Raise a glass

Chapter 47 - Liam reprise.

Wednesday 22nd December

Liam pov

The bright light obscured my vision of the musty room. It smelt of mould and body odour. The officer sighed with his head in his hands. He was young, I guessed around 24 or 25. He looked tired and he groaned with annoyance.

"Look, bro. It's been three hours. You've told us everything that was said and done, but we've still gotten nowhere. Could you please just tell us who it was."

I rolled my eyes and slumped back in my chair. "No."

He thumped his hand against the table. "You are endangering hundreds of students! Hardly anyone shows up to class and it's all because you won't tell us one name!"

"They wont do it again. I promise. They got who they were looking for."

"Yes, you've already said that. But none of our sources told us about anyone who had a specific grudge against Mr King."

"Maybe you need new sources." I answered stubbornly.

"Ugh!" He cried and kicked over his chair. "I can keep you here all night. It doesn't bother me."

I gestured to the chair. "Though, apparently it does."

"Okay, watch it, smart mouth. You're a suspect too."

"How come you trust me with this, then?"

"We've heard good things about you."

I scoffed. "From who?!" I wasn't being modest or humble. I genuinely believed...no knew that I was a bad person. Anyone who knew a single thing I had done would know that, so who could I get a good review from?"

He checked a list. "A Mr Laurens?"

My jaw dropped slightly. "What the hell?" I muttered softly, unable to believe my ears.

"You know him well?"

"Yes...in a way...Are you sure he said that?"

"Definitely. He said it to my face, although he was too shaken up at the time for further questioning about the attack."

"Oh..."

"Liam...Can I call you Liam?"

"No."

He looked slightly taken aback.

"I'm kidding. I don't really care."

"Oh...Liam, could you please just do this for me. We have to make sure this person won't do anything like this again."

"And I'm telling you they wont! They didn't want to kill anyone, but they weren't in their right mind. Usually they wouldn't hurt a fly."

"So what happened?"

"I don't know. It was something about George destroying the one good thing in his...uh their life." I tried to correct myself, but I knew I had messed up.

The officer smiled. "Thanks for that." He chuckled and wrote something on a notepad. I had just begun to notice how handsome and young he looked under the murky orange spotlight. There was a golden glow to his caramel skin and his curly hair. He looked like an angel in a weird way. His eyes were a deep, watery green colour and his smile looked natural and real.

I stood up and stepped towards him. "How old are you?"

His eyes widened and he stepped back slightly, startled at my response. "U-um...that's...I'm not supposed to tell you that."

"Well, you don't look any older than 23." I smirked.

"I-I'm 21." He replied, a little nervous.

"Cool, I'm 20. What's your name?"