10.08.2017533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ27DZ3QYBFC
5:30 pm533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtwx2hp5v6m
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...533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9BOX8cDqbM
"Mr. William"533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnAnUdHq0Dp
I wanted to do it too...533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOEEqpYTqer
"Mr. William"533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWKK62bYkks
Was I nervous too?533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPIGf0fsiDD
"Sir!"533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Vl6cTt6CJ
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.533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8cxFh61ML7
"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 voice533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡReJDR0QObB
Mr. Robert Faloney, the most cunning prosecutor living.
He is probably the reason corruption exists.533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmucLbTR1Eo
"Yes, I work with my sister, Raven Winter."533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWHNFlr3MSd
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."533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYfzryIjZAy
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, 533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwQns9790hc
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.533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlYiWsZpYDJ
I looked around until I caught my sister's eye. She gave me a subtle nod and smiled my way.533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqtfppWTwzv
That was all I needed...
For now.533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8fz9Tf4B0Z
"She called me, Bella did."533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHjhULQ1044
"Are you saying that, Miss. Bella called you over herself?"533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8dIyZMbfoi
"Yes."533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCrrKs8afKl
"For what reason?"533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr1YyE2pmPY
"She had told me that she wanted to tell me something important."533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqzhXQmrcyP
"Do you have an idea of what that might be?"533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAkNYHZhDgY
"No."533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb9HJ4XRI67
"And so, you walked down to her house?"533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZolD2XaK35
"Yes, it was only a few blocks away."
"Did you go empty-handed?"533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3PP7g4hVuW
I paused for a minute.533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu9AsKWIyAJ
I have to stay strong,
I need to get out of here,
I need to catch him...533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0s7mCk2z2e
"No, I bought flowers along the way. White roses with a hint of pink."
"Did you, by any chance, have feelings for Bella or- "533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjhILGWXzm8
"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.533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmNVCV6NW2s
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.533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoC7aVvET6i
"Objection dismissed." The judge announced as he turned toward me again.533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyHFJwLP18v
"No, we were just friends," I answered.533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKMx7UoUwkV
"Are you sure?"533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOv0EBdk1wz
"Yes."
"What did you see when you entered the house?"533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP02t2Mrk9Z
What did I see?
What did I see...533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmM7w2v3fpq
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...533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYTinkTITkV
"I saw... her in the l-living room." I started. "She had been hit... No, umm..."533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJOWM5G0fjr
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.533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5niVG4bukI
You have to stay strong.
For her.533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ASw98dQ9G
"Your honor, clearly my client is not comfortable in sharing a memory of his friend who was bludgeoned to death."533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLz7YV0iW5h
I flinched hearing the last words Jenny spoke.533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcw5W5eSjVv
"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.533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpnFSvyz323
I felt a hand caress my shoulder, "Are you okay?" Raven's voice spoke softly.533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Cfig1vb26
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...533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1JtMHuMEW5
That smelled like... Anna...533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0SLeEf5tak
"William!" Anna exclaimed as she ran into my arms. Picking her up I held her close to me.533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYfO0ZZ5SJN
I never get tired of that strawberry scent...533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmHr2NFBcpb
"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.533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqM0ZX9OPhU
"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.533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9NzwD90cqL
"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.533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ587q05sIJI
"That's enough of playing around. Let's go home..." Raven spoke.
Home...
After all of this, I still had a home...
-
11. 08. 2017533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs6TsXdQbW6
2:00 am533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUyE443qBW4
The Winter estate.533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ99aejNbbwa
533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡigztF5ifyP
"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..."533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRS4syRNfv4
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.533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvCaU8Oii4c
"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."533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ982OWmHE3C
Raven narrowed her eyes at me while studying me closely.
Probably trying to decide if I was telling the truth.533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPAZXCrWD8e
"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."533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlmEoLYiB6K
"He... he... smiled. Raven, He smiled at her-her body... while she laid t-there..."
My voice was cracking now.533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmBON8s0OQI
I can't hold on,
Not anymore.533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4MPhDIud9e
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.533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8pSLgDz9yp
"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...?"533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHYDPnbd54x
"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.533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqEt7vUJXed
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
ns18.116.21.127da2
