บท 19: C18. Polygraph Test
Jossie's POV:
Mother's voice echoed from downstairs, 'Jossie'. She called for me and it must've woken me up. I was at home curled up in my velvet purple bed sheets. Tucked under my arm was a rainbow lama plushie. I stuck the plush under the blanket for security before throwing the blankets back. I crept out of bed as my head throbbed from a morning headache. I've been here before. I've done this before... But, the weird part is I don't think mother ever woke me up before.
'Jossie,' her voice echoed once again. Through my bedroom door I was out into an empty hallway. The darkness consumed me. A flickering light illuminated the stairs. Her voice came from downstairs. Natrually... I walked downstairs and paused when I hit the last step of the staircase.
'Jossie.' Her voice was there again. I couldn't help but to feel de-ja vu.
"Mother?" I asked as I eyed down the kitchen. My heart raced in my chest.
'Jossie,' This time I heard my father's deep voice whisper out.
"What is it dad?" I wondered as I walked towards the kitchen.
'Don't go in there.'
I should have listened to the warning.
I passed down the hall leading to the kitchen. I wanted to see what was there. The kitchen seemed to grow farther away. I kept walking towards it but never reached it. My feet began to ache and I had to pause as I came across the hall's decorative mirror. There in the reflection...
'Jossie.'
My mouth arched with a gasp as I looked at the girl in the mirror. My hair was done up with a fancy red bow to hold it together. No... the girl in the mirror wasn't me. I was missing my signature black hair I inherited from my father's side. I had my mother's winter color. This was different feeling. I was in a silver cocktail dress. Red lipstick stained my lips. I looked like my sister... I was in matching high heels that stabbed the floor like needle work. I would never wear this... My eyes shined my father's blue tint back at me. But despite my new features... I was holding a kitchen knife. My heart pounded in my chest.
'Dearest Jossie...'
My lips parted as I talked to myself. This is me. I was talking into a mirror.
"What did you do?"
My voice ripped the halls in a thunder clap. What have I done indeed? My eyes blinked uncontrolably. It felt different this time... At least I thought so. That was until the lights began to follow my eyes.
The lights flickered on and off. On and off. On and off. The hall began to change to the kitchen. There in front of me the mirror changed to my father's appearance. He stood in front of me now. His blue eyes widening as tears filled them. He lowered his eyes to look down. I looked with him. His hand touched mine as I realized I was pushing a knife into his chest.
Bloody fucking Cromwell. I waited for that to ring in my ears... But, it was only me who sung it.
The same nightmare came to me once again. This time I found myself awake when the movement of a vehicle turned off. It was an unatrual feeling that broke my dreaming. I found myself searching my surroundings. I was back in father's truck. This time on the passenger's side. In father's seat was the woman... What was her name again? Veronica. She didn't look back at me as she jumped out of the truck. I followed her movement as I unbuckled myself and got the door on my own. She walked around to act like she was about to get it. She was startled to find me awake.
"Up already?" She asked me. I looked past her as I got a view of where she brought me. I wasn't familiar with my home town but I knew enough. We were at the police station. Father brought me here to visit Uncle Matthew a few times. Sometimes they had meetings here that involved the pack's police. "Your mother requested I drop you off here."
I kept finding my eyes looking at the haunted sign hanging on the front entrance.
'Welcoming the lycan king's arrival.' Like some festival was cancelled, it was marked with red spray paint. I gulped hard. Knowing at some point... I would be facing more then my mother's evil wrath.
"I guess she's in there?" I asked quickly. I doubted it. I figured she'd make Matthew bring me back home. We would have to share an awkward car ride. Somehow he would slip in a speach that would wind up in forgivness. I didn't welcome the idea of going home.
I will not be running back towards Alpha Camren's territory. Not if he thinks we're mates. I don't want that awkward meeting where he either is and rejects me or he isn't and takes me back here to get rid of the sight of me. Either way he'll send me back here! I'll call Nathalie the first chance I get.
