X.
There wasn’t much to be done in a situation like this. What could you do?
Sage was almost sure she’d have to plead for her job back after having two detectives come in to take her to the station and interrogate her, leaving them with one less staff member for the day. They were already short and had called her in on her day off. She could always use the extra money so she agreed to work.
She knew they would come asking for her eventually but she didn’t expect for it to be this soon and it showed in her demeanor. She couldn’t stop moving around and fidgeting with her fingers as she sat all alone in the dull colored room. The room was cool but she still felt hot as she waited for them to come back in. Sage was also beginning to taste blood from the excessive amount of gnawing she was doing to the insides of her cheeks.
Her eyes couldn’t do anything but dart around the room as she sat there. They had nothing else to focus on. She looked like a train wreck but was trying her best to seem as cool as a cucumber.
The detectives abruptly entered the room with stone cold glares on their faces. They weren’t exactly looking at Sage though, and it made her a little nervous because she couldn’t keep her eyes off of them.
Agents Morris and Steele sat down almost simultaneously, Morris releasing a slow sigh as Steele sat the case file on the table and opened it up. She sat a few pictures of the twins’ dead disfigured bodies out in front of the platinum haired woman and Sage instantly winced. Her eyes quickly averted back up to the detectives. She could have kept the close up of the girls out of her imagination forever but now it was permanently etched there.
Still, no one said anything. She didn’t know what they wanted her to say to those photos.
Sandra was getting tired of looking at this spec of dirt who she already felt most likely did the crime. She was just ready to put this woman behind bars so the case would be over with. At that point, there were no other leading suspects. “Do you know these two young ladies?” Her voice came out firm and slightly echoed throughout the plain room.
The only color on the walls was a dull gray that contrasted with the darkness of the double-sided windows the detectives were using to watch Sage before they entered themselves. The table and chairs they were sitting on were also metal and cold to the touch. The interrogation room was cool in general and wasn’t quite designed to make people feel comfortable.
“No, I don’t.” Sage answered without so much as a second glance towards the disturbing pictures that were still laid out in front of her.
“That’s Kaniya Holt,” Sandra spoke as she pointed at one of the disfigured bodies, “and this right here is Malaysia Holt. Mayor Holt’s twin daughters and only children. Well they were at least.” She added, her eyes narrowing as she glared at Sage with her lips cut into a scowl.
Ronald felt like it was then his turn to speak up. He knew how worked up his partner could get and if this was a good cop bad cop scenario, she would most definitely be the bad cop. “And your phone?” He pulled the evidence bag containing her phone seemingly out of nowhere and placed it on the table. “Was found at the scene of the crime.”
“And I saw you running away from the crime scene the next day when we were gathering evidence. Perhaps coming back for a certain cellphone you dropped while you were running away after you finished murdering those two girls.” Agent Steele added, her voice stern like a mother scolding her child.
“What—no! I can explain that.”
Sage barely even got to plea before Sandra cut in again. “Well you’re gonna have to because surveillance cameras showed you running away from the crime scene around the estimated time of death. And after doing a little research… you have a motive better than anyone to hurt Malaysia and Kaniya.”
The platinum haired woman’s eyebrows instantly furrowed together. “What are you talking about motive? I just said that I don’t know them.” Her tone came out a bit more harsh now as she got defensive. She hated having to reiterate herself, it didn’t matter who it was to.
Sandra only smirked and flipped through a few pages that rested in the manila folder sitting in front of her before laying out an article about Shamar’s car accident from a couple of years ago. The headline read: Man Left in Critical Condition After Brutal Collision on Intersection.
Sage’s face turned up in disgust and she pushed the article away, no longer wanting to read it. The way the title alone sounded as if there was no empathy involved when coming up with it was enough to turn her off completely. “What does this have to do with them?”
“Kaniya Holt was behind the wheel of the vehicle that hit your father and her sister was in the passenger seat. They both came out seemingly unscathed.” Steele responded as if the woman was slow for even asking her the question. She knew exactly what the detective was talking about, Sandra was sure of it.
Sage stared at her for a while, unable to form any words to reply with as her eyes unwillingly swelled up with fresh salty tears. They were the reason that her father could never hug his family again? Why wouldn’t anyone have told her that? “N-no, you’re lying. I would have heard about it, the news would have reported about it.”
