The Mute Girl

Erin

Friday, 09 March 2018

Morning

'How did I end up here?' was the only thought I was having as I sat in an extremely uncomfortable chair, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings. The walls around me were coated in white but had faced the assault of dirt and coffee stains over years. Also, the paint was chipping off the walls in many places.

The interrogation room was small and suffocating. I feared that I might die because of lack of oxygen if they put me here for any longer. It reeked of sweat and God knows what else.

My eyes finally found the face of the culprit. The person because of whom I was here. Detective Logan Owens. A tall, lean man, who most probably is in his mid-thirties, with average looks but a well-built body.

"Ms. Collins," he said, putting his arms on the table, the only barrier between the two of us, "would you like something? Tea? Coffee? Or water?"

I just want to get the f**k out of here, was what I wanted to say. Instead, I shook my head, putting a poised gaze on him.

He clasped his long fingers together and nodded. "If you say so. Please do tell me if you want anything during the… er… conversation."

I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest, giving him an impatient look. He licked his lips and cleared his throat. "It's all just a part of the investigation, Ms. Collins. You don't have to feel threatened by me. I just want to gather some information. We'll start as soon as my partner will come. He will help me with your sign language."

I gave him a nod and we fell into an uncomfortable silence. Well, I was the one feeling uncomfortable considering Detective Owens had already started going through the files that lay in front of him.

I was peacefully getting ready in my apartment, about to start a normal day, when I had heard a knock on my door. Thinking that it was Gavin, I quickly put on my jeans and unlocked the door, without looking through the peephole. Instead, I had come face-to-face with Detective Owens.

"Ms. Collins?”

I nodded. "I'm Detective Logan Owens," he had said in an authoritative tone. "You have to come with me to the station for questioning regarding Ms. Moore's murder case.”

I could feel the dread rising inside me. Why would they come to me for questioning? Who would have given out my name?

Many questions were swirling in my head but I didn't say anything. Not like I could. I had silently followed him and sat in his car, nervously playing with my fingers as he drove us to the station. I still don't know why they came to me but I think I'll get my answers soon enough.

The doors to the room opened and a short, stout man huddled inside, closing the door behind him. "I'm sorry for being late. Was stuck up in traffic."

Standing up, Detective Owens shook hands with him and gave him a half hug and then the two of them settled in front of me. "Hello dear. I'm Paul."

I gave him a curt nod and turned to Detective Owens. "Let's start then," he said. "How well did you know Ms. Moore?"

I gulped. Obviously, he will start like this. I, however, didn't know how to answer his question so I decided to give vague answers. I didn't know if it was smart or a dumb move but at that time I couldn't think of something else.

"Not much," I signed.

Detective Owens turned to Paul and he translated it for him. "How exactly did you know her? Was she like a friend or something?"

I shook my head. "Brianna was very popular in our school. Not to mention, almost the whole town knew her."

Brianna used to write for the local magazine. Sometimes it was articles related to the recent events, sometimes short stories. This gained her a lot of popularity in our small town and she instantly became the ideal daughter of the people.

"Did you have any connection with her?" Detective Owens asked, looking through a file. "Like maybe a mutual friend or something?"

My mind went to Devin, Kyle and Mac and I remembered all the memories that I shared with them. Those were once golden and precious to me, only to be turned sour and bitter over time. I shook my head in reply. "No."

"How will you explain Ms. Moore?"

"She was the role model of every one. Every girl, no matter what age, looked up to her. Parents wanted their daughters to be like her and wanted their sons to marry her… or a girl like her at least. Everyone in the town and the school absolutely adored her. She had set standards everywhere.”

"I'm not asking about the town or school, Ms. Collins," Detective Owens said once Paul had translated everything I said. "I'm talking about you. How did you see Ms. Moore? What was she like in your opinion?"

I rubbed my hands on my jeans and sighed. "She was OK… A very nice girl," I added for good measures.

"Okay." He looked and sounded unconvinced for some reason. It's not like he could hear a tremor in my voice for I can't speak, nor can he see my reaction, considering he has his head stuck in the file. "How was your history with her?" he asked, still looking at the damned file.

My hands trembled but I did my best to get a control over them. "I didn't have a history with her as such. I just know her because she was pretty popular. In our school and the whole town. As I already said before.”

Detective Owens raised an eyebrow at me as he listened to Paul and finally, put aside the file. "Is that so, Ms. Collins?"

I struggled to keep my eyes on him as his gaze started to become accusing and suspicious by the second. Somehow, I still managed to nod.

"So you two never had any, say arguments or fights?"

I shook my head in reply. “Are you sure?"

