Weekly Flash Fiction - I didn't do it (short story with under 2000 characters - came in at 1998)

Guilty Until Proven Innocent

My reflection looked gaunt in the smoked glass doors of the police station. I was terrified. Flanked on one side by Detective Mills and much too close on my other was his stale-sweat smelling subordinate, whose name I don't remember.

"I shouldn't have lied about not knowing Ralph, I know that. But I swear I don't know where he is," I pleaded. "The last I saw him he was getting into Sonia's car."

"Save it for the tape, Annie," Mills said over his shoulder as he pushed the door open to let us inside. "We have evidence that puts you at the scene of a murder."

I swallowed my retort and stepped out of the heat of the afternoon sun, grateful for the cool blast of air from the overhead conditioning unit. They led me down a corridor past several closed doors and into an interview room. After setting the recorder, Mills stated the date and time, a sneaky half-smile curving his lips in a slight twist.

He slid a clear bag across the table hard enough for it hit my arm and I stared at my phone, confusion creasing my brow.

"Well?" he asked. "Want to tell us how you come to have a video of his murder on your phone then?"

Laughter erupted from somewhere inside my chest.

"You think witnessing a murder is funny?" he roared, standing up to tower over me. "Who are the people in masks Annie?"

"Ralph had a part in some movie about two weeks ago. The video on that is his scene and the men in masks are actors. You can check it out, the movie's called Gangland."

"We will be checking," Mr Sweaty-pits, sneered. "So where is Ralph and how come your phone ended up in a murder investigation?"

"You tell me, you found the blasted thing. My bag was stolen from a gym locker around lunchtime yesterday. You'll find that report logged with Fitness First."

A couple of calls later and Mills came back into the small room, his lips compressed in a tight line. "You're free to go. For now."

I reached for my phone but Mills' hand beat me to it. He shook his head then nodded toward the door.