“C'mon now. They’re the mayors daughters and Kaniya didn’t even have her driver’s permit so the drivers of the other vehicle were kept under wraps and you’re angry about that… aren’t you?” Agent Morris’ Italian accent was in full effect as questioned her, studying her behavior.
“Of course I am. My dad almost died! That girl should have been in jail, not protected. And y'all knew about this and just did nothing about it? You say your duty is to protect and serve but only when it’s convenient, huh?” In all honesty with the news she had just received, Sage had completely forgotten what she was being interrogated about and was just livid as hell now. They did nothing to help her family when it was their job to do so. It made her realize how corrupt the world really was and how close to home it could hit.
“You’re angry we didn’t do something about it so you took it upon yourself to get justice for your dad. It’s only human to feel that way and all but you have to own up to what you did now and sign a confession. These girl’s families deserved justice too.” Ronald continued, trying his best to sound as soothing as possible so he wouldn’t upset her anymore than he knew she already was.
Sage immediately sucked her teeth. “For the last time, I don’t know those fucking girls and fuck their families!” She stood up from her seat as the detectives just sat back and watched her point a harsh finger at them. “Neither them or you gave a fuck about my family when it came down to it. But that doesn’t mean that I killed those girls.”
“So who did then?”
The light caramel toned woman’s words got caught in her throat as she tried to think of a response. She gulped hard as she sat down and began trying to explain everything that had happened that night. The date, why she was walking through that area in the first place, and what she saw and heard coming from that abandoned house that night. She hated reliving that moment but knew she had to for the sake of her freedom.
Sandra and Ronald looked at each other before looking back over at their suspect. “So you mean to tell me a ‘black figure’ beat them to death?” Agent Steele looked Sage dead in the eyes as if she was completely bored by the story she had just told her. It was unconvincing to say the least. She had the strongest motive and was literally in the area at the time of death. Sandra knew for certain that they had their man, they just needed to get this damn confession out of her and she was making it hard.
“I don’t know how else to describe it. The person was dressed in black from head to toe, I couldn’t see any skin.”
“How convenient.” Sandra gave her a sarcastic toothless grin, not moved by her story in the slightest.
Suddenly the door busted open and in walked Sage’s mother followed by her attorney. “Sage, you don’t have to say anything else.”
It was sort of already too late. She had already said everything that she needed to say, she just didn’t know where to go from there. The detectives didn’t seem like they believed her at all.
Steele immediately rolled her eyes and closed up the case file, already knowing exactly where this was going and it annoyed her. She wasn’t finished with the suspect, she knew she could break her down if she just had a bit more time with her. Everything lined up and pointed to her as the murderer but it was all circumstantial evidence. Neither her prints nor DNA were found in the actual house or on the persons of the deceased so they needed that confession from her to be able to make the arrest. Sandra was itching to slap some cuffs on her and finally close the case.
“If it’s ok with you all, I’d like to take my daughter home now. You interrupted her life enough today.” Sanai spoke in the voice she used when she was trying to sound as professional as possible.
Sandra scowled at the both of them but said nothing as she and Ronald watched them walk out of the door.
*******
Ronald sat in his office, typing away on his keyboard. His partner assumed he was doing the work to find more evidence on their case like she was, but instead he was chatting with a woman he had met on a dating app a few days ago.
She was average looking to him but she was of actual Italian descent and had a body that most women her age didn’t have anymore so he felt like they could make something work. Thus far, she had been cool and funny. She had jet black hair that she had cut in a blunt bob that reached her shoulders, pale skin that had a few beauty marks scattered here and there, and thick fluffy eyebrows that arched perfectly over her dark brown eyes. She was a seven at the very least and since she exercised frequently, her body was nice and fit.
Ronald could only imagine how much stamina she’d have in bed. She seemed like she was down to find out too. They had planned to meet up that weekend at a bar for the first time and have a few drinks. He was ready to put that entire Chantell situation behind him now.
She had been texting him nonstop since the night before and apologizing about making him feel like she was playing with him but he could honestly care less. He said what he had to say already and wasn’t going to spend anymore energy on it. He was too old to be playing games or going back and forth with anyone so he wasn’t going to.
He already had his next few options lined up and while Chantell was one of the best looking ones, she wasn’t the only one and that was something he felt he needed to make clear to her.
A light knock sounded off on his door which instantly caused his eyebrows to come together in confusion. Usually, Sandra would just barge right in without so much as a warning first so he was sure that it had to be someone else. “Come in.” He called out, his eyes trained on the wooden office door.