I took in a deep breath before glaring Veronica down. This was all because she's good at her job. I can't be mad at her for that. But, I still find myself mad I'm back here. It's still because of her. I tightened the leader jacket to pull it close to my chest and cover up my v-neck. I stuck my hands in my pockets as I faced the ground. I didn't look up until I reached the door. I looked over my shoulder to see Veronica following. She wouldn't let me go alone. I felt slightly greatful she'd come. I stepped into the lobby where an unfamilar pack warrior sat at the desk. She was around my mother's age. With dyed brown hair and dull brown eyes. She wasn't anything special to look at. Veronica slipped past me when we walked up to the desk.
"Is Beta Matthew in the back?" Vee would ask with an authoritve voice. I almost forgot that Veronica was in my pajamas. It was hard to take her seriously. But, the lobbiest hit a button to buzz a door. The side door to the real station opened up.
"Do you know where you're going?" The lobbiest asked her to be sure.
"I can follow any scent," Vee snarled in a disrespectful tone. She looked over her shoulder at me. "Let's go Josephine." She grabbed my wrist and by force she dragged me into the back hall. We went down it until we found father's private office. Matthew and my mother were inside. Ice queen. I shivered in slight fear as I was made to go inside.
"Josephine!" My uncle Matthew said as he forced a smile from seeing me. "Welcome back! I'm so glad Veronica found you." Uncle Matthew made a point to come towards me and pulled me into a brutal and almost bone crushing hug. I gasped for air when he let me go. He pushed me off on my mother. She wrapped her arms around me as the first sign of affection I've had from her in years. She made it brief as she tossed me aside. Instead her focus grew on Veronica.
"Thank you for bringing Josephine home. As an award we prepared a bonus for you," my mother said as she held out an envelope she took off the desk. "This is more then enough to cover a year's worth of salary. Its gratitude for bringing the rogue in as well." Veronica took the envelope and bowed her head in respect towards them.
"Thank you Luna April. Thank you Beta Matthew. This is more then generous. I'm glad to bring your family some peace of mind," Veronica said. She looked at me out of the corner of her eye.
"We just ask you go home now and rest," Matthew said as he motioned for her to raise her head. It was a cue for her to leave.
"There is a gun in the truck," Veronica said as she raised her head back up and went for the door. "Just a percaution." She took one glance at me before leaving.
"Sit down," my mother said. Her eyes turned towards me as I realized she was ordering me. I took a seat in one of the chairs facing the desk. Father's office wasn't anything special. It still had his stuff in it. From awards to documents. There was two chairs in front of his coffee browned wooden desk. As well as a coffee station inside of his office. Personalized with his favorite brands of coffee. My mother sat down on the edge of the desk as she faced me. Matthew stood by the door suddenly and crossed his arms.
'What are they thinking, Jude? Am I in serious trouble?'
'You've given them no reason to proceed you as anything but an accomplice to your father's murder. Watch out... I think this will go south.'
Jude's scent filled my lungs. She was here with me as I called her to speak with me. And, as I thought... I'm still not off the radar to my family. They still will test me to see if I'm working with that rogue. Hopefully he's said nothing of the sorts.
'That rogue is here,' she thought to me. I couldn't smell Casimir. But, I believed her. I wasn't sure where he was exactly. I felt on edge as I looked my mother in the eyes. We were in silence until my Uncle moved away from the door and let someone in. He locked the door when they came in. I glanced over in curiousity. Only to find a man carrying...
"A polygraph machine?" I asked quickly. I studied the object when taking online classes. It was a bit different from the original form. Now a computer with a set of wires to test varriant telling signs of a body. "What are you using that for? Its validation is questionable! It's been proven. I thought they discontinued this type of interogation because there was no way to prove the machine worked." I was awestruck as I watched my mother move and allow the man to sit the equipment down on the table.
"You're my daughter and I've ordered it," my mother said in a cruel voice. "It's still being used as a valid technique. We're going to use it to tell if you're a conspirator."
