Mystery in Misery

Episode 22

THEN
After the detective and CSI left, Maryam felt relieved. She was glad she was able to pull through the interrogation. At some point, she had felt like telling the whole truth but Jane coming to get her changed the whole story. Jane had confused her to tell lies, else she would be charged with the murder of the professor. She was thankful for the lies though but she was still not pleased with Jane, for making her tell the officers about their break up. However, she blamed herself for mentioning it in the first place. If only she hadn’t mention it, the CSI won’t have told her about David’s involvement
All through the interrogation, she had constantly looked over the CSI’s shoulder, at Jane, hoping to find more answers to some of the questions asked. All she ever got was Jane’s reassuring look which had helped get rid of her fears. She recalled all Jane had told her after they left David’s apartment that morning, starting from the very first word. They had just walked past a red Peugeot parked outside David’s apartment.
“Did you see that red Peugeot we just walked past?” Jane had asked.
She was still shocked from last night’s incident. Even though she knew they walked past a vehicle, she didn’t know the colour nor did she know the brand. She answered ‘no’ which didn’t stop Jane from saying more, as they searched for a taxi in that cold morning weather.
‘Tell no soul you were at the party,’ Jane’s voice still rang in her brain. ‘If you are asked by the police about your whereabouts. Just tell them you were at home, sleeping.’ She had nodded her head and Jane didn’t even stop talking. It was like giving her instructions on how to live her life. ‘They will likely begin by telling you the professor is dead… You need to act like you didn’t know. If not, they will tie the rope around your neck.’
‘How do you know all of these?’ she had asked Jane that morning.
‘Just trust me,' Jane had answered.
Maryam was trembling all over as she recalled her conversation in the taxi whilst they journeyed home. Solely because all that Jane warned her actually happened before her very eyes, few minutes ago. She looked at the chair where the CSI had sat before. Jane now occupied the seat, holding the hand she placed on the table. She looked into Jane's eyes, and the latter remained calm. ‘I wish I was as brave as that,' she thought. She had said the same words to Jane that morning and Jane had answered, ‘you need to be brave, Maryam.'
Jane had gone on and mentioned David. She had said if the police ever ask about David, it means they knew she was there that morning and there was no use lying about that. ‘Lying will make you more of a suspect,’ Jane had said.
‘What should I say then?’ she had asked out of curiosity and newly found interest.
Jane had thought for a while before answering the question. ‘First, don’t tell them you slept over at his place. Tell them you went over to his place with me this morning, to check on him but you didn’t see him 'cause Mike said he was sleeping. So, we left.'
Earlier, when the CSI mentioned the professor’s death. Even though she had expected it, she didn’t know how to react. She had pretended she didn’t hear before gulping a glass of water. When she tried to be shaken by the news, her act failed her. After all those years of acting on stage as a performing art student of the University of Barbington, she was surprised she couldn’t act like someone that’s depressed. She had laughed to set her head straight. She wouldn’t just let her career and dreams go down the drain because she witnessed a death she shouldn’t have. Hence, she had taken charge of the interrogation, leading the CSI to believe she was telling the truth.
‘Why can’t I just tell them the truth?’ she had asked Jane that morning, with a shaken voice.
‘Because no one will believe you.’
‘But you believe me right?’
‘Of course, I do. Why else would I be helping you?’
They hugged each other and said no more until they alighted the taxi. Jane had resumed talking as soon as they entered their apartment and spent the next couple of hours interrogating her like a detective would. It felt so easy with Jane but after experiencing it first hand; not so good.
‘Were you with the professor the evening before? Of course, they knew but they want you to tell a lie so they can trap you.’ Jane had asked her like a detective would and provided answers also. ‘So you don’t lie about that. There are things you don’t lie about because they know the truth. You need to give them something. Some form of truth that will make them believe you. Probably, where the professor was murdered.’
‘He was shot in front of me, Jane!’ she had cried.
‘You can cry but never say that.’ Jane had warned her. There were a lot Jane warned her about and she had tried her best to adhere to them.
‘And how the hell would I explain knowing that, Jane?’
‘Come on, Maryam. Use that actress brain of yours.’
Just know if the police ask about David. Don’t deny being at his place. She recalled one of Jane’s numerous warnings. It was the top of it all because it happened exactly the way Jane had said it. It felt like Jane was a detective in her past life.
Yet, there were some things Jane hadn't cross-examined with her. Like the police having David in custody. When the CSI told her about it, the news had destabilized her thoughts. She had looked over at Jane but the latter wasn’t even looking. She withdrew all of a sudden while a series of thoughts ran through her shattered mind. ‘If the police already have Dave in their custody, it means they only need to confirm if he’s the killer. I should nail him for the murder and free myself of being suspected.’ She had waved that first thought away as it came. ‘It is my anxiety speaking,' she had said to herself. David had always been nice to her and she had decided he didn’t deserve that. She had recalled the real reason she was at his place that morning. He had rescued her from two men who were after her, without knowing who they were. She had slept over at his place and didn’t even thank him when she left that morning. He was still asleep when Jane came to get her.
‘That would be Crawford Lane,’ she had said to herself again, after the mention of David’s arrest. ‘Were those men, officers? If they were, did Dave murder them to protect me? Oh! He murdered the professor too because he was jealous and murdered those officers to cover his tracks. Probably, they helped with the murder of the professor. Why else would he be awake at that hour of the night. I know him to be a fast sleeper and he doesn’t go out late at night. The police must have something strong against him, to have arrested him.’ She sighed. ‘It’s best if I don’t tell them about last night’s incident as that would implicate me.’
Maryam had scratched her forehead and looked at Jane again but Jane wasn’t aware. She was so engrossed in the lies she was feeding the detective at the time. Thinking back about it now, she smiled. She had decided not to say anything that would implicate David but then the CSI had wanted something from her, something more than what she already gave. When she eventually started talking, she burst into tears and it took Jane to comfort her. It was what she wanted, to seek closure to this interrogation. At first, Jane had protested but eventually she agreed and had even helped to answer some of the questions asked, thereby putting the rope around David’s neck. She had hated her for that and yelled but it was all okay now. After all, David wasn’t included in their previous plan and Jane is her best friend.