As if he had thought her up himself, Chantell sashayed through the door and closed it shut behind her. Her bronzed skin was radiating and the lip gloss that coated her lips made them look extra kissable. An all black strapless sundress hugged her curves perfectly and she wore a pair of black furry Ugg slides on her feet to match, showcasing her freshly polished toes. Her hair was slicked back into a low curly puff with two stray curls hanging at her sideburns and framing her gorgeous face that was dressed in light makeup. Her natural beauty never failed to amaze Ronald. She looked good without even trying.
Still, he couldn’t let her off the hook that quick. He wasn’t about to allow her to hypnotize him. “What are you doin’ in my office? I’m at work and my partner works right next door so if you think you’re about to come bring drama into my workplace 'cause I ain’t been answering you then you got another thing comin’.” He seemed to say all in one breath while Chantell just inched closer to him.
She inwardly rolled her eyes about his nagging before he even knew what she was actually there for. She rounded the corner of his desk and approached him seductively causing him to roll back in his chair a bit, unsure of what her next move would be since the last thing he did was smack her food out of her hands and left her standing on her front porch.
Chantell reached out and lightly caressed his face, slowly making her way down to her knees. Within seconds, the detective’s belt buckle was undone and his pants were unzipped. Ronald kept his arms at his sides but kept his eyes on her as she kept eye contact with him with each new movement she made.
Her soft plump lips wrapped themselves around the tip of his member, immediately causing it to begin to harden in her small hands. The middle aged man’s eyes rolled to the back of his head as her tongue traced circles along the skin of his dick which had now grown stiff. She kept her eyes trained on him, knowing how it made men crazy when they looked in her eyes while her mouth was full of their manhood.
She was glad he wasn’t an unattractive older guy because it would have made everything ten times harder. She knew she needed to get back into his good graces, especially after speaking about the surveillance video he was going to show her the night before. He couldn’t leave her hanging like that.
One of Ronald’s hands rested on the back of her head as she began bobbing it up and down, an audible grunt escaping his mouth which made her smirk to herself. She wasn’t even giving her best effort and she still had him right where she wanted him.
Her spit slowly oozed down his shaft while she picked up her pace, deep throating the entirety of his length with no hands as loud gargling sounds filled his office. She continued to orally pleasure him, allowing herself to get sloppy and nasty with it until he released in her mouth, a long barely audible groan coming from his own since he was sure Sandra was still closed up in her office beside his.
Chantell gathered all of his nut and the tip of her tongue and traced small circles on his tip with it before sucking it back off and swallowing it whole, a smirk forming on her face as Ronald widened his eyes at her. She stuck her tongue out to show him that she hadn’t missed a single drop of it.
He had never had a woman swallow his kids like that with no problem before. He couldn’t do anything but watch her astonished. His ex-wife, Marjory, could and would never. She always said his semen was too salty to keep in her mouth and would spit it back onto him. He should have known she’d think that though because she barely seasoned her food.
“I’m sorry for what I said.” She mumbled as she planted a light kiss on his skin of his shaft, batting her long mink eyelashes as she looked up at him. “Forgive me?”
Ronald couldn’t even form any words so he just nodded his head instead which instantly made Chantell smile at him before standing to her feet. “Call me when you get off. Don’t wanna get you into any issues with your partner.” She added, along with a seductive wink before making her way back out of his office with a grin, twisting her ass with each step she took.
She had him right back where she wanted him.
*******
Loud and hurried knocks sounded off on Sergio’s front door as if it were the police ready to break it down at any second. He smacked his lips and instinctively pulled his strap out from underneath his mattress before heading over to find out who the hell was banging on his door like that.
He looked through the peephole and immediately furrowed his eyebrows when he saw his sister’s face staring back at him. They hadn’t had any type of contact with each other since the day he went over there and Sanai slapped him. Sage hadn’t texted him either so he wasn’t sure what she was here for but he unlocked the door and swung it open anyway.
Sage instantly barged in, pushing Sergio with all her strength and causing him to stumble back a few feet, twisting his face up as he glared at her like she had lost her mind. He wasn’t sure what she was mad about now but he didn’t have the time or patience for her shenanigans at the moment. “Fuck is wrong with you?”
“What the fuck is wrong with me? What the fuck is wrong with you!” She pushed him again and this time he forcefully grabbed her wrists, snatching them away from him. “You’re the one that told me to watch the news so you knew who those girls were!”
