Tobias, Tori, Will, Harrison, and I sit in Tobias' office opposite Brody who is looking defiant and defeated at the same time. On our walk up the path from the Pit to the Pire, Tobias told me that Sam was in fact strangled and thrown into the chasm. Zander did a full autopsy after finding substantial bruising on her neck during his visual inspection, which confirmed Tobias' suspicions. Sam was murdered.
"Dr. Parrish determined the time of death to be between 3:30 and 5:30 a.m.," Tobias says. "I need to know where you were during that timeframe, Brody."
"I. Didn't. Kill. Her," Brody emphatically says. He puts his face in his hands with a sigh and rubs it aggressively then looks up at us. "I've never killed anyone." I get up from my seat and stand in front of him, casually leaning against Tobias' desk, although I feel anything but casual.
"I can't speak for anyone else in this room," I say, gaining his full attention, "but I don't think you hurt Sam. With that being said though, we need you to answer all our questions honestly. There's a process we have to go through. Okay?"
"Okay, Tris," he says as he slumps in his chair, somewhat resigned.
"So, where did you go when you left our apartment?" I ask. He hesitates then sighs.
"I went to the net," he says. "I know you told me to go back to the dorms but I just couldn't do it. Every time I set foot in that room I feel like I'm suffocating. If you choose to make me leave, I will accept that."
"No one's making you leave," I say.
"Tris," Tori warns.
"This is your last chance though," I say, trying to cover what might have been an over step on my part. "Was anyone with you at the net who could corroborate your story?"
"No," he says. "I was alone." That's unfortunate.
"How long were you at the net?" Will asks.
"Until almost 6 a.m.," he says. "Then I went to the bathroom for a long shower. After I finished I went to the cafeteria for breakfast, although I couldn't eat anything."
"How did you get to the net?" Tobias asks, a look of concern on his face.
"The passageway in the hallway by the dorm rooms," he says.
"How in the world did you find out about that?" I ask. I just learned about it on Choosing Day. He's been here less than three weeks.
"Faith and I saw someone coming out of that door early one morning, and we decided to go exploring that night," he says, shrugging his shoulders. He sounds just like a curious Dauntless-born, roaming around the compound.
"Who was it?" Tobias asks.
"I honestly don't know," he says. "Whoever it was went down a dark hallway, and we never saw her face."
"Her?" Tori asks. "I thought you didn't see the person."
"I never saw her face," he says like he's speaking to someone who is slow, "but I saw her body. She was definitely female." Hhm. Typical guy.
"Was she tall like Murphy or short like Ana?" Tobias asks.
"Um, I guess she was built more like Murphy," he says.
"Truth serum?" Tori asks, looking at Tobias who moves to lean against his desk next to me. He looks at Brody for a moment before answering.
"We don't have any hard evidence that Brody is the one who killed Sam so I think putting him through a truth serum interrogation is premature. Unless you would like to clear your name."
"What's truth serum?" Brody asks, obviously confused. "I've never heard of that before."
"Each of the factions has its own serum for various things. Candor's serum is a truth serum," I say. "It's administered into a vein in your neck. Once it activates, which doesn't take long at all, you are only able to tell the truth." Unless you're Divergent like me. "It's used in Candor initiations to make sure that their candidates are worthy of being called Candor and during interrogations to ensure suspects are telling the truth."
"I'll do it," he clearly states with his head held high, looking back at Tobias. "I don't want anyone looking at me wondering if I'm a murderer. If this will clear me, I want to do it as soon as possible."
"I'll call Candor and arrange it," Tori says getting up from her chair and pulling her phone out of her pocket. When she opens the office door, I see Ana lingering in the hallway.
"Do you need something, Ana?" I ask.
"She's just waiting for me," Brody says, interrupting her before she can say anything. "I offered to help her with her fighting after supper."
"What about Faith and Sam's funerals?" Will asks. I forgot about the funerals.
