10.08.2017640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡncEM0OkWAM
5:30 pm640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuZfJPq6uRq
The central court of England
Why am I here?
It felt as though someone had clogged my ears as all the sounds around me sounded muffed. I could smell a faint scent of cologne and sweat; the rest was...unclear.
There was a tiny, almost invisible, scratch on the wooden frame before me. It looked like someone had scratched it with their nails,
that was something a nervous mind would do...640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTT6QZc9Zyh
"Mr. William"640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡClWcR30P5r
I wanted to do it too...640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiiZe0PIAha
"Mr. William"640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsaAxRN3gux
Was I nervous too?640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ksAyO6OLu
"Sir!"640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJyDPI6whpx
Snapping back into reality, I looked around the silenced room to find everyone staring at me.
A bit uncomfortable from all the attention, "Yes." I spoke.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQDvn5aEVFM
"Do you swear that the evidence that you shall give shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?"
"Yes, I solemnly swear that the evidence that I shall give shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth."
"Now, Mr. William Winter, I hear you are a private detective?" Robert asked with a sly tone lacing his voice640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl77WVIjQzc
Mr. Robert Faloney, the most cunning prosecutor living.
He is probably the reason corruption exists.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp8UTsqLdhC
"Yes, I work with my sister, Raven Winter."640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAhZr4vBZns
He nodded in response. "Why did you go to Miss. Bella's house at such an odd time? And might I remind you, your honor, a fellow neighbor reported spotting him walk up to her driveway at around half-past nine."640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ60m8c1jOHF
The court grew silent once again, only the ticking of the clock managed to pierce through the tense atmosphere.
I was used to being in court. Me and my sister used to come here often for our clients. That was when we were studying, 640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTyvW1vj0jd
It's been so long...
The court as I remember was never as filled as it was today, a lot of women had gathered around Helen, a few holding her hand the other sending spiteful looks my way.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvkOwsYHJmP
I looked around until I caught my sister's eye. She gave me a subtle nod and smiled my way.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaA3nfRT1bR
That was all I needed...
For now.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXiBAwNf5h8
"She called me, Bella did."640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡehtx9TESq9
"Are you saying that, Miss. Bella called you over herself?"640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdRvY04fCJ6
"Yes."640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnhkHuEeq6T
"For what reason?"640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHHqWdxcO2A
"She had told me that she wanted to tell me something important."640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡviEM8hdVLQ
"Do you have an idea of what that might be?"640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRubvoMNlEP
"No."640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGRKhcp9P4v
"And so, you walked down to her house?"640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnZlIjnp0Zk
"Yes, it was only a few blocks away."
"Did you go empty-handed?"640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa1JYqdHWVf
I paused for a minute.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡry02qiQYZW
I have to stay strong,
I need to get out of here,
I need to catch him...640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxviMo1zkya
"No, I bought flowers along the way. White roses with a hint of pink."
"Did you, by any chance, have feelings for Bella or- "640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6yU1Sif1K7
"Objection your honor, this question is irrelevant to the case," Jenny spoke upstanding. She looked quite mad as she glared at Robert with hatred filling her eyes.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY5OlHceyFa
Jenny Davis.
She had studied with us in high school, but obviously, that wasn't the only reason she agreed to fight for us. She had this immense hatred for Robert that never seemed to die.
Probably because he was always one step ahead of her.
Probably.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwZaLiMk8Pd
"Objection dismissed." The judge announced as he turned toward me again.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlqjGxR81VP
"No, we were just friends," I answered.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3RMmRS21yW
"Are you sure?"640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFCA4xh7FNr
"Yes."
"What did you see when you entered the house?"640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXkywBSIuxH
What did I see?
What did I see...640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiDUMSGxqB7
The memories hit me, her lying on the floor, a noticeable depression on one side of her head. Blood soaking the carpet under her, the bloody hammer laying on the floor a few feet away.
I felt my heart pound faster by the second, as I remembered dropping my bouquet, my knees buckling as I fell to the floor, kneeling beside it,
and...
not believing my eyes...640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzOfNyE1o6F
"I saw... her in the l-living room." I started. "She had been hit... No, umm..."640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE0pleb9UrF
I felt a drop of sweat roll down my temple, my throat felt like sandpaper. I fisted my shaking hands in an attempt to stop them from moving uncontrollably.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3XzmR413Ek
You have to stay strong.
For her.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC6B8uAmgFc
"Your honor, clearly my client is not comfortable in sharing a memory of his friend who was bludgeoned to death."640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs06WgqPI4w
I flinched hearing the last words Jenny spoke.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBDkCEvi0mw
"That's enough Mr. Robert. I shall now pass the final verdict..."
