The Detectives

PABLO sat in the interrogation room under the harsh gaze of Robin. He had been here since last night, they both had been. The reason was that Pablo was giving the same answer to Robin's question.

"I'm asking you again. Where were you on the night of Sarah's murder?", he asked.

"And I'm telling you again, that I was at my house.", Pablo yelled and when Robin didn't say anything he continued.

"I told you Hugh and I went to my mother's, then he drove me back home before he left for his place.", Pablo said irritated.

"You're hiding something and...", but Pablo had had it.

"Okay, that's the last straw Sheriff. I've repeatedly told you everything. I've been here since last night patiently answering you again and again, saying the same thing over and over but I will not have it now. I'm very tired and I believed I've helped you as much as I can. As for Hugh, despite him being my best pal I don't know where he is. Everybody has their secrets and actions that we may never know regardless of how close we are to them. So please can I go now because me being here isn't going to help you find Hugh in any way!", Pablo yelled.

"You know you're right Pablo. Everyone has their secrets and actions that we will never know. I just hope you aren't keeping one from me.", Robin said and Pablo sighed angrily.

"Nevertheless, you're free to go.", he said and Pablo stood.

"Thank you.", Pablo said, looking like he didn't mean it.

When he got out he started walking but stopped when he saw Lisa standing against her car. He had known Lisa since they were kids.

They had been friends or so he thought until they went to college and he started having feelings for her. He never told her because Lisa had always told him he was her best friend, after Raven that is.

After that, he vowed not to tell her anything so as not to harm their friendship and instead wait till he got over it. But he never did and it hurt so much when she started dating Hugh. It took him months to get over it the fact that she was now dating Hugh, when it might have been him if he had just summoned the courage to tell her how he felt.

At first, he had gotten angry unreasonably and at the littlest of things. So when he saw that his anger was hurting their friendship, both with Lisa and Hugh, he decided to take some time off. Later, he got used to seeing them together but he never stopped having those feelings.

That was why he never had a girlfriend. No one knew of his feelings, not even Raven. Casting the thought away he headed towards Lisa.

"Hey, Lisa what are you doing here?", he asked.

"Waiting for you. C'mon get in.", she said.

Pablo, a little stunned, got in. But he soon understood why she was here.

"You want me to tell you what Robin said don't you?", he asked and she turned to him as she started the car.

"Well of course. I mean, I'm just... Robin told me everything when he came to Raven's house yesterday and I don't want to believe it but everything seems like Hugh did it and..."

"But he didn't.", Pablo said.

"And what makes you so sure?", she asked as she drove off.

"'Cause he's my best friend and if he says he didn't, then he didn't. I trust him.", he said then in a small voice. "I thought you would trust him.", he said.

"But Pablo why would he lie? If he had just told the truth..."

"Robin wouldn't have believed him. And he was right, that you wouldn't believe him.", Pablo said angrily.

"Don't talk to me like that Pablo. I'm trying my best here. You don't know how I feel. He's my boyfriend and he just left when it seems that he's the one who murdered Sarah. Clues and pieces of evidence are pointing that he was at her house and there's no explanation or reason from him. How do you expect me to feel about this? It's like I don't know him because how could he have looked me in the eyes and... when he was at her house and he could have... and you're here expecting me to just believe that he didn't do it. What if you're wrong.", she stopped for a breath and the car was quiet.

Pablo was going to argue more but thought against it.

"Fine, I'm sorry. It's just... I know Hugh very well and..."

"And I don't.", she snapped.

"No, it's not....", he sighed. "Hey, why not you drop me at my house and when I freshen up, we'll head over to Hugh's house in case he left any clues for us since he didn't drop any texts.", he said and Lisa considered it.

"Fine.", she said and they continued the ride in silence.

》》》》》

Robin was furiously tapping his pen when there was a knock and in came his assistant.

"Sir, Mr Peters is here to see you. He also came with two people. A man and a lady.

"Okay. Let them in.", Robin said.

He didn't know Mr Peters very well. He just knew him as the husband of Irene Peters who was famous for her very extra-marital affairs. Not that he was the buck-nosing type. It was something that was always in the papers and Irene just wasn't ashamed. On the contrary, she seemed satisfied.

Eugene entered alone and sat. They exchanged greetings and handshakes.

"Mr Peters to what do I owe this visit?", Robin asked nicely.

"Oh. The thing is, you know my nephew, Miles.", Eugene started.

"Yes."

Robin knew Miles and Eugene were related. He also remembered Miles as a friend of Sarah's whom he had interrogated.

"So after he lost his friend. He called me to help see if I could get some detectives to..."

"Detectives? For what?", Robin asked.

"To help you. Miles felt that you would need help and I also believe you do so..."

"Are you saying I'm incompetent?", Robin asked now getting angry.

"No, no. I'm just saying you need help, from a more professional level.", Eugene said calmly.

"More professional level?"

