“It is good that you remembered. There is someone outside who wants to speak with you, a detective, Lapine. Are you okay or ready to speak to him?” Novia asked.
“Yes, please send him in. I want to know what happened because you don’t know, or if you do, you refuse to divulge such information,” Sabrina answered, and wiped the wetness away from her cheeks. The memories of last night came back to her as if she had hit the rewind button on a video while in play mode.
Detective Lapine stepped into Sabrina’s makeshift private room. He did not wear the expected jacket an tie; instead, he wore jeans and a loose-fitting Polo shirt. He introduced himself as Detective Larry Lupine but insisted Sabrina called him Larry. “May I sit?” He pointed to the chair. “How are you feeling?” he asked. He was about five feet tall and looked like he was in his early fifties, based on the gray hairs that curled at his temples. Sabrina watched him as he sat down. A grateful sigh escaped his lips as if he had a long workday and was now getting a chance to sit.
“I am in the darkness and need you to shed some light on the questions I have. What happened to Carlos? Where is Carlos? Who was in the bathroom with Carlos? What happened at the house?” Sabrina asked without giving Larry the chance to respond.
Larry took out a recorder from his pocket, “I will be more than happy to answer your questions, Ms.,” he looked at her for clarification.
“Please call me Sabrina.”
“Okay, Sabrina, I need some information from you as well. For me to justly complete my investigation, I need an account of your side of the story. If you can recall, please retrace your steps starting from the first time you met Carlos. This recorder is to document your truth as told by you. Is it okay to record this?” he asked.
“That is okay,” Sabrina answered.
Larry pressed the green button on the recorder, placed it on the bed next to Sabrina, and sat back in the chair. Two people walked passed the curtains laughing. Why were they laughing? The emergency room was synonymous with chaos and misery, with glimmers of alleviation when the doctors stopped by to see you. In Sabrina’s case, Larry was her bearer of hope. She closed her eyes to teleported her thoughts back to day one and pressed play. Larry sat and listened to Sabrina intently as her narrative ended. She climbed back in her bed and pressed the call button on the remote.
Novia came in, “Hi, Sabrina. How can I help you?”
“Can I please get some water?” she asked.
“No problem. Is that all?”
“Yes, thank you.” Sabrina pressed the button to position the bed to the sitting position. Although she was curious to get the information, she was also afraid to hear the answer. The sound of a gunshot and the thought of it swiftly taking the breath of life away caused her to faint. The reality hit her that Carlos might be dead, and it was all her fault. She sobbed inconsolably, even when Larry told her that things would be okay. Sabrina needed Jada right now more than ever. She closed her eyes. There she remembered the time she came home after work and found her namesake keychain on her dresser. Could it be that someone had visited her then, too?
Who could have infiltrated Sabrina’s home, and what did the person want? She had been so careful adhering to her security measures whenever she got home or left the apartment. She usually turns the doorknob whenever she closed the door to confirm it shut. Did she take that precautionary measure to secure the door before she went to meet Carlos? Was it her negligence that gave easy access to the intruder? Carlos had told her that he did not believe in coincidence but rather fate and destiny. Was it predestined for Carlos to be there that night?
It wasn’t long before Novia came back with a pitcher of water and two cups. Sabrina poured a cup and drank thirstily like a camel at an oasis. She gripped the empty cup between her palms and turned to Larry, “Please tell me what happened in my home?”
Rowena, I love your short stories keep up the good work👍😉
Thank you, Ms. Dee. I appreciate the motivation!🤗