Keith took a deep breath. His hands still cuffed in his lap.
“There’s probable cause here. A possible scuffle occurred in the taxi cab, and then it turned ugly.”
“I wasn’t even there,” he retorted.
“There are blood tracks that show Inanna was dragged on the pavement. Her blood is on a scarf. A man is dead. The only other DNA found in that car is yours, and the murder weapon is yours. Do you see how bad this looks for you?”
Keith shook his head in disbelief.
“Can you uncuff my client please,” she told the officer. “I’m fine.”
The officer did as requested, releasing Keith from the handcuffs.
Keith never knew a world of such untrustworthy misery. He had never felt so low in his life.
“You were in the same city the night of the crime scene. And your DNA was found in that taxi cab, along with a murder weapon. How do you explain that?”
“I already explained everything to the investigators. I have no idea how that gun got there. Yes, I know it sounds bad. I went to California, because I wanted to be there for Ina. After Ina lost her memory, I figured we could start over. I mean, I know I messed up with lying to her about the situation with Jenna - even though nothing really happened between Jenna and I – and about this other guy Ina had been seeing…”
“Another guy? What other guy?”
“I don’t even know him really, he came into town and left.”
“Do you know his name?” asked Valerie.
“Honestly, Ina never spoke of him to me - and I didn’t want to ask. It was sort of this unspoken pact we made - to not bring him up. I respected that.”
“So, your girlfriend had a previous boyfriend and you never thought to ask his name? Knowing about him?”
“We were busy making our own memories - I didn’t care to talk about him.”
“Did you ever meet him?”
“Yes. I saw him a few times at a distance, but never made conversation.”
“Interesting…” Valerie wrote down notes.
“What did he look like?”
“Mysterious.”
“Elaborate…”
“You know...like those mysterious guys in the movies that don’t look like they belong on this planet...the kind of guy that always get the girl...that type...”
Valerie smirked and nodded as she wrote more notes. She could tell she hit a nerve.
“All I know is that even though I never spoke to him, he was weird.”
“What makes you say that?” she pressed.
“Just a weird vibe I guess...I can’t explain it…”
“When did Inanna date him?” Valerie asked.
“After graduation. It was years ago,” he said.
“Do you think this guy could be connected in any way?” she asked.
“I don’t know.”
“Tell me why you think Ina left for California?”
“To see Jenna - to mend her relationship with her.”
“Why would their relationship need mending?”
“I know it was my fault to some extent that Jenna left for California in the first place. I knew she had feelings for me, and it bothered her to see me with Ina.” Keith’s eyes were red and puffy as he looked deep into Ms. Garcia’s eyes. “You have to believe me. I – I didn’t even get to see Ina in California. I knew what she was going for, and I just wanted to make things right, you know? I didn’t even call her for three weeks when she called off the wedding; I gave her space. But when I called Brooke to see if she’d spoken to her, it didn’t take long for her to tell me Ina was going to California. I knew I had to go, to make things right for all of us.”
Valerie listened. She thought maybe he’d trust her a bit more if she just listened. She was a woman of facts – no nonsense – one of the best public defense attorneys. She too knew that even if she believed he was telling the truth; it didn’t mean he wouldn’t be convicted.
“I’m going to ask you some more questions, but please, relax,” she reassured him.
Keith was still unsure if he could trust this woman.
“When did you arrive in California?” she asked.
“The night before Ina got there.”
“And where did you go that evening?”
“Straight to my hotel, the Cali Inn.”
“What did you do the day Ina arrived; did you go see her?”
“I stayed near my hotel and walked around a bit.”
“Did you talk to or see Inanna?” she asked assertively.
“No,” he said squarely.
“Why didn’t you go see her?” Valerie pressed.
“Because, I didn’t know what to say. I was going to wait a couple days, hoping by then she’d already talked to Jenna. I was waiting for things to cool down.”
“Did you contact anyone while you were there?”
“No.”
“Why would you go to a different state, without a working phone?”
“My phone fell in water in Florida before I left for the airport.”
“And you didn’t think to get a new one?”
“I was going to get a new one when I returned. I figured it was some sign, maybe a good way to disconnect from everyone. I was feeling depressed; it was my lowest point. I realize now it can actually get much worse than that…”
“Do you mind if I record this conversation?” she asked.
At that point, Keith didn’t care.
“Sure.”
“What’s your alibi for the night of Inanna Preston’s disappearance and the murder of Chen Ho?”
“I was at a nearby pub, drinking. Alone. I was feeling very low, as I said before,” he tried not to break down.
“None of your credit card statements or bank records show any charges the week you were in California, except for your hotel stay.”
“I used cash.”
“I see,” Valerie said as she took some notes.
“Why did you and Inanna break up again?”
“She felt like…” he paused. “I messed up. I lied to her.”
“About what?” she asked.