-
I never thought walking out of a courtroom could make me feel this weird tingling in me. I hated coming to the court. It was mostly for the murders or robbers I and my sister had caught over the years.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiVmuayS3Bj
I felt a hand caress my shoulder, "Are you okay?" Raven's voice spoke softly.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg27Hm4AnCQ
I gave a small nod in response trying my best not to meet her eye. She always knew when I was lying, but she did not ask anything. Instead, we stood there in silence, that was before I sniffed a familiar scent.
It smelled like... strawberry...640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDvoyV09OH7
That smelled like... Anna...640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEwoknmxQcM
"William!" Anna exclaimed as she ran into my arms. Picking her up I held her close to me.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsVD2KpiI9P
I never get tired of that strawberry scent...640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡffAbyXeKQt
"Are you okay?" she asked in a low voice. I chuckled softly, a ten-year-old was asking me if 'I was okay'.
If only she knew...
"Yeah, I am fine Anna..."
"They didn't blame you for that, did they? If they did, I will go and kick them where the sun doesn't shine!" she exclaimed.
Raven turned a light shade of red hearing the words our little sister just shouted, while I laughed.
Flustered, "Where did you l-learn that?" Raven asked.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCIPckXS8pc
"Uncle James asked me to kick the guys where the sun doesn't shine if they come near me. Now that you asked me, I forgot to ask where that place is... Do you know?" she asked looking at me.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA5exdNwkMC
"Umm... yes... but, you don't have to know. And, if the guys do come near you, just give me a call. You do know I carry a gun around right?" I whispered the last part into her ear which made her giggle.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjh3DoGLzum
"That's enough of playing around. Let's go home..." Raven spoke.
Home...
After all of this, I still had a home...
-
11. 08. 2017640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEDP5D3Txxi
2:00 am640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ87qNCfZGVL
The Winter estate.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcZuyYOnFD7
640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBPEvwFVR7b
"Drinking wine this early? That's a rare sight..." Raven spoke as she walked over to me. I was standing on our balcony, holding a bottle of wine.
"Is Anna asleep?"
"Yeah, she seemed very tired. We should try not to bring her into this, I don't want to stress her."
"I agree, would you like a sip?" I asked holding up the wine bottle in my hand. I needed a drink and was too impatient to get myself a glass, so I ended up drinking from the bottle. Under normal circumstances, Raven would've lost it. I am surprised she wasn't glaring at me right now.
"No thank you, I don't drink at this time."
"How are we twins?"
"I wonder that sometimes too..."640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwTFT7XbJJM
Raven smirked, "I checked our birth certificates, by the way, I am elder than you."
"No way, by how much?"
"Three seconds." She said proudly.
I frowned, "That's rubbish!"
Raven let out a laugh, probably at how childish I was being.
It was nice, to forget what had happened for a moment.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkvrcw7PRg3
"Raven, I need to talk to you about... um... the case."
"Bella?"
I nodded.
She gestured me to continue.
I sucked a deep breath in,
"That night, Raven I saw someone standing right outside her window."640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKsZvFWRIMM
Raven narrowed her eyes at me while studying me closely.
Probably trying to decide if I was telling the truth.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6tBjvBDpnc
"He was a bit shorter than me, probably about two centimeters. His right front tooth was chipped off at the end, a-and he was wearing a black hoodie and black pants. And he smelled like... ink."
"His face?"
"It was too dark. But I know for sure he did it..."
"How? He could have been someone passing by."640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2T3lA1Lcx7
"He... he... smiled. Raven, He smiled at her-her body... while she laid t-there..."
My voice was cracking now.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLzeQhn7mP5
I can't hold on,
Not anymore.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoMyQ7iNJJ3
I felt my sister's hands around me, as she slowly pushed my head down to the crook of her neck.
A strong scent of lavender hit me.
It was... calming.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfX8LF8tYmT
"It's okay to cry. You don't have to stay strong in front of me, okay?"
Hearing someone say that made me tear up. In no time I was sobbing while shaking in my sister's arms.
The whole time she patted my back and from time to time, ran her hand through my hair.
"I miss her..."
"I know, and I believe you."
"What do you mean...?"640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDdCQ5cwe2m
"About the man you saw. I am sure he exists. And we will find him, I promise."
"Thank you..." whispered, Raven shushed me in response and stood there patting my back as I continued sobbing in her arms.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0cpI5xDCIC
It pained,
It felt like I had a hole in my chest.
More than seeing Bella dead, what made that hole bigger was the fact that I could have saved her...
If only I had taken the car...
If only I had chosen not to buy flowers...
If I was a few seconds faster...
Could I have stopped this Enigma from unfolding?
_______________________________________________________________________
Next chapter coming on- 6.12.2020 (coming Sunday)
Thank you for reading ^u^
-misswriter278
ns216.73.217.1da2
然後按「加至主畫面」