They Killed My Daughter

~* At the Police Station *~

"MURDERERS! They're all murderers! Officer, you must arrest them. They took away my daughter." Mrs. Hart gasps for breath as the police escort her into the police station for questioning.

Mrs. Gonzalez, Mr. Gonzalez, and Mackerel are also brought in, alongside Shyla's elder brother, Mike.

Mrs. Hart's wails reverberated through the room as she pointed accusing fingers at Garret and his family, each accusation punctuated by anguished sobs. "They... they took away my Peony. My Peony doesn't lie, but she lied that she wasn't with them."

Amidst the emotional storm, Mr. Gonzalez intervened, carefully choosing his words, "She isn't in her right mind, officer. She has Alzheimer's and forgot that her daughter was already married to our son Garret."

The Head Officer, a stoic figure in the midst of turmoil, calmly addressed Mr. Gonzalez, "We need to thoroughly investigate this matter. Please cooperate with the interrogation." He turned to the crowd and added, "I know the current situation is grim and hard for everyone, but please cooperate."

As Mrs. Hart continued to mumble like a broken record, her words echoed in the room, a poignant reminder of her fragile mental state. "Murderers, all are murderers. My only daughter, my sweet daughter."

Mrs. Gonzalez, succumbing to the emotional tumult, joined the heartbreaking act with confidence, her wails intertwining with Mrs. Hart's. "My Peony, my dear daughter-in-law, why did you leave? Garret, what happened? Tell me everything, my son. What did you do?"

"M-mom, I-I don't k-know. All of a sudden our car exploded. Peony, why did you leave me?" Garret wailed, his voice trembling with grief.

Mrs. Gonzalez continued her act, "What? Car explosion? Are you alright, my son? Did anything happen to you?" She searched for any signs of wounds, her pretend maternal concern taking over.

"Nothing happened to me. I wasn't inside the car at that time. I went out, and there I met Shyla. I was with her."

Shyla trembled in her thoughts, "You idiot! Why do you mention my name? Mrs. Gonzalez will definitely make me the perfect scapegoat now."

Mrs. Hart, fueled by a torrent of anguish, dashed to Garret and delivered a resounding slap. "You killed my daughter! Yes, you murdered my daughter. You killed her." Her cries reverberated through the room, each word laden with a pain that words struggled to encapsulate.

Garret cups his face in pain, his anguished words echoing, "I should have died with Peony. Why am I alive?"

Mrs. Hart, overwhelmed, hyperventilates. Her heart-wrenching wails persist until she collapses. A concerned constable rushes to prop her up, gently guiding her into a seat.

Mr. Gonzalez's intervention quivered with frustration and desperation. "Officer, is this your way to interrogate? Clearly, Mrs. Hart and my son aren't well, and now you aren't even handling the situation."

The Officer's response was a stoic echo, "We are doing what we can. You're a respectable figure in our city but for investigation we need to be blind to the past accomplishments."

Mr. Gonzalez nodded solemnly, "I agree with you."

Mrs. Gonzalez, teary-eyed, added her plea, "We want justice for our daughter-in-law. Mrs. Hart, please control yourself. My son was simply outside at that time. He always takes care of Peony; why would he do that?"

Mr. Gonzalez, seeking clarity, asked, "What are you trying to say?"

Mrs. Gonzalez continued through her tears, "Garret wasn't with her when the explosion happened, but he was with her all the time. He barely escaped."

In the background, Shyla's thoughts raced, "Is she somehow indirectly diverting the blame to Garret? What a player!"

Mike nudges Shyla, whispering, "What did you do this time?"

"I-I didn't do anything. I just got unlucky," Shyla answers, her voice tinged with defensiveness.

"Why did you get involved with them? Don't you know how dangerous they are?"

"I'm telling you it was a coincidence. I didn't want to get involved this time," Shyla whispers, the weight of her words conveying a mix of fear and regret.

"Mr. Mike, come in for interrogation," Constable Han calls.

Mike enters the room, and after his interrogation concludes, others follow suit.

"Mrs. Gonzalez, come in for interrogation," Constable Han declares. She enters the room and takes a seat across from the officer. Her face plastered with grief.

"So you're Mr. Garret's step-mother, correct?" the officer commences.

"Yes, Officer," she answers, lowering her voice.

"How was your son's relationship with the victim?" the officer asks.

"They married just two days ago, newly married. They married out of love. Their relationship was like any other lovely couple. My son especially treasured my daughter-in-law. I don't believe my son would do anything, officer."

The Officer continues, "So, according to you, their relationship was good."

"Yes, Officer, they were on their way to their honeymoon. In the morning, she was smiling so brightly," Mrs. Gonzalez started wailing.

"Calm down, then what happened in the morning?"

Mrs. Gonzalez recounts the events that occurred.

Suddenly, the officer asks, "Do you know Miss Shyla?"

"I know her. She used to be with my son before marriage, but after marriage, my son didn't even meet her. They had a relationship as far as I know. I'm not sure why she was there with my son today," she adds.

The officer continues, "What are your thoughts on the victim?"

She starts weeping. The officer bangs the table. "Madam, please cooperate. Tell me truthfully."

"She was a sweet girl; she loved my son dearly. Our household was blessed with a daughter-in-law like her."

"What about your driver?" the officer probes.

"W-what do you mean?" Mrs. Gonzalez questions.

"The driver died in the explosion today. So I am asking your thoughts on it," the officer probes further.

"What are you saying? He died?" Mrs. Gonzalez asks, her voice filled with shock and disbelief.

"Yes, he is no more," the officer continues.

Mrs. Gonzalez acts, "It's possible, both of them must have been locked in the car."

The officer continues, "Can the car be locked without escape?"

Mrs. Gonzalez frets, then gaining composure, she mumbles, "It might be possible. That is Garret's favourite car. My husband gifted him on his birthday. He used to lock himself inside whenever he was sad and didn't want to talk to anyone."

"Does Mr. Garret have control of this car?" the officer asks.

"Yes, his smartwatch can control it," she answers, then feigns innocence and pretends to act as a loyal mother, "B-but I'm sure he won't do that. You can see it in his eyes; he was true to Peony."

"That is for us to investigate. Thank you for your cooperation. You can fill out the form outside." The officer's stern tone echoes through the room.

While leaving the room, Mrs. Gonzalez thinks to herself, "Is he really dead? He better be dead than be caught." A shiver of dark thoughts traverses her mind, leaving a trail of ominous intentions in the wake of the unfolding investigation.

"Now, Mrs. Hart, please come in," Constable Han says.

Mrs. Hart, caught in waves of consciousness and delirium, stumbles into the room. Whenever she regains awareness, she mumbles, "Arrest them all, they all took away my daughter from me. My only daughter."

Mr. Gonzalez, his voice cracking with desperation, steps in and yells, "Officer, stop this right now! She needs the hospital more than the investigation."

Seeing how Mrs. Hart is losing consciousness every minute, the officer, his demeanour momentarily softened, agrees to it.

Mr. Gonzalez, seizing the opportunity to exploit the situation, takes the initiative to arrange medical help for Mrs. Hart in his privately owned hospital.

He thinks, "No matter what, she cannot be left for the interrogation." Mr. Gonzalez's internal calculations deepen, hinting at a hidden agenda as he orchestrates the diversion of Mrs. Hart from the investigation.