After they escorted her into this drab room with its dim lighting, the burly
officers who’d vacated the room a while ago had wanted to withhold food and
water until Kari gave a statement. The blonde refused. Soon there was a burger
and fries, ginger ale, and a short period of time to feel human again. And an
unfortunate silence that allowed the scenes of the evening to replay in startling
clarity.
“You can’t speak those words that you said when you first came in here,” the
blonde warned with a wary glance toward the mirrored glass.
“But it’s the truth.”
“The truth is going to need a little adjustment,” she replied slowly, as though
willing Kari to understand something that she couldn’t truly voice in the
presence of the colleagues who were watching. “If you can testify to the things
you’ve seen him do …”
Kari’s mind swirled a moment, trying to grasp what the officer was laying on
the table. A faint ray of hope lit the corners of her mind.
“You saw that girl’s body?” the blonde ventured. “The one he killed?”
“He didn’t have a problem doing that in front of us,” she replied. “Said it
sent a message to the rest of us.” She swallowed hard, trying to force the words
around the lump that had formed in the center of her throat. “I was in the
car when he dumped her. He was never afraid that we’d say anything.” She
shrugged, remembering some of the times she’d had the opportunity to attract
the attention of someone she thought could help her. But she was never sure
who would look at her and believe the things she had to say. Daddy’s clients were
some of the most normal looking people. “Besides, we were headed to a client
nearby, so putting her in the ground on the way was convenient. Work comes
first.”
The blonde took the notebook and scribbled a few words. “Do you think you
could lead us to where he put the body?”
Kari shifted her gaze to the nearest wall, her mind flickering through the
progression of that night, zeroing in on a few landmarks that might be helpful.
“I think so. He made me dig the grave. It was cold. The ground was hard. It took
forever.”
Naleighna Kai Literary Cafe Magazine July/August 2017 71