Once he realized what she was rambling on about, his faced straightened out into a more bored expression. He was just telling her to let her know, he didn’t think it would be a problem. “And?”
“And when you and daddy got into that accident, they were the ones driving the car that hit you. You didn’t think that was something I should know?” Her face was a reddish tint and her blood was boiling at this point. Her family kept so many big things from her all the time when all she did was help them and she was beginning to get really tired of it.
Sergio slightly rolled his eyes at her dramatics. She was always overreacting to things that weren’t that big of a deal and then blew up the same way she was doing now. “Why would you need to know that? You wasn’t in the car. You wasn’t even in the state. You wasn’t around when it happened so it’s irrelevant.” He shrugged.
Sage only glared at him for a split second before she swung but her little brother’s reflexes were a bit quicker than hers and he swiftly dodged out of the way in time before grabbing both of her arms and spinning her so that her back was to him as he pinned her hands by her sides. “Aye, stop fuckin’ hitting me!”
“They think I killed them because dad got hurt and they didn’t get in trouble for the accident. You should have fucking told me that when you found out it was them!” Tears were coming to her eyes because she was so pissed she couldn’t take her anger out on him. He was stronger than her and had an advantage.
“I don’t like talking about that shit Sage, you know that.” Sergio retorted right before his sister abruptly stomped on his foot causing him to involuntarily let go of her as he howled in pain. He was barefoot and only wearing slides so he felt all of the creases from the bottom of her shoe sink into his toes.
Sage quickly tried to gain an advantage over him with the time she had bought herself but was again pinned down ten seconds later. Now they were both angry and their tempers were no match for each other. “You wouldn’t understand Sage.”
“No, I don’t understand because you don’t tell me shit and I barely see you because you moved out and never come around except when you feel like it. Mom was right, you’re selfish!”
Sergio smacked his teeth. “Man, fuck you and fuck mom. Both of y'all bitches can go choke on a dick. Y'all not the ones that gotta walk around everyday feeling like it’s your fault your family’s fucked up now. We used to be close and now we always fighting and I’m the one that gotta carry that burden, not y'all.”
“Gio, what the fuck are you even talking about? How could it be your fault when dad was protecting you from those girl’s reckless driving? And they said they found you only with a few cuts and a broken arm in the passenger seat which was a miracle considering they hit that side.”
Sage couldn’t even see her brother’s face because her back was turned to him but if she could, she’d know that he was silently shedding a few tears. He hated to be reminded of that night but it seemed like no matter what he did, even years later it would never stop. “They weren’t the ones in the wrong that night, Sage. Kaniya just didn’t have her permit but her light was green.”
“So their light was green. That still doesn’t make everything your fault, you weren’t even driving—”
“I was driving, Sage!” He snapped causing the entire house to fall into an eerie silence. Sage began to put all the pieces of the puzzle together, realizing why her brother barely liked to come around or why he rarely saw his father in the hospital unless Shamar was asleep.
He felt guilty for being the reason their dad was the way he was and he beat himself up everyday for ruining his family with just one dumb mistake he wished he could take back. Everything was starting to make sense to her. The drugs, the isolation, the constant state of anger Sergio always seemed to be in. She couldn’t even say it wasn’t his fault because it was. He had only just turned fifteen when it happened so she was sure he didn’t have his license and he still ran a red light.
“So why’d they say they found you in the passenger seat?”
Sergio released her arms and walked away from her, running his hands over his face as he began pacing the ground. He had lived with his secret for two years and hadn’t told a soul. He wanted to keep it that way because he didn’t want her to look at him any differently but something in him had to let her know. “They did find me there… I knew I would never be able to get my license if I was the one responsible for the accident so I switched me and dad around before the cops could show up and when they did, I acted like I had passed out from the impact so they wouldn’t suspect anything. And dad never told them nothing either.”
“So you moved daddy to the driver’s seat? What if he was…” She trailed off, not even wanting to think of the possibility of her father passing away. Him getting hurt was enough heartbreak for her. “You really would have just let him take the fall like that?”
Sergio didn’t look at her nor did he answer verbally but that told her everything she needed to know. She shook her head as she looked at her brother, barely being able to recognize the chirpy teenager she had left in charge of helping out their parents when she first went off to college.
With tears clouding her vision, she slowly began backing out of her brother’s house before turning on her heel and running out the door.
