A Week with Katherine

Three Days After

Eventually, my sadness turned to anger.

I was so mad at everything. Life, the world, the police, and most of all whoever the hell did that to Kat.

I wanted to know so badly what happened that night. Why did it have to end like that?

I think it was the next day that I was asked to come to the police station to give a statement as the last known person to speak to Katherine.

And, it took about two minutes into the interview for my mom and me to realize that members of the police department were stuck between two sides. They either clearly suspected me or they didn't seem to care about the case at all.

They asked me a lot of questions. The cop that interviewed me ironically was Bridget's dad, the Sheriff.

He asked me if Kat had ever mentioned dying to me.

I remember answering by saying something like "theoretically,"

And the Sheriff looked at me in confusion and asked "how does someone talk about dying theoretically?"

I said, "Well, everyone dies. That's not a theory. The theory part was about what happens after death."

He replied by asking, "So Katherine talked a lot about wanting to die?"

It just made me so angry. I wanted to flip his desk over. I knew where that line of question was going and I knew that it was wrong.

I had to believe that it was wrong because how was I supposed to hate whoever hurt her if there was a possibility that she was the one who hurt herself?

I think the Sheriff could tell that his question had upset me because he switched to asking me about my relationship with Katherine.

"Would you say that your relationship had been sexual?" The Sheriff had asked suddenly after I said we had been friends.

"Kat and I never slept together," I answered honestly.

"But, you wish you had?" The Sheriff asked without missing a beat. And my mom glared at him.

"How is that relevant?" My mom snapped at the man.

The Sheriff shrugged before leaning back in his seat.

"There is evidence that suggests Katherine had engaged in sexual activity shortly before her death." He admitted. His eyes watched me carefully.

My mom turned to me in question. She had probably started wondering if maybe she had walked in after Kat and I had finished rather than before anything could happen as I told her.

"I swear, Katherine and I never slept together," I promised as I looked at my mom. And in response, she just gave me a tight lip smile before turning back to the Sheriff.

"You have your answer." My mom said glaring at the man.

"You wouldn't mind proving it, would you? We would just need a DNA sample." The Sheriff asked, still just watching me.

"We do mind, actually. If you want anything from my son, including another interview, you can go through the court or through my Lawyer." My mom bluffed angrily before fishing out a business card for her divorce lawyer, Emilia Baker, and slamming it onto the Sheriff's desk.

Eventually, the police would get a court order for my DNA sample as well as samples from a few others in town. Though somehow mine was the only one ever tested before the case was closed and it obviously came back negative.

"There is no need for all that, these are just routine questions." The Sheriff said in a fake apology.

"So you asked your kids and their friends these questions?" My mom asked back.

"Excuse me?" The Sheriff said, finally losing his composure.

"They were in your backyard that night. I saw them through the window. Have they been questioned yet?" My mom pointed out. Her jaw locked in a scolding anger.

"You're free to go now." The Sheriff answered completely ignoring my mom's question as he glared at us.