"I don't think I can handle her funeral," he says. "I'll say goodbye to Faith in my own way in my own time. I'm just not ready."
"I understand," I say. Tori comes back into the room and closes the door behind her, leaving Ana in the hallway.
"Jack said Brody can go under truth serum tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. It will be an informal interrogation in Dauntless' holding room," she says. Oh, great! That means I have to sit on that uncomfortable low bench. "Four, will you get ahold of Uriah and Christina and have them watch the transfers while you and Tris take him to Candor?"
"You got it," he says. "Brody, you can go ahead and go for the evening. Just a reminder, be in the dorms by 10 p.m. We can't offer you anymore chances."
"Thanks, Four," he says. Ana is still outside when he opens the door. She starts to say something but he quickly quiets her. He stalks off in the direction of the Pit, and she hurries after him.
"What in the world was that about?" I ask, pushing myself away from the desk. I go to the door and step out into the hallway. Brody and Ana are standing at the end of the hallway, their heads nearly touching, absorbed in a heated conversation. When he notices my presence, they turn to look at me, then he puts his hand on the small of her back and leads her away.
"What?" Tori asks.
"Something's going on with those two," I say as I walk back into the office, closing the door behind me.
"What do you mean?" Tobias asks.
"Didn't you guys see that?" They all look at me like I'm crazy. "Ana was going to say something when Brody opened the door, and he interrupted her. And I just saw them … arguing is too strong of a word but the minute he saw me, they immediately quieted down, and he ushered her toward the Pit."
"I think she needs to go to Candor with us," Tobias says. "Maybe they are hiding something."
"I have a better idea," I say. "Instead of having her come with us, have Simon and Tony bring her. If they leave just after us, they'll arrive just before Brody's interrogation, and it'll be interesting to see how he reacts."
"I thought you didn't think he killed Sam," Harrison says.
"I don't think he had anything to do with it, and she's too weak to have strangled Sam but they're definitely hiding something," I say.
"How many chances are we going to give him?" Tori asks.
"I was serious when I told him we can't give him any more chances," Tobias says. "But I want to address something. The benches outside Tris' office, in my opinion, are still inside the compound. I had Zeke check the surveillance tapes from early this morning, and Brody and Ana never left those benches. Yes, they were out of the dorms after curfew but they didn't actually leave the compound. Do we all agree?" We all nod while he gets a small stack of papers off his desk. "This is a picture of the mystery person seen by the chasm. Does it remind you of anyone?" He hands us each a photo of a person dressed head to toe in black. Even though the weather is mostly warm right now, the person is wearing a long-sleeved hooded sweatshirt with the hood pulled up, covering the face. I'd say the person is tall but it could be either a male or female; it's really hard to tell.
"Just looks like a typical Dauntless member," Harrison says.
"I agree, except for the sweatshirt," Will says. "Whoever this is, is certainly trying to hide their identity. They could know about the cameras."
"I think you're right about that. I have Zeke looking over all the video from last night and this morning to see if he finds anything out of the ordinary," Tobias says. "What time are the funerals starting?"
"Tori and I will begin at a little after 7 in the cafeteria," Harrison says. "We'd like all of us to be there."
"I'll be there but Tris is going to stay at home with the kids," Tobias says. "We don't want to expose Tyler to a Dauntless funeral; he's entirely too young. And I couldn't find a sitter."
"Speaking of the kids, I should get to the daycare center and pick them up," I say.
"I'm sorry, I forgot to tell you. I asked Christina to pick them up for us," he says, apologetically. "If we aren't here, she'll bring them to the apartment."
"Oh, okay," I say.
"Is there anything else we need to go over?" Will asks.
"Do you have anything else, Tori?" Tobias asks.
"Not really," she says.
"I'll meet you in the cafeteria as close to 7 p.m. as I can," he says. "We'll see you guys later." When Will opens the door, Christina is standing there getting ready to knock.
"Well hello," he says with a chuckle. "We were just talking about you."
