Queen of Asgard (NaNoWriMo2018, Completed!)

45: The Second Trial (Part Four)

The woman's thin eyebrows furrowed but she stood aside. "Of course."

"Thank you," I muttered as the door closed behind me. They had a nice home; an open concept that gave me a direct line of sight into the living room and part of the kitchen. A few photos lined the walls and Talia face stood out instantly. Her golden brown skin and glowing smile were unmistakable to me now. I'd memorized her face. I'd  memorized the look of stiffened shock on her face as she bled to death on a marble floor.

The woman in front of me looked a tad like Talia, her skin was darker, but they had the same thin eyebrows and hazel-green eyes. "Won't you sit down?" she invited as we made our way into the cozy sitting room with off-white walls and pleasant blue furniture. A perfect home, at least at first glance.

"Thank you."

"Can I get you anything to drink?"

Whisky sounded great right now but I'd need a bottle of it to numb the pain that was tearing through my chest. Being drunk wouldn't be helpful for this task, so I shook my head as I tried to find the words to say.

"I'm here about Talia's case," I managed, squaring my shoulders and doing my best to channel Matthew. He had always been good at maintaining his composure when speaking to victims or their families. "Are you her sister? Hilda isn't it?"

The woman's demeanor changed instantly and what had once been slight confusion in her hazel-flecked eyes turned to pain. "I am. " She sighed deeply and it pierced my heart like a piece of glass. "What news do you have?"

I explained that I was going to be the one who ruled on the final case against Ragnar. "Ragnar claims that his actions that night where done with the Brigade and he also claims to have information regarding their whereabouts."

Hilda nodded thoughtfully. "You believe his killing Talia was a part of a larger plan?"

"I believe there is strong evidence to support that, yes." I sighed and I curled my hands into fists to hide my tremors. "And it's for that reason that I'm going to offer Ragnar a plea deal; a second-degree murder charge in exchange for information about the Brigade."

The words were easy to get out than I expected them to be. Seeing the pain fade from Hilda's eyes and her mouth turn into a thin line was not. "I didn't come here to cause you more pain," I said, hearing a tremor in my voice.

"Then why would you did you come here?" she asked, her lower lip trembling as she looked at me with tear-filled eyes.

"Because I was you." I answered, willing myself to keep eye contact. "And I thought you deserved to hear this from me instead of the news."

"Please, get out of my house." Hilda didn't even raise her voice. I wished she would have. I wished she would've screamed in my face. Called me a heinous bitch or even thrown me bodily from her house. Anything other than this. Those tear-filled eyes that showed me the broken soul with in.

My mother's eyes. My eyes. My uncle's eyes.

"Of course." I got to my feet, my knees shaking. I shut my eyes, my lungs compressed by tears I hadn't shed. Words built up in my throat like water in a dam, but I didn't even try to say them. No amount of "I'm sorry" would be enough. There was nothing I could do or say to make her hate me less.

I walked out of the house on weak legs and I no sooner had I shut the door and stepped off the stoop that Sif was by my side. "Are you okay?"

"No."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No."

"Do you want to go and get drunk?" I looked sideways at her and Sif shrugged. "I don't know what to do in this situation." She shook her head at me and frowned. "Is there anything I can do?"