Legally, Mercury and Emerald were married. In every other aspect of the word, they were not. The only reason they signed the papers was so they could have someone to room and split all of the bills with without having the judgement of every person in the apartment complex. To really sell it, they both wore rings, which were really just keychain loops Mercury got for ten cents. Mercury would use his as a fidget more than anything, but he couldn't as he tautly approached his apartment. His full energy had to be put into climbing the rugged stairs that the damn building 'couldn't afford to replace.'
Judging from how late he got off work, Mercury knew the neighbors would be complaining about him walking up the stairs 'too loud.' Like he had any other way to do it with the stupid prosthetics. Just in case though, he bounced in front of Cinder Fall's door a few times for good measure.
He eventually made it to their apartment, like always. At that point Mercury was waiting to one day trip one those stairs and break his rib in a way that punctured his lungs and killed him on instant. The landlords would probably appreciate his lack of complaining.
Instead, Mercury was alive and as well as he could be, opening the door and giving a sarcastic "Honey I'm home!" before his voice died altogether. In the dim lights, he could make out Emerald leaning against the doorway to her room. He could see her breaths were ragged, her eyes puffing, and her face was streaked with half-dried tears. He was instantly on high alert, moving towards Emerald. He'd never seen her cry before. "Emerald?"
"I'm fine…" her voice was steely. As Mercury approached his wife, he looked passed her. There was a white sheet on the dirty carpet, covering a very body-looking shape. He gently pushed passed Emerald and bent over what was definitely a body. "Merc, wait." He felt a hand press on his shoulder blade. He lifted the sheet up slightly.
"…isn't that your manager?"
"No," she snapped. "Well, yes, but…" she spilled the whole story.
"That bastard," was Mercury's only comment.
"What are we going to tell the police? We have to call them, if the neighbors haven't already." Emerald began to pace against the worn tiles.
"Not the truth, that's for sure. Maybe just leave it at that he assaulted you, so you reached for the gun in self-defence," he sat on the floor by what was formerly Tyrian Callows. He began to pull his ring on and off his finger.
"I don't think I can tell them I invited him in. They'll probably just shrug off an assault allegation then."
"Tell the police that… he walked you back here, then forced his way in before attacking."
"That… that could work," Emerald nodded, stopping her pacing. Then she started all over again. "They'll probably still not believe me. They'd probably think I did let him in willingly, and that I didn't want some cock and bull 'love affair' to be discovered," she turned to Mercury. "Tell them you walked in on him attacking. I yelled for you to help, distracting him enough that I can push him off and duck, while you grabbed the gun from your nightstand."
They spent a silent moment staring at each other. Mercury could see the desperation swimming in Emerald's wine-coloured eyes. She stood braced like a caged animal waiting for a fight.
"Please Mercury. It's my hour of need."
He sighed, standing up and heading towards the phone. "Alright. We'll go with that story. And Emerald?"
"Yeah?"
"Whatever happens, just trust me, alright?" He spun the rotary dial around to call the three simple numbers '911.'
A camera flashed as a photographer took pictures of Tyrian with and without the sheet. Emerald shielded her eyes from the glare. Emerald and Mercury sat on her bed, a behemoth cop standing before them and questioning the both of them. Mostly Mercury.
So, you and Emerald here are in a relationship?" Emerald could barely hear the officer's deep voice over the hammering in her ears.
Yes, Officer. Married." Mercury gave a nervous smile as he sent a caring glance towards Emerald, wrapping his hand in hers. Sometimes Emerald thought he should've been the performer instead of her.
"Mind if I ask what the extra bed in the main room is for, then?"
"For guests. We even had Mr…" he gave a nervous swallow, "Mr. Callows here sometimes." That wasn't a complete lie.
"So, you were close to the victim?"
"Yes, he was my wife's agent. And please, don't call him a victim. Especially around my wife."
"So, tell me more about the situation."
Mercury opened his mouth and began to share the made-up story. As he drabbled on, Emerald let her mind escape from the situation, knowing she wasn't the important questionee. She pictured the camera flash as one steady beam of light, centered on her.
Junior Xiong sat before a piano. "For her first number, Ms. Emerald Sustrai would like to sing a song of love and devotion dedicated to her dear husband, Mercury."
