Turn for the Worst

Chapter 20

"What the bloody hell?" Killian says as David roughly pushes him back into the interrogation room.

"Sit down," David says sharply.

Killian swallows, hard and looks down to see David's gun at his hip. He reluctantly takes a seat behind the metal table. David shuts the door. He turns to face Killian.

"What's going on?" Killian asks in confusion.

"We have a problem Mr. Jones," David says, standing at the table, staring down at him.

"What?" he swallows hard, thinking that they might've found Emma's body, he certainly wasn't ready for that. But David was more angry than sad, so it was something else.

"Your alibi does not check out."

Killian's eyes go wide for a moment.

"Your statement about staying home Friday night and going to bed early was just disproved by your roommate."

Killian flushes a shade of red

"He told me that you went out at about nine and the next morning, your room smelled of alcohol..." David was trying to remain composed, but if Killian had become drunk and hooked up with another woman, betraying Emma, or worse, he had abducted her. David wanted to believe that Killian would never try to hurt Emma in any way, but he was keeping secrets.

"Oh, bloody hell," Killian says, he puts his face in his hands.

"This is not a good thing Mr. Jones," David says.

"Aye," Killian says quietly.

"Not a good thing at all, you realize that lying casts a lot of suspicion on you and that many officers will begin to assume that you may have had something to do with Miss Swan's disappearance."

Killian wants to cry, his eyes well up. "David you know I wouldn't..."

"Do I?" David says sharply again. He felt angry, he thought that Killian was a decent man, certainly worthy of Emma, but clearly, he had something to hide, and it might just be Emma's location. "Would you like to tell me the truth?"

Killian sighs and turns red in embarrassment. "I've had my problems with alcohol and drugs. I'm not a clean man. I've had a hard life and the only way I've coped is using any substance that will take the pain away. I've lost my mother, brother and previous girlfriend and the hurt was agonizing... Rum is my usual escape and way to cope... I was actually getting drunk in a bar when I met Emma." Killian is fighting back tears, mortified that his secrets are coming out and yet, he knows he'll have, to be honest in order to clear his name. "When I met her, I knew she wouldn't accept a drunken docks man, especially with her Lad, so I tried to quit. When I was with her, I was strong and I was able to think that I could turn my life around again and turn away from the drink completely..."

"But," David prompts.

Killian swallows. "But it's not always that simple. A craving is not easy to ignore and it, alas, is my poison. I thought I could resist the temptation on Friday night, but I... couldn't," Killian looks down at his feet, ashamed.

"Where did you go?"

"To a bar down by the docks, The Davy Jones. I got myself jarred..."

"Jarred?"

"Drunk."

"How long were you at the bar?"

"Till after one, I'm pretty sure. I took a taxi back home and passed out in bed."

"And then Robin found you passed out the next day?"

"Aye, I was in rag order."

"Rag order?"