Four
Eight hours! Eight hours of questioning was enough to
confuse anyone, Christian eyed the two detectives who’d taken over from King
and Lloyd, this wasn’t legal, of that Christian was sure they couldn’t question
him this long and without an attorney present “Once again” said the tall
slender grey haired man. Christian
rolled his eyes “I’ve already told you?”
“Tell
me again!”
“No!”
“What
did you say to me boy?”
Christian
stiffened at the tone “I’ve told you already”
“Well
I want to hear it again”
“I
told the other guys”
“I
want you to tell me”
“Nothing
happened…he came to my house and I told him to leave”
“You
told him to leave?”
“Yes”
“What
were your exact words?”
Christian
rolled his eyes “I don’t know…I can’t remember”
“Think!”
“I…I
told him to get out”
The
man removed the expensive suit jacket then rolled his sleeves up which made
Christian wonder if he was going to beat a confession out of him.
“You
told him to get out?”
“Yes!”
“What
exactly did you say?”
“I
don’t know!”
“Oh
I think you do”
Christian
couldn’t think straight it was
“You
threatened him!”
“No! No I didn’t!”
“Liar…I
have witnesses said they heard you threaten him”
“Oh
God!” thought Christian looking alarmed which the man mistook for guilt
“And
I also believe you carried out that threat”
Christian
shook his head “No!”
“You
waited until everyone was gone then you went to his home”
“No!”
“You
went to his home and confronted him”
“No
I didn’t I had a few drinks then went to bed”
“Then
you shot him!”
Christian’s
eyes widened “No! I didn’t I told you I
went to…”
“You
shot him in cold blood didn’t you?”
Christian
shook his head
“Didn’t
you?”
“No
no I didn’t ask my girlfriend she was with me”
The
man stared hard “Oh don’t worry yourself we will” he said firmly “Get him outa
here” he instructed Officer Lloyd.
Christian watched as the cell door banged
closed behind him, turning he let out a deep sigh “Hey man…they must be really
pissed at you” a voice called from the top bunk, Christian remained silent as
he placed both hands on the bars then closed his eyes ‘Jessica” he thought What
was happening to his daughter? The guy
on the top bunk spoke again “Hey you may as well get comfortable…looks like
you’re gonna be here a while bud” Christian turned slowly to face him “No…no I
ain’t I’ll be outa here by morning when this whole sorry mess gets sorted out”
A face appeared in the moonlight “Jesus…you really believe that don’t you?”
Christian eyed him closely, it was the guy he’d seen when he’d first come in
“Yeah” the older man sighed “Then I feel sorry for you man” he said in a low
tone.
It was a long night. Christian laid on the bottom bunk his forearm
resting across his eyes as he tried to hold back the negative thoughts rushing
his mind like great ocean waves. He held
on to the belief that this whole mess would be straightened out soon. Maz slept as sound as a bug in a rug on the
bunk above, as if not a care in the world, light snores escaped. Christian concluded that crime was a way of
life for his cellmate. Light at last
begun to seep in and illuminated the whole cell. Christian blinked a few times
as his mate begun to stir above him
“Hey
how did you sleep bud?” he asked as he looked over the side of the bed
“I didn’t” retorted Christian firmly
“Bunk
not comfortable enough?” he added as he sat up and swung his legs over the bed
before jumping down
“What
do you think?”
Marazzi lifted his jeans and quickly stepped
into them “Yeah well I had the best sleep I’ve had in years” the man continued
“Really?” Christian’s reply was cynical
“Yup
well it beats shop doorways and park benches”
Christian stared at him “You homeless then?”
he asked and unwittingly got the guys back up.
“Yeah…and
don’t you fucking judge me?”
Christian
ran a hand threw his blond locks “I ain’t judging anyone” he replied quietly,
Marazzi sat down on the bunk next to him “Sorry bud…it’s just you gotta be
tough when on the street”
Christian
frowned “Yeah…I can imagine” he spoke tiredly “So how come you wound up on the
street?”
Paul
Marazzi simpered “It’s a long story…my old man short through when I was a kid
mom had a number of boyfriends none of which lasted any length of time…the
authorities came and got me threw me into care then pissed off and left me to
fend for myself…the home was lovely on the outside lush green grass beautiful
trees…folks thought it was a great place and all us kids they thought we were
so fucking well cared for but on the inside it was sheer fucking hell man we
got beat for the least thing some kids as young as three”
Christian’s
eyes widened “Were you a ward of the state?”
“Yup
hey don’t tell me you got a kid?”
Christian
nodded solemnly” They can’t take her…can they?”
“Depends”
“On
what?”
