AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"Hey, it could've happened to anyone," Finn said, his tone reassuring. "Besides, we both know you're far from a rookie."
"Still, thank you," Sheila said, turning to face him, her eyes filled with gratitude. "You saved my life in there. If you hadn't shown up when you did, I would've had to shoot him."
"Anytime," Finn replied, a small smile playing on his lips. "I'm just happy you're still in one piece."
She nodded, feeling a flush of warmth at his words. It was good to know he had her back.
"Well," she said, "I think we've given him long enough to cool down. What do you say we go in there and see what he knows?"
"Right behind you, partner."
Together, they stepped out into the hallway and then entered the interview room, the door clicking shut behind them.
Feldman's eyes widened in alarm as they entered, his pupils darting back and forth between them. He seemed to shrink in his chair, trying to put as much distance between himself and the two investigators as possible.
"You're not going to get away with this," he blurted out, voice cracking with fear. "I know you're part of the conspiracy—you're all in on it!"
Sheila exchanged a glance with Finn before focusing her attention back on Feldman. She kept her voice steady and calm as she addressed him. "Jeremy, we're not here to hurt you. We just want to ask you some questions. That's all."
Feldman eyed her warily, skepticism written across his gaunt face. Despite his lingering mistrust, he seemed to quiet down, at least for now. Sheila took this opportunity to dive into the matter at hand.
"Jeremy, how do you know Juliette Reed?" she asked, watching his reaction carefully.
Feldman furrowed his brow, curiosity replacing fear for a moment. "Why do you want to know about Juliette? What's she got to do with anything?"
Sheila hesitated, weighing her options. She wanted answers, but she had to tread carefully. Revealing that Juliette had been murdered could send Feldman spiraling further into paranoia if he was truly innocent. And in his current state, there was no telling what he might do.
"We believe Juliette may have been involved in something dangerous," she said. "We need to understand your connection to her in order to help."
Feldman's face remained an unreadable mask, leaving Sheila uncertain whether her cautious approach was working or not.
Finn, noticing the tension in the room, decided to change the subject. "Jeremy, we know that you and Juliette were in therapy together. Care to tell us about that?"
Feldman's face flushed with embarrassment as he hung his head. He fidgeted with the handcuffs binding him to the table, the metal clinking softly against the surface. "I've had these problems for a long time, you see...paranoia. That's what I'm told, anyway. Sometimes, I can't tell what's real and what isn't. But Julie, she was different. She understood me, somehow."
Sheila glanced at Finn, her eyes searching his face for any hint of his thoughts. She returned her gaze to Feldman, trying to discern whether he was sincere or merely playing a part. "Why did you feel that only Juliette understood you?" she asked.
"Julie had this...fear of death," Feldman began, his eyes distant as if recalling a memory. "She was convinced that her death would be horrible. She told me once that she knew the future, like it was some sort of gift or curse. I don't know, maybe she was just crazy like me, but it made me feel less alone."
Sheila furrowed her brow, puzzled by this revelation. She couldn't help but wonder if Feldman was making things up or if there was truth in his words. "How could Juliette know how she would die?" she asked.
Feldman shook his head, his shoulders sagging. "I don't know. She never told me all the details. Just that she was scared and that it was going to be bad." His voice cracked slightly, revealing a vulnerability that Sheila hadn't expected.
"How did you react when she told you about her fears?" Finn asked.
Feldman's eyes widened as he recalled the moments shared with Juliette. His hands, despite being cuffed to the table, started to shake as he spoke. "I wanted to protect her, man. I would have done anything to keep her safe." His voice grew louder, more animated. "I even offered to stay with her sometimes, just so she wouldn't be alone. She was my friend, and I couldn't stand the thought of her suffering."
Sheila studied Feldman's face, trying to gauge the sincerity of his concern for Juliette. It was evident that, despite his mental instability, he felt a strong connection to her. Was it possible Juliette had rejected him somehow, and he had attacked her in a fit of rage?
Or, in his paranoia, he had simply imagined she was rejecting him?
"Jeremy," Sheila began, pushing aside the water bottle in front of her, "we need to ask you about last night. Did you see Juliette, by any chance?"
Feldman hesitated before letting out a long sigh, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "Yeah, I went to her house," he admitted, his gaze dropping to the floor.
Sheila sat up straighter, her heart pounding in her chest. This could be the break they needed. "Why did you go there? What happened?"
"We would message each other, you know, checking in on one another," he said, his voice trembling. "Last night, she stopped responding, and I got worried. So I went to her place to see if she was okay." He licked his dry lips, anxiety etching lines on his forehead. "When I got there, the front door was wide open. I stepped inside, but then I got scared—what if someone saw me and thought I was breaking in? So I left."
