Hey There, Delilah

Chapter 1: The Meeting

Delilah sat in her family's coffee shop, Abraço, for the 15 minutes it had been since closing. One Columbus Place, her family's apartment building, had gotten a place for current residents to stay while they were rebuilding. They also offered everyone to stay there for free for life starting that day.

Delilah took their offer since she needed the money she made from the bakery to pay for college and the bakery's needs. Something dawned upon her as she thought of that.

I have to run the bakery, and I have to make it in my name...

She started shaking and crying. Freddie ran from his spot on the window sill to and rubbed against her legs. She picked him up and whimpered slightly, but Freddie didn't judge, for he is a cat. She smiled as he licked the back of her hand.

"Such a cute cat..." she whispered, petting the bridge of his nose. He purred and pressed his head against her hand. They both jumped when someone knocked on the door of the bakery. Still holding Freddie, Delilah wiped away her tears and opened the door.

"I'm sorry but I have closed for the night," she stated. The person nodded. There was a moment of silence between them. "May I help you?"

"Yes, actually. I am Chief Rebecca Vincent from the New York Police Department. I would like to speak to you about what happened at your apartment building early this morning, as well as tell you about the murder that occurred in front of this shop around the same time."

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"So, it was you, your younger sister, your younger brother, your parents, and your very cute cat?" Chief Vincent asked as she reached out to boop Freddie on the nose. Delilah nodded.

"Just the six of us."

"Was anyone separated?" Delilah took a deep breath.

"My parents first. They had my siblings and I leave, but they stayed in to help our elderly neighbor, Mrs. Simpson, and her dog, Skooter. They all perished."

"Then?"

"My little sister, Leslie, aged ten. She was holding my hand but at one point, she got separated from me. When my brother and I found her, she was on the ground with blood around her head."

"What about your brother?"

"Marquis, aged fifteen. After the first part of the building collapsed, he went into it to look for our parents. Then the rest collapsed after the second bomb went off and he got trapped." Delilah's lip started shaking and she willed herself not to cry. Freddie rubbed against her collarbone. "They were all pronounced dead at the scene."

Chief Vincent silently looked over the notes she had taken. She bit her bottom lip slightly. After a few moments, she took a deep breath.

"That is all about the apartment collapse." She turned off the voice recorder, then started it again.

"Chief Rebecca Vincent, time is 22:37, location is 'Abraço' on East 7th street between 1st and 2nd Avenue. Talking to Delilah Lawson about the murder of Leonardo in front of Abraço around 0327 this morning."

"Delilah, there was a murder of one of NYPD's officers, Leonardo. He was with his three brothers- Raphael, Michelangelo, and Donatello- after their father and two volunteer detectives got assassinated. Donatello had then gotten kidnapped by the Foot Clan and Leonardo got shot fighting them. Were you aware of this occurring?"