The light is good in Interrogation A. Not so bright I can’t think. And it doesn’t buzz like those godawful fluorescents in B that made it so hard to remember the truth. I’ve been here since yesterday. They’re starting to like me. Detective Shimansky is very patient; he asks me the same questions over and over; at first I didn’t understand, but now I see he’s helping me remember what happened. I’m trying to repress it. I guess I would. I don’t know where I’ll go when they let me leave. It was only Mom and me, and now, I guess, they’ll find a place for me. They can’t let me live alone. I asked Detective Shimansky if I could live with him. I was surprised to hear myself say it when they played the tape back. I told him he was a father figure and he said it would be a remarkable turn of events, so I guess he’s working on it. I could use a parent now. He told me just to concentrate on telling my story and everything would work itself out. So that’s what I’m trying to do, so I can live with him. There’s still some details I’m missing. I think I got the straight-razor right. I can’t seem to remember how long I stayed at the youth group or when I left; the timeline doesn’t match up yet. I really need to sleep. We’re going to go through it one more time and I’ll try to honor my mother’s memory and give her the respect she deserves and also keep in mind the physical evidence and start a new life with the mercy of the court and a clean conscience and start a new life with Detective Shimansky’s family and a clean conscience.

Copyright © July 01, 2007 David Hodges