Tweetie

63

"I knew it was wrong, from the moment she picked up the file. I knew things would go wrong. She's Hazel White, she's talented. I thought- I thought I could stop her from finding out, I took evidence, files. I hid them while the others framed whoever they thought was fitting and helped where I could. I wasn't trying to get her hurt, I didn't try to hurt anyone. The threats were meant to deter her. I just... I don't know. I was desperate."

"Why did you do it in the first place? How did you get involved in the murder of Jason Barber?"

"I was selling information to gangs, destroying evidence to hide crimes. It started out that I was just working for Arthur Matson, then Daniel Thompson got in contact once Arthur was arrested and Daniel was released. They were starting their own gang, they had some big names in it too, most have left the country by now. But they paid well. Jason Barber was involved, he sold drugs to school kids at parties whenever he could, then Ricky got involved too. I guess he wasn't too keen on Jason, jealousy or something, but he ended up ratting him out to Daniel. He told him he was stealing shares of the money he was supposed to give.

"Jason Barber died, beaten to death the moment he walked into the hideout. I found out after when they asked me to help them hide the evidence."

"And where is the hideout? Where is Jason Barbers body?"

"Southblock Hotel. He was buried in the basement... I just want it to be known that I regret all of this."

She stood, unblinking in the growing night.

Once again, she found herself stood watching an interrogation. One she couldn't bare to get involved in herself. She was lost, hopelessly blank in her expression, but she couldn't stop crying, she couldn't stop the tears from pooling on her cheeks or her nose from running. Her mind was as blank as her expression, she didn't take in anything but the conversation ahead of her.

It was ridiculous. She felt ridiculous.

"...Robin, what are you doing in here? You shouldn't force yourself to listen to this."

"Roderick," she turned, unshifting from the mans sudden appearance behind her, she was more stone than girl. "Roderick, please. Tell me this is just a sick joke. Please. I- I don't want this. This can't be real."

He said nothing, knowing the truth would hurt but a lie would hurt more.

"C'mon," he shook his head, feeling the hurt himself. He could barely imagine how Robin was feeling if he felt so terrible about it. "You can stay at my house, I think you need to go home and rest. You haven't rested in days."

"No," she refused, "I want to know everything."

"It's not going to do you any good."

She fell quiet, lowering her head again to look at her feet. What a pathetic life she led.

"Can you-" she stopped, rethinking her decision. Yet, she continued. "Can you take me somewhere else?"

"It's not dangerous, is it?"

"No."

He hesitated, glancing over her. Yet, he doubted that in the state she was in, she would want to do anything even remotely reckless. She was upset, but she wasn't stupid. So, he nodded, agreeing without knowing where she wanted to go and he led her out of the room, fingers on her back and eyes ahead.

The central police station, just like always, was busy with working life. Yet, as she passed, people fell silent, they stopped their conversations and they turned to her, sympathy drenching each of them. They didn't know who she was, not really, but they knew how close she was to Archie and they saw how pained she was.