Mystery in Misery

Episode 21

Saturday, 6:00PM
Joe sat, relaxed on the chair, looking blankly at David. The latter had just narrated everything that happened last night until his arrest and somehow, Joe believed him. He was however sure of one thing, all the evidence Naomi had found; evidence that could put him away for life or worse still, on death row, were all planted to make him the murderer. What they need to figure out is who and he doesn't seem to know where to begin. If only they weren't fugitive by running from the law, they would have full resources of the GCPD at their disposal. He turned to Naomi, who was seated at the far corner of the large living room. She seemed to be in a thought of her own. David's face was expressionless.
The house they currently occupy belongs to Marie Klint. They had arrived there more than an hour before and while they awaited her arrival, they requested David to tell the whole truth; which he did. Indeed, the truth doesn't always set us free. It was easier to make decisions on a lie but this, right now is a whole new level. They have to figure out the real killer, starting from who framed David.
“What do we do now?” Naomi broke the silence that had long ensued between them.
Joe wished Naomi had come with her gadgets before absconding the station. She shouldn’t have left when she did but he knew there was no time. She should have been their eyes and ears at the precinct. He thought about Bob but there was no way of contacting him. His cell phone was seized when he was been taking into interrogation. Joe shot his eyes and opened them almost immediately. He squeezed his face into an egg pie and said nothing. He tried to forget the incident from after he left David in the interrogation room but the memories kept coming back.
David on the other hand, buried his head in his palms. He was clearly in deep thoughts. Minutes passed and none gave an answer to Naomi's question.
“We need to know who framed him if we are going to get anywhere,” Naomi said again.
“And how the hell do we do that?” Joe yelled. “We are in a sparsely furnished living room with limited access. No phones, no internet connection. Nothing! We can't go anywhere nor can we enter into the bedrooms. We fear for our lives ‘cause anyone can come through that door anytime and say those words you are under arrest for the murder of bla bla bla. You know what that make me?” – He bit his chest repeatedly, directing his anger at David - “an accomplice to murder. Of course, I am one already, except now I have no argument.”
“Dad, calm down.”
“Don’t tell me to calm down.” He stood up now and pointed his fingers at David. “If only he had said the truth from the beginning, all this wouldn’t have happened. For God sake, you've picked the worst hour to tell the truth and no one is going to believe you except us.”
“Dad!”
“Stay out of this Naomi!”
David lifted his head and faced Naomi. His eyes were all red and soaked in his own tears. “Yeah, stay out of this.” He sighed. “I'm responsible for all of this. If I had just called the police after the incident. Maybe those officers would still be alive.” The tears now flowed down his cheeks. “I was sure” – he wiped his tears – “they were no bodies on Crawford Lane all the while I was there.”
“No, that's not true.”
“Of course it is! Do you ever stop to wonder if you hadn't decided to play hero, those – ”
“Dad!” Naomi stopped him from saying any further. “The officers were dragged to where we found them.”
“What are you saying?”
“I mean they were killed somewhere else and left at the scene we found them on purpose.”
“The same spot I had a ruffle with the mysterious three,” David said. His brain seems to be active now.
“Exactly!” Naomi agreed. “Your blood was all over the place. Shoeprints, your ID card, the - “
“My ID card was never there,” David countered. “I’m very sure I didn’t take it along. Someone took it and placed it there on purpose.”
“That's ridiculous.” Joe laughed. “We got to the scene 45 minutes after you left. You don’t suppose somebody was at your home, took your ID card and brought it to the scene.”
“That's exactly what I'm thinking.”
“You said it yourself. Mike was asleep all through. Your door was even locked and only Maryam had the key. Except -”
“Yes, detective,” David Interrupted. It was as though he knew what Joe was about to say because he finished his sentence for him. “Except Maryam.”
Joe nodded his head to agree with what David had just said. “Naomi, what do you think?”
Naomi had been pacing around. She only stopped when he asked her opinion. She must have heard them, Joe thought.
“I think David is right. She had the keys but I don't think she did it all alone,” Naomi said.
“Of course she had help,” Joe added.
“Yes! She couldn't have made it to my place, taken the ID card and returned to the crime scene to plant it. And then back to my place.”
“You are right about that too!” Naomi agreed with David. “There's a time frame.”
“Except if she had the gang do it for her,” Joe said.
“Are you saying she and those men are working together?” David asked in a tone that depicts disgust at Joe's words.
“Of course. The female dressed in black hoodie. You couldn't tell who it was. There's a possibility it's her.”
David had that grin again. The same one he wore when the detective interrogated him earlier. “Maryam might be a manipulator and deceive people but she's not a killer.”
“There we go again. Blinded by the same love that stopped you from calling the police.”
“And you think I had a choice. My phone wasn’t with me”
“We always have choices, Dave. And you chose.”
“Just say she killed the professor too!”
“That's a possibility. She killed the professor, called you to drag you out so, you can take the fall for it.  You said she was right behind the two guys and they didn't-”
“It was dark, detective.”