This time I didn't even move. He knew. I don't know what exactly is it that he knows but he must know something. I'm not sure if I want to know the answer.

"Well?" he prodded.

"I am sure. I don't share any history with her.”

"That's weird," he said, leaning back in the chair, keeping his gaze on me. "Because according to the reports, you do have a history with Ms. Moore." My breath got stuck in my throat as he continued, “Apparently, Ms. Moore was your biggest bully in high school. There are many occasions when she deliberately hurt you, physically and humiliated you. You had also reported her to the school authorities but they didn't take any step against her keeping in view her reputation in the town and the school. What will you like to say about that?"

Tears formed in my eyes as images of my past came to my mind. Memories of her tripping me in the hallway, slapping me, kicking me, throwing dirt on me, locking me in the janitor's closet and laughing as I pleaded with her every time to leave me alone and not to hurt me, ran through my mind.

I didn't realize I was crying till I felt a warm hand over mine on the table. I looked up to see Detective Owens giving me an apologetic look. "Look, I'm really sorry, Ms. Collins. I didn't mean to be so cold. But you have to cooperate with me. That's the only way you can get out of this alive. If you keep on lying, you will be arrested for misleading the police. Do you understand me?"

I nodded. "Why don't you take a break?" he said. "You might be tired. You can come back to the station later."

Afternoon

I walked around for about an hour before settling in a café. I was exhausted. This all was a lot for me to take. I have never been to a police station before and although Detective Owens is not so crude, I still don't feel comfortable there. I feel unsafe at the station.

I don't know how long I stayed at the café. Looking out of the window at the people who went past it. Some looking intently at their phones, some with their kids in their arm, some in the arms of their lovers and others just wandered around, alone but still looked as peaceful as the others. I wish I had that stability in my life. I wish my life was as easy as theirs.

When I arrived at the station, Detective Owens greeted me with a smile. When we settled down, he said, “I'm on your side, Erin. But I can't help you if you don't give me the truth. The whole truth. Can you promise me this much? That you won't lie?"

I looked into his warm brown eyes and saw nothing but sincerity. But he can be faking it. This all might be a set-up. Just so I spill everything and they use that against me. I am no longer a naïve, little girl. I know how this works. Well, two can play a game.

I gave him an equally sincere smile and nodded. Paul gave me a short smile and gave Detective Owens a nod.

"Good. Now, will you tell me how long this bullying going was on for?"

I nodded. "Ever since I joined the school in the fifth standard. It was not that bad in the beginning. I had always thought that with time, everything will settle down. That they will stop. But as the years passed, it only got worse. They started getting physical. I always had a new bruise to attend to when I reached home. I thought that if I will steer clear of them, they will leave me alone. But it became harder to even hide from them. It was like they were everywhere. I did talk to our principal once but he brushed me off. Everyone did. I had no one to turn to. I had no choice but to bear it all in silence."

I looked closely at Detective Owens's expression as Paul recited everything I signed in sync.

"I'm really sorry, Ms. Collins. I wish things weren't as they are. But… who else was in it with Ms. Moore?"

"There were many kids who joined her. Almost the whole school would team up with her to make my life hell. Rest would remain on the sidelines, enjoying everything silently."

"Anything else that you would like to share? Anything regarding Ms. Moore?"

I shook my head. "Well, I guess that would be enough for today then," he said. "Thanks for your patience, Ms. Collins. You can leave now but you might be called here again. So I would advise you not to leave the town just yet, yeah?"

I nodded and the three of us stood up. I shook hands with Paul and Detective Owens and together, the three of us walked out of the interrogating room. Paul left to attend some business but Detective Owens remained with me as I made my way out of the station.

"Can I drop you somewhere?" he asked as we stepped out into the open air.

I shook my head and was about to sign when I remembered that he wouldn't understand. I fished out my phone and typed a message, "I have to go to the restaurant for my shift and it's just five minutes away from here.”

He read the message and smiled at me. "If you say so," he said, giving me back my phone. "Take care, Erin."

I gave him a nod and was about to walk away when I heard my name being called. I looked over the detective's shoulder and my eyes widened when I saw Devin making his way towards us.

Don't do this, Devin. Please, don't.

"Erin, what the f**k are you doing here?" he asked me, looking me up and down as if searching for injuries and then turned to the detective. "Why did you get her here?"

"You know her Mr. King?"

I looked between Detective Owens and Devin and bit my lips, unsure of what to do. I saw Devin's face turning pale and he looked hesitantly at me and the turned back to the detective. "Yes… She is…"

Yes, Devin. Who am I? Tell him who I am.

"I know her from my high school," he said, his words and indifferent tone breaking my heart into tiny pieces. "She was my classmate."