10.08.2017590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCCQnwSvfIf
5:30 pm590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡam9rlXwmqv
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...590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9puaLu4a91
"Mr. William"590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1EsGxYu8En
I wanted to do it too...590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn5JiSPXlzM
"Mr. William"590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz3aDPncqUD
Was I nervous too?590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh3aMJTujeS
"Sir!"590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVnp59ziafF
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.590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSgbbb3WniM
"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 voice590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡODHSiN1s34
Mr. Robert Faloney, the most cunning prosecutor living.
He is probably the reason corruption exists.590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjGf3JR5WVJ
"Yes, I work with my sister, Raven Winter."590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb8ibMVYS1b
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."590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIHjFvQzsPt
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, 590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUcgsGEFxMq
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.590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI3Y7sd5HIf
I looked around until I caught my sister's eye. She gave me a subtle nod and smiled my way.590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvtkTpis6kq
That was all I needed...
For now.590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWk1HfvAXAI
"She called me, Bella did."590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyf6tkjEUdk
"Are you saying that, Miss. Bella called you over herself?"590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB5P8TQzB8s
"Yes."590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeTmLhCujwn
"For what reason?"590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgN7FbSMKps
"She had told me that she wanted to tell me something important."590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGkk8u9m7GO
"Do you have an idea of what that might be?"590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfAJ6R2yyqE
"No."590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI4ERAHT040
"And so, you walked down to her house?"590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWe05GjeaEW
"Yes, it was only a few blocks away."
"Did you go empty-handed?"590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKKWeFm1TIU
I paused for a minute.590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHLQrmyueur
I have to stay strong,
I need to get out of here,
I need to catch him...590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT9ydjMYc4B
"No, I bought flowers along the way. White roses with a hint of pink."
"Did you, by any chance, have feelings for Bella or- "590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡox0gY5yqw0
"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.590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhsZQkL9Wlo
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.590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡirqcLEDiiT
"Objection dismissed." The judge announced as he turned toward me again.590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfnDWMpNPgT
"No, we were just friends," I answered.590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxUI4EGMRf3
"Are you sure?"590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCJPKgTEnaS
"Yes."
"What did you see when you entered the house?"590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsjZxAmQMdT
What did I see?
What did I see...590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxSo0riff2n
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...590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ40tZoVXWeA
"I saw... her in the l-living room." I started. "She had been hit... No, umm..."590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPgf3X7dG7I
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.590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsXmEJ05DkB
You have to stay strong.
For her.590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtCnEnfEYlt
"Your honor, clearly my client is not comfortable in sharing a memory of his friend who was bludgeoned to death."590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyHhpIjbvPZ
I flinched hearing the last words Jenny spoke.590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6nq7jWRAyr
"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.590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2u8aV9YF5d
I felt a hand caress my shoulder, "Are you okay?" Raven's voice spoke softly.590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ84sL3Bg8Qs
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...590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkiqauk1NdW
That smelled like... Anna...590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIqA2vkUqL3
"William!" Anna exclaimed as she ran into my arms. Picking her up I held her close to me.590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkI8osiCjMd
I never get tired of that strawberry scent...590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDYOHGzRV9n
"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.590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcRcDh3CkYO
"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.590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQfYMv6DpWr
"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.590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlT4HUaesr1
"That's enough of playing around. Let's go home..." Raven spoke.
Home...
After all of this, I still had a home...
-
11. 08. 2017590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuVeoAIdsUe
2:00 am590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkQHTipLFOF
The Winter estate.590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSwFYb2YekH
590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGCKaZsvjTA
"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..."590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIiiNC1Kmox
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.590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5UHmnTzN5Q
"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."590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlIv9oYz205
Raven narrowed her eyes at me while studying me closely.
Probably trying to decide if I was telling the truth.590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOt218hNS1Y
"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."590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd4WBhVlOD1
"He... he... smiled. Raven, He smiled at her-her body... while she laid t-there..."
My voice was cracking now.590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnwnvsfH3ma
I can't hold on,
Not anymore.590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlanY2XRJXZ
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.590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaGuUboeudB
"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...?"590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQbNuJ937Wm
"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.590Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0I2W3UohZc
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
ns3.139.55.240da2