“And yet you saw her”
“Because she – ”
“C’mon boy, think. Everything that has happened down to this moment. It was – ”
***
Naomi was pacing the length of the room again. She ignored the argument between her father and David. She was once again in her series of thoughts. She could tell Maryam is as guilty as the killer herself and maybe she’s the killer, who knows? Just before she switched off her phone, she received a video footage from Stanley that proves Maryam was at the bar.  She was at Lakers bar and yet she denied it. Why would she do that? Probably, she thought we’d never find the footage. Why would she leave her prints at Crawford Lane? Except, she was trying to lead us to her…
“Shut up both of you!” Naomi yelled.
Both Joe and David stopped talking at once. They stared at Naomi in dismay.
“I’m trying to think here. Okay!” She furrowed her brows. “You guys mind keeping it down.”
“Tell me Naomi.” David closed the gap between himself and her. “You said you interrogated Maryam, right?”
“Yesss,” she answered nonchalantly.
“Do you think she's capable of what the detective is saying?” He stared into her eyes, hoping she would say no but no reply came from Naomi. “I mean – ”
“I don't know,” Naomi interrupted. She was tired of this pressure she's feeling. If only they would just shut up and let her think. She looked at her dad, then back at David. “I don't know if she killed the detective but she's definitely hiding something.” She paused as both men drew closer to her. “While I interrogated her, something seemed off. She happened to know what I was going to ask before I even asked.” -
David’s countenance changed.
“She did well in playing the guilty card and didn't hesitate to link you with the professor, telling me the reason you might want him dead.” She faced David. “And I believed her until I returned to the station and found out she lied about almost everything.”
“What do you mean?” David requested. “I can’t still believe she did this. She was at my place all through the night.”
“You slept and when you woke, she wasn't by your side,” Joe whispered.
“I slept around 4. What could she have – ”
“Not again! Please.” Naomi placed a finger on her hips and sighed. “David! She told me she wasn't at your place the night before. That she only came by this morning to apologize for breaking up with you.”
“That's a lie!”
“Now, you finally see she's a liar and a – ”
“Dad, please.”
There was silence once again. It was David’s turn to pace around the room. “Did she mention where she was, then? The guys that were after her? Anything to collaborate my story?” He asked, impatiently. Naomi shook her head. “Nothing of such? Damn! I'm so screwed.”
“She said she was sleeping at home but I have a video footage that placed her at Lakers Bar.” Naomi finally let out the bomb shell.
“She was at the club?” David asked. Curiosity written all over his face. He was at the same time shocked. “Where's the footage?”
“You don't believe her?” Joe protested.
“Backed up in my cloud!” Naomi said.
“Can we log in and view it.”
“Yes, we can,” Naomi chuckled mockingly. “And lead the police right to our doorstep. Oh! I forgot. We are not even at our place. Perfect place to get arrested. Isn’t it?”
“I don't mean it that way,” he apologized.
“Fine!” She walked away from both of them, to the window pane. She was staring at the empty streets. She didn't even realize it's as late as this. The sun was setting already.
***
Joe faced David and couldn't help but notice the expression on his face. “You have something to say, boy? ‘cause now is the right time to say it.”
David looked at his smart watch. Not because he wanted to know the time but the detective was right. He has something he’s not telling them. He however, ignored the detective’s statement and studious eyes. He took a few strides away from him and headed towards the window pane, where Naomi stood. “It's a lovely evening, you know and a lovely view to take in,” he said, showing a set of white teeth.
Naomi smiled back. “Yeah sure. It would have been perfect if only we aren't trapped in this house.”
“We are not. We can just go out if we want.”
“You know I meant that literally, right?”
“Of course, I do.” They both laughed. For a second, they forgot the fact that they were now fugitives on the run. “Isn't she supposed to be here?”
Naomi shot her eyeball at him.
“The tall black female cop. The one who helped us escape. The woman who trapped us here.”
Naomi laughed as David made an attempt at describing detective Marie. “You keep staring at that thing” – she pointed at his smart watch – “Going on a date. After all, it's a weekend.”
David smiled. Even Joe who has been listening, laughed. “I wish I was.” He smiled again and it disappeared almost immediately. “Just that it's getting late. This is 10 minutes to 7.”
“At least we are safe.” Naomi chuckled and they laughed again.
Scrccccchhh A vehicle pulled over behind the parked blue sedan just outside of Detective Marie’s apartment. It was a police vehicle. Naomi dropped the curtain tails at once and withdrew herself. David did too.
***
Joe who had been watching the two love birds laugh wholeheartedly, suddenly saw them withdrew from their position. He had also heard the sound of the vehicle. “Who's that?” he asked.
“The cops,” Naomi whispered.
“How did they find us?” David asked.
“Marie!” Joe bit his lips. “I shouldn't have trusted her.” The door knob turned. ‘Of course they have a key,’ he muttered. “On your knees both of you,” he ordered Naomi and Joe, which they obeyed. It was a sign of surrender to avoid being rough handled. “We are all going to jail. Thanks to you, boy.”