"Ok. So he told you it was a joke?" The police man was surprisingly calm. They had found him guarding one of the exits, and had persauded Sinead to suck up her fear and go talk to the man.
She had briefly told him her story, ending with, "But I didn't know! I was drunk, and Jake tricked me."
The man had written down everything she had said, and now turned to Amy and Jonah. "Do you belive her story?"
They nodded. "Yes." Amy replied. "We saw it on the control center camera."
The officer turned to Jonah, and raised his eyebrows. "How come we didn't hear about this before?"
Jonah grinned sheepishly. "Um . . . I was drunk."
The officer's eyebrows shot up again. "Really? Last night, no one admitted to being drunk, except Amy here." He motioned towards Amy, who blushed and looked at the ground.
"Yeah, sorry 'bout that." Jonah's cheeks were a flaming red. "I . . . when I'm drunk, I don't think clearly. But I knew I was drunk, and I didn't tell you, so I apologize."
The officer nodded. "Its ok. Let's call the captain. You'll show him to the control center. I'll stay here and guard my post."
Jonah nodded. "Coolo with us."
They sat in the control center, showing the chief police everything they had just recently discovered. The man listened quietly, and then he turned to Sinead, who sat silently on the floor, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Well, well, well, young lady. What do you have to say for yourself?"
Sinead's eyes were squints, and her mouth was open in a silent sob, as she attempted to say, "I'm sorry. I was drunk. If I could take it back, I would!"
The man nodded. "I'm sure you would. I want everything Jake said to you." The man frowned, and then looked down at his notebook which he was holding firmly in one hand. "Does anyone know where Jake is? I need to question him too."
Amy nodded. "Of course. I last saw him . . . in here, actually, he gagged and bound me and Jonah. I haven't seen him since. He's probably lying low, trying to figure out how to get out of this."
The police nodded. "I'm sure. Where's his room? I need to talk to him. Now."
Jonah led the man down the complicated twists and turns that was Jonah's mansion. Amy wasn't sure how he could even remember where he was going, but somehow, Jonah managed.
Reaching the room which, as Jonah said, "Here's his hidey hole.", the man knocked and when there was no answer, opened the door. It swung open, its hinges squeaking slightly.
Jake was lying on his bed, muttering a word over and over. "Tired. Tired. So Tired."
"Jake Rosenbloom?" The police man said, quite loudly.
Jake jumped off his bed, and stood awkwardly, his socked foot moving in small circles on the hardwood floor. "Yes, sir?" He answered, his foot fascinating him.
"Look at me." The man commanded. Jake looked up, and seemed to find the man's uniform incredibly interesting. The man sighed. "In the eyes."
Jake raised his head, and looked up at the man.
"Did you beat up Sammy, who was murdered last night by Sinead Starling, who, according to her, was commanded to by you. According to her, she was so drunk that she would believe anything. Did you tell her that it was all a joke?"
Jake looked down at the floor. "Yes, but, officer, I can explain."
The officer raised his eyebrows. "Go ahead then. I'm not leaving until this is cleared up."
Jake looked down at the floor. Clearing his throat, he began . . .
"It all started several years ago. I was . . . doing something I wasn't supposed to," He looked up. "It wasn't illegal, I promise! But anyway, Sammy caught me. He threatened to tell my girlfriend, who at the time was Amy. I didn't want her to know, so I agreed to his terms. Which were one thousand dollars a month. But Sammy kept raising the prices every month, and last month, it was ten thousand." Jake's voice cracked.
Amy gasped. "How could he? I didn't know Sammy was capable of doing something like that!"
The police officer made a sound in the back of his throat, and scratched something down on his notepad. "Continue, young man."
Jake nodded. "I beat him up. I was drunk, and the alcohol made me angry. So angry, in fact, that when I saw Sinead swinging the sword . . ." He inhaled sharply. "I couldn't resist. She had this stupid smile on her face, so I knew she was drunk. I told her it was a joke. I told her that I set this up, and that Sammy would walk in and see it, and find it funny." He stopped, and looked at Sinead. "Sinead, I'm sorry. I'm really sorry."
Sinead nodded brusquely.
Jake continued, "I saw her run off, happy to please, and then I knew that I'd made a mistake. So I went in, and tried to forgot about it. I drank even more. By the time Nellie found his body, I could barely stand. Thankfully though, by the time you guys got here, it was wearing off. But I'm sure you knew I was drunk."
The man laughed. "I could tell you were all drunk. I honestly just assumed that you were so drunk you didn't know you were drunk."
Jonah snorted. "Wow. Makes perfect sense, even to my low hip-hop gangsta mind."
The officer shot Jonah a dirty look. "Yeah. Hip-hop. Right."
Jake looked up. "How long do I have to be in jail?"
The man shrugged. "We'll leave that to the judge. However, probably not anymore than fifteen years."
Jake gasped. "Fifteen years? My whole life will be gone!"
The policeman nodded. "I know, sonny. If I could help you, I would. But I'm just a stupid police, and judges don't listen to me. However, given the circumstances, and that you were blackmailed, it probably won't be fifteen, but I can't promise."
Sinead let out a long shuddering breath. "What about me? What about me!" Her voice rise high, and squeaked on the last "me".
The man shrugged. "Maybe the same. Maybe you two will get on sentence, and split it. But either way, I'm not sure. Its up to the judge. Not me."
And! You! Know! EVERYTHING!
Of course, I'm not finished. I am proud to say that this is one of the first stories I've actually had planned out. Like, I actually knew who was the murderer, and why, by chapter two. (or maybe it was three?)
*shrugs* Either way, I have no (successfully ... not really) completed (almost) a pre-planned story!
I'M SO EXCITED!
Thanks so much for reading guys, and please, please, please REVIEW. It makes my day.
And, to all you guests out there, if you do review, it makes my day even more.
Like, one guest, she/he reviewed on my "A Secret Life" and they were the reason I updated.
Seriously, REVIEW, it actually influences me to write more.
Thanks, guys. :DDDDDD