"Look, Sheriff, don't get me wrong. I'm just trying to help. I have a friend who is highly ranked in the NYPD, so he sent these guys here. He said they were his best and hadn't missed any case.", Eugene said and Robin mentally scoffed.

Hadn't missed any case my foot, Robin thought.

"...So what do you say huh? They can join in right?", Eugene asked and Robin sighed.

"Okay, I'll have a word with them.", Robin said.

"Great.", Eugene said, standing. "I'll let them know and don't worry about their accommodation. I got them booked at the town's motel.", Eugene said.

Worry about their accommodation, why would I, Robin thought as he waited.

He was already not liking the fact that foreign detectives were coming to help. It felt somewhat shameful and would make an interesting headline for Gwendolyn.

The three of them came in.

"Sheriff, this is Ian Michael, well-known police detective.", Eugene said referring to the man. "And this is Madisyn Williams, his partner. Also well known.", he said.

"Ian, Madisyn, this is Sheriff Robin, the Sheriff of Liddenville police department.", Eugene introduced.

Robin shook hands with Ian as they greeted him. Ian was a bit taller than Robin and had blonde hair with some falling to his face. He was dressed in a casual shirt and jeans. He seemed calm but had this boyish, teenager look. Robin felt he wouldn't be the serious type.

Then he shook hands with Madisyn who was a redhead with a pointed nose and warm eyes. She was beautiful, no doubt about that, and she seemed like the serious type. A complementary pair indeed.

"Well I'll leave you guys to get on how police guys get on.", Eugene said and laughed. Ian smiled, Madisyn gave a slight smile while Robin just nodded before Eugene left.

"So Michael, Williams.", Robin said, referring to them by their last names. "Eugene told me that you guys haven't failed to solve any case, is that right?",

"Well, first off, you can call us Ian and Madisyn. Michael and Williams is just weird and yeah we have had some tough cases, but we've always solved 'em.", Ian said and settled very comfortably in his chair. "Nice place you've got here.", Ian said as his eyes went round the office but settled on Sarah's kinda scarce murder board.

"So when was the murder?", Madisyn asked getting straight to the point.

"May 13th", Robin said.

"That's like two weeks ago.", Ian paused. "Your board seems pretty behind for two weeks.", he said and Robin gave a small scowl but didn't answer.

"Is that guy your suspect?", Madisyn asked pointing at Hugh's picture.

"Yeah, but he ran away. He had left a broken watch at the crime scene...",

"Sorry, Eugene was so excited when he heard we were coming so he didn't tell us much. Can you brief us on the case? You know, from the beginning?", Ian asked.

"Our victim, named Sarah came here and she was in town for more than three months now.", he started and Madisyn started writing on a small notebook.

"She got comfortable and found herself a group of friends, like five or so.",

"Five?", Ian asked.

"Yeah and also a boyfriend." Robin said and Ian whistled.

"Seems like she got really comfortable.", he said and Madisyn smiled.

"We found her dead in her house.", Robin continued and brought out the autopsy report to show them.

"Apparently, she got in a fight with whoever it was and lost as the person stabbed her in the neck."

"Wicked!", Ian exclaimed, cutting Robin off again.

"The last person who was at her house was her boyfriend but he wasn't the one because her neighbour said she saw him leave and she was on the phone with Sarah when another person rang the bell.",

"So where does this guy come in?", Madisyn asked.

"He was the owner of the watch and seems like he had visited Sarah, but he didn't say this in his statement, instead he lied that he was at his best friend's mother's house.", Robin said.

"Hmm. So what makes him the killer, was his DNA found on the body?", Madisyn asked as Ian was still silent looking at the report.

"No. Actually, no DNA was found on the body, the person might have used gloves, but his watch and an alcohol bottle prove that he was the last one with her, and when we decided to arrest him yesterday, he had fled.", Robin ended.

"Fled? Like he's no longer in town?", Ian asked not looking up from the report and Robin wondered what was so interesting about it.

"Yes."

"And the lady who's on the board. Who's she?", Madisyn asked.

"Her necklace was found in the house but she says she visited Sarah in the morning and was at her school at the time of the murder.", Robin said.

"And did anyone testify to that?", Ian asked.

"No.",

"Her school?", Ian asked.

"She's the principal.", Robin said and Ian and Madisyn looked at each other.

"Well I guess we have our first place of visit then.", Ian said standing and so did Madisyn.

"And how will you get there?", Robin asked.

"By a car.", Ian said with a duh tone.

"I mean do you know..."

"Yeah yeah, Eugene gave us a map so don't worry.", Ian said and left but Madisyn bade him bye before leaving.

Worry, like hell he even cared, Robin thought as his dislike for Ian just increased.

So we have a new set of hands on deck. Ian seems like a cool guy doesn't he but Robin doesn't think highly of him. What do you think of Ian and Madisyn, are they what Robin needs to fill his board?

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