After the revelation of the gun, the team headed to the local police station around 2 pm to interrogate Calem. On the way, Aaron was raging over a mobile rhythm game, while Ethan and Michael were laughing at him like hyenas. Finally arriving at the prison, Abigail exited the car, while the rest stayed back. Aaron had poked Ethan and Michael as they were about to leave, and he gestured to them to wait. He then called out to Abigail that they wouldn't be long, to which Abigail frowned but left.
"So, what did you want us for?" Ethan asked with wary eyes.
"I need a favor." Aaron answered. Both Ethan and Michael let out a groan. "What? I can't ask favors?"
"Whenever we help you out with these 'favors', we always get into huge trouble. Like, massive." Michael replied. Ethan voiced his agreements.
"Okay, but I really need your help. This will genuinely help me out a lot."
Ethan sighed while he scratched his head. Michael nervously glanced between Aaron and Ethan.
"If it helps, then I'll make sure you two won't get blamed for any bad events that might transpire." Aaron confidently said. The two looked at him with bored eyes. "Alright. Next time we go to Pizza Hut, your orders are on me."
"That's more like it." Ethan happily said as he dapped up Aaron. Michael did the same, and Aaron then told them what to do. The trio left the car and went into the station. They found Abigail waiting for them. After a brief explanation, the team went into the interrogation room. There, they found Calem sitting at a table in a small room, with a rugged expression and weary eyes. After getting permission, the team entered and started questioning him. Some time passed, and the team learned that Calem was supposedly at a friend's house, but he went home early due to his friend suddenly wanting to go to sleep. Before continuing, Aaron asked if he could take over from here, and Abigail reluctantly gave him the green light. Aaron entered and sat in front of Calem. As he shook hands with him, Aaron noticed that Calem was also well built, and that his arm was double the size of his. "So, Calem, Goku or Superman?"
Calem narrowed his eyes. "I-uh, what?"
"Who wins in a fight?." Aaron asked with a very focused expression.
"I guess Superman." Calem glanced at Abigail, having a Who is this guy? look on his face.
Aaron nodded his head in agreement. "That's valid. I have the same take. Unfortunately, my good friend Michael is a delusional Goku fan, so you can imagine how it is dealing with him." Calem merely shrugged his shoulders. Aaron then sat up straight, and said, "Let's cut to the chase. Why did you kill them?"
Calem jolted in his seat. He slowly looked back at Aaron. "I didn't kill Trey and Sarah."
"Ah, I don't know about that. There's a lot of evidence pointing to you after all." Aaron remarked.
Calem sat up straight while glaring at Aaron. "Evidence? Like what? Me being at the crime scene? That doesn't mean shit."
Aaron nodded his head. "Sure, we could say that. Thing is, the uh- the killer, maybe you, is quite skilled with using a gun."
Calem fell back into a reclining position in his chair. "I see where this is going. Look, before you say it, my dad's a cop, and he made sure that Trey and I knew how to handle guns."
Aaron was surprised on hearing that. "Really? That's pretty nice. I wish I learned that instead of 'when lava is underground, it's called magma.'" Aaron said with a mocking tone.
Calem held up a hand and shook his head. "I'm-I'm sorry, where exactly is this going? What are you trying to achieve here?"
"What's the rush? I'm just talking here." Aaron asked with a small smile.
Calem looked hard at Aaron with rage-filled eyes. "I just saw both my brother and wife's lifeless bodies with my own eyes, so excuse me for not being completely fine."
Aaron huffed at that. "Of course you're not fine. You killed your own wife and brother in cold blood. It's to be expected."
Calem looked down for a bit, and then looked back up. Rather than anger, there was now sadness in his eyes. "I know you won't believe me, but I had no reason to kill them. Sarah was the love of my life, someone who I would sacrifice my life for in an instant. My brother Trey was my closest friend. I grew up with him my entire life. We ate together, laughed together, drank beer for the first time together, sometimes fought each other, and we especially never betrayed each other."
"Well, he might have betrayed you. The two were most likely having an affair." Aaron pointed out.
Calem vigorously shook his head. "No. I don't believe it."
"Why?" Aaron seemed interested and tried to pry further.
"My brother and I had a strong bond, one that would never be broken. I know he wouldn't fuck my wife behind my back. More importantly, he would never betray or sell me out. He wasn't like that." Calem no longer seemed angry, and instead had a look of proudness and solemnity.
