10.08.2017608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPu8mDGKaxN
5:30 pm608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyR72vfLR0G
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...608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡssTHEBlPex
"Mr. William"608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEtQzQ5l11T
I wanted to do it too...608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpOWiXIXFr5
"Mr. William"608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOwz3Gk2RJO
Was I nervous too?608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz0NoV9wsp3
"Sir!"608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXMWwoSJNuu
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.608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ15wBYMv9In
"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 voice608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyaQILJUADx
Mr. Robert Faloney, the most cunning prosecutor living.
He is probably the reason corruption exists.608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnwxh8GkfGU
"Yes, I work with my sister, Raven Winter."608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSWRn4Ebw8b
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."608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgpGUHC1mNI
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, 608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDSBUPDhoYI
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.608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1PtetulXMt
I looked around until I caught my sister's eye. She gave me a subtle nod and smiled my way.608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGO7gnmI36N
That was all I needed...
For now.608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHBmfKdl02N
"She called me, Bella did."608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzBCf2SAxDb
"Are you saying that, Miss. Bella called you over herself?"608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkQjJvE35Xo
"Yes."608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ45MrYjqlB2
"For what reason?"608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiQAgo7pnZK
"She had told me that she wanted to tell me something important."608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFcuOvWdmvL
"Do you have an idea of what that might be?"608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJTW6O4Wmzr
"No."608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhSjSccRPAy
"And so, you walked down to her house?"608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgK4IaDoMYn
"Yes, it was only a few blocks away."
"Did you go empty-handed?"608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfaqJCeS645
I paused for a minute.608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡohQBLE8Rzq
I have to stay strong,
I need to get out of here,
I need to catch him...608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs3sDYojlOP
"No, I bought flowers along the way. White roses with a hint of pink."
"Did you, by any chance, have feelings for Bella or- "608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGsAimAdUZJ
"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.608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡodpnuGNwsf
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.608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlcaqZXRzm4
"Objection dismissed." The judge announced as he turned toward me again.608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpbsnNONu2b
"No, we were just friends," I answered.608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzVKkHraPIZ
"Are you sure?"608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡksILV6P9UL
"Yes."
"What did you see when you entered the house?"608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkFjkQIjt9C
What did I see?
What did I see...608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhyzG9NfyJx
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...608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡseyRydCt0T
"I saw... her in the l-living room." I started. "She had been hit... No, umm..."608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4JIMoJXgzE
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.608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTVy066dAQe
You have to stay strong.
For her.608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBYejJNqmIo
"Your honor, clearly my client is not comfortable in sharing a memory of his friend who was bludgeoned to death."608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6HDCHIU6N9
I flinched hearing the last words Jenny spoke.608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9iig88kyuD
"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.608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpYaJNZfEPJ
I felt a hand caress my shoulder, "Are you okay?" Raven's voice spoke softly.608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAPUdkZRDNK
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...608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUK4SSosQXT
That smelled like... Anna...608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0sfPyENZme
"William!" Anna exclaimed as she ran into my arms. Picking her up I held her close to me.608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuFiucbeW7o
I never get tired of that strawberry scent...608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTjzojDDEHM
"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.608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWVCRhJda4E
"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.608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy0oOuTjpPt
"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.608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ128QtCKtwd
"That's enough of playing around. Let's go home..." Raven spoke.
Home...
After all of this, I still had a home...
-
11. 08. 2017608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU84lYOQMxQ
2:00 am608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ZLSgpipbt
The Winter estate.608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu54S1NhrjT
608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9qMHBr9Yxf
"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..."608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf1gHSKR7cr
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.608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMtUs0KzfxF
"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."608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHhuUjzDATx
Raven narrowed her eyes at me while studying me closely.
Probably trying to decide if I was telling the truth.608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjtTgnpkAJz
"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."608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkxLAAUUX1c
"He... he... smiled. Raven, He smiled at her-her body... while she laid t-there..."
My voice was cracking now.608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLxje63y8Xv
I can't hold on,
Not anymore.608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0uBRopL553
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.608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkwILyEoKlj
"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...?"608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoyxQku55sL
"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.608Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKdE7r2Is6d
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
ns216.73.216.246da2
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