10.08.2017440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNtKzShQqvd
5:30 pm440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHCYcDxTWda
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...440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9e4WNJwpKY
"Mr. William"440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzbMPAlI1b7
I wanted to do it too...440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7k5Timians
"Mr. William"440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWyW9wlxOTU
Was I nervous too?440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkCVAF5i8la
"Sir!"440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQjLtc1XrQQ
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.440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc3yHtFZ23j
"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 voice440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhd1YR4N6PZ
Mr. Robert Faloney, the most cunning prosecutor living.
He is probably the reason corruption exists.440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNwXr2gFqpv
"Yes, I work with my sister, Raven Winter."440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXytJd7A9AU
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."440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjcQePOGRPv
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, 440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuYyHEsDiGs
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.440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJRRAywo4Lv
I looked around until I caught my sister's eye. She gave me a subtle nod and smiled my way.440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyuK2ylvXcT
That was all I needed...
For now.440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZszQSlyLH8
"She called me, Bella did."440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB1oQb0rviA
"Are you saying that, Miss. Bella called you over herself?"440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP9JXzo8uTP
"Yes."440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY2b9BqMCbb
"For what reason?"440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcNl1pCp0zu
"She had told me that she wanted to tell me something important."440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLt80t6UTCW
"Do you have an idea of what that might be?"440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyygDsx4HW9
"No."440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy4Yptv3Ri5
"And so, you walked down to her house?"440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6CtzaLXAKq
"Yes, it was only a few blocks away."
"Did you go empty-handed?"440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS9xX8y9JWz
I paused for a minute.440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzHwT1Zr9WZ
I have to stay strong,
I need to get out of here,
I need to catch him...440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQARKMLTD6e
"No, I bought flowers along the way. White roses with a hint of pink."
"Did you, by any chance, have feelings for Bella or- "440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2yuBJxFZJG
"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.440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡALOnDZfB02
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.440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzXnm2dfvvv
"Objection dismissed." The judge announced as he turned toward me again.440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbn1C1l6kGx
"No, we were just friends," I answered.440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBPxiCZ83xi
"Are you sure?"440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaKbueFenqO
"Yes."
"What did you see when you entered the house?"440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiLIXbtKsoH
What did I see?
What did I see...440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmDBXZwVLgw
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...440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡggDfszUhQs
"I saw... her in the l-living room." I started. "She had been hit... No, umm..."440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBVBW6PnpmE
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.440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH3RbyVV9aJ
You have to stay strong.
For her.440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU8tUP6vfkj
"Your honor, clearly my client is not comfortable in sharing a memory of his friend who was bludgeoned to death."440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTwN9h1dKZD
I flinched hearing the last words Jenny spoke.440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbQUdiZrQur
"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.440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAp6vZ5vHk2
I felt a hand caress my shoulder, "Are you okay?" Raven's voice spoke softly.440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPIOyNs8gci
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...440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOgVjpBXTrw
That smelled like... Anna...440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaVOHbuyDkL
"William!" Anna exclaimed as she ran into my arms. Picking her up I held her close to me.440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡphN3cUfLIX
I never get tired of that strawberry scent...440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvdQ92Prw8l
"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.440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡILuy9Tw0dx
"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.440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb730eX8EYM
"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.440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGLrmyDoIjx
"That's enough of playing around. Let's go home..." Raven spoke.
Home...
After all of this, I still had a home...
-
11. 08. 2017440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhND7q4pi9I
2:00 am440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCsprL0l3hq
The Winter estate.440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmTusAWbMeM
440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwU3q5OU6YO
"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..."440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMduS1uA46n
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.440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWxibZ0nUuB
"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."440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGkU6a5QqpS
Raven narrowed her eyes at me while studying me closely.
Probably trying to decide if I was telling the truth.440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFjt7UztMsS
"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."440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEvuRUWHxzR
"He... he... smiled. Raven, He smiled at her-her body... while she laid t-there..."
My voice was cracking now.440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡENlGB1oMPt
I can't hold on,
Not anymore.440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0vyxua194r
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.440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtR9mjTIPZk
"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...?"440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyG8d0NVrab
"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.440Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQGc5WqGiom
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
