Academy Murders: On the TV

Doors closed. Lights flashed. Footsteps pounded against gravel. Not giving a damn about her ankle monitor, Kim tracked down the suspect who just ran down the hall from her hotel room.

She wished the agents were there to see her now. As she ran, she remembered the stitches on her chest. Once she reached the ground floor of the place, she turned and kept running. Her heels flew into the air and her feet smacked against the rough terrain.

At last, she ran through grass and kept her target in sight. No better time to have a pistol and shout “freeze!” she thought. Kim kept going. Her feet were bloody and slick, running through the open, grassy field.

Turbo engaged. Her legs burned but she grew faster and faster and faster. She tackled her. No cuffs, nothing but her martial arts training contributed to her ability to subdue the suspect.

“Aargh!” the woman emitted a primal screech. Then Kim wrapped her arms around the woman’s neck and she slowly lost consciousness.

In the interrogation room, Kim had changed and bandaged her feet. She wore a black blazer and black sneakers. The ankle monitor still attached to her bleeped normally again.

“You’re facing murder one. You wanted me to take the fall for something you did. I chased you down and now you're here. You can have a lawyer. Fine. I want you to exercise what individual rights you actually still possess. What do you want to learn from me?”

Her name was Cassie McDavis. She had bleach blond hair that hung in strands. Her face was smeared with light makeup, but the smearing looked like it was caked on her. She was slightly overweight but still had a face that looked well-put-together. Although she was not.

“I didn’t do whatever you thought I did.”

“Why were you about to knock on my door and then run away in a mad dash? Why are you even alive?” Kim asked. Another agent named Salaam Quan stared at them. He had a bald head the color of an almond. He had a slight build and a six foot frame. He looked intently.

“I don’t know, I just had to get away. I had to see you. I don’t know! I just…I’ve never seen a celebrity before.”

Almost taken aback, breathless even, Kim looked at Quan. He held a blank stare and then moved into a corner with his arms crossed.

“I just wanted….” She lit a cigarette and pulled from it. The cobalt smoke reached the ceiling. She sipped coffee.

“You just wanted what?”

“I mean I saw you on the TV. I followed your whole story. I knew about your days in New Sweden. I knew you were going to make the dean’s list. I knew that you dropped out and went into the Marines…that you studied and became a mustang…that you became a detective….that you solved those QR cases…and ended up behind bars yourself.” She breathed and took another toke of the nicotine stick. “I just wanted to see you.”

Slightly shaken, Kim bristled at the developments here.

“Okay…let’s keep this off of me from here on out. Let’s focus on what you know about Susan, alright?”

“Oh, her! I think that she was troubling you, but I don’t think you hurt her. No way!”

She threw her head back and stamped out the cigarette. She took a sip of coffee.

On the other side of the mirror Kim and Quan looked as Cassie fixed her hair in the mirror.

“Is this our suspect?” Quan asked.

“She is not.”

“What are we going to do?”

“Release her.”