The Interrogation on the Lawn
Chapter 05 - The Interrogation on the Lawn
David didn't wait for the officers. Driven by pure, unyielding fury, he turned and sprinted up the concrete stairs, bursting through the hidden wall, running through the basement, and tearing out through the front door of the house.
Outside on the driveway, Evelyn was sitting in the back of the patrol car, her hands cuffed behind her back, glaring out the window with a look of smug satisfaction. She saw David running toward the car and let out a cold, sharp laugh through the glass.
David yanked the patrol car door open.
“Where is the override code, Evelyn?!” David screamed, grabbing the door frame, his eyes wide with wild rage. “TELL ME THE CODE FOR THE BASEMENT SERVER!”
Evelyn didn't even flinch. She leaned her head back against the vinyl seat, a cruel, mocking smile spreading across her lips.
“So you found my little studio, did you?” Evelyn sneered, her voice smooth and venomous. “You always were a bit slow, David. It took you two years to realize I built a room right beneath your feet.”
“Tell me the code!” David roared, tears of anger pouring down his face. “You killed Clara, didn't you?! Tell me what you did to her!”
Sergeant Miller rushed out of the house, grabbing David by his shoulders to pull him back. “Mr. Reynolds! Stand back! Let us handle this!”
“She has seven minutes, Miller!” David yelled, struggling against the officer’s grip. “Everything down there is going to burn!”
Sergeant Miller leaned into the patrol car, staring down at Evelyn with absolute authority. “Ma’am, if that room burns, you will be charged with evidence destruction, obstruction of justice, and felony arson on top of child abuse. If you give us the code, the prosecutor will consider your cooperation!”
Evelyn laughed out loud—a chilling, hysterical sound that sent shivers down the spines of the gathering neighbors standing on the street.
“Do you think I care about a prosecutor?” Evelyn scoffed, her eyes flashing with pure madness. “That room contains the only record of where Clara’s body is buried. It contains the ledger showing where her $3 million inheritance went. Once that clock hits zero, you have no body, no physical proof, and no murder weapon. I’ll do five years for child abuse, get out on parole, and keep every single cent!”
David felt his heart stop. “You monster…”
“Five minutes, Sergeant!” Officer Vance shouted from the front porch, holding his radio. “The server temperature sensors are starting to prime!”
David looked at Evelyn’s smug, arrogant face. He realized that appealing to her mercy or threatening her with prison wouldn't work. She was a psychopath who had planned this for half a decade. She felt completely in control.
David took a deep breath, forcing the violent rage out of his voice, making his expression entirely cold and unreadable.
“You’re right, Evelyn,” David said quietly, stepping closer to the car. “Without that room, we can’t prove you killed Clara.”
Evelyn’s smile widened slightly. “Glad you finally understand.”
“But you forgot one thing,” David added, his voice dropping to a whisper that made Evelyn’s smile instantly freeze.
“What are you talking about?” she demanded, her eyes narrowing.
“You spent so much time setting up that timer,” David said, pointing toward the house. “You forgot about the live video stream you installed that connects directly to your personal tablet in the kitchen. The tablet that is currently unlocked on the counter.”
Evelyn’s face turned instantly pale. Her smug confidence evaporated in a fraction of a second.
“The tablet...” she stammered, her voice suddenly trembling. “No... I locked it...”
“I just saw it,” David lied smoothly, leaning closer to her face. “The live feed is recording everything. And the cloud backup isn't connected to the thermite timer. The moment SWAT downloads the tablet memory, we have your recorded video confession from six months ago when you talked to your accomplice on the phone.”
Evelyn’s breathing turned wild and rapid. Panic flared in her eyes like a raging fire. “You’re lying! You don't have the password!”
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“We don't need it,” David grinned coldly. “Sergeant Miller has a forensic bypass unit in his trunk. Two minutes, Evelyn. Do you want to make a deal now, or do you want to spend the rest of your life in maximum security without a single chance of parole?”
Evelyn swallowed hard, her confidence completely shattered. “0-4-1-9-7-8!” she shrieked frantically. “The code is 0-4-1-9-7-8! Disarm it!”
