Moore pointed toward the one-way glass they stood behind."Look, he’s done with the lawyer.Come on, I want to talk with him."
They left the viewing room and made their way to the door of the interview room, knocking once before entering.
"My client was questioned by an officer, and then brought down to the police station with no due process and has still not been told what he is accused of," the lawyer blustered, looking down at a document with handwritten notes on it."Was that to give you time to concoct some excuse like a broken taillight or something of that ilk?"
"Marcus Webb," Moore said as she led the way to the table.
Marcus looked a little surprised, and it took him a moment for his eyes to widen as he stared at Alison and finally recognized her.
The lawyer restored his bluster."You state my client’s name as if you have some great secret when there is no law that requires him to identify himself to your officer.If you were to be more civil, my client would be more than happy to answer any of your questions."
"What are you doing here?"Marcus shot at Alison.
"I could ask you the same thing," Alison replied as she sat at the table with Detective Moore.
The lawyer looked between his client and Alison, seeing they obviously recognized each other, but he couldn't connect the dots.
"I was brought down here," Marcus said, becoming unsure about what was going on.The last time he had spoken to Alison, it was because he was a suspect in a murder.
Sometimes, things didn't change.
"Why were you following Harold Jenkins?"Detective Moore asked.
"There is no evidence to suggest that my client was following anyone," the lawyer cut in.
"Except for the officer who followed your client all the way to Mr.Jenkins’s home, and then witnessed Mr.Webb watching the house."
"Come on," the lawyer said."We both know that won't hold up in a court of law.There is no way to prove that my client was doing anything other than being out for a drive and then stopping to take a break."
"You didn't have your ID on you," Alison pointed out."That’s unusual."
"And not against the law," the lawyer pointed out."Your officer is allowed to ask for ID, but citizens of this fine county are under no obligation to present that ID, especially when there is no proof of them committing a crime."
"Harold Jenkins received a threatening letter last night," Detective Moore said."Someone broke into his home and left the letter before disappearing.Harold came to us and gave a statement, and as soon as he left the station, your client followed him home.Either there was a very big reason for that, or it is one of the greatest coincidences of our times.So, which is it?"
"Are you going to charge my client with a crime?"the lawyer asked.
"Honestly, that depends on the answer he gives," Moore said.
"Are you serious?"the lawyer asked."You’re resorting to scare tactics?"
"We’re investigating a double homicide," Alison said, speaking directly to Marcus."The man you followed home might be the third victim.Is it really a coincidence that you followed him home, Marcus?Is that what you want to go with?"
Marcus leaned forward on the table and clasped his hands together."You really have it out for me, don't you?Is this what you do any time there is a murder?You brought me in the hope that I committed it?Well, I didn't kill anyone before, and I didn't kill anyone now."
"So, it is a coincidence?"Alison asked."That’s what you’re telling us?"
"Are you accusing my client of murder?"the latter asked Moore.
Marcus licked his bottom lip as he stared at Alison and weighed what he wanted to say next.
"You followed a potential victim home, and you don't have any ID on you," Alison said."What are we supposed to think, Marcus?"
"Honesty?"he asked, taking a deep breath."I think you’re fishing and you’re out of your depth.I think you don't have a clue who’s killing people, just like you didn't know when you last brought me in, so you thought maybe you’d go with the same suspect again, because what?I’ve been through stuff?"
"You’ve never liked the system, have you?"Alison asked."You were fired from your job, which gave you obvious resentment over the prison system and the justice system in general.I can see why you would be angry at me after I spoke to you in connection with a murder.I also know you have knowledge of institutional systems, and you’ve had, at some point, access to confidential files."
"I can still get my hands on confidential files, but that doesn’t mean a thing," Marcus spat."Yeah, I hate all of that, and right below that is you and that partner of yours.I don’t have to tell you anything, and that’s the law."
