Red Rose: Chapter 5

After Hazel collected herself, she moved closer to Camilla, stooping down to look at her.

"Oh God, Cam...no...not you too..."

She brushed the newly fallen tears from her cheeks and pulled out her phone, deciding to collect her own evidence. Fuck Detective Lock, this was now her second friend murdered and she would rather die herself than suffer any more loss. She snapped pictures of the studio and then zoomed in to take the final pic of the red roses painted on Camilla's arm.

"I'll found out who did this to you Cam, I swear."

Determined, she left the room to call the police. 

Detective St. James arrived less than ten minutes later and let Hazel change before talking to her about what had happened. When he allowed her to leave, she immediately called Sebastian and met up with him outside her dorm room. She ran down the hall to him, letting him wrap his arms around her in a bear hug. Hazel spoke as they pulled away.

"Oh my God, Sebastian...I don't know what to do..."

"It's going to be okay, Hazel." He said, trying to comfort her. Suddenly, he paused, staring in worry over her shoulder. Hazel turned to see what the trouble was to find Detective Lock and two officers marching towards them.

"Hazel Key, you're under arrest."

"Are you serious?"

Detective Lock held up a pair of handcuffs, dangling them from his fingers.

"Please put your hands behind your back, Miss Key."

Hazel flinched as he clicked the cold steel around her wrists.

"You're making a mistake!" She insisted, twisting to try and look at him.

"Everything will be explained in interrogation."

At the police station, Hazel was placed in an all white tiled room. After a while, Detective Lock returned, sitting opposite her. 

"I was looking at your school file. You're a good student, accomplished ballerina, very impressive. So what would drive such a star student to murder?"

"What are you even talking about?," Hazel snapped. "I didn't murder anyone!"

Detective Lock leaned back and crossed his arms. "We found your ballet shoes in the studio, Miss Key, and it seems it was the ribbons on those shoes that strangled Camilla Ramirez."

"That doesn't mean I killed her. Why would I kill my best friend?"

He shrugged. "Teenage girls can be cruel. Perhaps Miss Ramirez and Miss Mastuhara shut you out of their trio. Shunned you. People have killed for less."

"So what? Now you're blaming me for Rin's murder too? That's ridiculous! What about the red roses? You're looking for a painter and I can barely draw a stick figure."

Detective Lock stroked his chin in thought. "You do have a point...but any good prosecutor will have no problem building a case against you. Even without the red roses." 

He shook his head as a knock came from the other side of the mirror behind him. He stood up from his chair. 

"I'll be right back." He said as he left the room.

 When he was out of the room, Hazel pulled out her phone to look at the crime scene photos she took. There had to be something Detective Lock missed. If the prosecution could dismiss such a huge detail, there must be something else to help clear her name. As she landed on the photo of the painted red roses, she zoomed in even closer and noticed something that chilled her to the bone. She was pulled out of her hypnotic state by the door opening and Detective Lock returning. She pocketed her phone quickly and stood up. "You have to let me leave right now."

"No way, I'm not done with you." He replied, taking his seat again.

"Please, Detective, I think...I think I know who the murderer is. But I need to double check my findings before I tell you."

He furrowed his brows and pinched the bridge of his nose before saying, "Okay, if you clue me in on your evidence, I might be swayed."

Hazel cleared her throat. "Well...let's see...a painting is filled with little things that make them unique to the painter. Everything from the amount of paint they use to how hard or soft they press down on the canvas that creates the brush strokes. Some artists even make their own paints themselves. It's as identifiable as a fingerprint. I...I think I know who it is because I've seen the roses up close. But I don't want to say names until I'm absolutely sure. Please...Detective..."

Detective Lock leaned back with an impressed look on his face. He sighed slowly.

"Because of the evidence against you, Miss Key, I can't release you right now."

At Hazel's defeated look, he took another breath before adding, "But here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to get some coffee. Now let's say I forgot to lock the door when I left...oops...stupid me. I could be gone for say...an hour before I notice you're gone."

He rose from his seat again to leave. "But what about the guy behind the two-way mirror?"

He paused at the door. "Oh, I sent Ben to get us lunch." He gave her a rare smile as he turned the knob.

"Good luck, Miss Key."