Snippet

[allichaton]

Snippet! ^_^

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I leaned back against the car's hood, facing the cop. "All right. What do you need to know?"

He asked me all the usual questions I'd expected. How did you find the body? Why did you use this forgotten path, instead of the other ones? Did you touch the body? I answered each question as it came, but they made me restless. How could any of this help them find the thing who killed Adri?

After a few more questions, he paused thoughtfully for a moment, then glanced up at me. "You keep saying 'she'. But the body's unrecognizable. Do you know who the victim is, Reina?"

"Yes. She's my roommate. I found her bracelet; it's got her name on it."

His eyebrows climbed up his forehead. For the first time since the questioning had begun, he focused on me and not the notepad he'd been scribbling in. "You knew the victim?"

"That's right. She's my roommate and my friend." I shook my head. "Shouldn't you be back there looking for clues or something? Picking apart my schedule isn't going to help you solve this."

He gave me a wan smile. "Just asking the standard questions, ma'am. And detectives look for clues, not uniforms." Frustration bombarded me like heat from a radiator. Looked like somebody had ambitions of bigger and better. I closed my mind to him; my emotions were in enough turmoil on their own. I didn't need others adding to it.

The sound of feet slapping on concrete attracted both of our attentions. I turned towards the sound and saw Shane, flushed and running towards us. He stopped when he saw me standing with Mr. Sensitivity; confusion flared from him briefly. Then he ran up and grabbed me, wrapping me in a tight hug.

"Oh God, Reina. I came as fast as I could. Are you okay?" He pulled back and looked me over. "Are you injured? Hurt?"

"No." I shook my head, then grabbed him and forced him to look at me. "Shane, I'm fine. Just shaken." I showed him my hands. "I don't need stitches. Just to be held." I slid my arms around his back and pulled him close. "Just hold me, Shane."

"Of course." His arms cradled me. I could sense he was frantic, and expected him to clutch, but he was gentle, holding me against his chest and burying his face in my shoulder. "God, Reina. I was so scared."

I gave a short laugh, but it caught on the edge of a sob. "Tell me about it." I sat down on the warm concrete, and he sat next to me. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders; I linked my hand with his and offered him a small smile. "I'm glad you came," I whispered. "There wasn't anyone else..."

"I know. Of course I came." He lifted his free hand to wipe a wayward tear from my cheek. I sniffled and bit my lip, and prayed I wasn't going to cry again. "It's okay now," he whispered. He leaned forward and kissed my cheek. "Everything'll be fine, honey. I'm here for you."

We sat like that for an eternity, holding each other, leaning against each other. He sent waves of comfort to me, and I wanted to weep in gratitude. He knew what I needed. He always knew what I needed.

After a while, another car, unmarked, pulled up and parked behind Mr. Sensitivity's. Two people got out. I watched as Mr. Sensitivity walked over to the man who'd been behind the wheel; they talked briefly, then both returned to my side. "Reina, this is Detective Jordans. He's going to need to take you back to the station to ask you some more questions."

I nodded and wiped my cheeks. "All right." Shane's arm tightened around me; panic started to taint the waves of comfort. I turned to him. "Shane, I'll be fine. They just need my help. I'll be back before you know it."

He watched me with a worried expression. Finally, he nodded. The worry remained etched on his face. "All right." He kissed me again. "I'll be in my room, whenever you get back. Come find me."

"Of course." He let go of me, and I turned back to the detective. "I'm ready."

As he led me back to his car, I felt the forest at my back, waiting like a crouching beast. Something horrible was in there, and it had killed my friend.