10.08.2017404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8nwdANX9bJ
5:30 pm404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRHYLjn3tnz
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...404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEWNPN7k0Tg
"Mr. William"404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiTKfquWcjX
I wanted to do it too...404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi5clI8DsYk
"Mr. William"404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9qeA446BoV
Was I nervous too?404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5gW0C7Kkhd
"Sir!"404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKSU7DiFiKw
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.404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrLr66EpUwn
"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 voice404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ874RP3ai1x
Mr. Robert Faloney, the most cunning prosecutor living.
He is probably the reason corruption exists.404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDAGcQuUBGY
"Yes, I work with my sister, Raven Winter."404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTCf2sVS9gr
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."404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8IP0Kjagd7
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, 404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmDfbLtn4Oo
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.404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRMiXYUtnQ2
I looked around until I caught my sister's eye. She gave me a subtle nod and smiled my way.404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw5hJFM7aRt
That was all I needed...
For now.404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSWygwzXxhq
"She called me, Bella did."404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyzioGNLFXj
"Are you saying that, Miss. Bella called you over herself?"404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqin1hrTpue
"Yes."404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr7DGxA0Gk0
"For what reason?"404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpBos6p0rLM
"She had told me that she wanted to tell me something important."404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTC4ODq5UDE
"Do you have an idea of what that might be?"404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPGY097vgBD
"No."404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhanKJfONTF
"And so, you walked down to her house?"404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Kd6cAnlRO
"Yes, it was only a few blocks away."
"Did you go empty-handed?"404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZlBQ0QdUmS
I paused for a minute.404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4CyzSPXPWT
I have to stay strong,
I need to get out of here,
I need to catch him...404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiZoMi2mVcj
"No, I bought flowers along the way. White roses with a hint of pink."
"Did you, by any chance, have feelings for Bella or- "404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlf11Mg9ROW
"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.404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxWD0V6OIcc
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.404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1kQ8JDZGEy
"Objection dismissed." The judge announced as he turned toward me again.404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK7HnBGw3RT
"No, we were just friends," I answered.404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwLyP1oC6FS
"Are you sure?"404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9xofQSw7qF
"Yes."
"What did you see when you entered the house?"404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoWuS56D1pR
What did I see?
What did I see...404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX3cnpBeTfl
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...404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0XZP1WXWkK
"I saw... her in the l-living room." I started. "She had been hit... No, umm..."404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ55ewimEIZP
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.404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiphbD63BGM
You have to stay strong.
For her.404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiSd4JCRm4x
"Your honor, clearly my client is not comfortable in sharing a memory of his friend who was bludgeoned to death."404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ02RpOhM7C6
I flinched hearing the last words Jenny spoke.404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4hrwdsQuE6
"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.404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVyAPn3WVBg
I felt a hand caress my shoulder, "Are you okay?" Raven's voice spoke softly.404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ762BixgmWA
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...404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMdshkALuT1
That smelled like... Anna...404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH0mi9c19RQ
"William!" Anna exclaimed as she ran into my arms. Picking her up I held her close to me.404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtJIRhmL2XC
I never get tired of that strawberry scent...404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZbqDjsS04S
"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.404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu3TJjrgrZE
"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.404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2iSdqyP6oU
"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.404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4MR7HJKu3u
"That's enough of playing around. Let's go home..." Raven spoke.
Home...
After all of this, I still had a home...
-
11. 08. 2017404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVrvPGSxCvT
2:00 am404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk7J5ef05HH
The Winter estate.404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKh0B8RE4kf
404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkTFauUmAY5
"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..."404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2t5dbPS7XM
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.404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyiDKEhkbZu
"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."404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1zOp1Ea88p
Raven narrowed her eyes at me while studying me closely.
Probably trying to decide if I was telling the truth.404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ttx54Dxbl
"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."404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQjwVlP5Jeb
"He... he... smiled. Raven, He smiled at her-her body... while she laid t-there..."
My voice was cracking now.404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡazAQZGF5D6
I can't hold on,
Not anymore.404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡci2eMnePSh
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.404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr8fxtdGB8B
"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...?"404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1EJM7CA95l
"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.404Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgRUjShrijF
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 15.158.61.8da2
