‘Nice speech, kid,’ Said Trevor, nonchalantly placing his giant hands into his jacket pockets. His eyes were purposely drooping, his face slightly elevated.
‘Thanks,’ Sineas replied.‘Where’d you get it from? A talk show?’‘From my head,’ Sineas answered.Trevor looked behind him, at his crew, massaging his chin slowly. He looked back at Sineas. His face was more hardened than before. ‘I don’t know where you got the idea that you could just get up there and talk about my dead pal like that.’Clarissa stepped in front of Sineas. ‘Trevor, please…’‘Na-ah, traitor,’ he said waving a finger at her, ‘I’m still talking to the ass. I’ll get to the ex later.’She opened her mouth to say something but Sineas pulled her gently to the side. He gave her a reassuring nod. Like a code, she nodded back.‘What do you want from mSineas could hardly believe his eyes. The Luciferian smirk on the inspector’s face made him feel like a real criminal.Aunt Janice said, ‘Can you fetch these two gentlemen some water to drink?’ She did not look up however.Sineas took his sweet time, first having his staring contest with the inspector. The deputy’s eyes were hidden from him. Sineas finally walked back into the kitchen and came back carrying two cups of cold water. He handed the two their water then sat down on Aunt Janice’s left side. Deputy James was facing Sineas and Inspector Charles was facing Aunt Janice. The fact that the two officers were in higher seats than him and his aunt made him feel vulnerable to a large extent.The inspector picked his hat from the floor beside him and placed it on top of his knee. He said, ‘Alright. Now that most of the family is here, I’m going to go ahead and tell you the rules of this talk before we begin. Rule number
Aunt Janice looked up at the inspector. She said, ‘Sineas could never harm anyone in that way.’‘And your sister? Your statement at the station in Breechwood, Janice, eleven years ago. You said she had moods. Violent moods. Maybe this is an example.’‘My mother is not a killer,’ Sineas muttered.‘You said something, kid?’ asked Deputy James.Sineas looked at the two officers in turn. He felt a bit of anger towards James because he thought someone of his own colour would at least try to show him some compassion. ‘I said my mother is not a killer,’ he said again with a little more boldness to his tone.‘All the evidence disagrees, Sineas,’ said the inspector.He answered, ‘You laid the evidence against us, Charles. You had your turn to accuse us but you gave us the floor so let me speak.’The inspector raised his hands apologetically, grinning. ‘Be my guest.&rsq
Even after the policemen had left, Sineas and his aunt stayed in their sitting positions for a bit longer. Both were obviously thinking.‘You think they’ll be back?’ Sineas asked her.She tried to look at him but she only gave him a glimpse then turned back to the carpet. She answered, ‘These are the police, Sin. What do you think?’He stood up and looked down at her. ‘Aunt Janice, I’ve seen first-hand how quick these guys are to jump to conclusions. They’ll do anything to make sure their half-baked evidence sticks.’‘I’m not going to prison, Sineas,’ she said. ‘I’m not going to let any prison record mar my job opportunities.’‘Aunt Janice, do you think that matters right now? If Charles makes this evidence stick on either or both of us we’re looking at life imprisonment with no possibility of parole!’Her eyes immediately flared up. She jumped to
James said, ‘Sir; you had the same feeling about Clarissa Sherman. We talked to her and her phone records prove that she called Sineas that night at eleven o’clock. She also claimed that the call concerned the recovery of Justin Foyer’s body. Are you also forgetting, sir, that we actually visited the Murphys’ neighbour and he confirmed everything Sineas told us?’ He sighed and leaned towards the inspector. He clasped his hands on top of the desk. ‘Maybe it’s time we accept defeat, sir. Maybe…’ he shrugged, ‘…Maybe it’s time to call in the big guns upstairs.’‘Do you know that I saw Freddy Krueger in church last Sunday, James?’‘I think I saw him too,’ said James. ‘Wasn’t he the one who was on the pulpit, preaching the sermon on mercy?’‘No, James, that was Jack the Ripper. Krueger was in the praise and worship choir.’They both lau
Clarissa looked inscrutable as she ate her carrot salad.‘Everything good?’ Sineas asked her. It was raining heavily outside and therefore lunchtime was held indoors. The two were sitting together at the back of the class.Clarissa smiled in response to Sineas’ question but she did not look at him. The smile seemed to have originated from a half conscious mind. She crunched on, slowly.‘It’s just that today you look a little…quiet, that’s all,’ he said.She shrugged. ‘One of those days.’‘You want to talk about it?’She shook her head.‘Claire, remember that rule we agreed on? No secrets?’She pushed her lunchbox aside. She looked at him. ‘Everything is going up in smoke, Sineas. Ever since that day the inspector tried to rough answers out of me at the station, I’ve been standing at the edge of a cliff. Yesterday, he paid me a visit at my house in
‘So they expect you to ditch school?’‘They said it’s a life and death situation. Something about where-I-was-on-the-night-of-I-don’t-even-remember-when.’‘They want to question you too?’‘I know, right? Seriously, you expect me to remember what I did probably weeks ago?’‘And meanwhile, while they’re playing detective, the killer is moving on to the next target.’‘I can’t even believe those two, Sin. Anyone with enough sense would know that these cases are way above this Department’s paygrade.’‘And I’m sure this country wants answers.’‘Don’t forget solutions. But yet here they are, summoning innocent teenagers for interrogation.’‘They’ve probably never handled a murder case before.’‘Like seriously!’ She waved her hands in disbelief. She sighed, sharply. ‘I just w
‘Dude, didn’t you hear what I said?!’He quickly shoved it into his pocket. ‘What’s going on?’ he asked her panicking.She lowered her head towards him. ‘The letter’s from your moms.’‘What…how…?’‘You know Nurse Flo?’He nodded quickly.‘Her full name is Florence Jones. She my aunty. From my pops’ side.’Sineas looked beyond bewildered.Bubblegum girl went on, ‘When you visited your moms in Breechwood Asylum, your moms told my aunty Flo that you was learning here. So my aunty told me ta take care of you. And since your moms can’t cull you on the phone coz the feds could track it, it means I’m gonna have ta be the middleman or middle chick between you two.’Sineas still looked baffled. He was trying hard to understand. He smiled. ‘Thank you but…where is she…now?’ he asked her anxio
‘But what that kid said yesterday, sir? Maybe he’s right. Maybe he has nothing to do with all of this.’‘James; listen to me, boy. One of the very important things you should know about killers is that they’ll be willing to say anything to save their skin. That’s exactly what that little runt was trying to do. You can’t pull one over Inspector Charles Hemnar, James. You just can’t. That kid lost this fight when he decided to try to make me look like a jackass.’ He got into the car and turned on the ignition. ‘We’ll nail ‘em, James. Don’t you worry. We’ll nail the bastards. Are you still at Coffee Kings? Maybe I can come pick you up.’‘No need, sir. I grew up on a farm in case you forgot. I know how to walk long distances. For me, the station is just around the corner.’‘Don’t be proud, James. Tell me where you are and I’ll come get you.’He paused for a long while. He laughed, ‘No, seriously, sir. I’m already on my way to the station right now.’The inspector shrugged