Nothing More Contagious Than Love

Chapter 5

"Let's just begin with why you and Jerome were there" Jim says.

Shortly after the incident at the Arkham Bridge, both Jerome and I were taken down to the station to get questioned. I wasn't sure to where Jerome was taken or who he was with. I just know I was here now, late at night at the police station (again) being questioned for a possible murder.

"Okay, Jerome and I simply just wanted to find Lila's murderer. He was obviously deeply affected by her death, so I thought finding whoever's killed her would make him feel better" I say.

"How did you know where to look?" Jim asks.

"Well, Paul gave us a messages about the murder weapon being in the garden between the iron sisters. I assume he told you too and that's why you guys were there tonight. However, we didn't know at first because it was too puzzling. And as ridiculous as it may sound, Lila came to me in a dream and that's how we found it" I say.

Jim takes a minute to process all this new information.

"So you had nothing to do with the hatchet? You didn't plant it there?" Jim asks.

"No. Once we found it, we were going to turn it into you guys to maybe....hopefully catch the killer. It was apparently someone, or some people from the Hellfire Club who murdered Lila" I say.

Jim sighs and rubs his eyes.

"Is something wrong?" I ask.

"What? Oh nothing. It's just I feel bad that you have to get dragged into this" Jim says.

I shrug.

"Come with me Isabelle" Jim says.

Jim gets up and opens the door for me and motions for me to walk out. I guess I had no choice. I walk out the door confused beyond belief. As I walk out and Jim closes the door behind him, Lee approaches us and Jim leads us both to another room. Inside the room was Paul.

"Good evening Mr. Cicero, sorry to bring you down here so late" Jim says.

I wasn't sure whether to continue being confused or scared. Either way I had no idea what was going on.

"Good evening Detective Gordon" Paul says.

As soon as he realized I was in the room he simply said, "Isabelle" in a stern voice. As if he didn't want me to be there.

"And good evening Dr. Thompkins" Paul says.

"How did you-?" Lee begins to ask.

"He smells your perfume" Jim cuts her off, wanting to get down to business.

Jim motions for me to sit down in a chair off to the side. He then starts talking.

"We solved the message Lila gave you" Jim says.

"Oh?" Paul asks.

"Took us to Arkham Bridge park. We found a hatchet there. Actually, it was Isabelle and Jerome who found it first, but we still knew where to look. And we found satanist symbols scratched into it" Jim says.

"Dear Lord" Paul says in shock as he takes off his glasses.

"Know what the hatchet means Mr. Cicero?" Jim asks.

"Tell me" Paul says.

"It means you're an accessory to murder" Jim says.

That was honestly the last thing that I was expecting for him to say. Paul may have his flaws but there was no way he killed Lila or had anything to do with it. I wanted to object, but it was not my place to do so.