“About Jenna having feelings for me. Jenna was Ina’s best friend, and I knew she had feelings for me. But I still pursued Ina, because I love her. When Ina lost her memory, I didn’t tell her about Jenna’s feelings. And, this guy she dated; the one I told you about. I knew she dated him before she lost her memory, and I didn’t tell her about him. I thought if I told her about him it would get between us. I knew he was gone anyway - he left and broke her heart. Inanna got a new start at life when she lost her memory. I had never seen her so happy and lighthearted. Why the hell would I want her to remember anything that might hurt her again?”
“I can see that you loved her very much.”
“Still do.” he said with conviction.
“Were you the only one who knew about this mystery guy?”
“I think so - maybe Jenna and Brooke knew too? We didn’t talk about him.” he said.
“I see,” Valerie said.
“Listen, I know I messed up with Ina. But I would never hurt her.”
Valerie nodded, as if to validate his feelings.
“Let me make sure I have my facts straight. You went to California alone, in hopes to mend things with your ex-fiancée and friend – Jenna, is it?”
“Basically, yes.”
“And how were you going to do that?” she asked.
“I don’t know. Again, I thought I’d wait a few days, in hopes that she had already spoken to Jenna. In my mind, I just wanted it to end like a fairy tale I guess.”
“And when did you find out about Inanna’s disappearance?”
“The day I went to her hotel to look for her.”
“And when was that?”
“Two days after Jenna saw her – two days after she had gotten to California.”
“How did you know where she was staying? How did you know Jenna saw her?”
“Brooke told me – I thought I
already told you that.”
“Keith, if you want me to help you will need to answer my questions, even if I ask them multiple times or in different ways,” she said assertively.
Keith dropped his head into his hands.
“And what happened when you saw Ina?” she continued.
“I didn’t see her – she wasn’t there.”
“Did you talk to Jenna while you were in California?”
“Yes.”
“Did you see her face to face, or did you talk over the phone?”
“I went to her place, the same day I tried looking for Ina at her hotel, and we talked over coffee. She told me that Ina found her at a bar and that they briefly talked.”
“What bar?”
“The same bar in your records – why are we doing this?” Keith snapped again.
“Keith.” She took a deep breath. “Is it okay if I call you Keith?”
He shrugged numbly.
“When you’re on the stand, they are going to drill you with these kinds of questions. You need to be able to answer difficult questions while under pressure. Now I may not be the warm fuzzy kind, but I will do my best to help you get out of here…”
“Bar Five. That’s the bar Jenna and Ina saw each other at. Jenna said they went outside to talk for a minute and they were interrupted by Jenna’s friend, or her therapist rather. And then, that was it. Their conversation ended there.”
“Interesting. Her therapist?”
She took some notes.
“So, what happened afterwards?”
“Jenna said Ina acted weird and uncomfortable – Ina gets like that sometimes with people she doesn’t know. Then she got into a taxi and left. That’s the last time Jenna or anyone else saw her.”
“Do you think Jenna could be responsible for all of this?” Valerie asked.
“God – no – Jenna would never,” he said, but then quickly wondered if it was possible for Jenna to be vindictive.
“You said you went to a bar the night of the crime. Which bar did you go to the night you arrived in California?”
“It was called, Pup Pub.”
“Is there anyone who can testify for you – maybe a bartender – someone who can say where you were the night of the murder?”
“I don’t know if they’d remember me. It was a hole in a wall kind of place, and it was jam packed with people.”
There was a brief silence, and the defense attorney looked over some notes in a file.
“The records show no one recalled seeing you that evening. So, at this point, you have no alibi other than your own words. The hotel cameras show you leaving and arriving, and the times concur with the crime.”
Keith already knew that. He’d known the evidence and odds were all against him. It was like a series of unfortunate events, and somehow, he was the target.
“I believe you truly loved Inanna. Sometimes relationships get tough and there’s a fine line between love and - ”
“I will always love Inanna.” Keith interrupted.
“How was your relationship before the break up?”
“We had our problems, like every relationship. But we were good.”
“Your DNA was found on a scarf that was left at the crime scene, and the gun found was registered in your name. Can you explain this?”
The attorney showed Keith another photograph. Keith remembered the scarf vividly. It was the scarf he had given Ina their first Christmas together. The same Christmas when Jenna waltzed in unannounced to cause a scene.
“It’s the scarf I gave Ina our first Christmas together,” he said with a pained look.
“There is reason to believe that Ina may have been killed using this scarf or this gun.” She pointed to the pictures. “They both have her blood, and the only other DNA present at the crime scene is yours and the other victim. The prosecutors are going to use this against you.”
Keith felt trapped. There was nothing he could say at this point to magically make it all better. He had booked that flight impulsively – wanting to somehow fix things between Ina and Jenna. He just wanted everything to go back to normal. Now, he realized, it was his one-way ticket to hell.
“There were three people in that taxi cab. One is a dead driver, Inanna who is now missing, and the other is the person who committed this heinous crime. Unless your beloved Inanna killed the driver and faked her disappearance?”
“Ina would never do that.” Keith was offended at the suggestion.
