| Unforgiven Sins 7 �What is this about Detective?� I asked anxiously. �I would really prefer to discuss that with you when you arrive, Miss DuPont. How long will it take you to get here?� �I�ll be there as soon as I shower and change,� I told him. �Good.� The line went dead. I leaned down, picked up the phone from off the floor and replaced the receiver in it�s cradle. I sat on the side of my bed in a kind of stupor for some time before finally dragging myself out of it, shoving the phone back onto the nightstand and rushing into the bathroom. I think it must have been the quickest shower I had ever taken. Before I knew it, I was dressed with car keys and wallet in hand rushing out the front door of my apartment. I arrived at the precinct twenty five minutes later, parked my car in the parking facility and hurried into the building. I asked at the front desk where I could locate the detective who had called and immediately took the stairs to the first floor. As I got to the top of the stairs, a man in his late forties approached me. The cop at the desk must have alerted him to my presence. He was about six feet tall, slim build, with dark brown, shortly cropped hair, graying at the temples. He was wearing a gray pair of pants, light blue shirt and dark gray tie loosened at the neck. As he got closer extended his hand. |
| M.A.Anderson 8 �Miss DuPont,� he greeted me with a serious expression on his face. We shook hands. �Would you follow me please.� I moved up alongside him. �What�s this all about, Detective?� �I�ll discuss that with you when we�re in my office.� He kept his gaze straight ahead. We moved to the far end of the workroom. His office was the last one on the right. He moved ahead of me, opened the door and motioned for me to go in. I stepped inside and turned toward him. As he closed the door and moved to his desk, my eyes followed his every movement. �What�s going on?� I asked. �Please, Miss DuPont, take a seat.� He gestured toward the single chair opposite his desk. �Would you like some coffee before we begin?� He moved around his desk and waited for me to sit down before he did the same.. �No. No thank you, I�m fine. I just want to know what this is all about.� He leaned back in his chair. �I have some bad news, Miss DuPont.� He looked at me in such a way that a sickening wave of nausea turned my stomach over. I took a deep breath. �What is it?� I asked, feeling the color drain from my face. �There's no easy way to say this. � He paused and |
| Unforgiven Sins 9 frowned at me, then his expression softened and he got to his feet and moved around to where I was sitting. �Miss DuPont...may I call you Amanda?� he asked sitting on the corner of his desk close to me. �All right,� I replied dubiously. �It�s your parents...they�ve been killed in an accident.� I sprang to my feet. �No!� I shook my head vigorously. �That�s not possible.� �If it�s any consolation, they wouldn�t have known what happened.� He stood up. I glared at him. �What did happen,� I asked tightly. �You really don�t need to know the details....� �Yes, I do!� �Why don�t you sit down and we can...� �Because I don�t want to sit down. I want to know exactly what happened to them!� The detective drew a deep breath in through his nostrils and began explaining. �It appears that your parents were in the kitchen preparing breakfast together. When your mother struck a match to light the gas jet on the stove there was an explosion. Do I really need to go into specifics here; the Medical Examiner said their deaths would�ve been instantaneous.� I couldn't believe it. Tears welled in my eyes. I sat down in a daze, staring into nothingness. Why? |
| M.A.Anderson 10 �Would you like a drink? I have some scotch in my desk drawer,� the detective offered. I shook my head. �No, thanks,� I answered in a whisper. �I�m sorry to have to be the one to give you this kind of news, but it appears that you don�t have any siblings or other family members we could get in touch with.� �I have an aunt,� I told him looking down at my hands clasped in my lap. �You do? Would you like me to contact her for you?� �No...we don�t...we don�t talk much.� �What about a boyfriend?� �I don�t have a boyfriend,� I replied. The detective stood up. �There are some personal effects that were sent up from the Miami department...I�ll go and get them for you.� He moved across to the door then turned back and looked at me. �Are you sure you don�t need that drink?� I nodded. �I�m sure.� After several minutes, the detective returned carrying a small, plain cardboard box under his arm. He placed it on the desk in front of me, then moved to his seat and sat down. I didn�t say a word for quite a while, I just sat there staring at the box. Something jolted me back into reality, as I suddenly realized that had the explosion been considered an accident, the uniformed police would have come to my |
| Unforgiven Sins 11 apartment to inform me of my parent�s deaths. So, why was this detective involved? I looked over the top of the box, my eyes locking on to his. �Detective Donohue?� �Yes, Miss DuPont?� �If the explosion was an accident, why are you involved?� �I was hoping you wouldn�t figure that out right now.� �Why? What really happened?� �I think it would be better left unanswered until we have something solid to follow up.� �Detective, I have a right to know!� �When we have something tangible to go on, then I�ll fill you in. Until then...� �I want to know what you know, Detective, and I�m not leaving here until you tell me!� �Hasn�t this ordeal been distressing enough for you? I think it would be best if you wait until you�re in a better frame of mind before we discuss this any further.� I stood up. �I want you to tell me what it is you�ve discovered...please!� The detective sighed. �All right...at first it was believed that the explosion had been an accident, but on further investigation it appears that it may not have been after all.� �What exactly do you mean?� I felt my knees turn to |
| M.A.Anderson 12 rubber. I sat down again. �Well, it appears that the gas line may have been tampered with.� �You mean it was set up to kill my parents?� �We�ll know more after the scene has been thoroughly checked.� �But you think it was deliberate...right?� �It certainly looks that way. Do you have any idea why someone would want to do this?� He got up and moved around to where I was sitting. I looked up at him in disbelief. �No! Why would I? My parents were well liked and well respected, Detective. I have absolutely no idea who would want them dead.� �What about your father�s line of work? Could he have stumbled onto something that...� �My father was a research scientist. Not a government agent.� �What was he researching, Miss DuPont?� �I...I don�t know. He never discussed his research.� �He must�ve mentioned something...I�m sure he trusted you and your mother.� �He took his job and his responsibilities very seriously, Detective...he would never betray the confidentiality of his research.� The detective picked up a manila folder off his desk and opened it. |
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