"Is that why my ears were burning?" she say, flirting with him.
"Hi, Mommy," Tyler says as he walks into the office. He looks like he's moping.
"Are you okay, buddy?" I ask.
"Yeah," he says with a sigh. That might be true but he's not acting like himself right now.
"Shall we go home and fix some supper?" Tobias asks as he picks Tyler up who solemnly nods his head. I take a smiling Tessa from Christina, thank her for picking them up for us, and we all head upstairs. We say goodbye to our neighbors in the hallway then go into our apartment. I put Tessa in her swing and turn the timer on then sit down on the couch.
"Tyler, come here please," I say. He's sitting at the foot of the stairs playing with his fire engine and dump truck. When he hears his name, he gets up and comes to stand in front of me. "Do you want to sit on Mommy's lap?" He crawls up onto the couch and into my arms. "What's wrong? You seem so sad today."
"I otay," he says. I wrap my arms around him and kiss his head, and he wriggles his way out of my embrace and goes back to his cars, making my heart ache a little. Okay, a lot. Tobias kisses the top of my head, and I look up at him.
"It's alright, love," he says. "He's probably just feeling the same stress we've been feeling the past 24 hours. If he has something to say, I'm sure he'll talk to you or me about it later. Why don't you help me with supper? It will help get your mind off our moody 2 year old."
"Alright," I say, getting off the couch. "What are we making?"
"I think we should make big, fat, juicy cheeseburgers, homemade sweet potato fries, mixed vegetables, grilled peaches, and maybe some macaroni and cheese." At the mention of his favorite food, Tyler turns and grins at us. There's my happy boy. "Mommy and Daddy will let you know when supper's ready, okay?"
"Otay," he says.
"You go ahead and play until then," I say. Tobias and I work together in the kitchen, our moves a synchronized dance for the next half-an-hour preparing our supper. "I love cooking with you. This is fun."
"It is, isn't it," he says. "Maybe we should do this more often." I look into the living room when Tessa starts fussing and see her swing has stalled. When I reach her, an offensive odor reaches my nose, and I realize it wasn't the swing stopping that's making her cranky.
"Come on, you little stinker. Let's get you cleaned up," I say as I take her out of the swing. "We'll be right back." I carry her up to her room, change her into a clean diaper, and put her in a new lightweight pink, red, and white sleeper with a delicate floral pattern on one side and "Sleepy Little Lady" above a cute little lady bug dozing on a flower on the other. "These are definitely your colors, little one. Pinks and reds look really good on you. Should we go back downstairs and see your Daddy and brother?" She smiles the wide toothless grin that melts my heart, and I pepper her face with kisses. "You've stolen my heart just as much as your Daddy has."
"Me, too?" Tyler asks.
"Yes, of course," I say stepping around him to put Tessa in her swing. "I love you and your sister just as much as I love your Daddy." I squat down and kiss the top of his head then go into the kitchen to finish supper with Tobias. "What would you like me to do?"
"Will you check on the sweet potato fries?" he asks.
"Sure," I say. I take the baking sheet out of the oven and find the fries are crispy and ready to be served. I set them on the heated stove and get some honey mustard out of the fridge for dipping. "Is everything else ready?"
"Yep," he says as he takes the peaches off the indoor grill and drizzles them with the caramel sauce he just made.
"Will you please get Tyler up to the island, and I'll make our plates?" I ask.
"Sure," he says. He kisses my temple as he passes by me on his way into the living room. He picks Tyler up and gets him situated at the island while I make our plates. "Are you ready for supper, buddy?"
"Yeah," he says. "I stawving." I look over my shoulder at my guys, and Tyler looks so serious right now. I have to stifle my laugh. I slide his plate of cut up hamburger, macaroni and cheese, and mixed veggies to him and his eyes light up.
"Well it's a good thing that supper's ready then, huh?" I say. I put Tobias' and my plates on our placemats then pour us each a tall glass of milk. "Everything looks wonderful." I sit down next to Tyler after serving the drinks.