“If
any relatives could bring her up”
“My
mom”
“Well
then you ain’t got nothing to worry about”
Christian
relaxed but only for a few seconds
“So
your kid…what age is it?”
“Two
she’ll be three in July”
“Why
can’t her mom take her?” Marazzi suddenly inquired
“We
ain’t together and I doubt very much if she will”
“Oh
that’s too bad”
Christian
glanced down at the man’s hands a gold wedding band visible
“So
you married?”
“Yeah
but she pissed off just after we were married we were young and thought we knew
it all”
“Oh
sorry I didn’t mean to pry”
“Hell
man that’s okay…I ain’t talked to someone in such a long time yeah we thought
we knew it all…I couldn’t even hold down a job at the fucking 7/11”
Christian
felt a little guilty “Why what happened?”
“I
got real fucking mad one day and knocked the fucking manager out”
“Wow”
“That’s
when it all kinda fell apart…I went home one day and all my things were lying
on the pathway…I went to a few refuges at first but I got in with a bad crowd
and before I knew it I was part of a gang that’s when I got into drugs and
booze so there you have it my fucking life in a nutshell”
“Didn’t
you ever see your wife again?”
“No
not since she took up with Michael and his fancy ways…she moved soon after and
took my kid with her”
Christian
sympathised “Sorry bud”
Marazzi
shrugged then let out a deep sigh “It’s okay don’t sweet it” he said softly.
A few minutes later the door swung open
and there stood Lloyd. “Let’s go Marazzi” he instructed, Maz let out a deep
sigh then stood up “What no fucking breakfast?” he said in a low steady tone
“No”
“Wow
that’s the only reason I let you faggots catch me! Just so I could get breakfast”
“Just
get fucking going damn it!” said Lloyd annoyed
Maz
simpered as he strolled along the corridor and away from the cells leaving
Christian in his wake.
The young man begun to wonder just what
the hell was going on, surely this wasn’t right they couldn’t keep him this
long without a brief could they? He
really knew jack shit about the law “Breakfast” he heard someone growl as he
pushed the small tray through the bars. “Hey when the hell am I getting outa
here?” he asked as he took the tray of scrambled egg “Don’t ask me…I don’t know
nothing” the young man replied Christian glanced down at the tray then back at
the cop. He looked about twelve “You know I really shouldn’t be here…I ain’t
done nothing wrong” he stated, the dark haired young man merely shrugged “Yeah
that’s what they all say…tell it to someone who actually gives a damn” he spoke
cynically as he walked away. “Little shit-head” thought Christian as he sank
onto the bunk and stared down at the unappetising food. “Damn!” he yelled
before hurling the tray against the bars the yellow morsels slipping slowly
down the metal “Well that weren’t very smart” the young cop said looking glum
“Now you’re gonna go hungry” Christian shrugged “Yeah Whatever” he retorted solemnly.
His thoughts returned once again to his
childhood another time another place another breakfast. “Mom I ain’t feeling so good” the tiny blond
said looking up into her face, “Wow you are a little hot sweetie” she said
wearily eyeing the brute seated opposite them. “He ain’t too good Larry I think
he should stay home today” said his mother worriedly. The man rustled the newspaper before peering
over the top of it “Looks mighty fine to me…you’re going to school boy”
“But
Larry”
“Are
you talking to me bitch?”
“Larry what if he really is sick”
“Well
they’ll get you to come fetch him wont they?”
“But
I gotta work”
“Oh
and I don’t work is that it?”
“Yeah
of course but you got the day off”
“I
ain’t gonna spend my day off looking after your brat bitch”
Christian bowed his head guiltily, he’d caused them to argue “You better get that eaten boy and get to school…I ain’t working to provide nice things for you to waste them”
“But I” the child begun to speak, big mistake for
within a few seconds he found himself floored face down, arms raised to protect
the back of his head “Larry please not the head please not the head” cried his
mother. She could only watch on in horror as her ten year old son was beaten
“I’ll teach you to back chat me boy!” the voice growled as fingers gripped the
skinny wrist forcing one arm away. Blows
now being aimed directly at his head “LARRY STOP IT!” he heard his
mother cry as she tried to pull him from her son “Get off me I’m gonna kill
him!” Christian escaped but not before
he yelled his head off “I hate you! I
hate you! I hate you!” Larry Anderson merely sneered then lifted the breakfast
plate and hurled it across the kitchen where it hit the door. Scrambled egg running down and landing on the
floor….
Christian shook the thoughts from his
mind. God how he hated this man, hated
him with all his inner being but did he hate him enough to murder now he really
doubted himself, damn he really wished he could remember what had happened on
the night of his party. He recalled the
guests arriving and leaving but afterwards, now that was a complete blur.