Page 9 of Shameless

A noise comes from Scott Larson, who has been quietly observing the interview up until this point. “Sheriff Douglas, I see no need for this line of questioning. Lula has been nothing but cooperative and I’ve known her since she was in diapers. If she says she was with Jules all night, she was. And if she says neither of them had that shotgun, I see no reason to doubt her word. Her priors should have no bearing on this interview. I would also like to point out that her record was sealed due to her offense being committed when she was a minor. How did you obtain that information? This is highly irregular.”

Maybe the sheriff’s answer should surprise me, but it doesn’t. “I assure you Mr. Larson, I’m going to question every person who could be a potential person of interest in this case the same way I’m questioning Miss Turner. As for her record, I didn’t know until her stepfather informed me and mentioned the probation.”

Go figure. I have no clue who killed Eddie, Maura and Trevor, but if it was up to Howard and Tiffany, they would blame it on me without thinking twice.

My voice is firm as I look at the sheriff. “It’s ok, Mr. Larson. Jules will confirm everything, I’m telling you the truth.”

“Thank you Miss Turner, you’re dismissed for now. Can you please bring in Mr. Frederick James?” the sheriff asks the uniformed officer who escorted me here.

I leave the room followed by Dad and Scott Larson.

I brace myself for questions about where I was last night and what happened with Jules, but Dad clasps my shoulder instead.

“Are you ok, Lula?” There’s concern in his voice and worried lines around his mouth.

I nod and he squeezes my shoulder in a comforting way. My eyes fill with tears at the thought that this is the first time Dad has touched me since the stiff, uncomfortable hug we shared the day I arrived in Star Cove a few weeks ago.

Too many things have happened in our family and I don’t know if our relationship will ever recover from the mistakes we have both made along the way.

He was selfish and put his happiness before my safety, leaving me with Tiffany. But I made so many mistakes since my parents’ divorce that I know aren’t justified by trying to survive.

Before all that happened, I was a Daddy’s girl through and through and I miss Dad’s frequent hugs, our quiet companionship.

I got my love for reading from Dad and one of my favorite memories is reading the paper together on a Sunday morning, or doing my homework in his study with the excuse that I needed help.

“Stay with Jules if you can,” he whispers. “You’re sure he was with you all night?”

Here it is. He’s going to be suspicious and upset about me being alone with one of my stepbrothers. “Yeah.”

He nods. “Then stick with him or Arianna and Tilly. They were with me the entire time during the hunt. Don’t trust anyone else, the person who killed those three people is still in this house.”

I open my mouth to say that I don’t think that Stefan and Crew would ever hurt anyone, nor Rikki, but Dad turns to talk to the twins’ father.

“Scott, can you make sure that you’re present for all of our interviews? I need to find my ex-wife’s new husband.”

Mr. Larson stops him by grabbing his forearm. “Tom, are you sure that’s a good idea? I would take your own advice to your daughter and?—”

“I think it’s high time that Howard and I have a conversation about the kind of care he’s been taking of my daughter. Did you hear the sheriff? He practically pointed his finger at Lula. She barely knew any of the victims. This is unacceptable and as Lula’s father, I?—”

Scott Larson urges him to reconsider. “Tom, antagonizing someone with Johnston’s influence isn’t a good idea. As your attorney, I?—”

He stops talking when a crying Rikki is escorted into the interview room.

“Maybe you should go and listen into that interview too,” Dad suggests when he spots the dried blood on Rikki’s shirt.

The lawyer shakes his head. “We don’t know how this situation will shape up. I think I should stick to representing your immediate family, in case of a conflict of interest.”

Is he saying that he thinks Rikki killed those three people?

It’s hard to believe that, Rikki has always been so sweet.

Then I remember how desperate he was, to the point that he offered sexual favors to me and Stefan in exchange for our helpscoring his next fix. If knowing that Stefan was his half brother didn’t stop him from offering sex, where would Rikki stop?

3.Family Affairs

Stefan

Lula looks pale when she comes back from her interview with the sheriff.

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