Sometimes, we miss the truth when it's right in front of us. Sometimes the closer we are, the harder it is to see.
Jacqueline Simon Gunn

Where there is mystery, it is generally suspected there must also be evil.
George Gordon Noel Byron, 6th Baron

CROW HILLS TOWN
WEDNESDAY
POLICE STATION
MR LARKSON

Slowly sipping the cup of tea they gave him and munching on the peanut, Mr. Larkson watched all the green eye police officer prancing about in the police station.

He is not worried or bothered even though the police woman who came to arrest him early in the morning tried her hardest to make everything looks like it was just an invite to the station.

Mr. Larkson knows that using the word invitation is just a fancy way of telling him he was under arrest, without the police saying a word he already suspect it has to deal with the facts that he lost his precious rings.

He has been sitting idly in the interrogation room for some hours now, but no one has come in except to gave him the tea and peanut.

Mr. Larkson noticed another police officer coming towards the interrogation room, he rolled his eyes. They are all acting as if he can disappear from the room or maybe he would have escaped through the imaginary window.

Instead of them to get on with the investigation they are all acting high and mighty, he has his own suspicious about the person who killed those poor innocent boys, he just needs to ask Terrance some questions and then he would inform the police.

All he needs is time, he want to verify some information and then he would catch the killer himself if the police are not going to, police can be clues sometimes.

Mr. Larkson raised the cup to sip the tea again and find out the tea has finished, he smile at himself. He might as well take advantage of the police's hospitality, eating the food the place in front of him and drinking their tea is just the beginning if they don't release him soon.

Mr. Larkson stands up from chair and turned to look at the camera with a raised eyebrow, he smirked at the camera after a moment and went to sit down. This attitude seems to bring the sheriff to the interrogation room quickly than he anticipated.

"My tea is finished, I need another cup of tea. Besides I need something else to munched on besides this peanut." Mr. Larkson said, smiling throughout his sentence.

"Someone will bring you another cup of tea Mr. Larkson. In the mean time, I will like to ask you some questions." The sheriff said, sitting down in the opposite chair.

"About time, I have been sitting down here for hours with my butt itching from too much sitting in one place, besides I have somewhere else to be so make your question quicker." Mr. Larkson said, still smiling at the sheriff.

"I apologize for any inconvenience we may have caused you and this will only take a moment." The sheriff replied, looking towards the door.

"OK, get on with it them and I still need that cup of tea." Mr. Larkson said.

"Where were you on Friday 6, of this month?" The sheriff asked folding both his hand on the table.

"Well, do you want detailed description or the short version of the story?" Mr. Larkson asked clearly goading the sheriff.

"A detailed description would be appreciated, thank you," The sheriff answered instead.

"OK, around afternoon I went to the shops to buy some vegetables so I could change my taste of food, besides the facts that the doctor said I should eat more vegetables. So later in the evening I cooked the vegetable but it got burned, can you believe that? How hard can it be to cook vegetables, so..." His sentence was cut short by the sheriff who cleared his throat to gain his attention.

"Mr. Larkson, I changed my mind. I think you should tell me the shorter version of where you were on that day." The sheriff said, with an irritating gesture.

"Well OK, that's too bad. So when I finished eating I was feeling stuffed, it must be because of the change in diet. So I decided to go for a walk that night. At first I was going towards the main part of our town, going to the pub but at the last minute I decided to go to the more quiet part, so I went towards the industrial area." Mr. Larkson stopped, clearly getting scared for the first time.

"OK, please continue," the sheriff said bringing out a writing pad and pen and he scribbled something down on the paper.

"I passed the house of that kid that get murdered, the noise was too much for me so I continue walking, some minutes into my solitary walk, I met that boy Sylvester on my way, I asked him that night where he was going, he told me he was meeting with someone at the abandoned warehouse. I find that strange but you know these our young one these days.." Mr. Larkson stop his story again, looking at the sheriff for confirmation.

"Yes, yes. Please go on. What happened after that?" The sheriff asked, scribbling down again in the writing pad.

