If Only She Knew

44. As the Hours Pass

Present time, London...

Simon, blindfolded, in the interrogation room

After Simon finished recouting the day Alstromeria Johnson died, Djimon Thompson looked on to other questions, still amazed at how compliant Simon had been. It was mighty suspicious that the memory thief had given himself in after all, two months after Bernard Johnson's death.

After Ariana has revealed herself as the serial killer who's been haunting UK for the past two years behind the scenes, the London and Big Bucharest police had to scour and find evidence in order to be able to indict her. She helped them and brought in all the evidence she had against herself, and described every scene and every crime.

But about three weeks ago, while being held in a county prison in solitary she had had an episode where she had forgotten her memories, again. They've brought in a few investigators to check wheter she was lying, but she actually suffered or amnesia. She had returned actually to the Ariana they all had known before, the detective Ariana Johnson.

Joseph had told the police that Simon Taylor had been implied in every single crime and that Ariana had helped him get away as she took all the blame upon herself, and after havinf forgotten her memories of Simon and of her real self, she had given away his location. And they found him.

But nobody really knew Simon wanted to be here. He had come to reveal all the truth and shoulder the blame with Ariana and thus help her, and then escape.

"Now, onto the day Bernard Johnson was murdered in his Cluj-Napoca retreat," the investigator said through gritted teeth, drumming his fingers on the table. "Could you tell me how it all happened? We want all the details and we particularly care about Ariana Johnson's sudden turn-around."

Simon smiled as he leaned back in his chair. He loved that story, it was so dramatic.

He loved, especially, that nobody could ever know who really killed Bernard Johnson. Now the game was in his hand. As always.

"So, Ariana came inside as I've told her, but at that time she didn't have her memories of her criminal life. I took her memories and given them back to her regularly," Simon smiled as he spoke and he looked so charming. To Djimon it was fascinating watching such an ethereal guy like him. A guy who could do anything and take anyone's memories. It was... powerful and fascinating.

"And when she arrived, I've given her back all of her memories. Definitively. We had planned that we'd finish our series of crimes with Bernard Johnson's death, and she had always wanted to give herself in after that."

"According to autopsies and forensic evidence, mister Bernard Johnson was shot once in the head and died instantly. He suffered hence an essier death than most other victims related to him." Djimon leaned back on the chiar and breathed in.

"Miss Ariana Johnson claims strongly she had killed him, her reason being her mother's death from a gun wound inflicted by him years ago. She wanted revenge, we get that. That's the reason you son of a guns went out there with a hitlist, ain't it?" Djimon's palm hit the table suddenly, dramatically.

"Then why did mister Joseph Samuels originally claim that he shot mister Bernard Johnson?"

"The thing is, I was the one who shot Bernard Johnson," Simon said with the most evil grin that Djimon had ever seen on a criminal's face, and a very calm aura. No regret. "Ariana, she loves me a lot and took the blame for me. And Joseph... Oh, that foolish sweet guy who still loves her so much despite everything, he just wanted to take the blame."

"What a tangled, tragic story indeed, I've never thought I'd get to investigate people like you." Simon listened to Djimon say almost pleasantly.

"So now three persons claim to have killed mister Bernard Johnson. How can  we even tell the truth?"