Do You Love Me

She had not wanted to go. Alison had talked her into attending. Alison could not wait to see her old friends. But Anna just felt nervous. Alison had laughed at her hesitation. Anna had mentally shoved herself forward.

Anna made the rounds at the reunion. Alison told the detective, that Anna had been having fun. They had even decided to go to the party afterwards.

Alison lost track of Anne half way through the party. She had given Anna a ride so at around midnight she started looking for her. It was then that she found her dead in the backyard. She had an elaborate knive protruding from her back.

Alison choked back her tears. "If I had known she had a secret I wouldn't have convinced her to push through her fears and go to the reunion."

The detective contined his questioning. "What makes you think she has a secret?' "If she didn't why else would she have been killed?"

Captain Mac (the detective) did not respoond, but thanked her for her time. Alison assuming she had been excused, returned to her home. The caption did not know where to start his investigation. He had already talked to all the other guests at the party. Nothing of signifigance had happened earlier that night.

Early in the morning, after grabbing three hours of sleep, the captain called the corineer. The knive had been researched. It was an antique. It was coated with Anne's blood. No DNA of the offender was found. On the back of her jacket was a faint lip mark. Had he kissed her, after he killed her?

Mac knew nothing about her dating life. She seemed to keep her private life private. Even her parents had limited knowledge. Her sister was too busy sleeping with all the boys in her class, to notice her virgin sister.

Mac wondered if someone had snuck into the party unnoticed. If it had been a stranger why would he have kissed her? She had not hooked up with anybody at the party. Nobody had a issue with her, nobody seemed to really know her.

School had been smoking pot- hanging out, and attending classes. A peaceful easy feeling. Not a reason for murder.

Mac went home, no clues, no secrets in her life- just a puzzleing murder.

He got a call, the next morning, on his way to work. They had traced the knife. It was a family heirloom, from a old DC family. Their son had been in Anne's class, but he had not gone to the party. The corineer said "John couldn't have done it. They are one of the most moral families in DC. They hung out with the members of the US congress. Everybody from the party confirmed his abscense . Claire had asked about him, and nobody knew why he wasn't there.

Mac wondered if there had been a love triangle. Who would John have given his knive too.

Anne's world had been a closed world, which she did not share with any others. What had caused this inner closure? Mac wondered.

He got a copy of all her class schedules, of when she had been attending there.

One of the instructors had remembered. Anna and John had been kidding around with each other but he had decided to go out with a girl in his dorm. Anna might have wanted to murder him, but his feelings for her must have been minimal.

The teacher good not remember the girls name. She was in the popular crowd. A dream girl friend. John had been flattered that she had asked him.

Anna had not talked to any of her friends about him or this incident, but the teacher remembered the look on her face, when she found out. A look of shock and pain.

Mac wondered if John had given that gitl the knife.

Anna had had close male friends, but that was the key word, friends. JR had made her smile and laugh, but all her friends said that was all that happened. Plus he was now married with kids. All the men in that group were all married. Mac was glad it was Friday, he needed a break from this case. He wanted to go outside and scream- No more dead ends- no more.

Instead he went and ordered a drink at the bar next to the police station. It was a police hangout. A few people waved. He sipped his Irish Coffee. His case was on the news. He watched. No reporters had called him. Anne's parents were being interviewed.

She seemed like such a nice girl, who could have done this?

He called Alison as soon as he got to work that Monday. She knew all the gossip. He set about reviewing all their school records. No bad discipline problems.

One girl had started school three months late. One of those once in a life time vacations. Mac laughed - What a life.

She had been at the party that night. Since he had no leads, he decided to call her and hear about this vacation.

See seemed surprised and timid about discussing that period of her life. She had gone and stayed with family in Los Angeles California. She had gone for counseling.

Mac was confused. She could have gone for couseling in Mass. Something was not right. Something was being hidden. Something had happened.

When he got off the phone he went and did some research. Her family really did exist in Los Angeles. Although they clammed up immediatley when he broached the topic. "We are not allowed to talk about that" was all she said.. "Was she raped? Mac inquired. " Well they had some miscommunication. She still loved him. She just wasn't ready for a baby. Plus her family did not want her to marry a man like that. Though they still talk, she is now married to someone else. She has kids, and has moved on. It was just poor communication"

Mac wondered if this was the girl that John dated instead of Anne. "Was she popular at school? he asked. "Yes, she had a lot going on. All the boys wanted to date her." "Did she select who she wanted?" "Actually, yes, she asked him. She said he blushed. She was hooked. When her period didn't come she pulled back from the relationship. She didn't share the pregnancy with him. Only her family knows."

Mac was confused. Why would he want to hide something that he didn't know about? Another deadend. "Did she call him while he was here? he asked. Did she lie to him about why she was here". "Well I did not listen to their conversations, but he called two or three times a week. He sent her some money. Not much, he had to keep it from his family. Something about a inheritance. His father was a bit of an ass.Better to stay on his good side..

Mac thanked her and went to check Anne's cell phone. Why had she gone out to the backyard. How did the killer know that she was there. And why was she better silent than talking. Did she even know, what she knew. She was just hoping that he wanted to date her. Mac inwardly cried. He was praying that he had it figured wrong.

John seemed shocked that Mac had called him. His father had died recently and the estate was now his. He was enjoying life.

Are you a dad? Mac asked. I just married, and we have a girl on the way." John spoke with pride". "How old would your first child be now?" John did not respond at first. "I've only created one child," he stammered. "Well you are forgeting highschool." John feel silent. Mac continued. "Why did you kill Anne? His question was met with more silence, "She wanted to marry you and have your children. All you had to do was say no, ,or tell her you have another girlfriend. That seems to be more your style." The phone line was silent.

"I did not go to the party. I was with friends elsewhere. Claire called me and told me about it. Plus it was in the paper". " It was almost midnight when they found her, did you sleep at your friends?" "I took the 3am train to DC." "So they dropped you at the station?" "No I rented a car. I always rent the same car. They know me. They pick it up at the train station." "did you use your GPS, or do you know the way?" He did not answer. Mac smiled. This smart lawyer had forgotten about the GPS. All of a sudden the phone clicked.

Mac smiled and waited. A hour later the expected phone call came. "Hello I am Bill Smith, all future communication with John needs to go through me.

The GPS spelled out the facts of his journey. She probably died wondering why. He was nothing but a huge shock to her system, and now he was killing her.

Mac whistled as he drove down to DC. The skinny shattered man shrinked as Mac snapped on the handcuffs.

As. they walked out the door, John addressed Mac. "You are wrong she didn't love me. She would not fight for me. At the reunion she went to the bathroom instead of talking to me."

Mac sneered "Couldn't you wait five minutes."

"She was expressionless when I told her about Claire."

Mac froze in his tracks. "I suppose you loved her."

" I did"

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