"I already talked to that police officer," Remy said immediately as they entered.
"We know, but there were a few more topics that we'd like to discuss," said Jonathan in his best trust-me-I-know-what-I'm-doing voice.
Remy was looking a little cagey. In his mind, Jonathan rubbed his hands together with glee. "Why can't the police officer discuss those topics with me, then?" Remy asked.
"Wouldn't you rather talk to someone closer to your own age than to some old police officer?" said Kangai.
This didn't seem to make Remy any happier. "Not really."
"Afraid," said Li Mei. Jonathan stopped to look at her.
"Me or him?" he asked. Remy looked between them, confused.
"He is hiding something, and he is very afraid that we will find it," she replied calmly.
"Oh really," said Kangai, raising one eyebrow at Remy (although really, he could have figured that much out for himself).
"What," Remy was staring at Li Mei in disbelief, "what is she...?"
"Never you mind," said Jonathan coldly, and enjoyed how Remy's eyes widened, before the older boy seemed to withdraw into himself. If Jonathan had been in his own body, Remy would've beaten him up, or at least given him a good scare in return, tit for tat. Yeah, Jonathan could definitely get used to being in this body.
He could see Li Mei glaring at him out of the corner of his eye. Best keep those smug thoughts in check...
"We already know everything about this case that you could possibly tell us," Jonathan lied through his teeth. "We're just here to give you a chance to tell us the information yourself before the court comes down on you for hiding evidence from a police officer."
Remy's eyebrows were up, the beginnings of a humorless smirk at the edge of his lips. Yeah, that was the Remy that Jonathan knew. "Oh really," the older boy murmured.
Jonathan felt an old, familiar defensiveness rising in him. "Yeah, really," he blustered.
"So what information do you have on me, exactly that would make you think I'm hiding evidence from the police," Remy said, drawing the words out as if he were enjoying making Jonathan – or Kangai, he supposed – squirm.
He probably was. Remy had always been a first-class jerk.
"How about the fact that Jonathan was with you that night that you got arrested for drug dealing? Or how about the fact that the arrest was his fault?" Jonathan shot back.
Remy paled. Li Mei looked at Jonathan curiously.
"How did you - ?" Remy cut himself off, searching Kangai's face. Jonathan stared stonily back at him, not allowing anything to bleed through his pokerface.
"I'm waiting for an answer, Jeremy," Kangai said flatly. Inside his own mind though, Jonathan was doing a little conga and laughing maniacally at how easily his brother had been startled. Remy was losing his grip in his old age!
Remy closed his eyes. Then he said, very, very slowly, "Is it really so bad to want to protect your little brother?"
It was Jonathan's turn to be completely taken aback. That was certainly not what he expected. Maybe... Jonathan pushed the unfamiliar feelings back, recovering quickly. "That all sounds very nice, but we have under good authority that yours and your brother's relationship was not exactly one for the magazine covers."
Remy looked at him, then away, his eyebrows drawing downward. "My brother is - … was... very dramatic."
Jonathan frowned. He wasn't that bad.
"Sure, when we were little, me, Jon, and Will would beat each other up daily. Even when we weren't so little anymore," Remy grinned. "But then we grew up. I found myself wanting to throw out all the pointless rivalry between us... That particular feeling's got Will written all over it, hah. I guess he rubbed off on me." He paused, searching for his next words. "I wanted to treat Jon like an adult... like a friend, even, maybe. But he didn't let me. It was almost like he didn't want to get along with us. Me and Will, I mean. Maybe because if we were on bad terms then we could fit into his weird mental image of being this dysfunctional family that he was going to rise above. Or something."
Jonathan's head felt light. His vision pounded in and out of focus. "What do you mean, his mental image of a dysfunctional family? Your mom's crazy, your dad was in jail, you were arrested, and now your brother's dead. If that's not dysfunctional, what is?"
Anger flashed in Remy's face. "Who told you all that?"
"Police investigator, remember?" said Jonathan blithely. "It could be relevant information."
Remy scowled. "Sounds like you've got enough without my help."
Li Mei was staring at Remy with a strange expression. "What's up?" said Jonathan.
She blinked and turned to stare at Jonathan instead. Finally she murmured, "He is not very sad that his brother died. Instead, he is filled mainly with guilt and regret."
"Will you stop talking about me as if I'm not here?" Remy growled. "And stop doing that!" he added, glaring at Li Mei.
"I'm sorry," said Li Mei quietly. Remy blinked. He hadn't been expecting that sort of response.
Remy looked back at Jonathan, looking more doubtful than anything, his anger having been pulled out from under him. After a few long breaths, Remy said, "We're getting caught up in the petty details. All of us. I want my brother's murderer brought to justice. That's the most important thing right now. So I'll give you whatever information you want." He quieted. "As far as your first question... yes, it was technically Jonathan's fault that I got arrested for drug trafficking – it was his idea to try out some new stuff, just for fun. We gave it a shot but I think we had a dud sample because the buzz took a while to build up, and when it finally came it lasted for like ten minutes. So Jon said we should sell it. If we weren't gonna get the high off it, we might as well make a few bucks, right? We found something of a hot spot, and we'd gotten a good bit of cash, when the cops came and shut the whole thing down. So, yeah, it was technically it was Jon's fault. And yeah, I'm not gonna say I wasn't mad when Jonathan got off scot-free just 'cause he was fourteen at the time and apparently didn't know any better. But I wouldn't kill him just for that."
Jonathan's eyes were getting kind of blurry. He rubbed at one of them with a fist and was shocked to feel tears sprouting on their own accord. He scrunched his eyes shut to keep them from going anywhere. All this time he had thought Remy hated him for that night. The look on Remy's face when Jonathan had been released and his older brother had been kept behind for a night in jail... At the time, he'd stayed afloat on bravado, applauding his own charm and good luck in getting off with just a warning. But inside he'd been so guilty... He thought Remy hated him. And if Remy hated him, Jonathan was going to hate him back. He was going to hate him back first, and hate him more. Because that way he wouldn't get hurt.
Jonathan stumbled backwards onto the couch, his breath coming in too fast and his mind flooded with feelings he'd never wanted to have to deal with again.
Li Mei's gentle voice cut the silence. "Why do you feel guilty?"
Both Kangai and Remy looked up. Because I messed all of this up. Because now I'm dead and I can't make it better anymore.
Remy put his head in his hands. "Because I messed all of this up. Because now he's dead and I can't tell him any of this anymore. Sure he was a handful. And okay, if I'm going to be honest with myself, I have thought about killing him. Okay? But what sibling doesn't? But he was my brother." He faltered, seeming to want to continue, but then his mouth snapped shut and he looked away.
"That is not the only reason that you feel guilty," said Li Mei.
Jonathan looked at his brother – really looked at him – for the first time in a long time. And he saw it too. "You feel bad because you know who killed m... him. You know who the murderer is."
Remy wouldn't meet his eye. "I think I might know, yes. But I'm not sure."
"Then tell us!" Jonathan yelled, jumping to his feet. "We can investigate for you!"
His big brother was shaking his head before he even finished the sentence. "I have to figure this out for myself, okay? I'll let you know if I'm right."
Jonathan frowned, but Remy was already getting up to go. He turned and gave Jonathan an unexpected smile. "And kid? Thanks. You remind me of my brother. I'm sorry that I never got to tell him all that stuff, but I'm glad I got to say it to you, at least."
Then he turned and left the house without another glance back.