Aaron stared at him, and Abigail noticed a cloud of sadness in Aaron's eyes. "You mind telling me about your brother?" Aaron asked.
"I don't mind." Calem clasped his hands as he stared hard at them. "Trey was....an idiot." He smiled as he said that. "Ever since we were young, he always managed to get himself into trouble. And I would always have to come help him." He laughed at that. "For instance, once when we were in elementary school, he got stuck in a ditch. We were walking back home, and he got distracted by something in it. Like always, he jumped with zero hesitation in it. I stood by, waiting for him to find whatever he was enamored by. Then, he started yelling for help. I came over, and I saw that his foot was stuck on something. I laughed a bit at him, and he started getting angry at that. I laughed even harder when he started trying to throw water at me. Eventually, I did go down and help him get out."
"So Trey was the careless one, the type of guy who didn't really think before doing. And you were the more quiet and cautious guy."
Calem was surprised at how well Aaron understood their personality types. "Yeah, that's right. Though, that's why everyone liked him. He always made everyone laugh, even if he didn't mean to at times. He was nice to everyone, and was the type of guy to over-apologize for anything bad he did, even if it was something small."
"Sounds like he was a good guy." Aaron said.
"He was." Calem cleared his throat as his eyes started watering again.
"Must've been nice having a brother like that." Aaron mumbled.
"I'm sorry?" Calem responded.
"Nevermind that, just some more questions. Were Trey and Sarah previously in a relationship?" Calem widened his eyes in surprise and asked how Aaron knew. "It was just a guess, something I thought of when I looked at the photographs around your home. I noticed that in all of them, Trey never once had his hand near Sarah, let alone "touch" her. Almost as if he purposely wanted to stay away from her. Perhaps it was due to a previous relationship the two had."
Calem was silent, but eventually revealed that they were indeed exes. "That doesn't mean anything though. After they broke up and Sarah and I got together, Trey promised me that he and Sarah would never do anything wrong. He was very loyal, and so was Sarah. They would never have had sex behind my back."
Aaron nodded his head. "Why did they break up?"
"Trey wanted kids, while Sarah didn't, so they had a mutual breakup. Nothing serious."
"I see. Now, uh, on your red couch, I saw that there was only one pillow, but in your photos, there were 2. Do you know why?" Aaron asked while cracking his knuckles.
Calem thought for a couple of seconds, before replying "No, I don't."
"Could you tell me about the 2 pillows? Where you got them, what material, stuff like that." Calem then explained that the pillows were a gift from John, celebrating their anniversary. He gave a memory foam to Sarah, while he gave a goose feather one to Calem. Calem found these to be more comfortable than the memory foam ones. "So, I'm assuming no one knew what types of pillows you had? Since, you don't typically tell people you have goose feathers in your pillow."
"I guess." Calem mumbled.
"Next question. Your father, John, said that he found you at the crime scene, which you also claim as true." Calem nodded his head. "He also says that, when he arrived, you were aiming a gun at him, the same gun that was used to kill Sarah and Trey."
Calem had a gloomy expression as he thought back to it. "That is true. After I got home early due to Daniel, I went up to my bedroom to rest. Then, I took a peek at the studyroom and I found-" Calem's voice cracked as tears began to fall down his face. "I found Trey and Sarah. I quickly ran to them. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. My own wife and brother's dead bodies, in my own home. I'm not really proud of showing my emotions, but I was devastated. I could barely see with my tears basically blinding me." Calem paused, as he tried to compose himself. "While I was trying to process what was happening, I heard creaking behind me. Fearing the possibility that the killer didn't leave yet, I quickly grabbed the gun in Trey's hand, and I turned around and aimed the gun. Except, it wasn't the killer. It was my Dad, out of breath, and eyes widened, looking right at me. As soon as I realized who he was, I fell down. I broke down as he ran to me. He tried to console me, while radioing for backup. I couldn't really hear him, because I was too focused on their bodies." Calem raised his hands as he intensely stared at them. "Even though I didn't kill them, I still felt that it was my fault. They were my family, and they were killed, right in my home. I-I failed them."
Aaron had a serious expression as he listened. "You could look at it that way. In a way, you did fail them. But, it wasn't your fault that they died." Aaron said as he placed his left palm under the table. Just then, Ethan went out of the room. "Instead, blame the actual killer. Blame the piece of shit who took away your beloved ones. They're the one that needs to suffer, not you. So, not just for you, but also for Sarah and Trey, take responsibility."
