..."
My voice was cracking now.539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdQtIG6a8Am
I can't hold on,
Not anymore.539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm2lzUuwNmk
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.539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKQljOdBS8G
"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...?"539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCvDFNd6YhP
"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.539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1zoiFpVEHl
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
ns3.14.134.206da2
