The station's waiting area was surprisingly quite when Gwen walked in. From the entrance, she could see the information desk next to a large set of double doors that separated the public from the Officers workspace. The station look like a typical station, or at least what TV had taught her to believe a typical station should look like. She approached the information desk; the Desk Sergeant was round, with a thin hairline, he was older and Gwen got the impression that he was on desk duty because of his age and clear lack of fitness.
"Excuse me Officer; I am here to see Detective Stone." Gwen tried her best to sound polite and respectful.
"Name Please." The Officer said, never looking up from the morning paper, he just dusted white little crumbs off his faded blue uniform.
"Gwen Greene."
"Please have a seat over there, he will be with you in a minute Miss Greene," he gestured to a small bench by the doors leading to the workstations of the officers on duty. Still not taking his eyes off the paper in front of him. Gwen sat down and instantly felt uneasy. The bench was hard and had a stale smell to it. The Officer picked up the handset to an older phone and dialed seven numbers, which means an office internal call.
"Sir you have a Ms. Greene here to see you. Yes Sir, I will let her know." He gently placed the handset down and finally looked up at Gwen.
"Ms. Greene, Detective Stone will be out to collect you shortly." He had a gentle but worn face, the kind of face you would expect from someone who lived a hard life, yet held on to their positivity.
BUZZZ, the double doors unlocked, a gentleman a little taller than Gwen stepped out in front of her. Gwen stood from the bench and extended her hand towards him
"Detective Stone I assume?" Something about him made Gwen uneasy, so much so she shifted her body backwards a step even though she was trying to shake his hand. If Detective Stone noticed her shift, he did not let it show. He firmly shook her hand, it was a strong and confident shake.
"Hello Ms. Greene, thank you for taking the time to meet me." Detective Stone's mannerisms matched his name. Usually when meeting someone she would get a vibe or a read off of a person. Nothing so detailed that she would claim psychic powers, however he just seemed to exist.
"Officer Bradwell, please give her a visitor pass." Officer Bradwell dropped a plastic visitor's badge on the desk, never looking up.
"Now If you would be so kind as to follow me Ms. Greene." Detective Stone held the door open for Gwen. She turned around with the visitor's badge in hand,
"Clip it to your collar and keep it visible at all times" Following his directions she clipped it to her collar on her green shirt. Detective Stone opened the double doors by pressing his ID to the scanner, once the lock released they stepped into the busy office. Beyond the waiting area, the station was loud with Offices talking, phones ringing, it was almost overwhelming.
{How do they function in here?} Even Gwen's thoughts seemed muffled in the noise-filled room.
Detective Stone stopped and opened a door labeled Interrogation 1
"Thought I didn't need a lawyer" Gwen made the comment as cheerful as she could in hopes of getting a reaction out of him.
"You do not Ms. Greene; these rooms are sound proof so it will be easier for us to talk." He gave nothing away in his comment or his pale face. The door closed with a vacuum seal, the room was poorly lighted when compared with the office, it also smelt like recycled stale air.
"Please have a seat." Detective Stone had pulled out the chair on the far side of the table; he did it in such a way it made Gwen believe it was out of courteous habit, not any form of power play.
"Thank you Detective." Gwen replied with a genuine smile.
"Ms. Greene, thank you for coming to see me this morning, I appreciate it." He sat down across from her, in a smooth gentle motion, has if he had done it a million times before.
KNOCK, KNOCK, the door opened to the interrogation room and in stepped a uniformed officer. She was short, with brown hair and like the other two Officers; she looked tired. She placed a pot of coffee and a stack of cheap paper cups on the end of the table.
"Thank you Officer Mendoza."
"You are welcome Detective Stone." She smiled politely and exited the room.
"Please help yourself Ms. Greene."
{Jokes on you, was going to help myself even without your permission} Gwen's thought made her smile; she reached out to the cups
"Something funny?" Stone had noticed her smirk; he was so blah with his comment She could not tell whether he interested or annoyed.
"Nope, just happy to see the coffee."
"Really? I honestly never touch the stuff; however plenty of people do, so I try to keep it in the room when I have a polite meeting." Something in how he said that made Gwen not want to see him in an un-polite meeting, he was not physically intimidating, yet something about him made her so very uneasy. As she grabbed a cup, Detective Stone pressed the record button on an old style recorder in the center of the room.
"Ms. Greene, please notice that you are here on your own accord, this conversation will be recorded via camera and sound," He gestured to the recorder on the table and then the camera in the corner of the room before continuing.
"This is in accordance with station, city, and state policy. You are not being looked at for any known crimes at the moment, do you understand?"
"Still wondering why I am here." Gwen replied has she poured the coffee into her cup.
"Ms. Greene please answer the question."
"Yes, I understand." Gwen was clearly annoyed at this point.
"Ms. Greene, for the record can you state your full name, todays date, and your occupation?" Gwen shifted under his gaze, something about him made her skin crawl.
