Underneath the Light

It was dim and murky in the police headquarters. The entrance was filled with smoke and many walked around with stacks of papers and yellow folders. There was not much noise other than the occasional rings of phones and the throbbing panic that filled your mind; and only grew more and more as you continued walking forward into the building. Only those who worked there and the insane were calm in such a place. For many who might walk through the doors, for them the experienced would be described as a silent chaos. This definitely is not a suitable environment for someone like Cole Edwards. It would probably be the last place where you would find him; and yet, there he was sitting in front of the interrogation room. His heel vigorously tapped the floor as he continued to chew his nails off. He couldn’t decipher what was more traumatizing; what he witnessed moments before or what he was about to encounter. Luckily, for Cole he wasn’t alone. Next to him sat Nicole Smidt, Alan Hensley, and Justin Williams. All from different walks of life, but all had one thing in common: Jordan O’Connel. All have different answers, but none of them want to get caught. Detective Beudraux was sure to find the one who was guilty, he had all the evidence he needed. Now all he had to do was make someone admit it. Beudraux brought in his first suspect and began the interrogation. “I heard that you were the last person with Jordan O’Connel until her death moments after. Could you please describe what had happened when you last saw her?”

Alan

I had pulled up to Jordan’s house to apologize about an argument we had over the phone a few days prior.

I noticed there were two cars there, I assumed it was her parents’ cars, but what was weird was that they weren’t in the driveway.

One of them was a silver chevy Malibu which had a crack in the driver’s side of the windshield. The other car was a rundown pick-up that didn’t seem to be used a whole lot because I noticed webs around the tires and there was a lot of dust on the windshield.

I don’t know.

I didn’t look at the license plate.

When I got to the door I saw that she was with Justin on the couch. 

I ended up leaving because I felt like I was invading their privacy. 

Jordan was one of my closest friends since the beginning of high school, and a lot of the time was my only friend. She dealt with all of my episodes, every time where I felt alone...when I came out to my parents. And then when they disowned me and I had nothing. Now I know there is nothing left for me, it has all been taken away.

Yes, I would consider us best friends.

I left because it seemed like they were getting into an argument and I didn’t find it as my place to bud in. As I started to head to my car, there was a scream from the house. I ran over to the doorstep and saw that neither of them were there. So I called 911 and went to the back of the house.

And then...all you saw was her on the floor...with three holes in her chest.

Justin

It wasn’t me! It was the weirdo Cole kid who brought out the knife. He came in from one of the windows and started to chase us. I sprinted out of the house thinking that Jordan was right behind me. But once I got over the wall she wasn’t there. I checked to see where she was, and yelled for her name. Once I climbed back over I saw Alan….standing over her body.

I own a rundown truck that was given to me from my dad.

I brought it over to Jordan’s because her mom said she could replace the battery since it died on me while I was in traffic. Her mom ended up getting really sick for the past month so it’s just been sitting in the front of the house. I’ve been borrowing my mom’s chevy malibu to get around places.

The crack on the windshield was from that psycho Cole who threw a rock at it. 

Before Jordan died I got we were watching a movie and I had heard something from the front door. I went to check, but she looked through my phone and saw that I was texting Nicole.

That night I was going to come clean and tell her that I was seeing Nicole.

I don’t know.

They might have talked before once or twice.

I never meant to get rid of her like that.

Cole

She was supposed to be with me. But she chose to be with that douche who was stabbing her in the back for the past two months. 

She was mine!

She wanted me!

But something always got in the way.

I waited in the back of the truck til he entered the house. 

And then I waited in the back.

And that was when I heard the screaming. 

I only saw Alan and Justin over the body.

I left to go get help.

I noticed Nicole come out of one of the windows and sprinted away from the scene.

I don’t know.

I don’t know.

I don’t know!

Nicole

We were never close.

We never met formally…not until that night.

I was with Justin for a couple months and he told me to come with when he decided to tell her.

She never had a chance with him.

When I showed my face, she went into a spiral. And well, found herself dead. 

They both had made their way to the backyard and there was suddenly this dude with a black ski mask with a knife. Somehow I was able to escape, but I heard her scream as I jumped out the window.

There was not much that I could do except run.

I didn't look back I only worried about myself.

I don't know, maybe 6 foot.

He had on a black hoodie with jeans and was clearly going for Jordan though.

It's a shame she had to leave the way she did. We probably could've been good friends.