"It does," Tobias says. "I'm going to have to go to the cafeteria right after I get done. If I hurry, I might make it before Tori starts."
"Is it bad that I'm relieved that I don't have to go?" I ask.
"No. To tell you the truth, I wish I didn't have to go either."
"Sometimes being a leader has its advantages but sometimes it…" I mouth the word "sucks" at him, not wanting Tyler repeating it. He gives me a tired, knowing look. He keeps his word and heads for the door immediately upon finishing his plate.
"I'll be back as soon as possible," he says as he wraps his arms around me. I go up on my tiptoes and pull his mouth to mine for a soft kiss. We part when we hear Tyler's snickers. We grin at each other, and he rolls his eyes as I shake my head. "I love you, Tris. Buddy, you be good for Mommy. Hopefully, I'll be back before you go to bed but if I'm not, I'll stop in and give you a kiss, and I'll see you in the morning. Come here and give me a hug." Tobias lifts him from his booster seat, gives him a big hug and kiss, and then sets him on his feet. "I'll be home soon."
"Love you," I say.
"Love you," Tyler mimics.
"I love you both," he says as he starts out the door then he turns and looks at Tessa who has her eyes on him. "I love you, too, Pebbles."
"She loves you," I say. "You better go. You're going to be late." After a final goodbye, he locks the door behind him. "What would you like to do tonight, Tyler?"
"Play game?"
"Sure," I say. "You pick one out. I'm going to go upstairs and get your sister's bouncy seat. I'll be right back." When I come back downstairs, Tyler has his match game out. I move Tessa from the swing to her bouncy seat so she's right in on all the action without trying to grab the cards. "That's a good game you picked out. It's your favorite, right?"
"Yeah," he says. He's smiling but it doesn't quite reach his eyes. I set the game up and after a couple rounds I try to get the reason for his bad mood out of him.
"Did you have fun at daycare with your friends today?"
"Zane go'd home," he sadly says as he turns over matching cards with red trucks on them. "He sick."
"I'm sorry," I say. "I didn't know that. Did you play with Emma, Mia, and Elliott the rest of the day?"
"They go'd home at lunch," he says with a frown.
"Is that why you were so sad, all your friends went home and you had no one to play with?"
"I played with Bobby but, Mommy, he mean," he says. "I no like him." Bobby! What the hell has that little brat done to my son this time?
"Did he say something to you again?"
"No, he just mean," he says, his eyes wide. "He take my book away."
"I'm sorry, buddy," I say. "He shouldn't have done that. What did you do?"
"I got 'nother book."
"That was very grow up of you," I say. "Did you say anything to Mrs. Wheeler?"
"No. She not thewe," he says. "I miss Zane."
"Well, I'm sorry you had a bad day," I say. "Why didn't you tell me when I asked what was wrong earlier?" He shrugs his shoulders before making another match. "Tyler, you can talk to me about anything. I'll always be here for you. I'll always be on your side."
"I know," he says. Tessa yawns wide then bursts out crying. Tyler bounces her seat and says, "Sshh. You no have to cwy."
"Not so hard, buddy," I say and he stops. "Like this." I show him how to gently bounce her seat, and she falls to sleep within minutes. "Thanks, buddy. I think it's time to get ready for bed. Let's take your sister upstairs and put her in her crib then you can take a bath."
"Otay," he excitedly says.
"Will you put the game away then come upstairs?"
"Otay, Mommy," he says. I carefully lift Tessa out of the bouncy seat without waking her and carry her upstairs and put her to bed. When I come out of her room, I expect Tyler to be close by but I don't see him.
"Tyler?" I call out.
"Yeah?" he says from the bathroom. I never thought about the bathroom because the light's out. When I flip it on, I have to laugh. He's sitting in the bathtub without a stich of clothes on. He must really want his bath.
