Chapter 4: Threads of Deception

Rain blurred the interrogation room’s glass panes, the steady hum of water cascading down echoing in the silent tension. Ruby sat stiffly, her hands gripping the edges of the metal table. Across from her, Chief Inspector Cain tapped his pen lightly, his piercing gaze fixed on her.

“You’ve had time to think,” he said, his voice calm but laced with an edge that unnerved her. “Who killed Mia?”

Ruby’s breath hitched. She looked up, her eyes wide but unreadable. “I don’t know,” she whispered.

The inspector’s brow furrowed, the tapping ceasing abruptly. “I don’t believe you,” he said simply, leaning forward. “Something happened at that beach house. Something only you can explain. Start talking.”

Ruby looked away, her jaw tightening. The silence stretched, the only sound the rain pounding on the roof. Finally, she exhaled shakily and whispered a name.

The audio recorder blinked red, but as the name left her lips, it was drowned by static. A blur of consonants, unrecognizable, yet laced with unmistakable weight.

Cain straightened, his expression darkening.“Interesting,” he murmured. He tapped the table lightly, a signal for the officer outside.

The door creaked open, and another voice broke through. “Jack is ready for questioning, sir.”

Jack sat with his arms crossed tightly over his chest, his jaw clenched as he stared at the inspector. The dim light above cast harsh shadows across his face, accentuating the unease in his features.

“Jack,” Cain began, his tone almost conversational. “You were at the beach house. You knew Mia well.”

Jack scoffed softly.“Define ‘well.’ She made it her business to know everyone.”

“Especially their secrets,” Cain added, his gaze piercing.

Jack tensed but didn’t reply.

“She’s gone now, but secrets don’t die with the person who knows them,” the inspector continued, his words deliberate. “Do they, Jack?”

Jack’s jaw tightened further. “What are you getting at?”

Cain leaned back in his chair, his eyes never leaving Jack’s. “Ruby says you killed her.”

Jack’s head snapped up, disbelief flashing across his face. “She... what?”

“She named you,” Cain confirmed.

Jack leaned forward, his voice low but firm. “I didn’t kill Mia.”

Cain’s eyes narrowed. “But you know who did.”

The air in the room shifted, heavy with tension. Jack said nothing, but his silence was answer enough.

The scene shifted to days before Mia’s birthday. The beach house was alive with laughter and the sound of waves crashing against the shore. Inside, Jack found Mia sitting alone on the porch swing, her legs crossed and a cigarette balanced delicately between her fingers.

“You’re a hard woman to pin down,” Jack said, stepping onto the porch.

Mia glanced at him, her lips curling into a knowing smile. “And yet here you are, trying.”

He took a seat beside her, the wood creaking softly beneath his weight. “What’s with the theatrics, Mia? You’ve been... different lately.”

She took a long drag of her cigarette, the smoke curling lazily into the air. “Maybe I’ve just had a lot on my mind.”

“Like what?”

She turned to him, her smile sharp. “Secrets, Jack. Yours, mine, everyone’s. It’s fascinating what people think they can hide.”

His stomach knotted. “What are you trying to say?”

Mia’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “Relax. I’m not here to ruin your little life. Not yet anyway.”

Jack’s shoulders tensed. “Not everything’s a game, Mia.”

She chuckled softly, but her gaze hardened. “Oh, but it is. And you should know that better than anyone. Ruby, for example—”

“Leave her out of this,” Jack interrupted, his voice sharp.

Mia raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying his reaction. “Touchy. Still hung up on her, are you?”

Jack didn’t answer, his jaw tightening.

She leaned closer, her voice dropping to a near whisper. “Do you regret it, Jack? Losing her?”

He looked away, his silence speaking volumes.

Mia studied him for a moment before asking the question that hung heavily between them.“Do you still love her?"

Jack hesitated, his throat tight. Finally, he nodded, the movement small but unmistakable.

Mia leaned back, a satisfied smirk playing on her lips. “Well, that’s a shame. Because I’m starting to think she hates you.”

Jack’s eyes snapped back to hers, but before he could respond, she stubbed out her cigarette and stood. “Anyway, thanks for the chat. Always nice catching up.”

She walked away, leaving Jack on the porch, her words lingering like the smoke she left behind.

Back in the interrogation room, Cain watched Jack closely. “You’re holding back,” he said. “I can see it. Whatever happened at that beach house, you’re part of it.”

Jack’s gaze was steady but unreadable. “I didn’t kill her,” he said firmly.

Cain leaned forward. “Then who did?”

Jack’s lips parted as if to answer, but he hesitated, his mind flashing back to Mia’s cryptic words. “If I tell you,” He said finally, his voice low, “you’re not going to like it.”

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