AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"We wanted to ask you some questions," Valerie said gently. "I'm Agent Valerie Law with the FBI."
David's eyes widened, and he nodded slowly, as if he'd been expecting this all along. He cleared his throat nervously and began to speak.
"The police ... they took most of my belongings as evidence after the murder," he said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know what happened, but I know it had nothing to do with me or my things."
Sheriff Carter nodded sympathetically. "It's standard procedure to impound anything that might have forensic evidence on it," he said, his voice reassuring and gentle. "It has nothing to do with you being suspected of the crime. We just need to investigate every lead we have."
David nodded slowly, still looking frightened. He seemed relieved to hear that he wasn't in any trouble, but Valerie could tell he was still scared.
"We'll do everything we can to find out what happened here," she said softly, her voice full of reassurance.
David nodded and got up from the chair. He looked around the now empty apartment and sighed heavily before turning back around to face them. "I understand," he said quietly. "You know, Mark and I loved this place."
At the mention of his roommate, Charlie stepped forward. He had been silent up until now, but he seemed to be struggling to contain his curiosity. "What was your relationship like with Mark?" Charlie asked cautiously.
David's face softened, and a sad smile appeared on his lips. "Mark and I were very close," he said softly, his voice trembling slightly. "We shared this apartment since college, and we were always there for each other when times got tough." His voice trailed off as tears filled his eyes and he looked away, unable to hold back the emotion any longer. "I can't believe he's gone," David continued, his voice barely a whisper as he fought back tears. "He was my best friend, and I'm devastated by what happened."
Valerie observed David's behavior. She was looking to see signs of insincerity. But she found none of that. She only saw true grief in the man's eyes.
"Did Mark ever go to any particular place that you know of?" Valerie asked after a few moments of silence. "Like maybe a farm or something in the hills nearby?"
David shook his head and sighed. "No, Mark wasn't a fan of the outdoors," he replied. "He was more of an indoors kind of guy."
"Do you think Mark had any enemies?" Charlie asked. "Anyone who might have wanted to hurt him?"
David shook his head slowly. "No, not that I know of," he replied. "Mark could be a bit cruel on occasion, but no more than anyone else." He sighed heavily and looked away, his voice trembling slightly as he added, "I just can't believe this happened to him."
"Does the phrasePost Tenebrus Luxmean anything to you?" Valerie asked, thinking of the tattoo on Maggie's wrist.
David's eyes widened for a moment as if he had been expecting this all along. He cleared his throat nervously and began to speak.
"Post Tenebrus Lux," he began, his voice barely above a whisper as he translated the phrase from Latin. "It means 'light after darkness'. Mark was always talking about it whenever things got tough for him. He said it was a reminder that no matter how dark things seemed, there was always hope."
David paused and looked away, struggling to contain his emotions. Valerie could see the tears in his eyes as he continued to speak. "Mark believed that even in the darkest times of our lives, we can find peace and solace in small moments of joy," he said softly. "That's why I thinkPost Tenebrus Luxwas so important to him."
Valerie felt her pulse quicken. Up until Will had identified the phrase, she'd never heard of it before. And now, two victims had a connection to it.
"Do you know where he might have heard that phrase?" Carter asked.
"No," David answered. "I never was that into Latin. I mean, it's a dead language. I find it strange that people show it much attention.”
Valerie wondered what Will would have made of that.
Valerie exchanged a look with Carter, who nodded before turning back to David. "Do you know anything about a girl named Maggie?" he asked.
David shook his head. "No, he never mentioned anyone named Maggie," he said firmly. "He only had a handful of friends, and he didn't go out much."
Valerie frowned in thought. If Mark hadn't mentioned Maggie, then what did the tattoo on her wrist mean? She thought back to their conversation with Will; perhaps the phrase was connected to something else?
Carter seemed to be thinking along the same lines as he asked, "Did Mark ever mention any other Latin phrases or words?"
David shook his head again and sighed. "No, not that I can think of," he replied wearily, rubbing his eyes with the palms of his hands. "I'm sorry, but I don't know anything else. I ... I'm very tired."
"That's okay," Valerie answered, looking at her watch. "I think we have everything we need for now, Mark. I'll get onto forensics and see if they can bring some of yours and Mark's stuff back."
"Thank you," he said with a weary smile. "I'd really appreciate that."
Valerie, Charlie, and Sheriff Carter thanked David for his help before leaving the apartment. As they walked down the dingy hallways to the elevator, Valerie couldn't help but feel a little uneasy. There was something aboutPost Tenebrus Luxthat just didn't sit right with her. What kind of connection did it have to Mark and Maggie?
