AN: I don't know what you guys are going to think of Louise's revelation in the last chapter. Please don't hate me for making Tristan alot darker than he ever was in the show. But I don't want to portray him as in infallible angel. People do get drunk, people do misconstrue situations, people do make mistakes. Anyway, please keep reading and reviewing!
Disclaimer: I think we've established by now that I own nothing - except my nifty new broadband connection - especially not GG.
"Tristan DuGrey?" Tristan turned from where he was leaning against Rory's locker talking to her and Madeline. The two detectives investigating Liz's murder stood with Headmaster Charlston.
"Yes?"
"We'd like you to accompany us down to the station to answer a few questions" Tristan rubbed his jaw.
"I'll have to call my lawyer"
"You can call him from there" Headmaster Charlston looked distraught as the police led Tristan away.
"Do you remember the name 'Michael Nightingale'?" Tristan closed his eyes. Hi lawyer sat next to him.
"You don't have to answer that" Tristan held up his hand to silence him.
"Yes, I do"
"Would you care to tell us again about the night of Mr. Nightingale's…accident?"
"I was drunk, we fought, he fell through the window and over the balcony"
"What did you fight about?"
"I thought he had attacked a friend of mine…a female friend"
"You thought?"
"Yes"
"But you were wrong?"
"Yes"
"He must have…fallen with some force to break the window ad go over the balcony"
"Yes" Tristan agreed.
"What are you insinuating Detective?" Tristan's lawyer asked.
"We're just trying to confirm details"
"Well I don't see what this has to do with Elizabeth Belmont…how is that case coming along?" Detective Corry ignored the remark and pushed on.
"Mr. DuGrey, in November last year, a room full of acquaintances witnessed you dragging Miss Belmont from a party by her wrist" Tristan remembered the night.
"Yes"
"So you had a violent past with the deceased"
"No, of course not. We were at a party and she was drunk, I was just…"
"Just what, Mr. DuGrey?"
"Trying to get her out of there, I was angry"
"Were you angry the night Miss Belmont disappeared?"
"No"
"You didn't fight?"
"No"
"Not even when Miss Belmont broke up with you?"
"What?" Tristan exclaimed. Detective Corry checked his notes.
"Miss Roberts told us that Miss Belmont said she was going to break up with you that night"
"That is hear say and conjecture" Tristan's lawyer stepped in.
"Do you have any hard evidence?" He asked next. Tristan butted in.
"She didn't break up with me, she told me she loved me, only me!" His voice was anguished but the detectives just smiled benignly. Tristan's lawyer put his hand on the youth's arm to quiet him.
"Do you have any hard evidence pertaining to Miss Belmont's death and my client?"
"We asked Mr. DuGrey, the day after the murder to supply a DNA sample" Tristan nodded. "The tests done on Miss Belmont conclude that they had sex"
"Mr. DuGrey told you that during his first interview" The detective nodded.
"The Medical Examiner concluded from injuries that Miss Belmont had been raped" Tristan's eyes stung with tears, he clenched his jaw.
"What are you saying detective? You're stepping into dangerous waters. Do you have any other evidence which links Mr. DuGrey to this crime?" It became clear the detectives didn't at that time. Tristan's lawyer took him back to the school. Tristan was silent, his jaw set as they drove down th highway leading to the school.
"Tristan," Mr. Jenkins, his lawyer began, "This will al be over soon. They can't link you to the crime"
"They mightn't be able to, but everyone else can" He said quietly.
"I've spoken to your grandfather, about the viability of you perhaps changing schools. He was…reluctant for you to do that without your father's in put. Do you know where you father is?" Tristan snorted.
"Over in Europe somewhere with mother. I don't want to leave school"
"Perhaps you should move in with your grandparents until this all…blows over. It can't be healthy to be living alone"
"That's how I prefer it"
It was early evening when he got back. His mind hadn't stopped racing since the moment the interview had begun. Not even when Miss Belmont broke up with you? He didn't want to go to his room, he needed…something. He made his way to his car, he'd drive into town, get some beer, scotch…who cared anyway. Louise saw his car roar out of the car park, was she wrong about him? Had she imagined the look in his eyes when Michael crashed through the glass? The look of triumph? Or was that the clearest memory she'd ever had? She was worried, worried for Rory. She'd watched Liz fall head over heels for Tristan. It was a gift he had, and one even he didn't understand. There was something about him, something magnetic that hypnotised the girls that came into contact with him. She had felt that pull herself, not long after Michael, she'd lost her virginity to him. They'd grown apart for a while after that. It was difficult to go back to being friends with someone when you realised they'd never even known what they were doing while they seduced you. She could see it happening to Rory; she was falling under his spell. Louise watched them every chance she got. Tristan's eyes would linger on her, hers on him. She looked over at Rory, stretched out on her bed, reading a novel. Louise would look out for her; it wasn't going to happen again.
Tristan had been sitting on the bleachers for the last hour getting riotously drunk on gin. Fucking Summer the bitch. Why would Liz have been breaking up with him? His mind was screaming and reeling and he wanted to go with it, agree with it. He stumbled towards the dormitory buildings. He'd show summer. He picked up a hand full of rocks and flung them towards her window in DuGrey building. Rory jumped when the stones, which missed Summer's window, hit hers. Louise was in the shower and Rory had just been listening to music before lights out. She looked out the window; Tristan was downstairs, yelling something. Without stopping to think she hurried downstairs. Mrs. Shultz was at her desk. Rory swore under her breath and jumped back into the stair well. The first-level common room would still be open. She let herself in, it was dark but she didn't want to turn on lights. She pushed open the window and climbed out quickly, getting tangled in the bushes. Se pushed on, running around to where he was.
"You fucking bitch!" He was screaming at the window.
"For Christ's sake Tristan! Are you crazy?" She exclaimed. He turned to her, his dead eyes back again.
"Mary" She pulled her jacket tighter around herself and grabbed his arm, pulling him towards the football field.
"I wanna go back there, I wanna tell Summer she's a fucking bitch!"
"I want to tell her that as well…what happened with the police?"
"Summer told them Liz was going to break up with me. Now they think we fought and that I raped her and killed her because of that"
"Oh my God…" He fell to the ground and laid back.
"Why would she say that?"
"She hates me" Rory raised her eyebrow.
"Enough to do this?"
"In a word…yes"
"Tristan you're drunk"
"In a word…yes" Rory nodded grimly.
"You need to go to bed"
"I need to get this out"
"Did the police ask anything else?"
"Yeah…just about a thing that happened a few years ago" Rory took a deep breath.
"Michael Nightingale?" Tristan stared at her in shock before understanding reached him.
"Louise told you" Rory nodded.
"Yes, about Michael…they're trying to prove a history of violence" Rory sat down on the grass next to him and he turned to look her in the eyes.
"Do you think I did it?" Her breath caught in her throat and her heart beat faster. She put her hand on his chest and he covered it with his own.
"No…I don't" He sat up slowly, tracing his fingers down her cheek. She stared at him, lost in his eyes. Even at their coldest, their darkest, there was something magnetic about them. Slowly, so slowly he tilted her head up, moving closer towards her. He gently pressed his lips to hers. She couldn't close her eyes; she kept watching him as he kissed her. His eyes were open as well, clouded. He pulled away, finally closing his eyes. Rory gently touched her fingers to her lips.
"I need to go back" She whispered before getting to her feet and running off.
AN: There, there's your first real taste of TRORY action wih plenty more angst to come. Please, please hi teh little button an tell me what you think!