"Gwyneth Greene, it's October 31, 2022, I am a freelance investigator." Gwen took a deep sip of her coffee.
{Worse cup of coffee ever... ugh}
"Ms. Greene, are you familiar with this young woman." He pulled a picture out of a brown tri-folder he had been carrying. It was a picture of a young woman; she was just ordinary, nothing special from what Gwen could tell from the face photo he provided.
"No, never seen her before" Gwen replied taking another sip of her horrible coffee.
"How about either of these men?" Stone replied has he slid another photo across the table.
Gwen froze when she looked at the picture, in it were the men from her dream, all of them, standing around a table in a bar sharing drinks and laughs with the young lady from the first photo
"Ms. Greene?"
"No, I have never seen them. I'm sorry, I still not fully awake yet?" She replied has she cleared her throat.
"Are you sure?" Detective Stone pressed.
"Never seen them before, who are they?" She pressed the cup firmly against her lips
"You seemed to react to that photo. Are you certain you have never seen them before?" chills ran up and down her spine, the way he spoke seem to radiate something that made her feel like he knew she was lying. Gwen gingerly slid the picture back to him; instinctively he stopped the picture with a single finger, and slid it back.
"From Left to Right, Marcs Mepple', John Mepple, Nic Mepple, they were found murdered three blocks from a local bar" Detective Stone's voice seem to fade away, she couldn't understand how three men from her dream where now in pictures before her.
"And the woman?" Gwen needed to buy time to collect herself; she could feel her heart racing.
"Samara Ginn, Missing." His statement was blunt and to the point.
"I don't understand what this has to do with me?"
"Well Ms. Greene, we found one of your business cards on the murder scene, any idea how it got there?" Detective Stone held up a small zip lock bag with a small business card inside.
"I honestly don't know how they got it." Gwen finished her coffee and crumpled the cup in her hand while leaning towards the table to get a closer look at the bag he laid on the table. It was her card, stained brown with dry blood. A lump began to form in her throat.
"Again I don't know." She no longer could keep the shock out of her voice..
"Where were you last night at 730pm Ms. Greene?"
"Firday night? Dinner at Scott & Dale's Pizza on 4th." She replied while never looking up from the card and pictures.
"Can anyone verify you were there?" Detective Stone's voice was still calm, he gave no signs of what he was feeling, further unnerving her.
"Both Scott and Dale were there with their sister Jane; she waited on me while I was there." Gwen finally looked up.
"Well that's all I needed from you Ms. Greene, if you should think of anything you want to share." Detective Stone stood and handed her his business card.
"Of course" Gwen replied has she took the card, Detective Stone opened the door for her.
"Ms. Greene it was a pleasure to meet you. I have some pressing matters that need my attention. I am sure you can find your way out. Also, please remember to return you badge to the front desk Sergeant. No sudden trips out-of-town while we check out your alibi" Gwen nodded has she exited the room.
"Keep tabs on her, she's not a suspect, but possible a future victim" Detective Stone said to the Mirror by the door.
{Can't be, it was just a dream,} Gwen's mind was racing as she left the police station. The pictures brought back vivid flashes of her nightmare. Once outside she about tripped over a woman passing by on the street.
"WATCH YOURSELF!" she shouted, Gwen realized she had stumbled into the crowded sidewalk.
"Are you high?" A man walking by snapped at her. Gwen paused and collected herself,
Vroom, Vroom, Vroom, the gentle rumbles from her cell phone made Gwen jump.
"Hello? Marci, hey how are you? Really? A missing person case?"
{Well at least I have a job}
"I can be at the office in 45. Get what background you can and let's set up a meeting with the family for 6pm tonight." Gwen had just formed her Private Investigator Business with her foster-sister Marci 8 months ago. A sudden chill made Gwen twitch,
{What is that?} she thought she had caught movement out of the corner of her eye. It vanished just as fast as she had noticed it. Gwen's skin began to crawl, as if she someone was watching her.
{I need breakfast and a good cup of coffee}
End Chapter 3
The station's waiting area was surprisingly quiet when Gwen walked in. From the entrance, she could see the information desk next to a large set of double doors that separated the public from the officers' workspace. The station looked like a typical station—or at least what TV had taught her to believe a typical station should look like.
She approached the information desk. The desk sergeant was round with a thin hairline, older, and Gwen got the impression he was on desk duty because of his age and lack of fitness.
"Excuse me, Officer. I am here to see Detective Stone." Gwen tried to sound polite and respectful.
"Name, please," the officer replied, never looking up from the morning paper, brushing white crumbs off his faded blue uniform.
"Gwen Greene."
"Please have a seat over there; he will be with you in a minute, Miss Greene," he said, gesturing toward a small bench by the doors leading to the officers' workstations. Still not looking up, he returned to his paper.
Gwen sat and instantly felt uneasy. The bench was hard and smelled faintly of stale air. The officer picked up a handset and dialed seven numbers, an internal office call.
"Sir, you have a Ms. Greene here to see you. Yes, sir, I will let her know." He placed the handset down and finally looked at Gwen.
