That Night

That Night

Red and blue lights have been flashing around my rental cabin for the past two hours. Voices and beeps come in and out of walkie-talkies and voices from outside answer back. I peek out back to the frozen pond and see nothing but chaos. Police walk back and forth from the pond to their cars. Rescue drivers are getting gear up to get into the frigid water. Two detectives are taking statements from a couple who were ice fishing out on the pond. It’s five in the evening in this small town in Maine. In the last two months since I've been here nothing interesting has happened. It’s usually quiet and uneventful. That is until tonight. All of sudden there’s even more commotion coming from outside.

“We got a body.” I hear someone yell

I grab my coat from the couch and go outside. I head out into the backyard which is taped off. I see the other neighbors and the police and dive squad all looking out at the dark frozen water as they pull the body out of it. They put the body in a body bag before taking it to the coroner. As the detectives put something in an evidence bag one of the neighbors, Jenna gasps.

“Th-that’s the shirt Janis was wearing the last day she was here,” she says

I look at her as I swallow hard. Janis Peterson is the woman who has rented me her cabin for the winter. She only uses her cabin during the spring and summer so she rents out her cabin during the colder months. I moved in during November with her help. I was planning on staying there until my writer’s block went away so I can continue writing my newest book. She would come by once a month to check on things and see how I was liking the place. She dropped by in the second week of January. We had a discussion and that was the last time I saw her. That was two weeks ago.

It has been a few days since Janis’ body was recovered. Her ex-husband, Terry, identified her body. The coroner determined her death as a homicide. She shot before she was dumped in the water. This was the first homicide in the past twenty years and now everyone believes that there’s a murder amongst us. The police already ruled out her ex-husband who was out of the state for business. He was visibly shaken up when he got into town. He stopped by asking me when was the last time I saw her and how she was acting. I answered him honestly. Terry and Janis were planning on getting back together, he told me. He later left to talk to the neighbors.

Today I went to the grocery store and everyone was speaking about Janis and her death. People kept looking at me, probably wondering if I would keep renting out the dead woman’s cabin. Terry said I could stay until March before he sells it but I don't know if I will take him up on that offer. The whispers and the talk about Janis made me stop short of my food shopping. I drove back to the cabin and I just finished bringing the bags into the house. I was putting the groceries away when I got a knock on the door. I close the fridge and walk to the door and open it and that’s when I see the two detectives from the other day standing at my door.

“Casey Gunn?” The woman detective says

“Yes?” I answer, looking at her and her partner.

“Hi, I’m Detective Sophie Newman and this is my partner, Detective Trevor Hills. Can we borrow you for a few hours?” Detective Newman ask

“Uh,” I say looking around “Sure. This is about Janis right?”

Detective Hills nods.

“Okay let me just grab my coat,” I say, making my way back into the kitchen.

They bring me to an interrogation room once we make it to the station and I sit down.

“Sorry for the formalities. We just thought it would be better if we talked to you down at the station instead.” Detective Hills says

“It’s fine, I understand,” I say

“So we heard that Janis was renting out her cabin to you.” Detective Newman says

“That’s correct, I’m a writer and I wanted to get away from the big city for a few months,” I say

“Where are you from?” Detective Hills asks

“Los Angeles, California,” I say

“You traveled cross country to get away?” Detective Hills questions

“As I said I had writer’s block and wanted to get away for a bit. California is always busy.” I shrug

They looked at each other and then back at me

“When was the last time you saw Janis?” Detective Newman asks

“Two weeks ago, she would frequently come down at least once a month to check-in,” I respond

“So she would come and check on you and her cabin?” Detective Hills questions

“That’s correct,” I answer

“Did she speak to you the last time you saw her?” he asks

“Yes, we did. We talked for about ten minutes or so and she left.” I recall

“Did she say anything to you that we should consider looking into?” he asked

I shake my head without thinking and look down at the table.

“We heard you guys got into a pretty heated fight.” Detective Newman says

I look up and swallow hard at them.

“Tell us about the fight Casey.” Detective Hills says

“We had a little disagreement, it was nothing,” I say

“Neighbors heard you two yelling.” Detective Hills

“Just tell us what happened.” Detective Newman says

Both detectives look at me and it’s like they’re seeing right through me. It’s as if they can read my most inner thoughts as if my thoughts are forming above my head in a thought bubble. My hands get sweaty and I wipe them off in my jeans. I shouldn’t be nervous but I know how badly this could end.

“Casey?” Detective Newman calls out

“She came over like she usually did when she was visiting. I wasn’t home when she dropped by. I came back maybe ten minutes after she stopped by. I walked into the house and was about to greet her when I saw her sitting on the couch reading my diary. I told her to put it down and she told me she thought it was a new book I was working on and she just wanted to read it. She said she had no idea it was my diary. I felt violated. She wouldn’t put it down. I yelled at her and we got into a yelling match. She told me I had to be out by the end of the week. She stormed out and that’s the last time I saw her I swear.” I sigh

“So the whole argument was over your diary?” Detective Hills asks

“She was reading my most inner thoughts and deepest secrets. Maybe I overreacted. I don’t know. But how would you feel if someone was reading your entire life?” I say

“I would feel violated too.” Detective Newman says

“I don’t know what happened to her that night but I had nothing to do with it,” I say

The Detectives look at each other and then at me.

“We were told she did leave around seven.” Detective Hills reassures

“So am I suspect?” I ask

“At the moment you’re a person of interest but we will try to rule you out if we don’t have enough evidence against you.” Detective Newman says

I nod. “Thanks. I hope you find whoever did this.”

It took a few weeks for my name to be cleared. By March I was out of Maine. I couldn’t stand the cold or the wandering eyes on me anymore. I rewrote my rough draft for my new story inspired by the events of my stay there. By June my book was published. My book brought new eyes to Janis’ case and people applauded me for making her tragic death national news. By September I decided to move to Costa Rica just to get rid of everything that forced me to stay somewhere that bought me too much pain. Writing about and dealing with Janis’s death was just too much to bear so I left everything I knew to start over. It's been a year since Janis’ death and there haven't been any new leads. Her case went cold just like her body the night she went into that pond. I shake my head thinking about Janis as I stare in my diary that once laid in the hands of the woman who rented me her cabin. A bit of blood covers the back of the book rather if it was mine remains unknown. But what I do know is that it’s such a sad tragedy that Janis might not ever get justice.