Chapter 207Bit of Hesitation

The taxi stopped in front of the building we once lived in. I sincerely hoped he didn't know that I was more nervous because I lived here than nervous because he was kidnapping us.

In a way I trusted nothing bad would go wrong as this had the government smell all over it. For one, the man was too clean. Call me old fashioned, but I always had the feeling that if there were really bad people involved, I would be able to see it somehow. Part of me knew this was a really stupid thought, modern criminals probably looked better dressed than normal people.

Nuru and Rain looked at me, worried because they saw my worried expression. Nuru knew that we didn't arrive where we should be and Rain picked up on it fast. They kept silent though, knowing to speak as little as possible.

The driver turned around. "We're here. If you would be so kind to step out of the car?"

Neatly dressed men, three of them, stood around the car for us to get out and probably guide us inside. When I thought about it, it surprised me they brought us here. Though this was perhaps just one of the many offices they had through the city and just choose the most convenient one.

An important thought went through me though. They shouldn't be able to find out what I was. What did they know?

They guided us inside and I wasn't at all surprised to see a normal, previously grubby, factory floor transformed into some sort of high-tech police research facility or something. Neat desks with computers on them, some various mainframe type things and quite a lot of people. In a way I felt relieved. This didn't look like a place where they would imprison people.

We three were led to an empty room that didn't look all to solid but of course which I couldn't leave without being very suspicious. I had no clue what was going on, but I felt I had to put Nuru and Rain at ease. If I could.

"I think they're police or something, keeping us here to question us about your sister."

Rain looked at me and nodded in understanding. I wasn't sure if she did but at least it made her feel better. Of course I didn't say I hoped they wouldn't question any further and it was just about the killings. If they were going to mix themselves in Rain's future I was in trouble. Though the dark part of me would actually prefer if they did try and meddle in it, as it meant she would not ever find out about me. Which was, in a way, preferable.

Not for her of course.

They called me out of the room into a smaller one with a table and two cups of coffee, cheap plastic cups. An harassed looking man was sitting on the opposite side of the desk with a file of sorts and a memo-recorder in front of him. He looked up as I entered the room and nodded to the chair, asking me to sit I guess.

"Could you please verify you are Amy Taylor, daughter of Myriam Taylor?"

I tried to show no fear and let my curiosity guide me. "Eh, yes. I'm Amy."

He took the memo recorder and pressed the play button.

"There's a girl here, I think she's dead. There's blood all over here! You have to come quick!"

A pause, then;

"I'm in an old building on the street of... Aaah!"

Then, after he pressed the forward button."

"Could you please take a look at that address, there's a lot of strange noises inside."

The man smiled at me. "Considering you walked past a few camera's, before and after you called on the payphone, and the supplied address was of the first girl that was murdered, it was not that hard to find you. Of course, identifying you and finding out your current location was somewhat harder. But let's be frank here, Miss Taylor. Somehow you were at the scene of the daughter's death almost when it occurred and at the scene of the parent's deaths quite a bit after. From your physique, you wouldn't have been able to do this, not even with mechanical aid."

He took a sip of his coffee.

"Considering your known history we have no indication you are part of the killings themselves, especially since you called the police yourself. So, we really wish to know what happened and why you seem to pop up."

This wasn't exactly what I was expecting. Not at all. It was a dangerous game too, the man looked far too clever to fool with lies. But I couldn't tell the truth either. Also, he didn't seem interested in my nature as such but more my part in the strange events surrounding Rain.

The man looked at his notes. "Oh, and something I wish to know personally; is it true you found the younger sister in the cemetery and brought her home? This is merely an honest question, it's not really that important and we have no way to verify it anyway."

He wasn't lying. I could sense as much from him. He asked this question for a very specific reason though. If I brought Rain home, talking to her parents as I did, I wouldn't have had any bad intention and was just mixed up in this accidentally, however unlucky or unlikely that may seem. Of course he was aware, probably, that there might be layers of revenge and malicious intent that he wouldn't even be able to presume.

I wondered if he...

"It's alright if you don't answer, Miss Taylor. I understand this can be rather overwhelming, with the evening you probably had. If you wish you can take a bit of coffee. It's quite horrible, but it can help." He smiled kindly.

Alright, I would help.

"That's alright, I don't drink coffee. Never have." I took a small breath. "Yes, I found her in the cemetery. I felt sorry for leaving her sister's body to the police and wanted to say goodbye. I never expected the younger sister there. Of course I couldn't let her be out there at that hour."

Which was all true.

He nodded and wrote some of it down. "I expected as much. Both the daughters did quite well in school, but with intelligence often comes stubbornness. Would you care to tell about the parts you played in the other events?"

Parts played...

Very appropriate.