***
I walked into the station at a slow pace. I was trying to control my anxiety. I do not know why I’m so nervous. His butt will be in jail. Everything will be fine, I tried to convince myself.
“Mike!” I yelled for him as I caught him walking back to his office.
Mike’s face had wrinkles in places he didn’t have before. His brow line curved down in rage as he walked me in. “Lily?”
“What is it? Why do you look so mad at me?”
“Come on.” Mike pulled me into a room where I could see Jason in the interrogation room.
“She’s a nut just like her mom!” Jason said. “Look at her medical history! Her mom is bipolar; her dad is a lousy drunk! Her sister has anger problems! Her half-brother is suicidal! They all have issues!”
“So, she claims you hit her a few times,” Calvin said.
“CLAIM?” I yelled at Calvin through the glass. He couldn’t hear me and continued talking.
Mike rolled his eyes; I was not sure if he did it toward Calvin or me. I hoped that it was because of Calvin.
“Yeah, okay I did but because she is nuts! She tried to stab me—”
My scream cut him off. I think they heard me because they were quiet for a second. Jason looked toward me as if he could see me through the glass. “I never tried to stab him! Never,” I told Mike. “You believe me, Mike? Right?”
Mike’s eyes grew curious. “Honestly, Lily, I don’t know who to believe.” He pushed me to sit in a chair. I would have fought back but that wouldn’t have made the situaion better. “Right now, we are dealing with a ‘he said, she said’ situation.”
“I HATE HIM!” I slammed my shoes on the window, not knowing what I was trying to do.
“Calm down, Lily! You’re not helping us much!” Mike pulled my feet off the glass.
“Do you not understand English? I said he beat me!”
“Lily, just stay calm—”
“What are they doing here?” I said as Ana and Paul walked into the room where Jason had just left. “Paul didn’t tell me he was coming in today.”
“We’re bringing them in to ask them a few questions,” Mike said.
“Questions about what? I said everything you need to know.”
“Just be quiet.”
“So, Ana, Lily claims you were there the night Jason apparently beat her. Is that true? Were you there?” Calvin said as he stood over Ana.
Oh…damn.
“Um, well I was there because we were doing a film together. Just at the time, she and I were not friends. I never spoke to her at the time, nor was she with me. I saw nothing,” Ana sad in a soft voice. “We aren’t even really good friends; I didn’t even go to her wedding. Check the wedding album—I was not there. I wasn’t invited—as expected.”
“She’s lying,” I said.
“Jason and she always seem fine to me. Like the perfect Hollywood couple,” Ana said.
I began slamming my fist on my knees—I couldn’t believe Ana was lying.
“And you Paul? You’re good with Lily, right? How was their relationship to you?” Calvin now stood over Paul.
“Ugh, well I love Jason…as a friend of course. And Lily loves him too, and Ana. I would never think he would do anything to her. Lily is ill so I don’t think she is in the right state of mind. I mean I know something she doesn’t. I know a lot,” Paul said.
“What is he talking about? He’s lying too,” I hyperventilated as I bit my nail off.
“And what do you know, Paul…about Lily,” Calvin said.
“A lot. I’m her assistant,” Paul whispered and began to yell, “I’m more than an assistant! I should know things!”
“Then, what do you know?” Calvin said.
“Nothing.”
“Tell me now!”
“It’s personal.”
“Paul!”
“Okay, okay, okay…well I do know that she is suffering from paranoid schizophrenia and has been for a while…I mean a while, but she barely found out recently,” Paul said. “She found out like when she was seventeen—a few months ago.”
“What do you mean by a while?”
“A while!”
“What? Don’t try to use my “disorder” as an excuse,” I snapped. “I don’t get this, why is he lying too?”
“I think she needs help,” Paul said.
“Hmm…really,” Calvin laughed as he shuffled through files. “This all makes sense now.” He started laughing harder as he walked to the window where we were. “Mike, I think we’re done here.”
“Done? We didn’t do anything. Nothing was proven. Didn’t you check the house? The juice? I mean, what about the night in France? Ana lied about that night! She was there!”
