So Lies Will Tell
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The man who came to visit me in my cell was a big, fat fellow. He had hair like an old lion’s and eyes as red as the blood he would spill on his way up from hell when it finally became time for him to pay with his soul.
His name is “Mister” Buford Brownlow. I’ve heard that some people call him “Bruno.” Bruno is what they called him because of how he looked—a little bit like a bear but not quite so hairy or ugly-looking.
But even though he wasn’t very good-looking, you could tell by the look in his eye that this guy meant business. And when he spoke, which was all too often, there were times when I thought maybe he didn’t mean any harm at all; just wanted someone to talk to about things. But then again, there are always two sides to every story.
I’m sure you’re wondering why he’d come here if he knew where I was? Well, I’ll tell you: Bruno was a friend of mine once upon a time before we went our separate ways. We both got into trouble together back in those days and ended up spending some years behind bars—me for murder, him for rape.
You see, Bruno used to be a lawyer, but after getting caught doing something wrong, he decided to go straight instead of taking the easy road out and going down the path of crime. It might have been easier than being locked away for life, but I don’t think either one of us would ever know.
It started off okay enough. After serving most of his sentence, Bruno was released early. The judge gave him credit for good behavior. That’s right, Bruno did well while he was inside, so now he was free to live his life without having to worry about returning to prison for another stretch.
Then one day he showed up at my door asking if I needed anything. I told him, no, but he wouldn’t leave me alone until I agreed to let him stay with me. So I said yes. And since I still had nowhere else to turn, I figured why not? At least I’d get company and Bruno seemed like a decent sort of feller. Besides, I really didn’t want to be left all by myself anymore.
We lived together for a few months before things turned sour between us. It happened gradually over time, but eventually, Bruno began acting strange around me. One minute he was nice and friendly, the next he was cold and distant.
Even worse, he started talking about how much money he made practicing law and how great it must feel to make such a large amount of cash at a young age. In fact, sometimes he talked about nothing else except making more money.
He also liked to brag about how rich he was compared to everyone else. I guess Bruno felt guilty about leaving prison early and using his freedom to try and better himself, so he tried to compensate for his past mistakes by bragging about how successful he was now.
But I couldn’t help thinking that he was only trying to impress me. If he was truly happy with his life, why didn’t he show it? Why didn’t he act happier and less self-conscious? Instead, he acted ashamed of himself and kept saying how sorry he was for everything he’d done.
This is probably why Bruno never really trusted anyone, including me. He had a hard time letting others know what he was feeling deep down inside. Most likely, he feared that people wouldn’t accept him if they found out about his dark side—his secret sins.
As far as I can tell, Bruno was afraid to let other people see who he really was. Maybe he thought that if he continued to keep secrets, he could somehow protect himself from being hurt.
And this brings me back to the reason he came here today. Bruno was worried that I was going to report him to the police for killing Anna. He didn’t seem to understand that I wasn’t going to do anything like that. Bruno may have killed her, but she was already dead by the time I arrived home. All I did was find her body and call the cops.
What Bruno doesn’t realize is that he has no idea what I am capable of when I set my mind to something. He thinks I’m weak and helpless, but that isn’t true. I’m stronger than I look. And when push comes to shove, I won’t hesitate to use whatever means necessary to defend myself. No matter how strong Bruno might be, I’m sure he knows better than to test my limits.
For example, if Bruno tries to attack me, I will kill him without hesitation. There’s no way I’m going to allow him to put his hands on me. Not unless he wants to die.
That said, Bruno is the last person I should be worrying about right now. I need to focus on finding out who murdered Anna and why. But first I’ve got to figure out which room is hers. The problem is, I haven’t seen any signs of forced entry anywhere in the house, so it seems unlikely that someone broke in to rob me or harm me.
Unless whoever killed Anna just walked right into my bedroom and slit her throat, then took her purse and ran out again. And considering how quickly I discovered her body, there’s no chance that happened.
Besides, I doubt very seriously that anyone would break into my home and kill an innocent woman for no real reason. Murdering Anna was definitely no random crime. She was targeted. Someone wanted her dead.
I glance over at Bruno. His eyes are closed and he appears to be sleeping soundly. For some reason, I don’t think he’s responsible for murdering Anna. I mean, this man is dangerous, but I doubt he’d go behind someone’s back and murder them. Still, I can’t rule him out completely. I’ll have to ask him a few questions and see what he says.
