10.08.2017655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNCmKSw51qy
5:30 pm655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMmiZJawCVB
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...655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK5UF6tn3uB
"Mr. William"655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5CMH3k9SAV
I wanted to do it too...655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ZicMHiMA6
"Mr. William"655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoEe2UxfyOE
Was I nervous too?655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyz0ezXnbfL
"Sir!"655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTDGluXvoJe
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.655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrMhFJu3gqy
"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 voice655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsHBm4LCH2W
Mr. Robert Faloney, the most cunning prosecutor living.
He is probably the reason corruption exists.655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzdLtMlXD1n
"Yes, I work with my sister, Raven Winter."655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLrNvpUUaMJ
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."655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8wF8UEcpKV
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, 655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDNVMXhMpNy
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.655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWnzV15joHY
I looked around until I caught my sister's eye. She gave me a subtle nod and smiled my way.655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6qRRDZVuSS
That was all I needed...
For now.655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5feGxawe8i
"She called me, Bella did."655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGyE3LSSawp
"Are you saying that, Miss. Bella called you over herself?"655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpm8WIl0odh
"Yes."655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE3lkCiQybg
"For what reason?"655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡreQpzqHpAR
"She had told me that she wanted to tell me something important."655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTzFBhVMhLM
"Do you have an idea of what that might be?"655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8gTWrcxiGd
"No."655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6H9K61GIoo
"And so, you walked down to her house?"655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwqH26bpMmh
"Yes, it was only a few blocks away."
"Did you go empty-handed?"655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPphWg1ebYF
I paused for a minute.655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8OVOzN7Na5
I have to stay strong,
I need to get out of here,
I need to catch him...655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo23vU0XVVE
"No, I bought flowers along the way. White roses with a hint of pink."
"Did you, by any chance, have feelings for Bella or- "655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN1xPf54mB6
"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.655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPwVRBaZ3G8
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.655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqFYbtk40z9
"Objection dismissed." The judge announced as he turned toward me again.655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkHzSsER7Br
"No, we were just friends," I answered.655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmksNcJHRpt
"Are you sure?"655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ANteZp8Dt
"Yes."
"What did you see when you entered the house?"655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJuchGu53T3
What did I see?
What did I see...655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWX2oeh73lV
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...655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt86oYtxdHA
"I saw... her in the l-living room." I started. "She had been hit... No, umm..."655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqruuSFs25i
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.655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr4rDVjMt0Q
You have to stay strong.
For her.655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBgC04boMku
"Your honor, clearly my client is not comfortable in sharing a memory of his friend who was bludgeoned to death."655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx2MmtQFRJ2
I flinched hearing the last words Jenny spoke.655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8nAJtVj8w9
"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.655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUMhY5N3de3
I felt a hand caress my shoulder, "Are you okay?" Raven's voice spoke softly.655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcDzPEh0PPN
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...655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz7qsBSBtHb
That smelled like... Anna...655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxih4Jb88hv
"William!" Anna exclaimed as she ran into my arms. Picking her up I held her close to me.655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfj8T9yRImW
I never get tired of that strawberry scent...655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUItIPavVlm
"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.655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhpJzJe4Ghx
"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.655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYGGJqqGnpp
"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.655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOdNzPXhiSB
"That's enough of playing around. Let's go home..." Raven spoke.
Home...
After all of this, I still had a home...
-
11. 08. 2017655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKmRQZiT940
2:00 am655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4QslWrvBZt
The Winter estate.655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrWr6jElms1
655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ42aYhpUpRT
"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..."655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd6LssuSf9R
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.655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWE5i2NawrT
"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."655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ0Z26q7nXP
Raven narrowed her eyes at me while studying me closely.
Probably trying to decide if I was telling the truth.655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrega2gh3M5
"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."655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsMdNBj2wT1
"He... he... smiled. Raven, He smiled at her-her body... while she laid t-there..."
My voice was cracking now.655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡykq9PCZevM
I can't hold on,
Not anymore.655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡioRs2Ib2Za
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.655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE7R1wTAehw
"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...?"655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9DjU5d3XKD
"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.655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzEAMHb1zc4
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
ns216.73.216.143da2
