Darkness Follows (2 page)

“I
just don’t know how I wouldn’t have known, or how I could have missed it.”
Aurina cleared her throat, forcing her tears to stay in, and was doing a good
job of keeping control over them. She thought about all their most intimate
times together, and put her hand over her mouth, shaking her head.

“Ms.
Patrick,” Pinstripe tried to make eye contact with her, and waited until she was
looking at him, “is there anything else you can tell us about David. Anything
we should know that could help us?” His eyes were kind but searching.

“I
um…I don’t think I really know as much as I thought,” a tear slipped down her
cheek and she wiped it away quickly. Pinstripe put his hand on hers, and leaned
in closer. She felt like pushing him away, but his smell was soothing.

“Please
don’t blame yourself, alright? I know you’re in shock right now. Here is my
card.” He kept one hand over hers and reached into his pocket with the other,
pulling out his business card. “You call me when you are feeling calmer, okay?
If you have any information that could help us, help the families, it would be
appreciated. You may know more than you think.” He squeezed her hand and then
replaced it with his card.

Aurina
nodded, and stood as he did, placing the card in her purse without looking at
it. The fact that David had used her as his alibi was sinking in, and Aurina
tucked her hair behind her ear again.

"Where
is David now?" she whispered. Her legs felt shaky and she wasn’t sure she
felt steady on her feet. She held the back of the chair for support, and
fumbled to put her glasses back on.

"He's
here in the building but he is in lockup.  He won’t be able to get to you,
Ms. Patrick, not to worry. I'm surprised he hasn't tried to contact you though.
His lawyer isn’t letting him say too much." Pinstripe handed her a tissue
from his pocket. She slowed her breathing, and gained her composure as he
started for the door. “Maybe he realizes that it’s all over for him. We
will see. Thank you for your time—and again, don’t hesitate to call if anything
comes up.” Pinstripe opened the door for her.

She
knew she had to get back home to her apartment, and call Ryanne. She didn’t
want to be alone, and her head was swimming with so many missing pieces and
unexplained things to figure out. She wondered if David had been seeing this
girl, this Ellie Cane, behind her back. She allowed herself to consider this,
but she couldn’t accept the fact that he may have killed her, or anyone else.
Her head pounded as she rushed out of the small, cold room, wiping the tears
from her face once more.

“What
do you make of it all?” Ryanne was curled up on her sister’s couch. Aurina
paced the tiny apartment kitchen. Ryanne knew things were bad when Aurina, who
had something to say about everything, was at a loss for words.

When
Ryanne first met David at their parents’ house, she remembered thinking he
wasn’t really Aurina's type. He was a bit of a nerd and kind of a door mat; not
at all like the guys Aurina usually dated who seemed more social and confident.
Ryanne wasn’t attracted to him at all, but he seemed smart, genuinely polite,
and made Aurina happy.

She
had never told her sister her honest opinion of David because she was never
asked. Their dad, on the other hand, made it known he didn’t approve of David
from the beginning. David wasn’t ‘masculine’ enough, and although their dad
never came out and said it, Ryanne knew he was trying to imply David was gay.
He never warmed up to him as their mom eventually did.

Ryanne
had to admit she didn’t really know much about David. She was away at her first
year of university when Aurina and David’s relationship started, but she hadn't
really wanted to get to know him anyway. To think her sister's boyfriend may
have murdered as many as three girls her age, on her school’s campus no less,
made her skin crawl. She couldn't imagine how Aurina was feeling.

She
remembered hearing about Ellie Cane, and a lot of older students in school had
been talking about the previous murders, each occurring around the same time of
year, making this three years in a row. They were saying the campus had a
serial killer on the loose, and it was all anyone ever talked about anymore.
When their mom saw the story on the news, she questioned whether Ryanne should
stay at Longhearst, but Ryanne insisted she was safe. She felt guilty for the
fact that she hadn’t given the murders much more thought, other than to wonder
how this would affect the school and their security policies.

“Can
I make you a cup of tea? And could you sit down Rina? You’re making me
nervous.” Ryanne got up and went to the counter, flipping the kettle switch up.
Aurina finally sat down at the round, wood table. “Where’s Corinne?”

“At her parents.”
Aurina pointed
to the cupboard and Ryanne fished out some peppermint tea, (their favourite),
from the back. “She left me a note saying she’d be back late Sunday, and to
call her about the police inspector who she spoke to earlier. I guess that’s
how they got my work number.”

