A/N: Hello my wonderful readers! If any of you are reading this, I was going to post this weekend, but I got busy and it just didn't happen. See A/N of chapter 21 of As Ribbons Fall Away if you're interested in the details of my hectic weekend. I'm glad you're all enjoying this and here's chapter 9!

Chapter 9

July 3, 2008

Tommy walked into the police station, not quite knowing what to expect. He'd never been arrested before and certainly had never been involved in a homicide investigation. Tommy had notified his lawyer about the interview today and she told him not to worry, yet, but if there were any questions he didn't think he should answer, he shouldn't.

Tommy went up to the front desk and was directed to an interrogation room. He sat down at the table and moments later, two plain-clothes cops stepped into the room.

"Mr. Quincy, I'm Detective Ryan Berk and this is my partner Alex Jones." Ryan was an older man, probably mid to late 30s. He had dark hair that was speckled with grey and his eyes were cold as ice. Alex was younger, probably around Tommy's age with blonde hair and eyes that sparkled with mischief.

"Uh, hi." Tommy said, not knowing how to respond.

"Nervous Mr. Quincy?" Detective Jones asked, smirking at Tommy.

"No…I have nothing to hide."

"Good. Then tell us again where you were last night?" Detective Jones asked. Tommy sighed and relayed the story he told the night before.

"Now, how did you know the victim?" Detective Berk asked.

"Mark Snow was anything but a victim." Tommy said, his face showing now emotion. "I know of him from the business; Mark used to be a respectable producer and took my job at G Major when I left for Flava records. I met him personally after Georgia Blevins asked for me to come back to work for her; apparently, Mark wasn't working out for her. I never had a good opinion of him, during our first meeting he had previously hit his artist, Jude Harrison, and then proceeded to stalk and terrorize her and in the end, nearly succeeding in raping her back in November."

"So you harbored ill-will to Mark Snow."

"I'm not distraught that he was murdered, no," Tommy said and sighed and looked back up at the detectives before him. "If the man who nearly raped your fiancé escaped from prison, continued to stalk and terrorize her, and then ended up dead…would you feel remorse?" The detectives said nothing but Tommy could tell they would have the same opinions were they in his shoes.

"The question is, would we kill him, you mean?" Tommy stared at Detective Jones incredulously.

"I beg your pardon?"

"In other words, you were asking if we'd kill him too."

"I didn't kill Mark Snow." Tommy said.

"heard that one before,"

"Alex!" Detective Berk said, and the two detectives argued in hushed tones. Tommy rolled his eyes and sat back. Great, now they think I murdered Mark Snow. Tommy couldn't admit he hadn't thought about it a million times. He couldn't admit that he wouldn't have if he had the chance, but he could say he didn't do it.

Jude was in the studio, working on a song with Kwest until Tommy got back.

"Uh, Jude?" Kwest's voice came over the intercom.

"Yeah?"

"You've been singing the same line repeatedly." Kwest pointed out. Jude shoved her guitar aside and slammed her fists down on the music before her. She got up from her stool and ran a hand through her hair.

"Whoa girl, easy." Kwest's voice came from behind her. Jude started and spun around to face him.

"I'm sorry Kwest." She said, feeling tears sting her eyes. "It's just…"

"I know, I'm worried about him too." Jude nodded and looked away from Kwest. "Why don't we break…it's obvious you're distracted and I'm not exactly in the mood to record either." Jude smiled thankfully at Kwest and threw her arms around him in a hug.

"Thanks Kwest." She said and Kwest returned the hug.

"Anytime." The door to the studio slammed open and Kwest and Jude broke apart and glanced out the glass to see who had entered so abruptly. They saw Tommy toss his coat in a corner and look over at them in the glass. His face showed no emotion but his eyes were alive with emotion. Neither Jude or Kwest moved for a moment and Kwest recovered first, exiting the sound booth and walking over to his friend, tentatively.

"How'd it go?" Kwest asked, and Tommy said nothing, but Kwest could see him clench his jaw more and Kwest glanced at Jude who had followed him out of the booth.

"Tommy?"

"They think I killed him." He said, collapsing in the chair closest to him and shook his head.

"They what!" Jude yelled, appalled at the accusation being thrown at Tommy.

"Would have if I had the chance, but that's beside the point." Tommy muttered and Kwest and Jude glanced at each other.

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that and I'll ask again, what!" Kwest demanded.

"Long story, but they think I killed him."

"How do you know? Did they name you their number one suspect?"

"They didn't have to say it to make it obvious." Tommy said and sighed. He ran a hand through his hair and glanced over at Jude and away from her soft eyes, unable to face her at the moment.

"Tommy," She said, and stepped closer to him and lay a hand on his shoulder.

"You sure you want to touch a murderer?" He spat at her. Jude withdrew her hand and glared at him.

"Fine, if you want to be like that, then fine!" She yelled at him and stormed out of the studio, slamming the door behind her. Kwest winced.

"Don't say anything." Tommy said, rubbing his hands over his eyes.

"Wasn't planning on it." Kwest said, leaving Tommy alone in the studio.