10.08.2017405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXohAInO9l0
5:30 pm405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsU4YdS2SLh
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...405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqUslk0REIU
"Mr. William"405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRoJTioIzbJ
I wanted to do it too...405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVu5SA8oK6r
"Mr. William"405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWCeeblG58U
Was I nervous too?405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvoHCitU0FI
"Sir!"405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHETq3KUHU0
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.405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI98tyxd9Gn
"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 voice405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkPjxNTNRgV
Mr. Robert Faloney, the most cunning prosecutor living.
He is probably the reason corruption exists.405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMGOSRMd2Et
"Yes, I work with my sister, Raven Winter."405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr2jeKd5Jr6
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."405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdRd0OMsByl
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, 405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL3mQhgmu8a
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.405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeWM9FS0xai
I looked around until I caught my sister's eye. She gave me a subtle nod and smiled my way.405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjZEi2s96xk
That was all I needed...
For now.405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqu7vNqO2yw
"She called me, Bella did."405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtQiwqgIKcx
"Are you saying that, Miss. Bella called you over herself?"405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmDJaxupJQc
"Yes."405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv8dKJQJH6T
"For what reason?"405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1jkGXGm8kr
"She had told me that she wanted to tell me something important."405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEjYvcPuPa2
"Do you have an idea of what that might be?"405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLQGO0zDFL5
"No."405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwYw2rzambU
"And so, you walked down to her house?"405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0KFHddfY7P
"Yes, it was only a few blocks away."
"Did you go empty-handed?"405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3QrJiYdM3F
I paused for a minute.405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx1kjlylrGz
I have to stay strong,
I need to get out of here,
I need to catch him...405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcWJpdxWDVk
"No, I bought flowers along the way. White roses with a hint of pink."
"Did you, by any chance, have feelings for Bella or- "405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVsYEvUoqhU
"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.405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDz8GxT0bas
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.405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa99zwN0gMZ
"Objection dismissed." The judge announced as he turned toward me again.405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT0r5ABtxsO
"No, we were just friends," I answered.405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZy7sfeMAkB
"Are you sure?"405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTTnJ62jv5Z
"Yes."
"What did you see when you entered the house?"405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmbZGwEkoHR
What did I see?
What did I see...405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwGVfTpNbKr
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...405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNFmRAjM98g
"I saw... her in the l-living room." I started. "She had been hit... No, umm..."405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ02ZLQj31do
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.405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5tuBGJuhDp
You have to stay strong.
For her.405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXpG7xHuHCX
"Your honor, clearly my client is not comfortable in sharing a memory of his friend who was bludgeoned to death."405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrIhklqvMwl
I flinched hearing the last words Jenny spoke.405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhfDA1WT4f1
"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.405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWJxyMbkl1V
I felt a hand caress my shoulder, "Are you okay?" Raven's voice spoke softly.405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIUnBDOaf6J
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...405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP05JhwHTsw
That smelled like... Anna...405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzOQMfP5rEz
"William!" Anna exclaimed as she ran into my arms. Picking her up I held her close to me.405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvWZM9huEq6
I never get tired of that strawberry scent...405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXUflyhrLYX
"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.405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpl86DshJxb
"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.405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4mN3lLuQoV
"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.405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSRuX4DYAn6
"That's enough of playing around. Let's go home..." Raven spoke.
Home...
After all of this, I still had a home...
-
11. 08. 2017405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWvjTaZmm7M
2:00 am405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOAhWW5PESh
The Winter estate.405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGYsgS09e3S
405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXMJ5tSKj3s
"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..."405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡno48lZ7C25
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.405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlwOl4h0E4z
"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."405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqHqEMavSOn
Raven narrowed her eyes at me while studying me closely.
Probably trying to decide if I was telling the truth.405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE3rhAZriGn
"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."405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMGZV2oohLV
"He... he... smiled. Raven, He smiled at her-her body... while she laid t-there..."
My voice was cracking now.405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFU5p3a0x4K
I can't hold on,
Not anymore.405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1gT1l3wlCX
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.405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ59Dsl3WNqD
"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...?"405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsAbnduLDWL
"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.405Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUsj01ydAHY
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 15.158.61.21da2