"Ms. Greene, Detective Stone will be out to collect you shortly." His face was gentle but worn, like someone who had lived a hard life yet held on to a positive outlook.
BUZZ. The double doors unlocked. An average-height man stepped through, yet he radiated such a strong presence that he seemed seven feet tall. Gwen rose, extending her hand.
"Detective Stone, I assume?" Something about him made her uneasy. She unconsciously shifted back a step even as he took her hand. His shake was firm, confident—too practiced.
"Hello, Ms. Greene. Thank you for taking the time to meet me." His manner matched his name: solid, assured, and deliberate.
"Officer Bradwell, please give her a visitor pass." Officer Bradwell dropped a plastic badge on the desk without looking up.
"Now, if you would be so kind as to follow me, Ms. Greene." Detective Stone held the door open. She clipped the badge to her collar as instructed.
Once inside, the office was loud with officers talking, phones ringing, almost overwhelming. Detective Stone led her to a door labeled Interrogation 1.
"I thought I didn't need a lawyer," Gwen said lightly, hoping for some reaction.
"You do not, Ms. Greene. These rooms are soundproof, so it will be easier for us to talk." His expression gave nothing away. The door closed with a vacuum seal.
The room was poorly lit and smelled faintly of recycled air. Stone pulled out a chair for her on the far side of the table. Gwen smiled genuinely at the courtesy.
"Ms. Greene, thank you for coming. I appreciate it." He seated himself across from her with a smooth, practiced motion.
A knock announced Officer Mendoza, who brought a pot of coffee and a stack of cheap paper cups.
"Thank you, Officer Mendoza."
"You are welcome, Detective Stone." She smiled politely and left. Detective Stone raised his hand slightly toward the coffee in a subtle gesture, acknowledging it without a word.
{Jokes on you—I was going to help myself anyway.} Gwen's thought made her smile as she reached for a cup.
Stone noticed her smirk. "Something funny?"
"Nope, just happy to see the coffee," she replied. Something in his calm tone made her uneasy, as though an un-polite meeting with him would feel dangerous.
He pressed the record button on an old-style recorder in the center of the table.
"Ms. Greene, you are here voluntarily. This conversation will be recorded by camera and sound. You are not under suspicion for any crime at this time. Do you understand?"
"Still wondering why I am here," Gwen muttered as she sipped the coffee.
"Please answer the question."
"Yes, I understand," she said, clearly annoyed.
"For the record, can you state your full name, today's date, and your occupation?"
"Gwyneth Greene. It's October 31, 2022. I am a freelance investigator." She took another sip of the terrible coffee. {Worst cup ever… ugh.}
"Ms. Greene, are you familiar with this young woman?" Stone slid a photo across the table.
"No, never seen her before." Gwen lifted her eyes from the photo briefly.
"How about these men?" He slid another photo toward her.
Gwen froze. They were the men from her dream, smiling around the woman in the first photo.
"Ms. Greene?"
"No, I've never seen them before," she stammered. "I'm… still waking up?"
"Are you sure?" Stone pressed. Chills ran down her spine. His tone made her feel as if he knew she was lying. Instinctively, she slid the picture back. Stone stopped it with a single finger and slid it back toward her.
"From left to right: Marcs Mepple, John Mepple, Nic Mepple. They were found murdered three blocks from a local bar." His voice seemed to fade in her ears. "And the woman?"
"Samara Ginn. Missing."
"I don't understand what this has to do with me."
"One of your business cards was found at the scene. Any idea how it got there?" He held up a small zip-lock bag containing her card, stained brown with dry blood.
"I honestly don't know." A lump formed in her throat.
"Where were you last night at 7:30 p.m.?"
"Friday night? Dinner at Scott & Dale's Pizza on 4th." She didn't look up.
"Can anyone verify that?"
"Both Scott and Dale were there, along with their sister Jane, who waited on me."
"That's all I needed, Ms. Greene. If you think of anything else, call me." Stone handed her his card and opened the door.
"Ms. Greene, it was a pleasure. Remember to return your visitor badge and no sudden trips out of town while we check your alibi." Gwen nodded and left.
"Keep tabs on her," Stone muttered to the mirror by the door. "She's not a suspect, but possibly a future victim."
{Can't be—it was just a dream.} Gwen's mind raced as she exited the station. She nearly collided with a woman on the sidewalk.
"WATCH YOURSELF!" she shouted, realizing the crowded street had caught her off guard.
"Are you high?" snapped a passerby. Gwen paused and collected herself.
Vibrations from her phone made her jump.
"Hello? Marci, hey… really? A missing person case?"
{Well, at least I have a job.}
"I can be at the office in 45. Get what background you can and set up a meeting with the family for 6 p.m. tonight." Gwen's foster-sister Marci and she had started their private investigator business just eight months ago. A chill ran down her spine.
{What is that?} She thought she had seen movement out of the corner of her eye. It vanished. {I need breakfast and a good cup of coffee.}