Calem was confused. "Take responsibility?"
"Taking responsibility is not burdening yourself with guilt. It's living on, in their place, and living each day with enough joy for them. It's also finding out who the real killer is, and bringing closure to yourself, so you can move on. Don't let this bastard end a third life." Aaron said with conviction.
Calem didn't know what to think of that. He wanted to agree with Aaron, to stop beating himself up over this. But, he also knew that was just running away. He had to undergo some type of punishment, for not being there when they needed him the most. "I'm thankful that you think that, but it's fine. No matter what I say or do, I'll end up being jailed. And in all honesty, I believe that's probably what's best for me. I can try to pin the blame on someone else, and attempt to have no part of this, but their blood is still on my hands." Calem had a weary smile. "I don't care about the true killer anymore. Everyone believes that I'm the killer, and even if you all believe me and go searching for them, it's futile. Arresting them won't bring Sarah and Trey back." Calem choked as he said that.
Abigail was suddenly called by Ethan, and she started to go towards him. As soon as Abigail left, Michael also left, but in a different direction. When they all left, Aaron then said, "I have a way for you to redeem yourself."
"Redeem myself?"
"In my pockets are a key and some dirt." Aaron said as he pulled them out. He placed the dirt on the table while showing Calem the key. "This key will allow you to open the door, resulting in your freedom." Calem tried talking, but Aaron stopped him. "We don't have that much time, so let me finish. I'm not giving you this so you can escape. I'm giving you this so that you can put this dirt to good use." He then told Calem his plan.
"So you want me to do that, then just return here like nothing happened? What makes you think that I won't just run away?" Calem asked with amusement.
"You won't. Rather, you don't want to." Aaron answered as he stared hard at Trey.
Calem didn't know how, but he felt that Aaron somehow knew what Calem was thinking and feeling. It was as if Aaron saw right through him.
"This is your only chance at revealing the true killer. If Trey and Sarah were here, what would they say right now?" Aaron asked.
Calem knew what they would say. Trey would be yelling at him to stop overthinking and just do it, while Sarah would be gently encouraging him. Should he do it? Even if he did, nothing would change. He'd still be alone. More alone, if what Aaron told him was true. Could he even live on after this?
"Calem, are you going to let the killer of your brother and wife get away scot free?"
Calem was silent. Of course he didn't want that, but this was too much to bear. The truth of the killer, and what he had to do to expose them.
"I'll just say this. When you reunite with Sarah and Trey, will you be guilty or happy when you tell them that their killer was never punished?"
Calem was split here. On one hand, if he did what Aaron was asking of him, he could feel that he didn't fail them fully, and that they would be proud of him once they reunited. On the other hand, he felt that if he didn't, he would undergo a punishment befitting him. He also knew that the killer would be free from any consequences. Calem couldn't decide, so when he and Aaron started hearing the others return, Aaron quickly whispered something in Calem's ear. Calem's eyes widened as he heard him, and Aaron went back to his seat.
A couple seconds after this, Michael returned first, with Abigail and Ethan coming back around 6 seconds after Michael.
Abigail then said to Calem, "Calem, real quick, you said that you heard a creak, and that it was your father, right?" Calem said yes. "He didn't make himself known? Something like yelling "The police are here?' Or just announcing his presence?"
Calem pondered. "Now that I think about it, he didn't. I only heard him with that creak. Why, though? Is that important?"
"Ah, it's nothing to worry about. Anyway, just 1 more question. Did you or your wife ever buy magnets?"
Calem was taken aback by that. "Sarah did buy some a couple months ago. She said it was for her research. I didn't really believe her, but I didn't care too much. They were pretty cheap."
"Oh, is that so?" Aaron said as his smile grew. Calem was kinda disturbed by him. Aaron got up and shook Calem's hands, "I better get going now. Thank you for answering my questions." Aaron said with a wink.
"You're welcome." Calem replied with an uncomfortable look.
Aaron then left the room, and Abigail and Ethan returned. "Ethan, you mind giving me a ride?"
"Sure." Ethan said while gathering his things.
"Where are you going?" Abigail asked
"Just some last-minute searching." Aaron said. "Oh, one more thing." Aaron turned to look at Sarah. "Calem can't hear me, right?" Abigail nodded in confirmation. "He's definitely the killer."