Before Mike could respond, I talked over him. “And Paul he lied too. They are all against me! Everyone! I’m not paranoid…okay maybe I am…who knows! But, I think I would know when someone is after me. Forget what I said about everyone is out to get me. I’m not paranoid—”
“Okay, breathe,” Mike sat me down. “If Ana, your main witness says she wasn’t there. We can’t do much—”
“Oh, yes she was there! I remember it clearly!”
“But, you said you didn’t remember much,” Mike’s eyes narrowed.
“Now, I do.”
“We searched the home and found nothing. Nothing odd found. Some weird birthday photos were the only things we found—no juice either. All liquids were tested,” Mike said. “And we found some white powder—”
“I told you!”
“But it was fiber for constipation—Mira-lax.”
“This is like a joke,” I cried. “A mean sick joke!”
“We looked at your family history. You’re an only child, right?”
“What does this have to do with anything?”
“Just answer, Lily. Don’t be difficult.”
“No, I have a twin sister and a half-brother that I haven’t seen in years.”
“Okay? Are you sure?” he snapped as he shuffled through papers.
“YES!”
“Okay, okay, okay.”
“Well, jeez, I think I would know. I wouldn’t make crap up.”
“So, your mom, she suffers from bipolar and cancer, right?”
“NO, Kathy does not have cancer. Bipolar: yes. Cancer: no. What is that you’re reading?”
“Um, yeah she does.”
“Nope. Not my Kathy. No way, I would know.” Then, Paul’s words came back to me…I saw Kathy, she doesn’t look so good. She looks, looks…ill. “Oh well, I’m not sure…I haven’t seen her since before my wedding. She didn’t look so good.”
“Yeah, it’s true. She is in the hospital—”
“Hospital?” I mumbled to myself but tried not to act as if I cared—then, I pictured her in a hospital bed—vulnerable and alone. “Why?”
“She’s ill.”
“So, you say—”
Calvin came into the room with a huge smile on his face. He placed his glasses on his head and stared deep into my eyes. “Hello, Lily,” he said with his deep voice.
“Are you going to arrest him?” I said.
“Um, no. There’s no reason too.”
“Why not? He drugged me, beat me, and all his past info you have on him and then there’s Jerry!”
“Well, there is no proof he did anything wrong. Only that he may have lied about his age and was still heartbroken over his past. All we know is that you had your stomach pumped a few times and that you were diagnosed with schizophrenia. We heard all the stories of that night in France. You’re lucky to have a guy like Jason.”
I began to laugh. “I’m being Punk’d, right?”
“Ha, nope.”
“This is the most dumbest thing ever. We have all the proof we need. I can press charges, right?”
“It’ll be a waste of time.”
“But he is horrible,” I cried. “He…you don’t believe me? You think I’m crazy like Kathy. You think I’m
ill like her, but I’m not. How can I convince you that I’m not insane?”
“Well….” Mike hesitated, “we’re going to help you with your disorder. Plus, we found some stuff about you.”
“But, I’m not crazy! Of all people, I thought you guys would understand. You say my history this and past that, but look at his. All those arrest and wives murdered.”
“Well, there is no proof Jason did anything to harm his wives. He’s been investigated many times,” Calvin said.
“And that Jerry guy—”
“Jason couldn’t believe Jerry took your money. You know, Jerry is his older brother. Jason said before you came he knew he was bad news—”
“Are you serious? Just…just shut up.” I put my hand over my heart; it felt as if it were going to pop out my chest. “You guys are pathetic. My life is at risk and you’re so calm. When I come up murdered, I will blame you two.”
“But if you’re dead, how could you blame us?”
“You think my life is a joke?” I sobbed.
“No,” Mike laughed.
“So, I guess I have to be my own police watch, my own detective, and my own protection,” I cried. “I feel like you guys are taking advantage of me, a naïve girl.”
“Lily, do what you want—”
“But I won’t allow it. If you don’t help me, I’ll help myself,” I cried.
“And what does that mean?”
“I will have to handle this all by myself…” My heart began to hurt, not like heartburn or from a bad break up, but like a heart attack.
“Lily? Lily, are you okay—” Calvin’s words went into a blur.
And my eyes went blank…again.