Emerald swayed across the stage in a soft red silk dress that brushed across the planks. The skirt moved like liquid along her thighs, glinting with entailed jewels every step. Her green hair was still in its puffed curls.
"Sometimes I'm right, sometimes I'm wrong. But he doesn't care, he'll string along. He loves me so, that funny honey of mine."
"Is this what happened?"
"Of course, Officer."
The cop, known as Rainart, hummed to himself while glancing over his notes. When he apparently was satisfied with what he wrote, he turned his attention to another investigator. This one was searching through all other aspects of the crime scene. Rainart simply commanded: "Call in the witness."
Cinder Fall sauntered into the room, and barely even glanced at the corpse before stating: "That's him."
"Of course, it's him," Mercury snapped. "He walked Emerald home after all."
"He ain't no sheik, that's no great physique, and lord knows he ain't got the smarts," she was sitting on the piano, watching Xiong pluck the notes. "But look at his soul; I'll tell you, that whole is a whole lot greater than the sum of his parts. And if you knew him like me, I know you'd agree."
"They were definitely friendly on the way up," Cinder mused.
"He was drunk, I was helping him up!" Emerald asserted. The police officer raised his eyebrows at her from over his notepad.
"You were helping the man who was supposed to be walking you home up the stairs because he was drunk?"
"Well, I mean, yeah." Emerald stammered. "Look, Officer Rainart, I didn't say the complete truth because I was worried. I did invite Tyrian to stay the night because he was intoxicated. He would sleep on the guest bed like usual, I swear. It was when I closed and locked the door he attacked. That's the only lie I've told tonight."
"Well, your husband clearly didn't arrive quite as early as you stated, considering I was back from my cigarette by the time he came stomping rather loudly up the stairs."
"Ms. Fall I'll be asking the questions here." Despite the reprimand, the bitch still gave a smirk before leaning on the doorway.
"What does she mean by 'friendly,' Emerald?" Mercury's voice was barely above a whisper.
"Not you too," Emerald huffed, pushing herself off the bed.
"What do you mean 'me too'?" Mercury came right up after her.
Anger and confusion rushed through Emerald's body like a tidal wave. "Dammit, I was the one assaulted here, I was the one attacked. Instead of helping me process," she waved her hands in a general motion, "you all just take me for a liar!" Suddenly Officer Rainart was shining a flashlight in her face because of course he had a damn flashlight.
"Ma'am, you do realize you already lied to me once tonight?"
"Look, buddy, that was a white lie. Big difference. Tyrian still busted through my bedroom door and still made a grab at me. I just knew if I didn't fabricate a bit, that you would not believe me. And look, I was right!"
"Because you lied, ma'am, white or not." Emerald wanted to take the notepad the cop was suddenly fascinated with and throw it out the window. She held herself down, knowing she was already becoming hysterical—and suspicious. Of course, when she looked over to Mercury, he was still keeping his façade of a confused husband.
"It's just…" he dared to lock eyes with her. "You've already being lying, fully might I add, this whole time. About who shot Callows."
Time slowed, and Emerald's blood felt thick and slow in her veins.
"I'm sorry sir," the officer whipped his flashlight to Mercury, "what did you just say?"
"Now he's shot off his trap. I can't stand that sap." Her heel was firmly planted in Junior Xiong's shoulder, yet he still kept playing the notes while she raged. "Look at him go, ratting on me. With just one more brain what a half-wit he'd be!"
Rainart and the other investigator dragged Emerald down all of the stories of the musty stairs, Mercury and the cameraman close behind. They jostled her through the doors of the building before shoving her upwards into the back of a police car.
"What're you going to do with her?" Emerald heard Mercury ask that as the officers slammed the doors shut.
"She's going to Cook's County for now. After that? She'll most likely end up hanging." At this Emerald whipped around to face the bars. Mercury looked visibly shocked by this statement from Rainart as well, like he had any right to be.
"If they string me up, I'll know who brought the twine."
"You can't do this to me," Emerald pressed her face up close in between the bars. "I'm not in the wrong here! None of it's my fault, I'm telling you!" The police officers completely ignored her as they made their way around to the front of the vehicle.
"That scummy, crummy, dummy!Hubby of mine."
The police car drove away at a rapid pace, leaving Mercury alone on the street staring after the vehicle and the occupant in the window.