"I would never kill father," I told her in anger. Why won't she believe me!?
"We won't know until you tell the truth," she said as she waved her hand over to the gentleman.
"Fine!" I said quickly. I'll prove to them like they want. "I'm not a liar! You'll see. This test will clear my name for good, mother."
There was no point in arguing. I would win the test for sure. I knew it. I wasn't a liar. I never killed my father. I know I didn't. I only have nightmares. Nightmares cannot be my reality. The man strapped the readers to my chest after I took off my jacket. He hooked up my fingers and he sat down to begin testing me...
"What's your name?"
"Josephine Cromwell."
"What's your eye color?"
"The same as my mother's."
"Who is your mother?"
"April Rabidcrest."
"Do you love your mother?"
"No."
"Did you kill your father?"
"No."
"Did the rogue kill your father?"
"I believe so."
"Yes or no?"
"Yes."
"Did the rogue kill your father?"
"Yes."
"Did you conspire to kill your father?"
"No."
"Do you know who killed your father?"
"Yes."
"Are you your father's killer?"
"No."
"Have you met the rogue before your father died?"
"No."
"Do you know who the rogue is?"
"Yes."
"Is the killer's handprints on the same knife used to kill your father?"
"Yes."
"Is your fingerprints on the knife?"
"Yes?"
"So that makes you the killer?"
"No."
"Are you the killer?"
"No."
"Do you think there is anyone else capibal of murdering your father?"
"No."
"Would you say you like the rogue?"
"No."
"Did you run away from the pack because you murdered your father?"
"No."
"Did you run away because of the rogue?"
"No."
"Did you kill your father?"
"No!"
The man stopped suddenly as he took down notes and then looked up at my mother. He then looked towards Matthew. I expected him to say I was good to go. But, the exhchange of looks made me worry. I felt on the edge of my seat. He took the readers off my body. Matthew suddenly walked out of the room. I tensed up as I wasn't sure what would happen next. He came back in with another guy. I recognized him as Zeke. He was actually familiar because my cousin talked about him before. We used to play around the station as kids together. Zeke was different from the last time I saw him. He was a heavier build now then before. He must be pushing weights at a gym. I tensed up as I was unsure what was happening.
"Jossie, you have to come with us," Matthew told me calmly.
"Where are we going?" I asked nervously.
"Jossie you failed," he told me so fast I felt my head spinning from his answer. "We're putting you in a holding cell." I- I failed? How can I fail? What silent converstation did they have while I sat here in silence? What did I miss? How could I fail.
"That's impossible. I told the truth," I said quickly.
"Each time I asked if you killed your father, you lied with your answer back," the man said as he collected his equipment to try to leave as fast as possible.
"I did not! See! This is why I didn't want to take this stupid test! I didn't kill him!"
"You lied when I asked if you conspired with the rogue to kill your father."
"That's a lie!" I shouted and stood up. I went to grab the man's arm but my mother got in the way. I stopped as I was blocked immediantly. I heard Zeke coming towards me. "I would never kill dad. He was the only thing keeping me from running away from this stupid pack!" I yelled in her face. "You're a piece of shit if you believe-" she smacked me sharp across my face. The force knocked me off my feet as I knelt down and held my face. I whimpered as I felt Zeke grab my arms.
"Make this easy," he begged as he whispered in my ear. He helped me to my feet as he made sure to securely hold onto me and walk me out of the office.
"Zeke, I didn't," I begged for him to remember how sweet I was as a kid. I could never do it to my dad. He didn't answer me back as he took me towards the rear of the building. Matthew came with us in case he was needed. I couldn't help but to bust into tears as I felt helpless. I smelled Veronica's familiar scent still lingering nearby. Like she was watching this play out. I could sense her eyes staring us down from behind. I didn't look as I felt shamed from being forced towards the holding cells in the back of the building. I only knew where and what they looked like because I used to play house in the empty ones as a kid. I didn't kill my father... How did I fail that test? I answered honestly. I told every truth I know. How is it possible?
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