Chapter 13 | Innocence

Callie's POV

The blood on the cement thickened as time past, and the steady stream had become occasional droplets falling from Stefan's legs. He had been unconscious now from the pain, only waking up suddenly to peer at his legs before screaming and going unconscious again.

Melanie and I had retreated from the building for the afternoon, leaving Chad to look after his estranged best friend.

"The police want to question me," I peered at Melanie in frustration, "I just hope she was right about Katherine. I'd hate to have three people chained up down there."

"Katherine has been in close contact with me since she came down here," Melanie cut in, "She's coming back even, she said she needs to speak with Stefan."

I was worried, what could she say to Stefan after agreeing to let us sought our torture and vengeance towards him? She had apologized to me for the things he was putting me through, what more could she want with him?

The air around me was cold, leaving a burning sensation on my cheeks. A mere sign that Winter was coming close, and coming fast. I wrapped my arms around my chest to shield myself from the cold, Melanie trailed behind me closely.

"My cars over there," she pointed off beyond the shrubs, "I'll meet you at your apartment. I've got to grab a shower and a change of clothes before we decide to head back here."

I shrugged my shoulders, "I guess I'll meet you there if I'm not arrested by then."

"You're not going to get arrested. I'm telling you we can trust Katherine. If I had any hint of doubt, she wouldn't be walking freely anymore," she trailed off into the distance and out of view.

I stared off into the shrubs blankly, the sound of Melanie's revving engine brought me back to reality. She honked her horn as she made her way back to the highway, leaving me in my lonesome until I brought it within myself to get into my vehicle.

I was a bundle of unsteady nerves, and the future was unpredictable. I dreaded having to go to the police station, and facing the interrogation. I didn't know what to expect from it or from myself.

The nausea that had once faded was hauntingly creeping itself back up. At times I found it as a reminder to keep moving forward, other times I seen it as a sign that I was getting too far into my head and burdening thoughts.

The static of my radio was the only noise as I drove in silence to the police station. My eyes scanned out through the trees, quietly observing my surroundings. The road stretching out ahead of me was dead, not a single vehicle in sight. For that, I was grateful. I was in no position to drive in traffic, my mind managed to distract me enough. I knew I was soberly all over the road.

The police station was bare, all except for a few patrol cars and K9 unit vans. I could see deputies walking in and out of the side of the buildings, and feelings of guilt washed over me.

I didn't want to go in there, I wanted to wake up from this nightmare. It was only an interrogation, I shouldn't be scared. In their eyes, there's no reason to believe I've done anything wrong. I simply knew a man who was considered a missing person, little did they know I was the person behind his disappearance.

The receptionist at the desk stared at me blankly with no emotion, "I'm here to see Detective Massey, he's undergoing the investigation and disappearance of Stefan Monroe. He left me a voicemail saying to be here today."

She typed endlessly into computer, almost acting as if she didn't hear me.

A heavy set man walked out of an office in the back and came towards me, spilling droplets of coffee as he staggered.

"You must be Callie," he held out his free hand for a handshake.

I smiled, but refused his gesture.

He led me down a long, narrow, hallway full of doors and rooms. The rooms were all empty except for long tables, a single lamp, and two chairs. It was as if every room was designed specifically for catching murderers and criminals. The room he led me in was no different, adding to the nausea that was circulating around in my stomach.

Detective Massey pulled out the chair before me, motioning for me to sit down before taking the seat across from me.

He folded his hands in front of him onto the table and studied me closely, "Tell me about Stefan Monroe."

The name slipping from his tongue sent chills running down my spine, "The lawyer, correct?"

He didn't seem amused but gave out a slight chuckle anyway, "Cut the shit. We know about the affair, the alleged pregnancy."

I nodded, "That's interesting, the only two people who knew about that are Stefan and I."

"The wise ass comments will land you no where except a jail cell," he took another sip of his coffee, "Prison women would eat you alive, spit you out for dessert. An expecting mother like you, you don't want that."

"I haven't done anything wrong," I shrugged my shoulders and rolled my eyes to the ceiling.

"So you aren't denying the pregnancy?" A smile spread across his face as if he had made a guilty arrest, "We have Stefan's phone. The missed calls, prior phone records, deleted emails and texts."

I licked my lips to cure myself of any dryness on my mouth, "We had an affair for six months or so, and I'm almost four months pregnant with his child. I haven't heard from him since he was on a trip to Cancun with his wife. I've emailed, called, and texted. No response. He has made it more than clear that he doesn't want anything to do with me or the child, so I left him alone."

Detective Massey had no other option but to let me go, as far as he knew Stefan had let us die in Cancun. There was no evidence of any further contact, or evidence that Stefan was drugged and kidnapped the night he was supposed to have drinks with his best friend. The facts Detective Massey had accumulated brought no suspicion towards anyone, and Stefan's trail was growing colder by the minute.

I skipped going by my apartment, noticing the clock was striking closer and closer to 7:00. I wanted to be off of the road and back to the building by nightfall, avoiding any on-duty patrol cars hiding out anywhere to meet their quota.

I went to text Melanie a quick message, warning her I wouldn't be coming back to the apartment only to find a message on my phone from her waiting for me:

911. Building NOW -- Mel

I felt my heart sink into the depths of my stomach, shadowing any existing nausea.

All kinds of scenarios scattered forth in my head.

Did the cops find the building?

Was everyone currently being detained and this was a trap to detain me too?

Did Stefan escape?

What was going on?

Outside the building nothing looked any different. Chad and Melanie's vehicles were still hidden out of sight, the only thing out of place were Melanie and Chad who were sitting on the cement steps leading to the entrance.

Chad's hands cradled his face, and his back convulsed from what seemed like a steady stream of tears. The stench of burning flesh escaped from the building, something freshly decaying from a crisp, and the fumes seeped their way into my vehicle. The nausea in my stomach had returned, becoming far past the point of unbearable as I retreated from the vehicle.

I staggered over to Melanie stumbling to the ground from lack of clean oxygen, "What the hell is going on here?"

My eyes shot from Chad to Melanie, and back to Chad. Neither of them responded, Chad couldn't look up at me and Melanie stared off into space blankly. It was as if both of them were frozen in the moment. I stood up fearfully and braced myself for what I was going to see when I walked into the building. As I cowered closer, the stench of death grew stronger. The stench mixed with slight smoke fumes as I descended into the elevator, closing the lift doors behind me, and bidding farewell to the last bit of fresh oxygen.

The sight behind the lift doors was one that'll never escape from my memory for as long as I live. Katherine was hunched over in a corner, hugging herself, and rocking back and forth.

She was sobbing uncontrollably and repeating to herself, "Look at what I've done, look what you made me do."

Stefan's body sat in the chair lifeless, and black almost to a char. The smell of burning flesh and hair filled the room, making breathing nearly impossible. His head was kicked back facing the ceiling, small swirls of smoke exited through his mouth.

I crouched over Katherine, "What the hell happened here? What have you done?"