Prime Suspect

I woke up, ready to take on the day and start looking for more theatres in a 30 mile radius (I’m desperate, okay?) that I could apply to. I hadn’t heard from any I applied to since my day with the girls and I was feeling dejected, but I promised myself that no pity parties were allowed today. That was laughable.

I can honestly say that I did not expect to be taken to the police station and interviewed by a bunch of cops literally 15 minutes after I woke up this morning.

  

                                                                                                                        

I had only started brushing my teeth when there was a knock on the door. I answered the door with my toothbrush hanging out of my mouth and my comfy pajama pants and a cami on. The two police officers standing on the other side identified themselves while I stared at them with blank confusion. The younger one was in a typical police officer uniform and the older one was in a suit and tie. The older one looked mean.

“I’m officer Beckett.”

“And I’m Detective Geordi.”

They asked me to confirm who I was and I nodded silently.

“We need to ask you some questions.” Detective Geordi said.

I stepped aside to let them in.

“We’d like to do it at the police station.” He said after clearing his throat.

I looked from one to the other with wide eyes and immense confusion. I put my finger up in the uniform signal for “one minute please” and then walked over to the kitchen sink and spit out the toothpaste in my mouth before returning.

“What is this about?” I asked.

“We just need to talk to you. Why don’t you get dressed, we’ll give you a ride downtown.”

“Can I see your badges?” I asked. They obliged and their badges looked real to me. I gulped. “Let me get dressed.”

I closed the door and quickly changed. I left Molly a note in case I was still gone when she got back so she’d know where I was (and also so she could contact the police in case these guys turned out to be impersonators who wanted to rape and kill me). Then I opened my door and nodded to the two men standing in my hallway. We walked out and I sat in their cruiser as they drove me to the police station.

They had me sit in a room with a glass wall and a table and two chairs. It was like an episode of Law and Order and I suddenly felt really nervous. What was going on?

Officer Beckett left me alone with detective Geordi who set a file folder down on the table.

“Faith? Can I call you Faith? Where were you last night around midnight?”

“What? Why?” I asked, “Please tell me why I’m here.”

“We’re investigating a fire and had some questions to ask.”

“Wait…this is about the fire? Why didn’t you just say so? Did you discover some more information about who set it?”

“You…know about the fire?” Detective Geordi’s eyebrows rose.

“Of course I do, I was there when it happened.” I said with confusion, “You’re talking about the fire that burned my apartment building down a year and a half ago, right?”

Detective Geordi opened his file and read some paperwork.

“No. We brought you down here to talk to you about the fire that burned down the business establishment of a Mr. Eddie Va-”

My eyes widened and I shook my head.

“Eddie’s theatre caught fire? Is…how bad is it?”

“There’s nothing left, someone set it on fire. Deliberately. Eddie had mentioned that you two recently parted ways professionally and that it wasn’t on very good terms…”

I was in complete shock.

“Y-you….you don’t think I set that fire!?” I stood up.

“Sit down.” His voice was suddenly stern and made me feel scared. I did as he commanded.

“Am…am I under arrest?” I asked after composing myself.

“Not as of right now. Why don’t you tell me where you were last night at midnight.” His voice was calm and direct again.

I couldn’t believe this was happening to me.

“I was at work until 3:00 in the morning. I work at a bar and I had to close after last call.”

“Can anyone confirm that?”

“Cara, my co-worker. She was there with me the whole night.”

“Now, the fire that was started in your apartment complex in March of 2012 had a lot of similarities to the one that occurred last night. Where were you the night your apartment burned down?”

I gulped and started sweating.

“I was with a co-worker…” I mumbled.

Detective Geordi gave me a dirty smirk.

“At 4 o’clock in the morning?”

“Yes.” I said defiantly.

“Sleeping?”

“He would be able to provide me with an alibi, if that’s what you want to know.” I said with as much of a nasty attitude as I could muster. It probably wasn’t the smartest strategy but I didn’t like his tone.

He laughed and it made me boil with anger.

“Look, I know you know I wasn’t there that night. I know that the landlord’s security camera footage showed me leaving and not returning.”

“Now, how would you know that?”

I realized I’d made a horrible mistake. I only knew that because Mike told me and since it was an open case, admitting he’d told me could get him into serious hot water. I panicked and didn’t know what to do.

“I want to call my lawyer.” I said.

I folded my hands and sat back in my chair nonchalantly. Detective Geordi locked his eyes with mine but I refused to look away and stared him down until he spoke.

“Well, like I said, you’re not under arrest, you’re free to go whenever you want.” He motioned to the door and I got up to leave.

I walked down a long hallway by myself and headed home. There was really bad traffic on the way home and it took almost twice as long as normal so I had the cab driver drop me off a few blocks away from my apartment and walked the rest of the way.  I could see my building’s front stoop when I felt someone tightening their grip on my arm and pulling me away.