Image Source
"Breathe, honey. Breathe. It's alright."
Tanya whispered with a gentle squeeze on my hand. I tried to do as she says, but I still can't wriggle past the heavy feeling in my chest. I'm glad she's here.
In my blurred vision, I could see Mariz sitting across the room, head resting on her knees.
Guilty, I thought.
"I told you not to do it!" I blurted out to her, "Look what you've done! Once the police finds out--"
"Stop it, will you? I'm trying to think. I'm getting us out of this mess, I promise." Mariz said. But it's more like she's trying to convince herself. She stood up and started to pace around the room.
"Enough now, both of you. We won't be able to fix this unless the two of you settle down." Tanya persuades us in her unbelievably calm voice. I'm starting to wonder if she has any idea how serious this is. As if she heard my thoughts, she nudged me to face her. "I know you're worried. But let me handle this, okay? There's no use pointing fingers. We'll all get through this."
The last sentence sounded so full of conviction that Mariz finally glanced at our direction. Whatever's bothering her just a while ago is clearly lifted off by Tanya's words. She smiled nervously and sighed.
But I can't seem to calm my nerves. Something tells me that we screwed up big time.
Loud knocks on the door interrupted my thoughts. Tanya rose to open it, giving me a reassuring smile as she left. Mariz and I sat still, listening intently, expecting the worst.
Minutes later, a blood-curling scream broke the silence, and all of a sudden, three police officers are standing right in front of me. "You are under arrest for five counts of murder," one officer sternly declares as he dutifully secures my handcuff.
"I didn't do anything! No! It was Mariz!" I screamed at their faces, struggling to remove the cuffs. He begins to recite the Miranda doctrine but I am no longer listening to him. "Tanya! Help me! Tell them it wasn't me! Tell them the truth! Please!" But Tanya could only stare at me with so much pity while Mariz looked away.
They dragged me towards the car and as soon as the door was shut before me, Tanya and Mariz are gone. The next thing I know, I'm sitting across a female investigator in a small room, a cheap bulb hanging above me.
"I suppose you know why you're here." she starts. I shake my head in response.
"This conversation is recorded, so please, just tell me the truth. Help me so I could help you."
I sat still, hesitant. The voices inside my head are so loud, I could barely hear my own thoughts.
"Let's start with your name," she suggests, never breaking eye contact.
"Please, Ma'am. It wasn't me. I didn't do anything! I didn't kill them! It was Mariz! You can ask her, or Tanya! Please let me go." I pleaded. I could feel my mascara streaking on my face through my tears. This has to stop.
"Again, I'm asking you. What's your name?" she insists. I close my eyes, slowly accepting my fate. I knew this was going to happen.
I never should've trusted them.
"T-tanya." I managed to blurt out in between sobs. I looked up to meet her gaze. Her stare intensifies, as if she's waiting for me to go on.
"My name is Tanya Mariz de Leon."