Chapter Six
As Brock goes back in the house, I sit down across from Ms. Wietz. Mr. Daniels is beside her. He takes his laptop out and starts it up.
"So," Ms. Wietz says, "tell us about your involvement with the accused."
"You mean Jackson? Or Braden?"
"Jackson." She smirks, clearly annoyed I included Braden. I already don't like this woman, and knowing she's protective of Braden makes me like her even less. I don't like Mr. Daniels either. I think it's because they're lawyers. My mom hated lawyers and convinced me to hate them too.
"We've been dating since school started," I say.
"And what are your thoughts about what happened last night?" Ms. Wietz asks.
"Jackson had nothing to do with it. Neither did I. I didn't like Kristen but I'd never hurt her."
"So who do you think did this?"
I shrug. "Could be anyone. Nobody at school liked her. Braden hated her. Maybe HE did it."
Ms. Wietz stares at me a moment before responding. "That's interesting."
"What's interesting?"
"Braden said the same thing about you. That you hated the Reynolds girl enough to kill her."
"Braden said that?" I huff. "Then it was definitely him. He hates me even more than Kristen. He'd love to see me rot in jail for something HE did."
"And I assume you'd want the same. For Braden to end up in jail?"
"If he did it, then yeah. But I wouldn't accuse him of something he didn't do just to lock him away."
"Where were you last night?" Mr. Daniels says as he types on his laptop.
"In my room. Asleep."
He continues to type. "Where were you at eleven, or around then?"
"Eleven? I don't know. I was probably still out with Jackson."
Mr. Daniels looks at Ms. Wietz. She looks back at him like she's thinking the same thing he is, although I can't even guess what that might be.
"What?" I say to them. "What's going on?"
Ms. Wietz leans toward me across the table. "Initial analysis of the body puts the time of death between eleven and midnight. If your only alibi at that time was the accused, it'll be more difficult to prove your innocence."
"But there's no evidence!" I bolt up from my chair. "I didn't do this! Why won't anyone believe me?"
"Rumor, we are not accusing you of anything," Ms. Wietz says. "We're simply saying that from the point of view of a jury, this is concerning, especially since you had motive."
"I didn't have motive! I just didn't like her. I don't like a lot of people but I don't go around killing them!"
"Please. Sit down," Ms. Wietz says.
I sit down, shaking my head. "This is so ridiculous. Why would I kill her? You really think I want to spend the rest of my life in prison?"
"We're not saying you did it. But we have to consider what others might think. As of now, we don't believe there's much evidence left at the scene. If that's the case, the police will turn to circumstantial evidence, which would include your alibi and any motive you might have had to kill the Reynolds girl."
"I didn't have a motive. And Jackson and I weren't at his house last night. He dropped me off here."