"Wait, what? But, what was that whole ordeal with you saying he wasn't the killer?" Abigail asked with a bewildered look.
"I was lying, to try to get some extra stuff outta him. You can declare him as the murderer, or however you wanna do it.
"But what about the gun? And his alibi, and everything else?" Abigail hurriedly asked.
"Calem himself admitted to owning the gun."
"Really?" Abigail looked to Michael. He nodded his head in confirmation.
"If that isn't enough, then I'm about to go do some last-second clue searching. I'm going to verify his alibi along with re-checking the house. Is that cool?" Aaron asked.
That seemed to please Abigail. Aaron then scratched his neck, and Ethan and Michael started ushering Abigail into a different room. Abigail was confused, but she still went with them. When they were gone, Aaron quickly went back into the interrogation room and swiped the tape recorder. He looked at Calem, and he looked back. Aaron looked at him with a Well? Expression, and Calem silently nodded his head. Aaron nodded his head in return and hurried over to the Evidence Room. He took a few more items and went to Ethan's car. He took another item on the way out. He waited for a bit, and he saw Ethan bounding out. The two entered the car, with Aaron stashing his stuff in the back, while Ethan got into the driver's seat.
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Ethan saw what Aaron had, and hissed at him. "What's all this? This wasn't part of the favor!"
"Keep this a secret for now, and I'll extend the pizza hut deal to 3 times."
Ethan made a zipping gesture with his mouth, and the two went to Ethan's car.
It was 3 pm. Aaron had a plan, and he needed to act fast to do it. First, they went to the home of Calem's friend, Daniel Watts. It was a humble home, a brick one story house. Aaron got out of the car, while Ethan stayed in the car, playing some mobile game. Aaron walked up to the door and knocked. A few seconds passed, and the door opened to reveal a Hispanic man. He was slightly balding, with warm brown eyes.
"Can I help you?" The man asked with a worried tone.
"Good morning-or uh, afternoon. I'm a detective working with the BCI, Aaron Bell. Are you Daniel Watts?" Aaron politely asked while he showed his badge.
"Yes, I am." Daniel answered. "Am I in trouble?"
"Oh, nothing like that. I just want to confirm Calem Milton's alibi. May I come in?"
"Sure. Come on in." Daniel said as he opened the door. Aaron slowly entered and looked around. It was a small home, but it looked pretty cozy. There was a t.v. to the left on a table, and a couch right in front of it. He could see a kitchen in front of him, along with a door to his right. He sat down on the couch and turned on the t.v.
"You don't mind, right?" Aaron asked while flipping through the channels.
"Nah, you're good". Daniel said as he went into the kitchen. He's very laid-back Daniel thought to himself. Daniel got some drinks from the fridge and he returned to the couch. He sat down and offered Aaron a water bottle, but Aaron declined it. Daniel had a kool-aid burst, which Aaron noticed.
"Is that kool-aid?" Aaron asked while watching the t.v.
"Yeah, it is." Daniel said.
"You offered me water, when you have kool-aid?" Aaron said in an accusing voice. Daniel's face turned red in embarrassment and he quickly got up to go get more kool-aid, but Aaron stopped him. "I'm just playing with you."
Daniel breathed a sigh of relief and he sat back down.
"Let's start. So, from what I know, around the time the murder most likely took place, Calem was here, hanging out with you, correct?" Aaron asked.
"Yes, but I do have to admit that I don't remember much of it." Daniel clarified.
"What can you remember?" Aaron was intrigued.
"I do remember Calem at my house and talking to him. But after a bit, I think I started to doze off. Then, after I told Calem, he left, and I passed out on the couch shortly after." Daniel explained. He drank some kool-aid.
"I see, but uh, you do understand that Calem is considered a suspect because of you, right?" Aaron said.
"How?" Daniel confusedly asked.
"Think about it. Calem was only at the crime scene because you were tired. Due to you hitting the hay early, Calem decided to go home early. And that's when he found the bodies." Aaron said as he pointed at him.
Daniel lowered his head. "That's true." Daniel suddenly raised his head and looked right at Aaron. "But it's weird. I'm usually a night owl, and it takes me hours in bed before I actually go to sleep. It's not like I did anything over-taxing too."
Aaron shrugged his shoulders, and was about to resume watching the t.v. when he stopped. He glanced back at the kool-aid. "Daniel, this might sound like a weird question, but has John Milton even been in this house recently?"