As I stand up, I notice that the bedsheets appear to be stained red. I walk over to the sheet and bend down to examine its surface closely. Sure enough, there’s blood splattered everywhere. Red stains cover the sheets and blanket.
A pool of crimson liquid forms underneath the mattress. What the hell? Where did all this come from? How could someone bleed through their own clothes and onto their bedding? Did Anna cut herself during sex with Bruno? Or was she stabbed somewhere else and covered in her own blood before dying?
Bruno stirs slightly and opens his eyes. “Hey,” he says groggily.
“It’s okay, you’re safe.”
He sits up and rubs his face. When he sees the bloody mess surrounding him, he begins to panic. He jumps off the bed and rushes toward the door.
“Wait! Wait!” I yell after him, but he ignores me and runs out of the bedroom.
***
The front door slams shut, and I hear Bruno running down the hallway. I rush outside and head straight for the kitchen where I spot Bruno standing next to the refrigerator.
“Where were you?” I demand.
“Eating breakfast. You weren’t around, so I decided to make myself some food,” he replies casually.
“You went downstairs while I was still asleep? Are you crazy?”
“No, I didn’t eat anything. I didn’t want to wake you up.”
“Why not? We both needed our rest. That’s why we slept in separate rooms last night. So why couldn’t you sleep alone tonight?” I ask impatiently.
Bruno shrugs. “Because I thought it would be nice to spend time together as a couple. It’s only natural that couples share a bed, right?”
“Wrong. Couples shouldn’t share beds because they usually end up fucking each other senselessly. And if you two had been doing exactly that, I wouldn’t even know about it since your bedroom door is locked from the inside. Now tell me why there’s blood all over the place.”
“There’s nothing wrong with a little bit of rough sex every once in a while. Don’t you agree?”
“Of course I do, but what kind of sick fuck leaves a trail of blood leading to the bathroom? Someone bled out in here. Who is it?”
“Anna.”
I freeze. This guy is such a liar. Why does he keep lying to me?
“Was she hurt badly? Is there any permanent damage? Can you get rid of the evidence?”
“Yes, yes, and no. She wasn’t injured too severely. In fact, she died instantly. Her heart stopped beating almost immediately after I slit her throat. I know that sounds like bad news, but believe me, it’s actually good news. If she hadn’t passed away so fast, I probably would have gone insane by now. Killing her in cold blood was pretty hard on me.”
“How do you know she didn’t suffer?”
“She looked dead, so I assumed she must be. Besides, I’m sure she knew what was going to happen when I came into her room. She was a smart girl. She would never risk getting caught committing suicide by having sex with someone she barely knows. No matter how much I might have wanted her, I wouldn’t have done something so stupid. I guess I just trusted her a little too much.”
“Did you kill her because you were angry at her for being unfaithful?”
“Not really. I already told you, she wasn’t cheating on me. But killing her made me feel better somehow. I felt sorry for myself, and I figured that if I killed her, maybe I’d stop feeling sad or depressed. Afterward, I realized that I should’ve tried harder to help her instead of trying to push her away. Then again, I also realize that I’m a horrible person who deserves to die.”
“What are you talking about? You’re not a terrible person. Everyone makes mistakes sometimes. Maybe we all deserve to die, but that doesn’t mean we need to take the easy way out. At least you didn’t go out and commit murder in order to escape reality. The fact that you’re sitting here telling me everything means you’re not a murderer.”
“Maybe I’m not a killer, but I am a coward. I don’t care about anyone except myself. I hate my life, and I wish I could change things, but I can’t. My parents abandoned me. I lived with them until I turned twelve, but then they left me behind without saying goodbye.
They said they were moving to New York City to start a new life, but I think they got tired of living with me. I was always a handful, and I used to pick fights with everyone. Even though I behaved like an asshole most of the time, I still loved my family very much. I miss them, especially Mommy and Daddy.”
His voice cracks as he continues to talk. Tears begin to fall from his eyes.
“Don’t cry. Stop crying,” I say soothingly.
“Please, don’t leave me all alone in this world. I’m scared.”
“Shhh…it’s okay. Everything will be fine soon. I promise.”
He hugs me tightly, and I wrap my arms around him. He buries his face between my breasts, and I feel his tears soaking through my shirt.
