That was all the evidence I needed. I called the school, and told them to lock it down. Then I called the forensics team from the city. They said they could be here in half an hour. I waited outside with Carly, the cold sting of October getting stronger as the minutes passed. The detective showed up, I think his name was Steve, but we hadn't talked in four years, and even then it was strictly professional. He said he couldn't do anything until the Forensics team got there. I groaned internally. Finally, after what felt like hours, the forensic team pulled up in a van.

Hours passed and they were in the house still. After a few minutes, Carly had invited me inside for coffee. I accepted even though I was technically on the job. There was nothing more for me to do. They came back out hours later, around 6. I walked up and asked them about the blood. They said they'd run it through their databases and see what they could get. Then they drove off, and that was it. I was confused, was I supposed to just go back to work now? Well, not then, since it was after five. But the next day, did I just continue answering petty calls, about Mills' store? I went home, and tried to get some sleep, but sleep is a lot harder when there could be a murderer out there.

I did go into work the next day, in fact I went in an hour earlier than I was supposed to, and showed up at 8. Rose wasn't even there yet, and wouldn't be until 8:30. I checked my email, my inbox was empty except for an email about winning a $100 gift card. I checked my voicemail, there was nothing. I even walked over to my fax machine, which I probably should've gotten rid of, since no one ever faxed me. I spent the time waiting impatient and anxious, like something was going to happen. About fifteen minutes before Rose had walked in I received an email from the forensics team.

To: Christopher Forrest

From: Jane Young

Subject: Blood Sample Analysis

Hello Mr. Forrest,

We are sue you are anxious to hear the results of our analysis. I'm sorry to announce that the test results were inconclusive. We suspect that the rug fibers are interfering with out machine, as it is adding a significant amount of chromosomes, in fact more than in any known animal. We will continue further tests and analysis, please just be patient.

Thanks,

Jane Young.

She walked in on time, saw me in my office reading my email and damn near had a heart attack. She walked over to my desk.

"What are you doing here so early?" She asked.

" Couldn't sleep."

"Understandable, you had a long day yesterday. So any word back from forensics?" She asked.

"They're saying the blood's no good. It got the rug fibers or something mixed up in it, so now the machine's reading it as extra chromosomes." I explained.

Rose looked disappointed. I had been really upset by that too. It was the only shred of evidence, there had been no fingerprints, no sign of a forced entry. It was like they had let them in. Which narrowed the suspects down to people who knew them. Today it was my turn, to question people.

Unfortunately, due to circumstances, Carly was suspect number one, she was near the crime when it happened, and new the Charlestons pretty well, being their neighbor and all. I gave her a call so she knew that I was heading over there and why, and then started getting ready to go over there. When I got there, Carly looked, quite frankly, like shit. Her eye bags were a deep purple, it was obvious she had gotten about as much sleep as I had, which was next to none.

We got in the car, no words were exchanged, it was a silent agreement on what had to be done. We both knew she didn't do it. Carly was one of the sweetest people I had ever met, and definitely didn't have the heart to be a killer. She once fainted because she saw a cockroach and her kid had to call an ambulance to come pick her up.

At the station, Rose shot us a knowing glance. I brought her into the questioning room, which hadn't been used in four years. I read her off her rights and began the questioning.

"What was your relationship to the victim?"

"I've been her neighbor for seven years, we were good friends," she replied.

"Have you and the victim ever gotten into an argument?"

"There was a thing about lawn chairs years ago, but it wasn't a big deal."

"Did you ever threaten the victim verbally or in writing?"

"God no."

I proceeded to ask too many questions, I knew it was too much for Carly. I tried to make it move along fast, but I knew she was having a hard time answering. She cried a few times during the interrogation and was shaking for most of it. Finally it was over, and while I knew she didn't do it, it wouldn't look good considering her answers lined up with that of a probable suspect. If only the killer had broken in. I let Carly go, I didn't need to keep her overnight, she could barely sleep in her own bed, and I wasn't about to make her stay in a holding cell. She left and I sat at my desk, putting my head in my hands. I really had no clue what to do about this whole situation. I got a phone call, it was Mr. Mills.

"Someone's been digging through my trash Chris."

"Mills, I have much, much bigger things on my plate than your trash alright, put some lids on it and leave me alone." I hung up the receiver.

I had previously told Mills I had bigger things on my mind, but it had all been a lie then. There was actually nothing better for me to do than check up on his petty calls. Now I actually had something big going on, and I don't know whether that scared or excited me. I knew this was what I had wanted to do as a kid, be some hotshot who solved crimes. Little did I know that cops really just do the grunt work, I really wanted to be a detective.

The phone rang again. It was Carly this time. I heard her breathing heavily into the receiver.

"Chris, I think there's someone in my house." She whispered, sounding scared out of her mind.

"Dont. Move."

A/N: So woohoo, two updates in two days, I think I deserve a round of applause. Okay actually only for yesterday me, bc I wrote like 3000 words yesterday, but today I'm struggling to hit my word count. Oh welp. 

-Liziathan