“So
she doesn’t know why they were calling, or why they were asking her about your
whereabouts?”

“No.”
Aurina tucked one of her long legs up underneath her, and repositioned herself
at the table. The apartment her sister shared with her friend Corrine was small
and cozy. Ryanne had only visited her there a few times. Until she moved from
their parents’ home into the university residence, she envied Aurina for having
her own place.

“Okay,
so David is in jail right now?” Ryanne placed the tea bags in the cups. Aurina
nodded. “Mom and Dad don’t know yet?” She knew the answer to the question
already.

“No.
I don’t know how to tell them. I don’t want to hear what Dad has to say.”
Ryanne had always felt like their dad was tougher on Aurina. It might have been
because she was the oldest, and always had more strict rules enforced on her,
or because their dad knew what great things Aurina could achieve with a bit of
structure and encouragement. Ryanne herself had come to the conclusion that she
was probably her dad’s favourite, as the baby of the family, but she knew he
wished she could be more like Aurina in some ways. Aurina was close to
graduating from her Legal Administration program and after completing her
placement at Johnson and Stewart, would likely have the opportunity to carry on
working for the downtown office. Ryanne was sure they would offer Aurina a job
when she was finished. She was focused, goal-oriented, and had her priorities
straight. These were things Ryanne never felt sure of for herself.

“I
think you need to tell them.” Ryanne said.

“Tommorow.”

“Oh,
come on Rina, Dad’s not gunna say ‘I told you so’, because he didn’t know David
was a…” she stopped herself and went to sit beside her sister. Aurina had told
her about how one of the Inspectors seemed to throw things in her face, and she
wanted to try to be as gentle as possible with her. “I think we should both go
stay over there.” Ryanne grabbed a hair tie from her pocket, and swept her
long, thick auburn hair up into a pony tail.

“Rye,
will you please just stay with me tonight? We can go and tell them tomorrow,
okay?” Ryanne couldn’t say no, and stood up behind her sister. She began to
play with the dark shiny brown strands of hair, and Aurina closed her eyes.
Ryanne hoped this would help to relax her.

“Were
you scared? Being at the police department in an actual interrogation room?”
Ryanne asked.

“A bit.”
Aurina told her
and adjusted her glasses. Ryanne knew her sister got anxious even over small
things, and could only imagine what she felt like being interrogated. “I knew I
hadn’t done anything wrong, but when they brought David’s name up…” Ryanne
heard the kettle boiling and went to pour it just as the phone rang. They
looked at each other but Aurina didn’t try to make a move for it. The answering
machine picked up the message.

“Ms.
Patrick, this is Inspector Jones. We met downtown earlier today. I’m calling to
let you know that David would like to speak with you. Usually, we wouldn’t
recommend this, but we think it may give you some closure in this circumstance.
You have my card, so please give me a call, and let me know what you decide.”
The message bleeped at the end, and the girls were silent. Ryanne looked to Aurina,
and watched her sister’s fair skin become as pale as her own.

“You
don’t want to go… do you?” Ryanne asked after a while.

“How
can I even look at him?” Aurina huffed and brought her tea from the counter
over to the couch. Ryanne took her tea bag out, and placed it in the compost
bin under the sink.

Ryanne
thought it was a bad idea.
Knew
it
was a bad idea, and yet somehow she also knew Aurina would go. She followed her
sister to the couch and sat down on the dark leather love seat adjacent from
her. Aurina held her mug close with both hands, and stared into it silently.

“Does
this mean you’re sure he did it?” Ryanne asked.

“He
lied about being with me when those girls were murdered Rye. I don’t know why
else he would do that. It’s such an easy lie to get caught in. We didn’t even
know each other at the time of two of the murders.”

When
they were younger, Aurina used to comfort Ryanne. After a silly break-up, or
when their parents got angry at her, she was always there to sort things out.
Even after they had fought with each other, Aurina would console her. She would
always make Ryanne feel safe, and never linger on whatever problem she was
facing. She knew how best to distract Ryanne from the negative things in her
life. This was the first time Ryanne could remember feeling the need to support
Aurina.

