The detective frowned when he noticed my hesitation. My answer didn't sit right with him at all.
"Lost in thought? You mean to tell me that while a house was engulfed in flames, you stood there like a statue, and it never crossed your mind to call for help?"
"Where is my family? I want my lawyer."
The detective sighed deeply, annoyed by my defiance and refusal to cooperate.
"You're actually in no position to make demands right now. As for your family, they haven't been notified yet. And as for your lawyer—if you cooperate and answer my questions, you won't need a lawyer."
The detective leaned forward again, his gaze hardening.
"Let's start from the beginning. Why were you really out that night? You can't expect me to believe you were there just by coincidence. I know you're holding back, so let's hear it."
I scowled and slammed my hand on the table.
"It was a total coincidence!"
The detective's patience with me was beginning to wear thin.
"You keep saying that, but I don't believe you. People don't just stumble upon a crime scene by accident. There has to be a reason you were there, and I'm going to find out what it is."
"I told you, I was meeting my boyfriend!"
The detective's gaze hardened, and he let out a sarcastic laugh.
"Fine, let's say I believe you. Your boyfriend was late, and the house caught fire while you were waiting for him. But that still doesn't explain why you didn't try to help or call for assistance. You just stood there and watched it burn. Do you realize how suspicious that looks?"
"I didn't know what to do. The colors of the flames were so beautiful... I just couldn't look away."
The detective's face wore a mixture of disappointment and disbelief. He couldn't tell if I was being serious or mocking him.
"You didn't know what to do? You were admiring the colors of the flames? Are you trying to mess with me, or are you truly this apathetic?"
"I'm young, you can't pin this on me!"
"Being young doesn't mean lacking common sense. You saw a burning house, and instead of calling for help, you stood there admiring the flames like it was some art exhibit. That is just plain stupid and irresponsible."
I stood up angrily from my seat.
"I didn't burn the house down. No one got hurt. I'm going home."
Because I stood up, he rose from his chair as well. His sudden movement caused the coffee on the table to wobble.
"Not so fast. You're not going anywhere until I get answers. You may not have started the fire, but you're still involved. And if you think watching a house burn is normal behavior, who knows what other kind of trouble you've gotten yourself into?"
Just as I opened my mouth to continue my defense, a police officer entered the interrogation room. Lifting his gaze from the papers in his hand, he looked at the detective.
"We found a body at the scene after the flames were brought under control."
The detective's expression grew serious as he listened to the officer. He exchanged a brief, meaningful glance with him.
"So they found a body, huh? Do we know anything about the person yet?"
The officer looked back down at his papers gloomily.
"A young man in his early twenties. He was burned pretty badly, but we were able to identify him by his belongings found near the body."
The detective nodded, digesting the information. He looked at me, suspicion in his brown eyes.
"And the victim's name?"
"His name is Evan. A local artist."
My heart tightened at the sound of the name. My mind was playing tricks on me, wasn't it? Was it just a coincidence that they shared the same name, or did the body they found belong to my boyfriend?