The police station felt colder than the night air as Ana and Sophie walked through the heavy glass doors. The sharp scent of coffee mingled with the sterile, impersonal atmosphere of a place where tragedy seemed to be a constant companion. Detective Harris led them to a small waiting area, where they sat in uncomfortable silence, their minds racing.
Ana’s fingers gripped the edges of the chair, her knuckles turning white. Ella was gone. Her mind refused to accept it. How could this be real? She was a nice girl to die early, always laughing over inside jokes. How could someone so full of life be gone?
Sophie sat beside her, but she wasn’t there. Her gaze was distant, her lips pressed together in a tight line. Ana wanted to ask her what was going on, what Sophie knew, but something told her that Sophie was in just as much shock as she was.
Minutes passed, though they felt like hours. Finally, the door to the interrogation room opened, and Detective Harris emerged. He looked at them both, his face solemn.
“We’re ready to start,” he said. “But before we proceed, I need to ask a few questions. We need to understand the events leading up to Ella’s death. Everyone in the group was questioned. Some of you were last with her, so we need to figure out what happened in the moments before… well, before she was found.”
Ana’s throat tightened, her stomach in knots. She knew what he meant. Ella was dead. But no matter how many times she heard it, it didn’t make sense. It couldn’t be true. Who would hurt Ella?
“Are you two ready?” Harris asked again, his tone softer this time. “We’ll start with Ana. Then we’ll talk to Sophie.”
Ana nodded, her heart pounding in her chest as she stood up. She followed Detective Harris down a narrow hallway to an interrogation room that smelled faintly of old coffee and paper. It was small, with just a metal table, a couple of uncomfortable chairs, and a single fluorescent light overhead.
“Sit down,” Harris instructed as he motioned to the chair across from him. Ana hesitated before sitting, the weight of the situation settling heavily in her chest. She felt exposed in the sterile room, like the walls were closing in on her. She had to stay strong. For Ella.
“Now, Ana,” Harris began, taking a seat opposite her. “I need you to tell me everything that happened tonight. From the moment you left the diner until you heard from Jenna. We’ve already talked to everyone else, but I need to hear your side of things.”
Ana swallowed hard, trying to steady her breathing. She couldn’t help but notice how the detective’s eyes were sharp, watching her closely as if he could see through her every word. The pressure was intense, but she had to do this.
“I—” Ana started, then paused. She wasn’t sure where to begin. The diner felt like a lifetime ago. “It was just a normal night. We were all hanging out, having fun. Sophie and I were talking about the new movie we wanted to see. I was just… I was talking to her when I got the message from Jenna.”
Harris nodded, taking notes. “What did the message say exactly?”
Ana repeated the message verbatim, her mind already racing ahead. “Jenna told me something had happened to Ella. She didn’t say what, but the way she worded it… I just knew something was wrong.”
“Did you try to reach Ella?” Harris asked, his pen poised above his notebook.
Ana’s hands fidgeted in her lap. “I did. I texted her a few times. But she didn’t respond. That’s… that’s not like her. She always answers me, even if it’s just a quick ‘I’m busy.’”
“And you went straight to the police station after receiving the message?” Harris probed further.
“Yeah,” Ana replied, glancing at the floor. “I didn’t know what else to do. Jenna sounded terrified. And when she said Ella was dead…” Ana’s voice faltered for a moment, but she pressed on. “I didn’t believe it. I didn’t want to believe it. But I had to see for myself.”
Harris studied Ana’s face carefully, then asked, “Do you know why Ella wasn’t at the diner tonight? Any idea why she might have been… out by the creek?”
Ana hesitated. The creek. She couldn’t shake the image of it—the place where they had all spent so many afternoons hanging out, laughing, and talking about their plans. It was supposed to be a safe, peaceful place. But now it felt like a graveyard.
“I don’t know,” Ana admitted quietly. “She never told us where she was going, but that’s… that’s just not like her. She wouldn’t go there alone, not without telling anyone.”
Harris paused, leaning back in his chair, still observing Ana. “Okay, Ana. You’ve been helpful. We’re going to talk to Sophie now, but we may have more questions for you later. You’ll need to stay here until we’re finished with the others. Can you wait?”
Ana nodded, her head spinning. The questions kept coming, and every answer felt like it was leading her further into a maze of confusion. Why wasn’t Ella at the diner? Why had she been by the creek?
Sophie was called into the room next. As Ana left the interrogation room, she felt a pit form in her stomach. She couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that there was something Sophie wasn’t telling her.
They all had their secrets. But what could Sophie possibly be hiding? Was she involved?
As Ana waited for Sophie’s questioning to finish, her thoughts turned to the others—Marcus, Lily, Tyler—each one of them had been with Ella in the days leading up to her death. They all knew her well, and yet… could one of them have done this?
And what about Jenna? Was she telling the truth, or was there something she wasn’t saying either?
A sinking feeling settled in Ana’s gut. Everyone was acting strange. And that wasn’t just paranoia. That was real.
She needed to stay sharp. Because someone in her group of friends was hiding something, and Ana was determined to find out the truth—no matter how much it hurt.
ns216.73.216.240da2
and then Add to home screen.