"Mr. Milton? He actually came to my house yesterday." Daniel nonchalantly said.
"Yesterday? Why? When?" Aaron interrogated while rising up.
Daniel started to get scared. "Well, he uh, came about half an hour before Calem came to my house, so around 9. He gave me a kool-aid bursts case. He said that he saw them for sale at the store. He knew that I loved kool-aid, so he thought it would be a nice gift, which it was. I do love kool-aid, though you probably could guess that."
"What did he do after?"
Daniel looked upwards. "I think he said that he forgot to buy something, so he left quickly after. I don't really remember much, sorry."
"Did you drink the kool-aid right after he gave it to you?" Aaron asked with a hint of impatience.
"Not right after. Mr. Milton said that I should refrigerate it for a bit, maybe around 40 minutes or so, before I drink it. He said that it would taste best then." Daniel explained.
"And Calem arrived about half an hour later, around the time when these kool-aid drinks would taste best. I'm assuming you drank one when he got here." Daniel confirmed that. "Did you start to feel sleepy after drinking it?"
Daniel was silent for a bit, as he tried to remember. "Actually, yeah. It was after I drank it that I started to feel exhausted."
Aaron's mouth contorted into a horrifying grin, which caused Daniel to shiver. Aaron rushed to the refrigerator, and opened it. He quickly grabbed the kool-aid bursts case, and rushed to the front door. "Daniel, come with me."
"Why?"
"You'll be much safer in the car, believe me." Aaron urgently said. Daniel tried to argue, but Aaron shut him off. "If you don't do as I say, I'll arrest you for disobeying an officer's lawful orders."
Daniel didn't believe him at first, but Aaron's glare at him made him change his mind. So, Daniel went along with Aaron to the car. Daniel sat in the back, while Aaron placed the kool-aid next to him. He took his front seat and started to buckle his seatbelt.
"Aaron, do I dare ask what's happening?" Ethan asked with a skeptical look.
"No, you shouldn't." Aaron stated.
"Alright, then. Where to?"
"Drop me off at the convenience store. Then, go ahead and go back to the station with Daniel. Make him take a drug test."
"A DRUG TEST?" Daniel exclaimed.
"Chill out. I'm not saying you're an addict or whatever. It's not like that. I just think that you might have been roofied." Aaron explained.
"Roofied? Aaron, what the hell-" Ethan started, but he was cut off by Aaron. "Just make sure you get him safe and sound back there. Also, you don't need to come back to me." Ethan seemed worried, but he figured that Aaron had a good reason for doing this.
It was about 3:45 pm when they arrived at the local convenience store. Aaron exited the car with his things. He went to a secluded area and hid his things. He then left and entered the store. Behind him, the car zoomed off towards the police center. Aaron went right to the cashier, a teenager who could not be any older than 18. He noticed a nametag on his chest, revealing that his name was Steve. Aaron then went to work, as he picked out a couple of items to buy while having small talk with Steve. It may have seemed like just normal small talk, but throughout this, Aaron was carefully observing Steve, analyzing him. While asking normal questions, he noticed that Steve was quite fidgety, and that his eyes sometimes darted around. He then asked Steve to grab something from behind him. During the timespan of Steve turning around, Aaron quickly fished out an item from his pocket, and placed it in a hidden spot on the counter. After Steve turned around, Aaron decided to question him.
"Are you the cashier that's involved in the murder that happened here?" Aaron asked innocently.
Steve paused while his hands started shaking. "Are you a cop?" He said accusingly.
"No, no, I could never handle the stress of being a cop. I'm actually a criminal psychologist. Name's Derek Loan." Aaron said.
"A criminal psychologist?"
"I was asked to come to help profile Calem and to figure out his motive and mindset." Aaron explained.
"Oh, okay." Steve said. However, he still had his suspicions about Aaron. "Are you here for me then?"
Aaron shyly scratched his cheek as he said, "I didn't want to alarm you or anything, but yes, I am."
Steve then nervously looked at Aaron. "What do you want?"
"It's nothing to worry about. I just wanted to ask you a few questions, that's all." Aaron explained as he held up his hands.
Steve was still suspicious, but he believed him for now.
"Starting off, I just want to confirm John Milton's alibi. Approximately around the same time the crime is believed to have been committed, John was here, as seen in the receipt you showed the police. Is this correct?" Steve confirmed it. "All the cameras weren't working, and still aren't, right?" Again, Steve confirmed this. "Good, good. Now, uh, you also testify that John was definitely here during the murder?"