“
Listen,
let’s not think about it okay?” Ryanne told her,
taking a sip of her tea, and it burned the tip of her tongue. “Why don’t we
make some popcorn, and watch a movie?” she smiled at Aurina, but realized her sister
was just as lost in her tea as Ryanne was at finding a way to make the
situation better.

Ryanne
got up off the couch and wandered over to the shelf unit to browse through
Aurina’s movie collection. Romance was definitely out, and so were her horror
films. Maybe a comedy, Ryanne thought, searching to find a more light hearted
film.

“Will
you come with me?” Aurina asked suddenly. Ryanne turned back to her, and made
her way to the couch and took a seat beside her.

The
girls sat in silence, as the sun seemed to sink from the room, and Ryanne
wondered if David would confess his guilt to Aurina, or deny his involvement.
Either way, Ryanne was sure she herself would see right through him.

“Yes.”
Ryanne agreed, and wondered if she should call their parents herself. Maybe
Aurina was in shock, and probably shouldn’t be making a decision like this on
her own. “You think tomorrow’s a little soon?”

“I
need to figure this out for myself, and I’ll tell Mom and Dad afterwards when I
actually have some facts to give them. I can’t just leave things this way.”

Ryanne
nodded, knowing she would probably feel the same way. She thought, if she was
in Aurina’s situation, she would have gone straight back home to their parents,
where their dad would have tried to protect her, insisting that she stay away
from David. She would have taken his advice into consideration, and yet done
what she thought was best anyway. She realized that’s what Aurina was trying to
do, and if it was a mistake, it would be hers to make.

“Okay,
but right after, we go to Mom and Dad’s alright?”

“Yep.”
Aurina finally
took a sip of her tea and her swallow was audible.

“I’m
sorry Rina, that all of this is happening.” Ryanne placed her tea on the coffee
table, and laid her head back on the couch. “You’re gunna be okay, you know
that right?”

Aurina
looked at Ryanne, and Ryanne realized she wasn’t as reassuring as she had
hoped. Aurina had tears in her eyes, and was shaking her head.

“I’m
just so confused.” She breathed out heavily, blotting her eyes with the sleeves
of her cream sweater before she had even let her tears drop. “I just want
answers.”

Ryanne
had a feeling Aurina wasn’t going to like what she discovered. David brought Aurina
into his lies, and if he could be so selfish, he wasn’t the man Aurina had come
to know. As nervous as Ryanne was to accompany her sister to the police department,
she was glad she would be with her when she found out what was really going on.

The
next day, Aurina was hoping her visit with David would be the worst part of
this nightmare: that she would discover the truth, and be able to deal with it
with the support of her family.

She
was back in the interrogation room feeling so vulnerable, like the room had
power over her, to break her down within its gray walls. It took Ryanne sitting
by her side to keep her there this time, and she struggled to pay attention to
what the inspectors were saying.

"This
won't be easy, Ms. Patrick," Daniels told her without much expression,
(which Aurina thought was the understatement of the century), "but your
co-operation is really appreciated." Aurina was sure they were more
anxious for her to see David than she was after their true motives behind having
her communicate with David were revealed. They wanted her to get a confession
from him, and they wanted to use her just like David had.

"Can
Ryanne come in with me?" Aurina looked to Inspector Jones, who wore a more
dressed down sports jacket today, with a crisp white collared shirt. Aurina
noticed the dark circles under his eyes.

"We
really don't recommend it, but if that's what it takes..." Jones snuck a
look at Daniels, whose brows were furrowed once again, and pretended not to
notice as Aurina looked from Jones to her sister. "It’s fine."

Daniels
rolled his eyes, and reluctantly brought out a form for the sisters to sign as
Jones briefed them.

"Basically,
we are only looking for two things. The first and most obvious is a confession.
The second is to get him to elaborate on his reason for committing these
murders." Jones noticed Ryanne’s eyes widen. "We don't need any
gruesome details,” he assured them, and then in a lower voice, “just following
up on a hunch." Jones gave Daniels another quick look and buttoned his
jacket as he stepped to the side of the table. “Sign here and here."
Aurina looked the document over, and after she signed, Ryanne quickly followed.

"Now,
we've found that in order for this to work, you need to seem calm and as normal
as possible." Jones looked at Ryanne, "This means you can't let him
see your disgust." Aurina nodded slowly, and saw Ryanne bite her lip.

