Page 15 of Monsters

Yes! And you’re only making it worse.

“Yes, I’m waiting on the NYC bureau to get here.”

“And why is that?”

My shoulders sagged a little in defeat. They weren’t going anywhere until they got what they came for. “We were broken into last night during a power outage, and some artwork was damaged.”

“Sounds expensive.” They both glanced around my office taking in every detail.

“I’m reasonably snowed under at the moment, so is there something I can help you with?”

Walsh nodded.

“Take a seat.”

The detectives claimed the chairs in front of my desk and waited patiently for me to sit. When I finally did so, a small smile played on Walsh’s thin lips. “Ms. Sinclair, we need to move forward on a case we’re investigating and to be perfectly honest, we’re not willing to wait until you feel you want to talk.”

“You haven’t even told me what the case is about and I’m sure whatever it is, I have nothing to say.”

“I highly doubt that, but since you are so unwilling to discuss Little Valley on your own accord, how about you just answer the questions we have for you?”

I opened my mouth to object, but she cut me off.

“So…” she began, leaning forward and interlacing her fingers, “… let’s cut straight to the chase. How well did you know the Carter brothers?”

I sighed and bit the inside of my cheek in frustration before caving. “Well enough.”

“Would you say you shared the same relationship with Mason Carter as what you did with Lucas?”

“Since you already know I was best friends with Lucas, you’ve obviously been talking to someone who’s told you this. Which means you most likely already know the answers to the questions you’re inquiring about today.”

“We just want to hear it from you. You were their neighbor. You were best friends with Lucas Carter. Best friends usually tell each other their secrets. By all accounts, you and Lucas were incredibly tight.”

I felt rage boil deep within. Lucas Carter was the gentlest soul I’d ever met, and for them to sit across from me and imply he wasn’t was an injustice.

“There’s a reason why I was best friends with Lucas,” I replied with bite. “Because he was a genuinely good person. Mason Carter was the opposite, which is why I had little to do with him. Like I said to you on Friday night, I haven’t seen either since they left over ten years ago. So instead of nosing in on my relationship with the Carter brothers, why don’t you tell me a bit more about what this is about?”

“Bones,” Walsh conceded. She watched intently, and despite my pounding heart, I gave her nothing. “Bones were discovered deep in Little Valley woods. While we are yet to make a positive ID on the remains, we are almost certain it will close a decade-old missing person’s case. We’ve done the rounds around Dangerfield Drive where our suspected victim was frequently seen, and fingers are pointing toward the Carter residence. More specifically, the Carter brothers.”

While my mouth was dry, my palms were furiously sweating. I shifted in my seat uncomfortably, weighing up the pros and cons of discussing anything further with the detectives.

If I divulged what I saw, Lucas would be brought into question, possibly imprisoned for something that had Mason written all over it. Lucas always had his back, and that night was no exception. If I told, Mason would seek the retribution he always promised.

If I maintained my silence, the detectives would be without a massive piece of evidence to solve the crime and Lucas wouldn’t become collateral damage. Mason would see I kept my word and go on with life as normal.

“Ms. Sinclair?” Detective Walsh tilted her head again in question bringing me back to the present.

“Yes?”

“You drifted off there, is everything okay?” She wasn’t asking out of care. Her tone was rightly loaded with suspicion.

“Yes, I’m fine.”

“Ms. Sinclair, are you planning on traveling anywhere in the next two weeks?”

I shook my head clearing the haze. “Ahh… possibly to my parents’ house in Maine.”

Detective Walsh pulled a small notebook from her breast pocket and tossed it in front of me. “Would you mind providing the address of your parents’ house in the event you do leave?” Her eyes met mine. “For your safety, of course.”

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