Page 29 of Monsters

Chapter 11

NOW

The precinct was buzzing with activity.

The smell of fresh coffee being brewed wafted over the half-filled mugs of coffee now cold and uninviting. Receptionists wearing figure-hugging skirts and heels more suited to a night out attended to demanding detectives who appeared overworked and generally disinterested. A large disgruntled man, unsatisfied with his recent interrogation, steamrolled past colliding with my shoulder. Using the edge of a desk for balance, I watched the human bulldozer carry on without so much as an apology.

“Jesus,” I muttered, nursing the ache.

“Ms. Sinclair!” a stern male voice called from across the room.

I spun sharply, my left hand knocking something in the process. The stationary holder slid across the table before toppling to the ground. I went to snatch it mid-air, but the items were already scattered over the chipped and scratched floorboards.

Hurriedly, I attempted to gather all the loose pieces, cursing my clumsiness. An extra set of hands joined in the search for runaway pens and pencils.

“Ms. Sinclair, what brings you here?” Detective Kinross conversed with me for the first time. Typically, his partner was the one leading the interrogation. Kinross was a handsome man, and when he actually communicated, he became even more appealing.

Restocking the cylinder, I returned it to its rightful place and straightened, meeting Detective Kinross’s inquisitive gaze.

“I would like to speak to you both,” I answered, nervously. “About your investigation.”

“You caught me at the right time. We were about to head back to Delaware. So…” he gave a nonchalant shrug, “… you did everything to avoid us. Why the change of heart?”

“Because now I can confirm that Mason Carter is involved.”

Kinross bit the inside of his lip, his eyes holding mine, contemplating his words before he spoke.

“All right then,” he finally said, gesturing me to follow him, “Let’s put an end to this.”

“Ms. Gemma Sinclair…” Detective Walsh’s voice was sharp and edgy. She stood by the door waiting for me to enter, a cocky assurance in her eyes. “This truly is a surprise.”

I sat in an uncomfortable wooden chair under harsh fluorescent lighting with two somewhat amused and patronizing faces staring at me. “So what do you have for us?”

“Let me start by saying I haven’t seen or heard from Mason or Lucas Carter. What I told you was correct.”

The two detectives, now expressionless, waited for me to get to the crunch.

“But while I may not have seen Mason, well… I think I may have seen him, but I’m not sure. It was dark, and he was there one second and gone the next, but the—”

“Ms. Sinclair, how about you start at the beginning,” Detective Walsh suggested more out of frustration with arms folded tightly over her chest.

“Okay. Well… ever since you two came into my life asking me about the past, strange things have been happening.”

“Like the gallery vandalism?” Kinross asked.

“Yes, there’s that.”

“The faces on the artwork had the word ‘Truth or Dare’ carved into them.”

“As we saw for ourselves.”

“What you didn’t see was the note left behind.” They both raised their eyebrows. “Maximus Kline found it in the middle of the exhibiting room.”

Walsh shrugged. “What did it say?”

“It read ‘Forget everything you think you saw.’”

The detectives threw a glance at each other before returning to me.

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