Thicker Than Water
#2
“Baker? Baker? VICTORIA!”
Victoria sat bolt upright, rubbing sleep from her eyes. Looking up, she saw Phillip standing in front of her desk, grinning widely.
“You must have fallen asleep,” he supplied and Victoria had to resist the urge to roll her eyes.
“Well done!” Phillip chirped and she shot him a confused glance.
“You didn’t roll your eyes!” he told her and laughed as she actually did roll her eyes.
“Was there something?” she grumbled.
Phillip nodded, “We have a name.”
“Oh?”
“Stephanie Leech. She was an 18 year old Physiology student at the College. She attended classes four days a week. We have a friend of hers in Room 4. Lizz Kennedy – she came forward to try and help,” Phillip told her.
Victoria managed a small smile and stood up, stretching her stiff arms and yawning despite trying to stifle it. Phillip laughed lightly, “You’ll get back to bed soon, I promise.”
“I’ll hold you to that, kiddo,” Victoria replied, picking up her bag and putting the completed paperwork into it.
“I’m older than you!” Phillip reminded her and she shrugged.
“I’m more experienced… kiddo.”
-x-x-
“How did you know to come forward?”
Lizz sniffed, wiping away a stray tear. She looked no older than 18, barely old enough to have to deal with this. Her hair was long and dark, close to black but in the vibrant light, brown could be seen within the darker strands. Her figure was delicate, with high cheekbones and skinny limbs.
“I went around this morning, just to see Steph… and it was all cordoned off and I asked what had happened. They said there had been a homicide and I asked if they knew the name. They told me it was a young girl, who’d been returning home last night. I put two and two together and came and identified her.”
“Okay, did she seem okay last night?”
“What do you mean?” Lizz asked, frowning slightly.
“Well, did she seem jumpy or paranoid at all?”
“No, she was normal. If not better than normal, she’d been going through a lot of hassle. Her parents divorced a year ago and her dad got in with the wrong people, gambling and stuff. Anyway, she hadn’t been upbeat in along time. It was nice to see her happy again,” Lizz spoke slowly and decisively.
“Did you say her father got into gambling?”
“I don’t see how that’s relevant,” Lizz asked.
“Well, if he needed a loan and went to a loan shark who he was unable to pay, it’s likely that the loan shark would go after a family member. Did she mention anything you think would be significant about her father?”
“He gambled in all the small, underground casinos, didn’t want people to see him in the popular ones. You could almost say that he was really ashamed of the habit,” Lizz sighed.
“Okay, how well did you and Steph get along?”
-x-x-
Victoria emerged from the interview room and rubbed her eyes wearily. She hadn’t had a full night’s sleep and was struggling to stay awake. Phillip approached her and upon seeing her shakey, pale complexion, he ordered her to go home.
“What about the boss?”
He rolled his eyes, “You’re not fit to be here, go home and get some rest.”
Victoria sat bolt upright, rubbing sleep from her eyes. Looking up, she saw Phillip standing in front of her desk, grinning widely.
“You must have fallen asleep,” he supplied and Victoria had to resist the urge to roll her eyes.
“Well done!” Phillip chirped and she shot him a confused glance.
“You didn’t roll your eyes!” he told her and laughed as she actually did roll her eyes.
“Was there something?” she grumbled.
Phillip nodded, “We have a name.”
“Oh?”
“Stephanie Leech. She was an 18 year old Physiology student at the College. She attended classes four days a week. We have a friend of hers in Room 4. Lizz Kennedy – she came forward to try and help,” Phillip told her.
Victoria managed a small smile and stood up, stretching her stiff arms and yawning despite trying to stifle it. Phillip laughed lightly, “You’ll get back to bed soon, I promise.”
“I’ll hold you to that, kiddo,” Victoria replied, picking up her bag and putting the completed paperwork into it.
“I’m older than you!” Phillip reminded her and she shrugged.
“I’m more experienced… kiddo.”
-x-x-
“How did you know to come forward?”
Lizz sniffed, wiping away a stray tear. She looked no older than 18, barely old enough to have to deal with this. Her hair was long and dark, close to black but in the vibrant light, brown could be seen within the darker strands. Her figure was delicate, with high cheekbones and skinny limbs.
“I went around this morning, just to see Steph… and it was all cordoned off and I asked what had happened. They said there had been a homicide and I asked if they knew the name. They told me it was a young girl, who’d been returning home last night. I put two and two together and came and identified her.”
“Okay, did she seem okay last night?”
“What do you mean?” Lizz asked, frowning slightly.
“Well, did she seem jumpy or paranoid at all?”
“No, she was normal. If not better than normal, she’d been going through a lot of hassle. Her parents divorced a year ago and her dad got in with the wrong people, gambling and stuff. Anyway, she hadn’t been upbeat in along time. It was nice to see her happy again,” Lizz spoke slowly and decisively.
“Did you say her father got into gambling?”
“I don’t see how that’s relevant,” Lizz asked.
“Well, if he needed a loan and went to a loan shark who he was unable to pay, it’s likely that the loan shark would go after a family member. Did she mention anything you think would be significant about her father?”
“He gambled in all the small, underground casinos, didn’t want people to see him in the popular ones. You could almost say that he was really ashamed of the habit,” Lizz sighed.
“Okay, how well did you and Steph get along?”
-x-x-
Victoria emerged from the interview room and rubbed her eyes wearily. She hadn’t had a full night’s sleep and was struggling to stay awake. Phillip approached her and upon seeing her shakey, pale complexion, he ordered her to go home.
“What about the boss?”
He rolled his eyes, “You’re not fit to be here, go home and get some rest.”
♠ ♠ ♠
This is for Sam and Kim.Because they both managed to cheer me up despite the shite mood I was in.
=P