The Hostage

Police Station

Eileen went to the police station and was met by Officer Burley, who was waiting outside for her. "I'm glad you came. Something has happened just recently."

"What do you mean?" Eileen asked the officer curiously as he escorted her to a small room and closed the door behind her.

"Jean Sumile was found recently. Almost dead. Multiple stab wounds. We're worried someone is making you look like a killer." Officer Burley stated before adding. "We have to rule out you as a potential suspect though."

"Okay that's creeping me out and I have a lot of questions now." Eileen spoke as she shifted her spot on the seat, trying to relax as Officer Burley began to get his notepad and pen ready.

"So do we. First question we have is, where were you in the last hour or so?" Officer Burley asked

Interrogation? Might as well be as honest as I can, Eileen thought "I was visiting Jackson Tate, my brother's former friend. Ever since the case reopened I've been trying to contribute to the case by gathering information. He told me the police visited him and asked him a few questions and he told me a few things. That and, well, he is the only link to my brother I have left."

"Yes we did question him yesterday. It's kind that you want to contribute but don't let the emotions get in the way." Officer Burley chuckled before an officer walked in, whispered in Officer Burley's ear and walked out. "Well we called the place Jackson is at and spoke to him. He has confirmed you were there. He said he gave you a key that could help with our investigation."

"Oh yes." Eileen spoke as she handed over Jackson's key to Jean's place "He told me if I needed to go into the place for any reason that was the key apparently. Jean, after Damon's disappearance, tried to hook up with Jackson. Didn't work yet he still had the key. I don't know if there is anything there though. I didn't want to interrupt the investigation and do things behind your back so I intended to give it tomorrow when you were less busy."

"Well we can check tomorrow. Her place around here is being thoroughly check so this key may or may not help. I take it Jackson told you a bit about Kenny. Did Damon mention a Kenny at all? Did you know a Kenny?"

"Honestly officer no. I only knew of Jackson and Ruby because they were all friends from high school and I knew them since I was a baby. I rarely socialised with them because I had my own friends and after Damon's disappearance I stopped contact with them until recently. You must understand officer this is my brother we're talking about and I want to get to the bottom of this case. Kenny was never mentioned. Only Jean which he referred to as 'stalker girl' and Angelo in the last year before he disappeared." Eileen stated before adding "I had no idea of this Kenny officer." 

"We're keeping you on the case but you must tell us every detail you know no matter how insignificant it may be to you it could be significant to us." Officer Burley spoke before adding. "We think someone is trying to make you look like a killer. Have you been receiving anything strange lately?"

Eileen paused. Now she had to make a decision. She could tell the police about the messages she had been getting but every time she opened up the conversation the previous messages disappeared with the captor. The hostage, Angelo, on the other hand, might also be at risk and without knowledge of who the captor is, well, Eileen was stuck. She wanted to know about her brother and if she said anything, the truth was gone. If she didn't, the police would be held back in their investigation. 

"Nothing really officer. Only that I watched my brother's movie and in the credits he confessed his love to Ruby. He loved her and wanted to show her that after the movie. I don't know if it is of great significance and I thought Jean was responsible for his disappearance and now Angelo because maybe she and Angelo got in a fight. I really don't know what to think now as to who can be responsible." Eileen confessed and sighed "I just want to get to the bottom of this in a professional manner like you."

"It's okay." THe officer stated before taking out a large A4 black diary. "Is this familiar?"

"No. Whose is it?" Eileen asked as a cloud of confusion gathered around her head. 

"This belonged to your brother, Damon. It was found in Jean's place for some reason. Do you think your brother went to Jean's place?" Officer Burley asked and observed Eileen, as if expecting some kind of reaction.

"As far as I know he tried to avoid her at all costs. I think he told us at one stage Ruby called the cops on her." Eileen spoke as the officer gave her gloves and she began to flick through the pages.

"This appears to be his diary. A lot of things were written in it and a lot was scribbled out. We think Jean or someone stole it and it somehow ended up in Jean's hands. Can you confirm this is his hand?" Officer Burley asked as he handed the diary to Eileen.

Eileen flicked through the pages and read the entries. The first few entries she read were startling as her brother started with 'The black cloud of depression is floating around me. I really don't know what to think. I don't want Eileen, bless my sweet little sister, to treat me or see this side of me. I don't want to let her down...'

"It is his hand but...he suffered depression?" Eileen asked, startled at what she was reading. "I never knew! He was such a...quiet person but...I never knew. Did my parents know about this years ago?"

The Officer nodded "We spoke to your parents years ago and saved transcripts of the conversation. He suffered depression in his second year of university as he had to retake a test and he had been depressed and anxious about it. He was on medication which helped. The first few entries are fine but it is the ones in the middle and last that are quite different." Officer Burley stated as he looked at Eileen with his stone cold glare.

Eileen nodded, took a deep breath and went to the halfway mark of the diary. In it were diary entries from her brother alright, but it appeared someone kept scrawling over them writing 'thief' above Ruby's name and snide comments such as 'you'll be better dead', 'this is your fault', 'you should have believed me' and 'quit saying things that aren't true'.

"Who wrote this?" Eileen demanded as her heart began pounding heavily, her hands getting clammy as she almost threw the book back "Whoever wrote over those is just cruel! My brother was getting help and they are being...narcissistic sociopaths!"

 "We don't know. To rule you out though we need a sample of your writing." Officer Burley spoke and with this, gave her a piece of paper and a sentence to write down, along with a signature.

Eileen handed the piece of paper back to them. After she read the diary entries and discovering the inner battles her brother was facing Eileen was mad at the person who scrawled those things. She was even more mad at herself. How could her brother think that she would think less of him? Regardless of whether or not he suffered any mental illness her brother was her brother and nothing could change that. She wondered if Jackson knew. She knew that she had two things to do now. Talk to Jackson and search Jean's place. 

"We'll search the Jean Sumile place and you're invited to look. We're starting nine o clock. You might find something else of your brother's there." Officer Burley spoke as Eileen stood up and was escorted to the door. 

"I'll be there." Eileen spoke and with this exited the building.