"Not long after that, Terrance met me again, though I was closer to the industrial area before he met me. He also told me he was meeting someone at the abandoned house, Terrance told me he was meeting a friend he just met on a site, a friend finder site." Mr. Larkson stopped, he raised the tea cup to sip again, before he realized the tea has finished and he put the cup down.

His hand starts shaking, he folds them on his lap and continued, "So I decided that night that I would escort him to the warehouse seeing that it was late and he was meeting with a stranger, I also told him about the Sylvester boy. I noticed Terrance was a bit nervous and worried if Sylvester was the new friend he was meeting. Some seconds into our walk towards the ware house I noticed someone was following us, the footstep was light so it was difficult to differentiate but my instinct was right seeing that two dead bodies where found the second day." He finished.

"Terrance was nervous?" The sheriff asked him.

"Yes, I noticed he was nervous."

"OK, so what happened when you get to the ware house when you get there? Were you able to see who was following you? Did Terrance also noticed that someone was following you?" The sheriff busy, still busy scribbling down in his note.

"When we get to the ware house, I waited for some minutes, but when Terrance did not come out I left the environment. No I did not see who was following us. I mentioned it to Terrance that I felt someone was following us but he didn't see any one. Part of the reason I left early was because I couldn't shake the feeling of been watched while I was waiting outside the ware house that night." Mr. Larkson said.

"Is that true?" The sheriff asked skeptically.

"That is true, everything I have been telling you is true." Mr. Larkson answered in defense.

"Its OK, we will verify everything but you can go now, though you can't leave the town because we may have further questions for you. You are a secondary suspect in a murder case." The sheriff said, Mr. Larkson stands up before he could finish and heads towards the door.

"I know the protocol sheriff, I won't leave the town." He answered, opening the door and leaving the police station.

CROW HILLS TOWN
WEDNESDAY
THE JAMES HOUSE
TERRENCE JAMES

Even though with everything that has been going on, he has been looking forward to today, the day he is to meet with Mr. Larkson in the school, though his consciousness keeps warning him not to go but he just wants to find out some truth.

Since both Mr. Larkson and himself are now suspect in the ongoing police investigation, he must be cautious with how he would meet him, that's why he called Lao to come over to his house, Lao would take him to the school ground and serves as his watch out too.

He check the checked the watch at his night stand, its almost afternoon Lao should arrive soon, he was eager yet he was afraid, what if something goes wrong?

People have been circulating rumors or maybe its true, he didn't hear it since he wasn't allow to leave the house but Tibby heard people talking at the store that Mr. Larkson was the murderer since he have records, its easier to guess he may have do it.

Though news travels fast, especially with murders involved but He is worried about Mr. Larkson and the rumors, he just have to see Mr. Larkson and asked him about it, people shouldn't be judged without finding out their own sides of the story and knowing the whole truth.

He stands up and looks for an hoodie to wear for when he will leave the house with Lao people will recognized him if he did not wear a clothe that will cover his face.

Just as he was pulling the cloth over his head, he heard Lao's car at the back, rushing to wear his shoes and take his phone, he took the exit door at their kitchen without the officer or his parent noticing him.

"What took you so long? I have been waiting for you to show up sooner or at least calm my nerves before I met with Mr. Larkson." Terrance said.

"Sorry I was doing some house chores, here is a herbal tea for you, drink it, it will calm your nerves." Lao replied with a guilty face pointing towards the covered cup sitting idly in the cup holder.

Taking a huge gulp of the tea, Terrance muttered appreciatively, nodding his head without saying anything in particular.

"What do you hope to gain with this meeting with Mr. Larkson? It is peculiar that you are not afraid of meeting him, its not too late, we can go back home." Lao said looking at him sideways.

"I hope to find out the truth, my instinct is telling me that Mr. Larkson knows the murderer, but he may not want to tell the police because he was a suspect too, they may not believe him, my prayer is today I will find out the truth." Terrance replied and continued to sip the remaining tea.

Without saying anything in reply to Terrance words, Lao continue driving towards the crow hills high school.
*********

Don't forget to vote and comments, all constructive criticism are welcome, thank you.