“Keith, I’m going to ask you one last time. You can trust me, okay?” She put her hands at the center of the table, as if to validate the statement. “Did you kill Chen Ho and Inanna Ruthe Preston?”
“No,” he said with conviction.
“Are you responsible for the death of Chen Ho or the disappearance of Inanna Ruthe Preston?”
“No,” he said louder.
“Did you see Inanna Ruthe Preston when you were in California?”
“No, but now I wish I had,” he said with a feeling of defeat.
Keith stared at the attorney. He felt completed defeated. Valerie Garcia stared at Keith for a few seconds, curled her lips in, and took a deep breath.
“Okay. Somehow, I believe you,” she said.
Keith let out a long breath. “So, you’ll help me get out of here?!”
“It’s not going to be easy. I can’t make promises.”
“But you just said – can’t you see someone is framing me?”
“I know what I said. Just because I believe you, it doesn’t mean a jury will. Framing is a long shot in the eyes of a jury. We need more evidence to back up your story.”
Keith couldn’t bare it anymore. His eyes filled with tears. Not because he was the main suspect in a murder case that could ultimately put him in jail for the rest of his God given years, but because the thought of Ina being dead somewhere killed him. Keith tried holding back the tears, but it was too difficult.
“I just want her to be okay – maybe she’s still alive,” Keith said as tears rolled down his cheeks.
Valerie, although very stoic and professional in nature, felt a twinge of sympathy for Keith. She also felt pity for him in that moment.
Ms. Garcia gathered her things and put her hand on Keith’s shoulder before leaving. “I’ll be in touch.”
The guard came in, cuffed Keith, and took him back to his jail cell.
Past: Back in California
T he taxi cab pulled up to the curb. The short, pudgy, middle-aged Asian driver stuffed his bag of spicy nachos between the seat and the door, then wiped his fingers on his pants. The front passenger floor was full of old, empty, disposable coffee cups. A bit of sweat had formed around his forehead, as he watched the passenger open the front passenger side door.
“Passengers usually sit in the back, ma’am,” the taxi cab driver told the woman in his heavy clipped accent.
The woman ignored the driver and gave him a sensual, wicked smile.
“Go.” she demanded.
When he saw how beautiful she was, he obliged quickly and drove off.
“Where going?” the man asked.
Using her gift of seduction, she was able to make small talk and slyly place a gun in the glove compartment.
“I don’t think you should do ‘dat,” he said nervously.
“Pull over,” she commanded.
The man obeyed without hesitation. Once stopped, she pulled the man’s face towards hers and her green glowing eyes penetrated through his. The woman stepped out of the vehicle. The piercing sound made him cringe. Shaking it off in a few seconds, he came back to his senses.
Ria opened the back door to the taxi cab and got in.
Feeling a bit dizzy, not knowing what had just occurred, the man sat in dazed confusion staring at the steering wheel.
“Take me to Bar Five,” Ria directed.
The driver groggily straightened himself up.
“Sorry, I do not feel good for a minute – I okay now,” the driver said as he quickl
y eased his way into the traffic.
“Well, I don’t have all night,” Ria became impatient.
Ria had a way about her that made people follow her instructions. Her confidence, her demeanor – she was intimidating. It was something she learned to use to her advantage at a very young age. Once she mastered her powers around the age of fifteen, her powers had taken over her. She learned to place her emotions into a hidden place, a place so deep where no one could ever hurt her.
Her sense of smell was so keen – she could smell Ina from miles away. Pulling up to the bar, she gave the man further directions.
“You see that girl right there.” She pointed to Ina. “She’s a good friend of mine, and she’s going to need a cab. Please wait for her. I’ll pay you triple in advance. If you leave, I’ll find you.”
Ria handed the driver a wad of hundreds and walked out slowly. She sent chills up the man’s spine. Ria could see Jenna and Ina talking in the distance. Approaching the girls, she waved at Jenna as if in great surprise that she had run into her so randomly.
“Jenna!” waved Ria as she was coming down the street.
“Hi Annie!” Jenna hugged her.
“Ina, this is Annie, my therapist. Annie, this is Ina.”
“Oh yes, I’ve heard so much about you.” She flashed Ina the familiar smile. It was her! It was the same woman from the airport! Ina suddenly became uneasy.
“I gotta go.”
“So quickly?” Annie said.
“It’s probably best anyway,” Jenna said.
Jenna looked at Ina and then hugged her tightly. “I’m sorry, Ina. I just need to do what’s best for my life right now.”
Ina looked back at Annie, flashing that sinister smile. Something wasn’t right. Ina didn’t trust Annie. She felt like she’d seen her before that night but couldn’t quite remember.
Ina called for the cab and hopped in. He had already been waiting in front of the bar. As she looked out the back window, Annie just stared and waved at Inanna. Ria knew very well to cover her tracks. Nothing would get in the way of saving her planet. Cova was her priority, and she would do whatever she needed to do to save her people.
Present: Ina Sees Zech’s Past
Beyond the Stars- Awakened Page 8
