Daunting howl

Chapter nine

"Would you like some tea, officers?" My mom tried to find an excuse to get in the living room while they were questioning me.

"That won't be necessary, thank you." One of them cleared his throat and turned back to me. He was sitting on a chair across from me while I was sitting on the sofa. The other one was talking to my dad since they were colleagues but they were in the corner talking silently and I couldn't hear what they were saying. "So, let's get back to the case..."

"Okay." I nodded.

"You're saying you knew Alicia and that you were not very fond of her."

"Yes. But I would never hurt her. Or anyone else."

"I see..." He looked away. "Something tells me that you are lying." He looked me in the eyes again and I was frightened they might accuse me of something I haven't done. At least not directly.

"I swear I would never do that."

"Listen to me, I will make a deal with you. You need to know how things are, if you did it we are gonna prove it sooner or later. Those are the facts, I have nothing against you. You don't have to listen to me, but I will give you an advice. If you truly did this, you better tell us now. The consequences for you will be far less severe than if you make us go through this big investigation and after a month or so we find out it was you."

"Why are you trying to make me look guilty? I have nothing to do with this. I was at... Somewhere else after school."

"Where exactly were you and is there anyone who can confirm your alibi?" My dad and the other policeman stopped talking and turned to us.

"It's my birthday today. I went to my friend's house. His name is Marty. He lives near."

"Okay, we will certainly check that." The other policeman started taking notes. "But have been told that the victim was in a good relationship with everyone in the school except for you. Is that true?"

"Well... It is, but that has nothing to do with me as a person. Many people don't like her, they're just afraid to say it to her face. I was never afraid of people like her and I never will be."

"What you think might have been a reason she never liked you? Could it be because of that boy you mentioned,  Marty?"

"Perhaps..." I shrugged. "Oh, no... If you think I would kill her because I was jealous... No way."

"We are only taking all possible scenarios into consideration. There is another very suspicious thing that happened today..." He stood up from the chair and started walking around.

"What?"

"We have video footage of you telling the victim to, I quote; drop dead. Is that correct? Can you recall ever saying that to her?"

"I did, but... I didn't mean it. Not literally.

"Oh, Lord..." I heard my mom sobbing in the kitchen.

"What?" I noticed the way they were now looking at me. My dad was disappointed. "I didn't kill Alicia. Am I sorry it happened to her? No. But I didn't do it. She asked for it." The mad that was taking notes was now writing so fast he could've hurt himself.

"Wait a minute..." The one interviewing me said. "What do you mean she asked for it?"

"Well... Alicia was a horrible human being. She would do bad things to others every day and humiliate everyone. I'm not surprised this happened to her."

"Alright, I think we have enough." He came up to his colleges.

"So she doesn't have to go with you to the station?"

"No, but I'm afraid you'll have to come with us, Tom."

"What do you mean?" Dad was confused. He just got back from work.

"The boss wants to speak to you in person."

"Okay. Let me just get my keys."

"We'll drive you off in our car."

"Alright." I figured he might've been a suspect to them as well but I doubt he even knew who Alicia was except for the fact she was his boss's daughter.

I stood up when I saw Damballa giving me signs with her hand in the hallway to come over. They left while I walked to her.

"What is it?" I went into my room.

"You did a great job pretending it wasn't you."

"What do you mean? It wasn't me. You should know that."

"Sure, you didn't kill her yourself. But you kinda told me to do it."

"What are you talking about? I never told you to hurt Alicia. Or anyone else!"

"But you told her to drop dead at the cafeteria. Remember?"

"What does that have to do with... It doesn't mean I really wanted it!" I grabbed my head.

"Then why would you say it if you didn't want it? I thought that was your wish. And that's what I do, I make your wishes come true. After all, it is your birthday."

"Damballa, since the first day you came into my life you have only been making my nightmares come true! Nothing else! It needs to stop!"

"You're ungrateful as always. But you'll thank me one day."

"I will never thank you. What you did was..." I started walking closer to her and she was stepping away.

"Hey, hold on!" She put a hand over her head.

"What is it? I'm not gonna hurt you."

"Don't come any closer to me with that thing around your neck!" She was afraid.

"What thing? Oh, you mean the necklace? It's a gift from Marty. Isn't he sweet?"

"Yeah, he's too sweet for my taste. Can you just take it off?"

"But I like it..."

"And I suppose you like sunlight too but if you got top close to the sun it would burn you to ashes."

"Oh, alright. I'll take it off." I put the necklace on top of my wardrobe.

"Now that's better." Damballa smiled.

___________

"You're suspended." The boss said to Gina's father as soon as he sat down at the table across him.

"Suspended? For how long?"

"Forever. I'm sorry, Tom. You're fired."

"Why?" He looked around hoping this was some kind of a joke as they pulled up on each other all the time.

"Why? You dare to ask me why? Your daughter killed my daughter and she never explained why! Tom, your daughter is a murderer!" He punched the table with his fist.

"You have no evidence to support any of that." Gina's father said calmly so he wouldn't say something he won't be able to take back and he still hoped that his boss will change his mind.

"The hell with the evidence! Alicia came home from school this evening in tears and it was because of Gina! She kept telling us she had a fight with her. When we found her in her bed her hands were covered in blood!" He stood up furiously leaning against the table.

"But it was her own blood. Wasn't it? Then what does it have to do with Gina?! You never found her DNA, did you?! She was at her friend's house! It is her birthday, for God's sake, why would she do such a thing?! I'm sorry, Jerry, but you seem to have a problem dealing with your daughter's suicide."

"My daughter did not kill herself!" He grabbed his shirt. "You take that back! It was Gina who did it and I'm gonna prove it and put her in prison for life!"

"Good luck with that, sir." Her dad stood up from his chair.

"Where do you think you're going?!"

"Well, sir, since I no longer work here... I'm afraid it's none of your business."