Murder

Content warning: abuse

“Hi, Miranda. I’m officially Officer Zyanel, but you can call me Zoey. I just want to ask you a few questions about the recent situation.”

“Zoey, don’t say ‘recent situation’. It’s stupid when we all know that what you mean is ‘murder of your father’.”

“You’re a feisty kid, Miranda.”

“Thanks; I take it as a compliment.”

“Now that we got that out of the way… Do you remember exactly where you were at exactly six-fifty-three P.M. on July 17?”

“Gosh, I don’t remember. It seems that all of my memories have been wiped from my head!”

“Miranda!”

“Okay, okay. I won’t be a brat. But you said yourself that I’m feisty, Zoey.”

“I didn’t mean it as a compliment like you took it.”

“Woah-ho-ho! She’s got an attitude, too! I think we’ll get along.”

“So, what’s the real answer to my question?”

“I was at the bowling alley with my twin Maya and our best friends Sarah and Diavian. We were about to eat pizza before the next game (it was a tournament) when Geema called and said Dad was shot. Long story short, me and Maya left before we could finish the tournament and our friends lost.”

“That’s what Maya said. But who’s Geemaw? Maya mentioned a grandma, but not a ‘geemaw’.”

“Oh, right. Maya calls our grandma Grandma, but I call her Geemaw. That’s what I called her when I was little and I couldn’t say Grandma, and it stuck.”

“Alright. How did your grandmother know that your father was hit?”

“She went over to our house to drop off some books that I had left at her house and that’s when she found him. Dead as a doornail, right there on the kitchen floor.”

“You and Maya’s stories are matching up. But Maya seemed a lot more emotional about this than you do. She was practically sobbing as she talked to me. Why are you so cool and collected?”

“Zoey, do you seriously not realize that ‘Dad’ is not Maya and I’s real dad? That one left us before we were born. Don’t have a clue where he’s at. When Mama married Rob, Maya warmed up to him immediately. I… was not so cooperative. I’ve never been close to him. Yeah, he’s always been there for me, but he never and will never, now, become a father to me. When I first found out about it all, I was a little upset. But it only took me a day to be over it. Maya, like you said, is still a wreck.”

“Oh. I understand now. So, the first person your grandmother called was you? Not Maya, or your uncle, or any of your aunts? Not even your mother?”

“Yeah. Now, remember that this was Mama’s mama. She didn’t want to hurt Mama right away, Maya would be too sensitive, too, and she didn’t have any of Rob’s siblings’ numbers. So, the first one she called was me. Simple as that.”

“Maya told me that your grandmother called you first because she thought you were closest to Rob.”

“You’re a bad liar, Zoey. I know my sister like I know my own mind. She, and everyone else in our family, already knows that I’m not the closest person to Rob. So, what did she say?”

“You know, you should be a detective. I did my best lying and you still got me. That could come handy in a lot of situations if you become a part of the force.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. What did Maya say?!”

“Same thing as you, Miranda.”

“Okay. So, now what? Can I leave? Please? I need to talk to Maya. She’s probably hysterical by now.”

“No, you can’t. I’m sorry. There are still a few more questions that I have to ask you. Where was your mother when Rob was so awfully killed?”

“She was at work, at the hospital. They were short-staffed.”

“Okay. This may be a dumb question, but do you know where your aunts and uncle were?”

“Yeah. They were all getting together for a dinner at Olive Garden. Rob was going to go with them. I’m guessing that he must’ve been on his way out when he was shot.”

“Do you know of anyone who had a grudge against Rob?”

“.......”

“Miranda. Who is it?”

“......”

“Miranda. Was it you?”

“......”

“Why, Miranda?”

“.......”

“Miranda!”

“I hated him! He abused me! He slapped me, punched me, kicked me! He verbally abused me, too! He never did it to anyone else!”

“Your sister knows. She’s covering up for you.”

“Yes.”

“Was it self defense or did you do it because you were so sick of it all?”

“Self defense. Despite all of these lies, I promise you that it was just self-defense. He was trying to hurt me again. He was screaming at me. I went into his room and got into the gun safe. I pulled the gun out. I hid it behind my back while I walked downstairs. In the kitchen, he started to slap me and punch me in the gut and face. After a few minutes, I just shot. I couldn’t stop it.”

“It is possible for us to prove that, so you wouldn’t be put in juvy. For now, though, you’ll have to stay here at the station. I’m sorry, Miranda. I can tell you’re telling the truth, but I can’t release you until we can prove that now that you’ve admitted that.”

“I understand.”

“Alright. Come with me. We’re going to go talk to Maya.”

“Miranda! Oh, God. You told her, didn’t you?”

“Yes, I did, Maya. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I still love you.”

“I love you, too.”

“Alright, girls. Maya, will you tell me the truth of what you know? Of what actually happened?”

“That’s the thing… I don’t know anything. All I know is what Miranda told me. She shot Rob because he was trying to hurt her again. Then she came to the bowling alley to play in a tournament. That part of our story was true.”

“Okay. I’m going to call your mother to pick you up, Maya. Miranda, you stay with her until I come back.”

“Okay.”

“Alright.”