Steve nodded his head, but he started to feel something was wrong. "Does a criminal psychologist usually ask these questions?"
Aaron froze. He looked at Steve with an embarrassed smile, while Steve looked back with a skeptical look. "I wasn't being completely honest earlier. The full truth is that, while I am a criminal psychologist, I also help solve the actual crimes. This is due to my great deductive abilities." Aaron said, with a proud look towards the end.
"Really?" Steve asked. He wasn't buying it.
"I can prove it if you want." Aaron said. He looked straight at Steve's face and said, "You play an instrument, right?"
Steve's eyes widened as he said, "I do."
Aaron grinned as he continued. "Specifically, the piano." Steve asked him how he knew, and Aaron replied, "It's pretty simple. Your hands revealed it." Steve looked at his hands. "First, your fingernails are very closely cut, along with your middle fingers bending outwards. Your palms, and hands in general, have well-developed muscles, and as you were scanning my items, I noticed that you had unbiased dexterity. This all led me to the conclusion that you play piano, and most likely for at least a few years now." Steve was dumbfounded. "Do you believe me now?" Aaron asked.
Steve slowly nodded his head. "Sorry about not believing you. I've just been on edge lately, and all the cops interrogating me hasn't helped."
"I understand. It's a very stressful time right now." Aaron said with a warm smile.
Steve was happy to hear that. All the other cops weren't as nice as him.
"Sarah Milton taught you piano, right?"
Steve was bewildered. "How did you know?"
"Well, there is a piano in her home, and when I was examining their bodies, I noticed Sarah also had closely cut fingernails, along with the same bending middle fingers. Her hands had well developed muscles too, so I could only assume she taught you." Aaron explained.
Steve was silent for a bit. "She did teach me piano. 6 years, in fact."
"Would you mind telling me more about that?" Aaron cautiously asked.
Steve set his arms on the table as he placed his face in his hands. "I don't mind." Aaron waited for Steve to continue. "When I had just reached middle school, around the age of 11, I had choir class. Sarah, rather Ms. Milton was teaching it. Back then, she wasn't married yet. Ms. Milton was a great teacher. She made sure that we all felt welcome, and she actually made a big effort to actually get to know us." Steve raised his head. "It was surprising of her to do that. Most of the other teachers never did that, and just saw us as numbers, grades, or percentages. Some of the other kids thought she was weird and that she was trying too hard to be liked. I wasn't like them. I could tell she genuinely wanted to make us feel wanted and appreciated, which I desperately needed back then."
"How did you start to take piano lessons from her?"
"It started a few months after I first met her. During class sometimes, she lets some students play on her piano. I played on it for a bit, and Ms. Milton remarked that I had talent for it. I didn't really believe her, but it was nice to hear her praise me. Then, during a parent-teacher conference, she mentioned to my parents that she was willing to give me piano lessons after school. My parents were ecstatic, and took up on her offer. Since then, I've been learning from her for 6 years." Steve had a nostalgic look.
"You were close to her then?" Aaron asked.
"You could say that. We were as close as a teacher and a student could be."
"Could you tell me more about her?"
Steve had a small smile as he reminisced. "Ms. Milton? She was amazing. She had the kindest smile, the kind that would take away your worries as soon as you saw it. Her voice was soothing and calm, and it would stop people from continuing fighting. Her blue eyes were warm, and they would give you a fuzzy feeling."
Aaron's mouth curved into a smile. "She was that great, huh?" Steve nodded his head. "It makes sense that you would have a crush on her."
"Huh-wha" Steve started as his face grew red.
"Steve, buddy, it's obvious. Don't try and act like that whole monologue about Sarah wasn't irrefutable proof." Aaron said with a cheeky look.
Steve was embarrassed. ".....Yes, I did have a crush on her. But, I outgrew it as I got older."
"How did you feel when she got married?"
"Oh, I was happy for her. Calem seemed like a great guy, and they looked like the perfect match for each other. I always knew that my little crush wouldn't lead to anything, so I was happy for them."
Aaron scratched his thumb. "It's a shame though, considering how she cheated on him."
Steve's eyes widened in shock. "She-she cheated on him? What do you mean?"
Aaron put his hand to his mouth. "You didn't know? We think that Sarah was cheating on Calem with Trey, and that Calem walked in on them during the act. Then, he killed them."
