Chapter 12

                                    

                                          
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Detective Vale had read through all the files within thirty minutes. They couldn't find any motive for why Clarke would have chosen Brandon other than opportunity. She had no alibi for the night except that she was home alone while her parents and sister were at a movie. The only evidence they had was that the bat that had Brandon's blood on it, was in the shed behind Clarke's house. Her fingerprints weren't on it, but she was the only one in the family who had had opportunity and access. Vale needed to talk to her. When he went into the room, she was leaning back in the chair with her eyes closed, but she heard him come in. 
                          
"I already told you I have nothing to say to you."
                          
"I just have a few more questions. Where were you the night of Brandon Williams death?"
                          
"You already know the answer. I've already been questioned about that night a million times. I was at home."
                          
"Why did you stay home when your family went to a movie?"
                          
"I had the stomach flu and didn't want to throw up in the middle."
                          
"Did you know Brandon Williams well?"
                          
"Yeah, we were really good friends until about a year before he died."
                          
"That wasn't mentioned in the file. Why weren't you friends anymore?"
                          
"I figured it didn't matter because we weren't friends at the time of the murder. He started hanging out with his jock friends and became a real douche. He started picking on kids at school and doing whatever his stupid friends told him to." 
                          
"Did that make you angry at him?"
                          
"Look I know how this works and I know you're baiting me."
                          
"Clarke we already convicted you of this murder, there is nothing we can do about it now so be honest."
                          
"Yeah it made me mad, but I still cared about his stupid ass. He may have been an idiot, but I'd known him my whole life."
                          
"Did you know Francis?"
                          
"All I know about him is that he's on the football team and he was good buddies with Brandon before he died. I know you cops have a way of adding up two and two and getting five so let me be clear. I did not kill Brandon and I did not kill Francis." There was such a determination in her eyes that it reminded Vale of himself when he was just a young cop. 
                          
"I heard that Francis poured an entire glass of water on your friend Jack last night. Did you know that?" 
                          
"Yes, he told me this morning. Look I'm sorry for his family that he is dead because losing someone is never easy, but he was an asshole. Still didn't kill him though," she added quickly. It wasn't like she was really helping herself right now with the outright insults to Francis' character. 
                          
"I believe you." Clarke didn't know what game this detective was getting at and it made her more nervous about being in that room than anything else.
                          
"Yeah right. Then explain how you think that bat got in my shed."
                          
"I think someone put it there. It's not that hard to jump a fence."
                          
"Every cop around here believes I'm guilty. I was convicted by a jury. Everyone is going to think you're off your rocker if you go around claiming I'm innocent."
                          
"I didn't plan on publicizing it, but people around here need to know."
                          
"You won't get anything done that way. They are going to try and make me look as guilty as possible." 
                          
"How do you suppose I investigate then?"
                          
"By looking deeper into me you can absolve me and maybe even find the real killer along the way. I have nothing to hide because I didn't do anything wrong. Good luck detective I have nothing more to say to you. Oh, and one more thing."
                          
"What?"
                          
"I want to talk to Jack." Vale came back to the room a couple minutes later with Jack in tow. He was in different clothes than this morning and had a water bottle in his hand. When he saw Clarke sitting in the chair, he saw that her head was bleeding through the bandage of where her head slammed into the ground the night before. 
                          
"Hey detective Vale can I get some peroxide and a new bandage?" Vale nodded before leaving the two of them alone. Everyone was stacked behind the glass watching the kids interact. 
                          
"Hey, did they interrogate you?"
                          
"Yeah Detective Mitchell." 
                          
"He's such a douche. Wish you would have got Vale."
                          
"It's alright, are you thirsty?" She nodded, and Jack unscrewed the top and handed her the water bottle. 
                          
"Is your stomach okay? They were tossing you around pretty hard when they took you out of the house."
                          
"Yeah I'm okay, I've been to juvie you know." Clarke smiled as Jack laughed. Mitchell was watching them behind the glass with fascination. The way they interacted was like Clarke had him right under her finger. Maybe he was her accomplice. The way he was looking at her almost convinced Mitchell that he would kill for her. He would nail them both to the wall if he had to. 
                          
"Yeah, yeah I know." When Vale came back in and handed Jack the bandages. Jack took the current one off and took a good look at it. 
                          
The gash looked a little infected, so he patted some peroxide on it. Clarke hissed because it stung like a bitch. She couldn't help but notice Jack's really deep brown eyes that were focused on her head with a childlike concentration. His hair was all messed up as if he had been running his hands through it, which she noticed he did when he was nervous. 
                          
Her eyes couldn't help but to flick down to his lips which were pursed as he continued to pat her head gently. Now that she thought about it, Jack was actually pretty good looking. She wondered why he was so kind. It wasn't like he had it easy with a single mom who worked all the time. Most kids his age partied every time their parents were gone, and this guy was making his mom dinner.
                          
"What are you smiling about?" Jack laughed as he put the final bandage on her forehead. Their eyes locked and just for a couple of seconds it was like she was magnetized. Jack loved those gray eyes; they were like deep pools of silver. Clarke was always looking at him in a way that penetrated his soul, like she knew all his deep secrets.
                          
"Nothing, sorry." She shook her head once or twice to try and break the trance as Jack moved to sit on the table. 
                          
"You look good as new. I would ask you to lift your shirt, so I could see the bruises, but there are probably a couple of old creepy guys behind that window." 
                          
"Yeah probably, I'm the town circus didn't you know?" 
                          
"I heard something about that, you the one who commands the lions to jump through hoops of fire?"
                          
"Yeah it's so hard to make sure they don't singe their manes." 
                          
"I figured it was hard work." Just then Detective Mitchell walked in and broke up the fun.
                          
"As entertaining as this is, Jack you can go home your mom is here."
                          
"Can't Clarke come with me?" They could both tell Mitchell wanted to say no, but then Vale came behind him and nodded. As Clarke was walking out Mitchell caught her by the arm and pulled her close.
                          
"We'll be in touch. Stay in town." She yanked her arm and followed Jack out the door. 
                          
When Jack walked out to meet his mom, she immediately hugged him and told her how worried she had been when she got a call from the cops. Clarke just stood behind them, knowing she would have to call her parents to come pick her up. Then Jack's mom waved her over.
                          
"Come on honey, let's get you two something to eat." Clarke had never been so grateful.