All That Matters: A Duskwood Fanfic

7: Alan

Scrolling through the group text messages I quickly fired off a few responses. Hannah had officially been released from the hospital with an appointment already made with her therapist. A therapist who I'd thought badly of before. Now that we'd uncovered the real reason that he hadn't believed Hannah was being followed shame filled me. A big reminder that I shouldn't judge people when I had so little information.

Jessy was inviting everyone to meet at the bar Aurora tonight; it was the big reopening after being in jail and closed down for weeks. Even though I didn't really want to go tonight, there was no point in arguing about it. Jessy wouldn't let go until we all ended up there. I think it was her way of trying to get everyone back into the normal swing of things, and perhaps a little bit of her wanting her brother to know how sorry everyone was for suspecting him.

It would also give me a chance to appear out in public without Jake, hopefully leading anyone looking for him astray. I had to play this perfectly, or they'd never believe me.

At one point I really believed that this whole thing would be over when we found Hannah, but here I was still caught in the mayhem. I had to try. Wanted to, really. I could no longer imagine my life going back to the way it was before.

The lonely, quiet nights hiding out in my apartment watching True Crime documentaries and sipping on wine. I had friends, don't get me wrong, and I even went out with them sometimes. What I didn't have-well, that's a story for another time.

With practiced ease I pulled my hair into a messy bun, pulling a few strands forward. I didn't bother to apply any makeup to my face, it would play into my plan this way. I quickly sent out a text to Jake using the burner phone I'd gotten before stuffing it into a little safe that the motel had in the back of the closet alongside the hoodie Jake had worn yesterday; finding the safe had been a bit of a surprise. This wasn't the usual type of place for these kinds of safes, but I was grateful. I couldn't let anyone find the phone.

The walk to the police station was uneventful, with most people I encountered giving me a curious glance. I was out of place; Duskwood was relatively small and I had a feeling that most people knew one another. At least to the point of having seen people enough to recognize them even if they didn't know them by name.

Within minutes of telling the receptionist my name I was led into a dark interrogation room and sat across what had to be a two-way mirror. A great spot for the FBI to listen in to our conversation. I ignored the sinking feeling in my gut, this wasn't a surprise. At least, that's what I told myself. It was a big deal whether I wanted to admit it or not. I had to stay calm though; calm but alert.

I'd become great at maneuvering conversations through text message, to the point where I often found myself manipulating the conversation so that I could get the information I needed. It made me a bad person, and now that Hannah had been found I needed to confess to my whole group what I had really done. I was terrified; even more terrified of that then I was of this conversation with Alan.

The door opened illuminating a man with salt and pepper hair, neatly styled with gel and dark, friendly eyes. His familiar deep voice greeted me. "Charlee. It is nice to finally meet you."

I cocked my head to the side, squinting at him as my foot jittered back and forth across the floor. Thank God for the table in front of me. He couldn't see my feet, or else he'd definitely think I was guilty of whatever he was about to accuse me of. The saddest part is I probably was.

"Same to you, Alan." I said lightly, pressing my hands into my thighs to quiet my feet.

He shuffled over to the table, placing a cup of coffee in front of me before offering me sugar and cream which I accepted. He at back in the chair and opened a notebook before withdrawing a pen from his shirt pocket. His head turned, eyes flickering towards the two-way mirror before focusing on me. "I trust you are not alone today; did I miss your friends in the waiting area?"