Steve started huffing. "But, that's just a guess. It's not confirmed, right?"
"No, we're pretty confident. We have John's testimony of Calem being at the crime scene," Aaron noticed Steve bit his lip when John was mentioned, "we have Calem's fingerprints on the gun, and we also found the bodies in their underwear, which suggest they were having sex. That would explain why Calem shot them, and of course, his fingerprints being on the gun helps prove this."
"No, that's not-" Steve began to say, but he stopped himself, as he started gripping the counter.
"I know that you think Sarah was some perfect lady, but honestly, she seemed like she was a whore." Aaron added.
Steve glared at Aaron. "She wasn't a whore."
Aaron backed up a bit. "Woah, okay, calm down. I guess I went too far." Aaron slowly came back. "But, the evidence doesn't lie. Unless of course, it's fake, but that's just a weak little theory I have."
Steve's glare went away. "You-you think the evidence was faked?" His eyes almost seemed hopeful.
Aaron leaned his head in thought. "I wouldn't say that exactly, but I do think this case is more complex than it seems. I met Calem, and I don't really think he's the killer. But, the thing is, if it's not him, then who could it be?" Aaron stopped, on purpose, to gauge Steve's reaction. Steve was breathing deeply, as he looked at Aaron with pained eyes. "It obviously can't be John, since he has the receipt and your testimony." Steve's grip tightened. "I also met him, and there's just no way it's him. He looked so depressed and devastated over their deaths. You just can't fake that level of emotion." Steve lowered his head as blood started to drip from his mouth. "And not only that, but everyone vouches for him. It's honestly amazing at how much everyone loves and respects him. I can't believe that such a charismatic and emotional man like him could have done this." Steve's eyes started watering. Aaron then leaned in. "Steve, you alright?"
Steve slowly lifted his head, to reveal his bright-red face. However, Aaron knew it was red not from embarrassment, but from pure rage. His lips were stained with blood, and he was starting to cry. "I-I am...I am okay." Steve slowly said as he deeply breathed in between words.
Aaron figured that this was the perfect moment. "Oh yeah, since you didn't even know about the bodies being in their underwear, you probably don't know how they were killed."
"What do you mean?" Steve anxiously asked.
"Did you ever see the bodies?" Aaron asked in return with curious eyes.
Steve gulped. "No, I-uh, I haven't."
"Maybe that's for the better." Aaron said as he changed his mind.
"NO!" Steve yelled. Aaron looked at him with wide eyes, in clear surprise. Steve cleared his throat as he quietly said, "I mean, no, I want to know. Please, how were they killed?"
Aaron hesitantly asked, "Are you sure?" Steve said he was. Aaron then took a deep breath. "I warned you." Aaron said as he got closer to Steve. "In my years of working as a criminal psychologist, never before have I seen murder as brutal as this." Steve shivered at that. "Both the victims had their heads bashed in, most likely before dying. Their heads were so disfigured that only their DNA was able to identify them." Steve's mouth opened in horror. "We believe that the killer must have struck their heads at least 20 times with a blunt weapon. Then, while they were down, the killer stabbed and slashed them consecutively numerous times."
"You're exaggerating, right?" Steve asked apprehensively.
Aaron morosely shook his head. "I wish I was."
Steve took a step back, visibly distraught. His face turned from red to pale white, as he started sweating profusely."
"Are you sure you're okay?" Aaron asked.
Steve looked back up at Aaron. This time, he answered differently. ".....No, I'm not."
Aaron hid a smile as he saw this. Then, he suddenly pulled out the item he hid. It was a small bag, containing small white crystals. "Well now, what is this," Aaron said out loud while showing the bag to the cashier. Steve froze in place, staring at the bag. "If I'm not mistaken, this is good old Methamphetamine."
Somehow, Steve's face turned even more white. "That-That's not mine."
"Yeah, it's not yours. It's mine." Aaron slyly said as he examined the bag more. He could see Steve visibily shaking in fear, a clear difference from earlier.
"Wh-what?" Steve was confused at the current situation. This "criminal psychologist" had just found meth, and he was now claiming it was his. What was going on?
"You know, I did say it was mine. But, I think I'll just report that I found it in your possession." Aaron calmly said while eyeing the meth.
"WH-WHAT?" Steve exclaimed. "You can't do that!"