“It feels so good to hold you,” he whispers.
“Me too. Let’s stay like this forever.”
We stand there in silence for several minutes before I decide to break the spell.
“Okay, enough hugging. Get dressed, and let’s clean up your mess. I’ll call 911, and we can wait outside while they come to investigate.”
“They won’t find anything. I cleaned up the blood, and I threw Anna’s body in the trash bin downstairs. There’s no reason to suspect us.”
“You did a great job cleaning up. It looks like there was never any blood spilled in here. But I doubt the police will buy your story. What happened to that knife you stabbed Anna with? Did you throw it away somewhere?”
“Yeah, I took it off her and hid it under some clothes in my closet. That’s why I had to use a different one earlier.”
“Why didn’t you tell me that right away?”
“Because I didn’t want to freak you out. When I saw you standing over her bed, I thought you might accidentally stab yourself. I panicked, and I couldn’t remember where I put the real weapon. I didn’t know what else to do, so I lied and said I found it on the floor next to her.”
“I see. So you weren’t lying when you said you killed her.”
“No, I wasn’t. I swear.”
“Then let’s go downstairs. We need to dispose of the rest of the evidence.”
***
The police arrive within thirty minutes. They check the crime scene thoroughly and take pictures of the bedroom. Once they finish their investigation, they collect the corpse and carry it down to the morgue.
After everything is wrapped up, I ask Detective Kimball for permission to search the apartment. He gives me the okay, and I start looking for clues.
“Where are you going?” asks John.
“To look for something.”
“What are you searching for?”
“A knife.”
“There isn’t supposed to be a bloody knife anywhere in this house.”
“That’s exactly why I need to find it.”
“Are you serious? Do you honestly believe that you killed Anna with a kitchen knife? Are you insane?”
“Yes, I am. And yes, I do seriously believe that I killed Anna with a kitchen knife. I have proof. I just haven’t shown it to anyone yet.”
John walks toward me slowly. His hands are clenched into fists at his sides. “Is that true? Have you really been carrying around a knife since yesterday morning?”
“Yep. I went back home after school to get a few things, and I grabbed my backpack. In it, I found a small pocketknife inside the zipper compartment.”
“And you’re sure that’s the same knife you used to kill Anna?”
“Of course I’m positive. The blade has blood stains on it. I also dropped it on the floor near Anna’s head.”
“So how did you end up killing her if you only had one knife?”
“She was trying to attack me with another knife. She even tried stabbing me once or twice, but I dodged her blows. Then she pulled out the butcher knife from underneath her pillow. I didn’t expect her to pull that out, so I lost my balance and fell backward. Her weight landed on top of me, and I slipped the knife through her throat. I held onto it until the paramedics arrived. After that, I hid the knife in a drawer and came back here.”
Detective Kimball interrupts our conversation. “Mr. Schuster, I’d like to speak with you about your relationship with Ms. Anderson. Please follow me to the interview room.”
As soon as John leaves the living room, I turn to Detective Kimball.
“Can I go with you? I think John would prefer it if I stayed behind.”
“Sorry, but I can’t allow that. This is official interrogation.”
“But…”
“If you insist, then I’ll make arrangements for both of you to return later tonight.”
“Thank you.”
I give John a quick kiss on the cheek and walk with Detective Kimball to the hallway. As soon as we enter the room, I sit down across from him and begin explaining everything that happened yesterday.
“When I got home from school, I noticed that someone broke into my place. I called the police immediately and gave them a description of the intruder. A detective named John Kimball showed up at my front door shortly thereafter.
He told me he wanted to help me catch whoever was responsible for breaking into my house. I agreed because I knew that it must’ve been my ex-boyfriend who did this. When I asked John to accompany me upstairs, I figured I could show him the bedroom where Anna died. Then I planned to confront him about what happened between us.”
I pause briefly before continuing. “Once we reached the bedroom, I heard a loud thump coming from the bathroom. I rushed inside and found Anna lying motionless on the ground. She looked dead. At first, I thought it was all part of the plan. Maybe I should’ve expected that kind of trickery from her. Anyway…
“At this point, I realized that Anna had actually attacked me. However, I still believed it was possible that she’d fallen and hurt herself somehow while trying to escape. That’s why I checked her pulse and discovered that she was already gone.
