Twenty-Eight

"The problem here, Daniel, is that your sister has already confessed to everything. She told us, you were the mastermind. That it was you who killed him," he explains. He even smirks. "Both of you are going to jail for a very long time. Now I don't need to be here, you're wasting my time. I'm giving you one last chance to tell your side of the story before you both get locked away."
I take a breath. "Okay, detective, here's the thing. If Clara did confess as you claim then she's implicating me in a crime I absolutely had nothing to do with. Second, I'm hungry. I haven't showered since yesterday morning. I smell like a decaying rat. So can we wrap this up?"
I know he's lying. Even if Clara and I had committed the crime, my twin wouldn't rat on me. She's loyal, like a puppy. She's the kind of person that can keep secrets. Take them to the grave kind. She sees a lot of the things I do. Has never told a soul, not even when Wendy died.
"We got your sister's DNA off the scene of the crime, so why don't you come clean on what really happened?" Cooper sighs as though he's talking to some brat with limited intellectual capacity. "He betrayed you with your girlfriend and then what happened?"
My stomach clenches painfully. "W—what do you mean...he...he betrayed me with my girlfriend?"
They look at each other.
"You trying to tell me you didn't know?"
"No..." I say to myself and push back my chair. I barely recognise the sound it makes as it collides with the .... Floor. I don't move, just stand here while the anger rolls in a raw explosion. I wonder how long I've been made a fool. What people must think of me now. The boy whose brat betrayed him with his older, middle aged father. I feel sick. My mind churning. Blood. Blood. It's all I see. "Clara knew about Papa's betrayal and she kept it from me?" I march to the door. I'll find that mousy, backstabbing... and deal with her. "I'm gonna kill her."
"Like you did your father?" His face is veering between trepidation and eagerness. "Daniel, I hope you know that you've just threatened a life in front of an officer. Now sit back down, son. We aren't done here."
I drop into my chair even though I feel like stampeding out the door to find Clara. Why am I so surprised? I mean a part of me has always suspected that she isn't the perfect brat she presents. Someone has gone through the trouble of setting my chair upright. Great thinking. "So, you're trying to tell me my father was fucking Zoe? I mean Navaeh?"
"No. I'm—"
"Oh, so it was Brandy?" I ask, impatience gathering in my voice. "I knew it."
Cooper looks a bit horrified, and to be honest, I don't blame him. The waves of anger rolling through me promise a bloodbath should they take their eyes off me. "Daniel. Calm down. You're getting yourself worked up. It wasn't—"
"If it wasn't Brandy then it has to be Cindy, no? Amanda then? No no, Mandy would never do that. It was Nicky? No. I've got it. It was Danielle?"
He just stares at me. I shoot him a look. It shakes him out of his stupor. "It was a Samantha."
I suck in my stomach. The anger attacks my knees. Thank Willies I'm sitting down. My knees are week. "No, you're mistaken. Papa couldn't stand Sam. He hated her. Thought she was creepy and besides my girls don't sleep with anyone but me."
"Yeah sure, lover boy," Cooper says. He empties his paper cup and throws it towards the door.
"You said you found Clara's DNA. Clara is the most good hearted person I know. Why would she kill Papa? It doesn't make sense."
"Let me make it clear for you then, Daniel. Your sister's motive was the hefty life insurance and of course your father was a rich man. His entire estate goes to her. Not a single dime comes to you or your mother." He gets up and grabs the table with his beefy hands. "I think your motive was passion. Your sister told you what she saw. You came in, killed your father and what did you do to Samantha? Just tell me where her body is."
"Look, detective...?" I trail off as though I've forgotten his name. Nothing is more annoying than having to repeat your name.
He sighs. "Cooper."
"Ah, yes. Cooper. I ho—" I cut off suddenly because I heard somewhere that saying honestly, really, true, all points to some guilty conscience. "I don't know what else to say to you." I extend my arms towards him. "Arrest me and get this over with. I want to have a decent bath and a good night's sleep, so please. I'm tired."
"Your sister already ratted you out. She's making a plea deal right now. We know everything. I don't need your testimony. Clara told us everything, how you planned it and how you were the trigger man. You're going down for life."
I stand up and bound my arms over my back. "Mr. Cooper. You say you don't need my testimony and yet you're trying to get me to incriminate myself and falsify 'evidence' against my own sister. What kind of man are you?"
"Daniel, you need to—"
I interrupt Ms. Pretty by raising my hand and saying: "Mrs. Chapedi, this is quite simple because this back and forth is driving me nuts, and I'm just two seconds away from crazy: am I being charged with my father's murder or not?"
"We are—"
I interrupt Cooper with a harsh shake of the head. "If not, I'm going home right now."