"And why can't I?" Aaron said as he placed his eyes on Steve. "It looks like you don't understand your position." Aaron pocketed the meth. "You, a teenaged cashier, who's already involved in a crime, has just been exposed by a well-trusted associate of the police, to be a crackhead." Steve started to realize what Aaron was trying to say. "Not only that, but you don't even have any physical proof of this being mine. After all, there's no working cameras." Steve's eyes flickered as he understood his predicament. "Now, answer me this, who would the police trust? You, or me?"
Steve couldn't believe it. There was no way this was actually happening. He thought that this guy was nice. He thought he was a compassionate and understanding psychologist. But looking at Aaron's expression, Steve could tell that he was nothing like that. He was staring into the eyes of the Devil. "I....I-"
Aaron then smiled. "However, I don't have to report this." He pointed at Steve. "All you have to do is tell me the truth of John's whereabouts during the murder. I know that Calem isn't the killer. It's John."
Steve knew he couldn't reveal that. He knew that if he even mentioned one little thing about the truth, he would die. He didn't know how, but John would find out, one way or another, and he would die as a result. And not just a normal death, but from how Aaron had described the bodies, Steve knew he wouldn't die quickly.
Aaron understood this, as he was observing Steve. He then said, "If I were to report this, you could be jailed for years."
Steve's legs buckled as he heard that. Years? YEARS? He couldn't believe that. He would have to go to jail for years just to protect John?! He couldn't accept that, but he knew dying from John's hands was worse. Steve was stuck over deciding on what to do. He was terrified of both choices, but it looked like disobeying John was the more horrifying option.
"If you think you'll be safe in prison, then you're severely wrong. I've worked in prisons for a bit, and just about every day, there's a dead body. Usually from fights, or just targeted attacks." Aaron said.
Dead bodies? Every day? Steve wasn't sure what was better anymore. The fear of John still had a hold over him, while the anger and guilt and fear of prison was starting to rein him in.
"If you were to go to prison, you would get killed on the same day." Aaron said as he stared right into Steve's eyes. Somehow, Steve knew Aaron was right. "A person like you, barely an adult, would be fresh meat for the savage and blood-thirsty brutes inside prison. You would be screwed if you ever went there." It looked like Steve was starting to change his mind, so Aaron added one more thing. "Knowing all of this, will you still lie? Lie about John, so Calem will be jailed in his place? So that Sarah and Trey will forever be tormented knowing their killer is free? So that John can kill even more innocent people?" Steve tried to look away, but Aaron didn't let him. He grabbed his head and made him look right at him. "Their blood is on your hands, and more will be if you just tell the truth. Remember all your disdain of John. Remember all the pain and guilt of letting Sarah and Trey die by his hands. If you want to even have a chance of being forgiven by Sarah, then speak the truth."
Finally, Steve hoarsely said, "He wasn't here."
Aaron's mouth started to twitch. "Go on."
"He came here and gave me his card. He then told me to purchase something after he goes away." Steve started to shake, due to fear and anger. "He threatened me, saying he'll kill me too if I don't do this." He started to whisper. "I was scared. I didn't want to die."
"What about the cameras?" Aaron asked.
"Before he gave me his card, he asked me to lead him to where all the cameras were. He explained that someone had reported a lost item, so he wanted to check the cameras to get a better look. After I led him to all the cameras, he started breaking all the wires. I tried to stop him, but the look on his face," Steve paused as he shivered, "It was death. I couldn't run away or call the police, because he kept his gun aimed at me."
"I see." Aaron said as he turned away. He then got out his phone and dialed a number. He then called someone. After he finished, he turned back to Steve. "I called some officers. They'll arrive here soon, for your new testimony. Oh yeah, if they ask where I am, just tell them that I'm at the crime scene."
Steve nodded his head and Aaron went to leave, but Steve stopped him. "The meth, you won't report it as mine?"
"I won't." Aaron assured him.
Steve sighed in relief. He looked at Aaron. "Do you think it's possible for me to be forgiven, even after what I've done?"
Aaron paused. He thought for a bit, before saying with a straight face, "It's not up to me." Aaron then smiled. "However, in my opinion, this is a good first step."
Steve seemed kinda happy to hear that. Steve rubbed his eyes with his arms while sniffing and profusely thanked Aaron. Aaron waved goodbye and left the store, as he pulled out the bag of meth. He reached inside and ate the meth. Only, it wasn't meth. It was just white rock candy. "What a sucker," Aaron muttered.