I panicked and ran outside to call 911. When the ambulance arrived, I insisted that they take her body away right away. It took some convincing, but eventually, they complied. But there were no signs of life left in her. I saw it with my own eyes.”
My voice trails off. I stare blankly at the wall in front of me, reliving every moment that led to Anna’s death.
“You’re telling me that you killed Anna by accident,” says Detective Kimball. “It sounds like you stabbed her accidentally when you slipped on the knife she was holding.”
“No. I didn’t slip on any knives. I purposely threw myself back so that I wouldn’t fall on top of Anna again. I needed time to recover from the shock of seeing her lifeless body. Once I regained my composure, I picked up the knife and plunged it into her neck.”
“Why would you do such a thing?”
I sigh deeply. “Because I couldn’t let Anna live without feeling regret over what happened to me. I don’t want to be haunted by the memory of being tortured by her forever.”
***
After giving my statement to the detectives, I spend the rest of the day holed up in my apartment. I refuse to leave my room unless absolutely necessary. Eventually, John comes knocking on the front door. I open it cautiously and see him standing on the other side.
“What are you doing here?”
He smiles at me. “Doing something nice for you. Do you mind if I come inside? I brought you dinner.”
“Umm… okay.”
John steps inside and closes the door behind him. I stand aside to let him pass. While walking toward the kitchen, he turns around and asks, “Are you going to be alright? I know you just told the police that you murdered Anna, but I still believe you.”
“Thanks for believing in me.”
We sit down at the table and eat our meal together. We talk about random stuff: movies, books, music, etc. After finishing the food, John takes out his phone and starts playing songs from one of his favorite bands. The lyrics sound familiar, but I can’t quite remember their name.
“Oh yeah! You used to play these guys’ albums back in high school. Remember?”
“Yeah, I guess I did.”
I start singing along to the song. John joins in after a few seconds. Together, we belt out the chorus until the end of the track.
“That was fun.”
“Me too. Let’s listen to another album.”
The next band has a similar style to the last group. They also have a catchy tune.
“How long are you planning to stay here?”
“Not sure yet. Until I figure things out, probably.”
“Okay.”
We continue listening to the music for some time longer. Soon enough, John gets up and walks to the fridge to grab two beers.
“Want one?”
I nod my head in response. He hands me the bottle and opens his own. We both chug half the contents in one go. I then realize how thirsty I am. So, I pour more beer into my glass and drink it quickly.
“Hey, wait!”
Before I finish drinking, I feel an intense burning sensation in my throat. My heart begins beating faster as I try desperately to swallow whatever is blocking my airway. Suddenly, I lose consciousness and collapse onto the floor. Before I black out completely, I manage to whisper John’s name.
When I regain awareness, I’m sitting upright on the sofa. A sharp pain runs through my chest. I look down to find the blood flowing freely from the wound on my torso.
“Ouch…”
I immediately get up and rush to the bathroom. I turn on the faucet and hold my hand under the running water. As the cold liquid flows over my palm, it numbs the pain somewhat. I keep repeating this process several times until the bleeding stops. Then I wash my hands thoroughly and inspect them closely. I notice that they’ve become redder than usual.
“This won’t stop bleeding for good. What should I do now?”
I run my fingers across my upper lip where the cut had been. There’s no sign of injury there anymore. In fact, I barely even feel anything.
“Didn’t I say that you shouldn’t use your powers so recklessly?”
A flashback from earlier flashes before my eyes. I recall the scene of Anna’s corpse lying on the ground, surrounded by pools of blood.
“Shit. This isn’t good. I need to heal myself right away or else I’ll die.”
I close my eyes and concentrate hard. I release all thoughts of pain and focus solely on healing my wounds. At first, nothing happens. But gradually, the cuts on my skin begin to fade. All traces of blood disappear and the pain subsides.
“Whew… That wasn’t easy.”
I take a deep breath and exhale slowly. It feels great to finally be able to move again. Now that I think about it, I haven’t done any exercise since coming to this world. If I want to survive, I must strengthen my body somehow.
“I really wish I could control my abilities better. Maybe I should ask John for help.”
My gaze shifts to the bedroom. John hasn’t returned yet. Perhaps he went home already. I decide not to worry about it for now. Instead, I lie down on the bed and close my eyes. Just like when I was sleeping in the hospital, I fall asleep instantly once my head hits the pillow.
The End