"Are you ready for your bath, buddy?" I ask and he nods at me. I turn the water on first to a slow trickle so the cold water doesn't splash on him and get it to the desired temperature then proceed to fill the tub. After washing him and his hair, I sit beside the tub and let him play. He has such a brilliant imagination. I think that comes from when he lived with the factionless and had to play by himself. I don't let myself think of the life he used to live for very long because it depresses me. I silently thank God that I'm his mother now and that no one can ever take him away from us ever again. Water hits me in the face, and Tyler starts laughing near hysterics. "Did you do that on purpose, you little monster?"
"It funny," he says, still laughing. His angelic giggle is contagious, and I can't help but laugh with him.
"Are you ready to get out?" I ask after the water starts cooling off.
"Yeah," he says. "I cold."
"I bet you are." I flip the switch on the plug and the water starts swirling down the drain. I get to my knees and help him out of the tub then wrap a big fluffy towel around his shivering body. "You should have told me you were cold. I hope you don't get sick, too."
"I was havin' fun," he says matter-of-factly.
"Of course, you were," I say. Once I get him all dried off, I make him go potty then I help him into a new pair of firetruck pajamas. He outgrew his old ones. He keeps telling me he's not ready for bed even though he's yawning almost nonstop. "How about we rock for a little bit then you'll have to go to bed, okay?"
"Otay," he says around another big yawn. I sit in his rocking chair, and he climbs up onto my lap. After getting him situated just right, he falls asleep almost immediately. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. I should have laid down with him in his bed or mine. Hopefully, Tobias will be home soon. Unfortunately, he isn't home when Tessa starts whining. I very carefully get up and carry Tyler to his bed and tuck him in.
I kiss his head and whisper in his ear, "I love you. Sleep well, my little guy." I go across the hall and find Tessa lying on her tummy crying. I look at the clock and realize that I must have dozed in Tyler's room because it's nearly midnight. I pick her up and sit in her rocking chair. She latches on the moment my breast is within her reach, and she suckles greedily. My poor girl. "How long have you been crying, little one? Mommy's sorry." As she eats, I wonder where Tobias is. The funerals couldn't have taken this long, could they? I hope everything is okay. In his defense, he did say that he might be late tonight but I still worry.
When I finish nursing Tessa, I change her diaper and put her back in bed then find my phone. Tobias called a couple times while I was giving Tyler his bath and finally left me a message telling me he's going to be late. Apparently there was a lot of drinking at the funerals and several fights broke out and everyone was just being rowdy. I remember practically every member of Dauntless being drunk the day of Al's funeral. That's one thing I don't like about my chosen faction. Dauntless uses every kind of event as an excuse to drink.
I decide on a quick shower since both kids are sound asleep in hopes that it will relax me. This is the first time in a long time that Tobias and I have been apart for this length of time, and I'm missing him terribly. By the time I get out and dried off, I'm feeling sluggish and am having a hard time keeping my eyes open. As soon as my head hits my pillow though, I wake up. I toss and turn wishing that Tobias was beside me. If he were, I wouldn't be having this trouble. About an hour later I hear lethargic footsteps on the stairs, and my heart starts beating rapidly in my chest.
"Tobias?" I ask.
"Yeah. It's me," he says, his words slurring from exhaustion. "Why aren't you asleep?"
"I couldn't sleep without you here," I say. He strips out of his clothes and slides in between the sheets.
"It was hell night," he says. "Lots of fights and injuries. People were acting like it was the old Dauntless."
"Baby, you're exhausted," I say, caressing his head, which is lying on my chest. Apparently, my bare breasts are softer than his pillow. He snuggles into me and wraps his body around mine. He mutters incoherently, and I know he's on the verge of passing out. "We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. Sleep now, Tobias. We'll talk in the morning." I run my fingers unhurriedly through his hair enjoying the calming effect his body has on mine. I can actually feel my body falling asleep. I turn my head and see his eyes are now closed, his mouth is slightly open, and his entire body is relaxed. "I love you, Tobias Eaton. Sleep well, my love."