AN: Sigh! It's me again. Peeping out with a new story. I know I have other obligations, but when inspiration hits, yuh just have to go with the flow. Yuh understand? So this is what I've been up to. This story is actually inspired by real events that recently happened in my life and in the lives of others I'm close to. I love you all for indulging me. Please enjoy these this Prologue and Chapter 1.
Transcript
April 2, 2018
TRANSCRIPT OF RECORDED INTERVIEW
WITH MICHONNE MORETTI
8:53 AM—recording starts
THPD DET. SIMON HAWKER
Hawker: Alright. Think we got this thing rolling. Wait...yep, we are good to go. Let's begin, shall we Miss Moretti? [No response]
Hawker: Ma'am, I'll need for you to speak up. You are here of your own accord, aren't you?
Moretti: Yes. I am.
Hawker: Good. That's better. Now, Trinity Hills has seen a number of break-ins these past few months, and so although, you and I have already spoken, why don't you go ahead and repeat the events of your morning. This recording will help us to keep the facts straight and sift out any similarities with the other victims.
Moretti: Sure. Okay.
Hawker: Terrific. Where were you this morning?
Moretti: At my mother's house. I got up and left around 6:30.
Hawker: And she lives out in Burkeside too?
Moretti: Yes. Wilson street. I spent the weekend there.
Hawker: With just her?
Moretti: My sisters live there too. With my niece and my nephew.
Hawker: Full house. How nice. My brother and his wife still live out at my parents' place too. But that's down in Macon so I haven't been in awhile. Plus, my brother's a real jerk, you know what I mean. My folks though, they are getting old. I should make the effort, go visit the geezers, shouldn't I?
Moretti: …Mmhm.
Hawker: I'm just saying I could relate...sort of. [No response]
Hawker: Okay alright, not much for easy conversation are yuh? Well umm, where were we? Oh yeah that's right, you left Wilson street at around 6:30. Was anyone else up to see you leave?
Moretti: My mother. She walked me to my car.
Hawker: Then what?
Moretti: Then I drove to Tasty Delights, grabbed breakfast and—
Hawker: On a holiday?
Moretti: …Yeah. They're usually open year-round, six days a week.
Hawker: They any good? What kind of food do they serve?
Moretti: Caribbean. Mainly dishes from Trinidad.
Hawker: Oh yeah, that's the good stuff. What did you get? No wait, let me guess. Some pie? Vegetables?
Moretti: You're not serious, are you?
Hawker: [Clears throat] Let's, let's skip that part. So you drove straight home after that, and when you got out of the car you noticed something was off. Correct?
Moretti: My plants on the balcony of my front porch, one of the pots had fallen and smashed in the yard.
Hawker: Could've been the wind.
Moretti: Yeah, but I thought why one? And why not on the porch itself? Seemed strange. Then I, I came up to my front door and found it unlocked. That's not something I usually forget.
Hawker: You said that no one else has a key? You live alone?
Moretti: I do. So I knew. When I pushed it open, went in through the doorway immediately I saw everything was just...everywhere. My home had been violated.
Hawker: Must've been a shock. Usually is. Did you go through the entire house?
Moretti: No. I ran back out. Called 911. Waited in my car till the first officer arrived.
Hawker: Yes, let's see. I have that here. Officer Bernard was the first to respond after your call came through at about 6:57 a.m. He said he found you locked inside your car. You wouldn't come out. So he went into your house to do a check, made sure that no one was still there. Found the point of entry, a broken window to the western side of the house. Then when he got to your room, he saw something…interesting. Convinced you to come in so that he could show it to you. What was it?
Moretti: Graffiti. 'U19' spray painted on my bedroom wall, in black.
Hawker: When you gave your statement last week, Miss Moretti, about that murder victim, you identified the perpetrator as being…wait, let me get it straight. I have your report right here, don't want to misquote you. Yes, you said the attacker was, 'possibly a Latino man, young between 20 to 30 years of age, six feet, dark eyes, dark clothes, low haircut and with a distinctive U19 tattooed at the back of his skull'. Did I get it all correct?
Moretti: Yes.
Hawker: And now, that same tattoo is scrawled across your wallpaper.
Moretti: Yes.
Hawker: That's um, quite mysterious isn't it? Do you any ideas, or theories on how that's possible?
Moretti: I think that's your job to figure out, Detective.
Hawker: Yes. Yes it is. You know what else is my job, Miss Moretti? Finding other eye witnesses to a murder that took place in broad daylight on the busiest streets of Burkeside. But you know we haven't been able to do that. It's a conundrum but not one other person could place a man fitting this description of yours from the attack last Tuesday. Not one.
Moretti: What? But I told you-
Hawker: Oh, and another thing that's been puzzling me…your car. You said in your first report that you left it at work, in the parking lot of St. Monica's High school? That's the one downtown?
Moretti: Since 1972.
Hawker: You own a 2010 BMW 3 series coupe, am I right? That's a sweet ride. You know I always wanted to get myself a Bimmer. How much did that set you back, huh? On a School librarian's salary? Must've been a pretty penny?
Moretti: Was a gift.
Hawker: Oh, I see. How lovely. It's in good condition?
Moretti: Perfect.
Hawker: No leakages. No squeaking. No sputtering. Works just fine?
Moretti: Yes.
Hawker: Damn good mechanic huh? [No response.]
Hawker: Listen, don't give me that look, just answer the question.
Moretti: Which is what exactly?
Hawker: Why is it did you decide that on that day, of all days, to leave your BMW, which works perfectly fine, all the way downtown?
Moretti: I wanted to take the bus.
Hawker: Oh really?
Moretti: Really. What exactly is it that you want to know, Detective? I didn't come down here for this.
Hawker: You think you're so smart, don't you?
Moretti: I think that you're wasting my time. That this has nothing to do with my house being broken into.
Hawker: Oh no? Come on Miss Moretti, be real. Are you that…unfortunate? You say you didn't know the victim? Who she was?
Moretti: I didn't.
Hawker: Then try explaining to me how is it that not two minutes before the attack, you had a meeting with a Miss Rosita Espinosa, the victim's own sister?
Moretti: I didn't know she was her sister. Not until she showed up here at the station. This is ridiculous. What are you trying to insinuate? Is this the part where I say, "Please officer I need to make phone call?"
Hawker: That's entirely up to you, Miss Moretti. After all we're just uh, chit chatting.
Moretti: Yeah well, the chit chat's over. I'd like to invoke my sixth amendment. Now. [No response]
Moretti: I. Said. Now.
9:13 AM—recording stops.
