Silenced

Interrogation II

"Anna, wake up!" Officer Thomas yelled as he placed the large key into the keyhole, opening up Anna's cell.

Anna immediately rolled over, waking up from a deep sleep, she rubbed her eyes and climbed out of her cot. Her feet touched the cold surface of the jailhouse floor, her eyes widened as she frantically scanned her jail cell.

Her jaw dropped.

Reality knocked her into an anxious state. She looked down at her hands as they began to tremble and the sensation of a thudding beat in her chest alarmed her.

Am I really in jail?! How can this be?!

She thought it was possible that maybe she was dreaming, so she grabbed her blanket and felt the richness of the cotton; but still not yet convinced, she gave herself a firm pinch on the arm.

"Ouch!" She yelped.

"Trish wants to see you back in the interrogation room asap!" Officer Thomas yelled as he pulled Anna's cell door wide open.

"I'm not dreaming after all," Anna said to herself with a frown.

"No you're not dreaming, that's for sure," Officer Thomas said with a slight smirk.

********

"After looking over your files, I noticed that you have quite a fascination with serial killers. And your favorite book is Murdered in the Bayou by Jane Godfrey. Can you tell me a little bit about why that's your favorite book?" Trish asked as she rested her elbows on the table.

"What do you want to know?" Anna questioned while fidgeting in her chair, "Anything specific?" Anna gazed into Trish's eye.

"No, just tell me what you like about the book and why it's your favorite- simple as that," Trish said, shrugging her shoulders.

"Hmmm.." Anna said, her eyes drifting off upwards, towards the dark, mold speckled ceiling. She began to think, long and hard. Then a light bulb went off in her head and her eyes lit up.

"It's my favorite book because it's suspenseful and the serial killer is such a genius; the way he can easily cover up each murder and nobody ever suspects him. It's such a thrilling read," Anna replied with much enthusiasm.

That was the most excitement Trish ever heard come out of Anna's mouth. Since being arrested, Anna acted so timid and awkward. She normally refrained from volunteering any information at all.

Trish sat back in her chair, looking straight into Anna's face. Trish noticed just how empty Anna's eyes were- cold and soulless with very dark circles sitting beneath them, telling of the often restless nights she had experienced within the last two weeks, since Derrick had been arrested and charged.

The last few weeks were full of fear and anxiety, robbing Anna of her ability to get a peaceful nights rest.

Larry Gardner was the infamous serial killer in her favorite book, Murdered in the Bayou. Her mind catapulted the book into her life, as if the story was real. Her schizophrenia, unfortunately, didn't allow her to distinguish between what was real and what was not.

Anna found Larry Gardner to be quite an exciting and adventurous character. She got excited when she felt his spirit was present- she swore she felt his energies connect with hers.

Murdered in the Bayou was based off of a true story.

"I helped Larry Gardner kill. The pieces of the puzzle are coming together!" Anna exclaimed as her eyes rolled around sporadically and a big smile appeared on her face. She was delirious.

"Anna, Larry Gardner is the main character in your favorite book. There's no way possible you could've helped him, you weren't even born yet. He was a serial killer who committed his crimes in the 1980's, Anna" Trish said as she stared into Anna's chestnut brown eyes.

"I did. I helped Larry kill! Why don't you believe me woman?! I am a murderer!" Anna confessed, growing more and more agitated.

"I think we may need to take a break for now," Trish said, becoming frustrated with Anna, she jotted down some notes on a yellow lined paper. She then proceeded to stand up from the chair she was sitting on and walked out of the interrogation room. As she walked down the well lit white walled hallway of the Monterey Shore Police Department, she saw Officer Kline sitting at the visitors desk, eating a donut and drinking a cup of coffee.

"Kline, I think we're gonna have to get a doc down here to medicate her. Preferably a psychiatrist. She's experiencing some type of psychosis right now, claiming to have helped the infamous serial killer Larry Gardner murder people," Trish explained to Officer Kline as she shook her head in disappointment.

"I can call Doctor Chandler, he's our psychiatrist on call for this week,"

Trish shook her head, "Yes, please call him in."

"I can dispatch a nurse from the med unit, in the meantime," Officer Kline offered.

"Can you please do it now?"

"Sure thing," Officer Kline responded. He grabbed his walkie talkie from the side of his belted uniform and spoke into it.

"I need a nurse down here in interrogation room 8 stat!" He spoke into his walkie talkie.

A woman's voice then came through

"This is Nurse Stacy, what's your emergency?"

"Check Anna Diaz's medical records for a prescription for bi-polar disorder or schizophrenia? She is currently being interrogated, but is now experiencing a psychosis." Officer Kline explained.

"Let me check her records, maybe I can medicate her until Dr. Chandler arrives, then I'll be right over!" Nurse Stacy assured.

"Thank you, Stacy!" Officer Kline said

Trish stood against the white wall in the hallway. The department was oddly quiet due to the late night hours. Normally there'd be cops coming in and out, people walking in to help Monterey Shore Police Department complete their investigations, FBI, attorneys needing to speak to their clients and arrested suspects. Trish loved the quietness, although she felt an unusual feeling come over her, a feeling of dark eeriness.

"Have you been able to get a hold of Anna's parents, yet?"Officer Kline inquired.

"I left several messages for both Mr. And Mrs. Castle, I haven't received any call backs from either of them. I was informed that their on vacation, in the Caribbean. I know there's an awful storm down there right now, so maybe that's why they haven't gotten back to me," Trish explained.

"I'm gonna grab a cup of coffee until Stacy gets down here," Trish stressfully rubbed the temples of her head.

Trish walked to the break room as Officer Kline followed behind her. She smelled the aroma of fresh coffee beans linger in the air as she walked closet towards the break room.

"Yum, I can already smell the coffee," Trish said with a smile.

"I just made a fresh pot. Sawyer brought us a few bags of the most delicious coffee from Panama,"

"Nice! I didn't know he was back from vacation already," Trish said as she picked up the black coffee pot and ported the steaming coffee into a blue mug.

Suddenly, Officer Kline's walkie talkie went off, disrupting the quietness in the room.

"This is Stacy. I'm in room 8. I need Officer Kline here now, the patient is severely agitated. I cannot medicate without assistance."

Agitated screams careened from the background and through the walkie talkie as Stacy spoke.

Officer Kline knew it was urgent. He immediately set his cup of coffee on the wooden table in the break room and picked up his walkie talkie, speaking directly into it, he said, "I'll be right over!"

He sped walked out of the break room and Trish followed directly behind him, leaving her cup of coffee behind. She almost ran to catch up with him.

Officer Kline turned a sharp corner in a dimly lit area of the station. He walked right into room 8 where Anna was having a psychotic breakdown. Stacy was behind the table, with a frightened look on her innocent face. Her small hazel eyes were droopy and her brunette locks tied up in a loose ponytail. Her eyes were focused on Anna.

Anna's screams rippled into the air. She was jumping all over the room with her handcuffs on as if she were an ultra active kangaroo.

Officer Kline walked up behind her, grabbing her, wrapping her tightly in his arms.

"Let me go!" Anna screamed. She tried her hardest to bite Officer Kline, but his arms were too low around her waist, his hands sinking into her abdomen as he tried hard to restrain her.

"Okay, I'm gonna give her the shot now," Stacy said, slowly walking towards Anna, she hastily stabbed the sharp syringe into Anna's right arm.

Anna collapsed instantaneously, almost falling to the ground, leaving Officer Kline carrying all of her weight.

"Get the medics here to take her to the med unit, now," Trish told Stacy

Stacy promptly called the medics.

"This case is going to be a very, very difficult one to solve," Trish said exhaustively.