"So,
I need to pretend we are still together? Even after he lied about being with me
when the murders occurred?" Aurina asked. “I can see I was mistaken in
thinking this was my time to try to sort things out for myself.
To get
closure
.”

"After
he murdered three girls, we are supposed to act normal?" Ryanne glared at
the inspectors.
“Seriously?”
Aurina quickly looked to
Jones for his reaction at Ryannes defiance, but Jones looked to Daniels.

"It’s
the best way to gain his trust." Daniels told them, as he filed their
papers back into the manila envelope. "We want to get to the bottom of
this, for the victims, and more importantly their
families,
and I assume you do too." Aurina still looked at Ryanne, and she seemed to
remember their reason for being there.

“We
all want the same thing here, and we’ll be lucky to get it.” Jones opened the
door and looked both ways before shutting it again.

"Alright,
I can do it." Aurina told them. She suspected Jones had asked her here for
more than just a chat with David when she woke up that morning. They wanted to
use her--just as David had. It felt dirty, but, Daniels was right; she needed
to know the truth. It might have been self-serving, but no one else seemed to
be looking out for her except Ryanne. Of course she wanted the truth for the
families of the victims, but it was difficult to think about them when memories
of her intimate times with David kept spilling into her thoughts, making her
sick to her stomach.

Daniels
got up and left the room slowly. Jones seemed preoccupied with his own
thoughts. Ryanne asked if she wanted a piece of gum, and put the second piece
in her mouth after Aurina had refused. She realized Jones was staring at
Ryanne, and when Ryanne noticed he looked away quickly.

There
were two raps at the door, and Jones stood quickly. When he opened it, Aurina
saw a short, fit, blonde woman leaning her head into the room. She was plain,
and wore a uniform-looking beige pant-suit. Her hair was in a tight bun on her
neck.

“We’re
ready for you, ladies,” She told them.

“This
is Detective Specialist Burrows. She’s been helping me put this case together
for a while now, and she’ll be sitting in with us.” Jones told them.
“This way ladies."
His arm motioned left down the long
corridor, and after they left the gray room, Jones and Burrows caught up and
led them through another door. They were taken to a part of the building that
connected to the holding cells, and they were surrounded by glass looking
outside as they crossed the enclosed sky bridge.

The
sky was gray, with big clouds rolling quickly across it. Aurina almost tripped
looking up at them, watching them take slightly different shape. She regretted
leaving her glasses at home as they entered the booking area of the department,
and she began to feel her head ache. Jones took them straight into a small room
where there was another metal, small-windowed door with only a single
well-built man in uniform on the other side.

"Keep
him talking; that’s important." Burrows told them, still holding the first
door open. "Talk to him as if you're the only people in the room. Of
course you will be, but we’ll be listening in." Aurina nodded, and started
to feel a cold sweat come on again as she handed Jones her jacket. He held his
arm out for Ryanne’s, but she ignored him, keeping it on. Aurina knew she
shouldn't have brought her sister with her, but she seriously doubted she would
have the courage to face David alone.

"I
really think David is too smart for this. If he killed those girls, I don't
think he’ll say." Aurina crossed her arms and stepped closer to Ryanne.

"David
is a lonely man now; not a visitor except his lawyer. I believe he is
desperate, that he feels guilty and wants to talk to someone he loves and cares
for." Jones assured her.

Aurina
and David had never said the "L" word. She assumed he loved her
though. With no family in Canada, and only a grandfather in the States, he
relied on her for many things. They had taken care of each other. Aurina wasn't
sure if she had been falling for him, or if their relationship was just
comfortable. But then, she supposed, it didn't matter anymore.

"Rina,
they are right about one thing for sure; you're the only person he'll tell.
You're the only person he's asked for--right?" Ryanne asked turning from
her sister to Jones.

Jones
nodded. "That's why we need you. You'll be fine in there. Just do your
best, that's all I need from you." Jones pointed to the door with the
guard, "We'll be waiting." He told them as he left the room with
Burrows close behind.

The
heavy door swung shut behind him, and Ryanne headed toward the other door.

"Wait."
Aurina told her, and Ryanne stopped. She knew she wasn’t ready to confront David,
but wondered, could she ever be ready? She doubted it. If asked previously, she
would have said David never lied to her, not once, and she worried she wouldn't
be able to tell if he was now.

"You
can do this Rina. I'm here with you, and we will leave whenever you want."
Ryanne reached for her hand.