Zander put the car in park near flashing blue and red lights and a growing crowd of strangers with camera phones. I felt a pinned, nauseous feeling in my stomach, as if I was going to throw up all over my lap. My heart began to beat too quickly out of my chest as I watched the grim scene play out in front of me. Everything was the same as it was a year ago. The same crowd of people, the flashing lights, whispers, and lies that caused me similar pains. I looked over to Zander, who was still scanning the area in the driver's seat. I took off my seatbelt, pulling on my leather jacket as the hot tears rolled down my cheeks. I was not ready to face what was waiting for me on the other side, but I knew I needed to do this. Zander took off his seatbelt and turned to me with a warming smile, placing his hand in my lap. I could see his eyes scanning the area around us along with mine. With a shake of his head, he took off his belt, and with a swift motion, he took the keys out of the ignition and climbed out slowly, coming over to my side to open my door. I nodded at him, gripping my phone in my hand as he placed his in my free one to lead me out.
"You've got this, Love. Just stick by me." He shut the passenger door as I clenched my purse in my shaky hands. His hand sat firmly in the middle of my back as we walked through the crowd side by side as the snickers and whispers continued to get louder and louder amongst the flashes of cameras of police officers, news reporters, and bystanders who seemed not to understand the concept of boundaries and respect.
"That's Juniper Haven…she killed her parents…did you hear she knew where they were? I heard she was the prime suspect….she is dangerous…"
I felt like a freak, the same scared girl who lost everything, and all I could hear was snickers, laughter, false allegations, and the bystanders seemingly afraid of me. I did everything I could to ignore them but acknowledged it. With a sigh, I walked side by side with Zander through the crowd and approached a tall and stocky man wearing a police uniform who wore it with pride, a scowl pressed firmly on his face. He placed a hand up to signal a stop. "Sorry, Miss. The viewing area is on the other side of the river. Please step aside." He crossed his arms firmly to his chest, staring Zander and me up and down.
Tilting my head toward the officer, I was careful. "I am Juniper Haven. Lieutenant Cooper called me and asked me to meet him here." I clenched my purse as tight as possible, praying my fingers wouldn't fall off. Scanning the area around us, my usual caramel-colored skin was now painted in flashing blue and red lights. I was becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the current scenario. Maybe I was dreaming; I could pinch myself repeatedly to wake from this nightmare.
The officer nodded, grabbing onto his radio and speaking loudly into it. "Officer Jackson to Cooper." A loud mumble came on to the radio before she heard his voice. "Lieutenant Cooper to Jackson, go ahead."
He spoke loudly again. "I have two individuals here. One of which is claiming to be Miss Haven. Should I send her on?" There was a silence between them for a moment as a gulp came about my throat.
"Keep her there. I am on my way."
Tapping my foot on the gravel ground, I waited and waited. The crowd around us, watching whatever was going to happen, seemed to grow much smaller as I waited for Lieutenant Cooper. He approached me moments later as my hand moved slowly into Zander's. I nodded to him as I looked over to Zander for some semblance of comfort. Zander extended his hand to shake his. Lieutenant Cooper shook his hand firmly before lifting the yellow tape to lead us through. Walking with us, he dabbed his face with his old balled-up handkerchief as the sweat poured from his face. Every officer who walked by me gave me a nod as I continued to clench my purse. He stopped us at a dug-up spot surrounded by ten officers and two gurneys, both having body bags laid perfectly on them. I could feel myself getting angry and scared again. I squeezed Zander's hand once before letting it go, taking a deep breath to focus hard on Cooper, the crashing of the lake water, and the ambiance behind me.
Cooper cleared his throat, moving the handkerchief into his back pocket. "Thank you for coming out. I am sorry if I disturbed your night out, but I felt this must be resolved. Did I make you come out of your way?" He asked as he pulled out his notepad.
"No worries," Zander said, touching my back again. I could feel how strong his hand was. It was soothing to me and safe. "We weren't too far away. Were you able to verify who the remains belong to? Are you certain they belong to her mom and dad?"
Cooper nodded. "We are as sure as we can be. There are two bodies in there, of course. We would have to send it to autopsy to verify, and we would need Juniper to sign some papers if that is the case." His eyes peered into mine as he crossed his arms, looking toward the hole, his head hanging low for a moment before he wrote a few scribbles on his pad. "Juniper, do you know why your mom and dad would be buried not even two miles from your home?" he said, peering back to me.
I cocked an eyebrow in the dark. "How would I know? I have told you the same story over and over again. They had no enemies, Lieutenant. Nobody would have ever hurt them, but them being buried so close to home, could it be someone that I know?"
He shrugged. "It is a possibility, but we are looking into everyone again. We did find something while they were dusting around the fragments of bone." He gestured for Zander and me to follow him. My heels clinked hard on the gravel beneath me as I pushed through the officers to keep pace, moving toward the dug hole in the ground. Zander pulled me backward, keeping me from the site as he caressed my shoulders. He was protecting me. Someone I barely knew shielded my eyes and fate from the dug ground. Cooper stopped at the Coroner's Van, pulling out an evidence bag and handing it to me. I held it tight in my hands, looking up at Cooper. He flashed a light at the inside object, and I froze. Holding it to the light, My bottom lip quivered in anger. I recognized the object as something I had seen before during my first year in high school. It was the lanyard each student received as a welcome; our school colors were embroiled in it—light blue with a purple trim. I handed the bag to Zander, who inspected the contents. He seemed worried for the moment but stayed silent. He turned the package around, looking inside and moving the object around. He nudged me, moving the object to the light.
"Love, Look." he showed me the lettering inside. The lanyard has a name on the inside. Looking much closer, I nearly fainted. It was mine.
A joke, a sick joke, this must be. I should have recognized it and noticed it had been missing from my room as I kept it inside my previous yearbook. Zander looked toward the flashing lights before handing it to Cooper. He stuffed his hands in his pocket and sighed, waiting patiently to hear his thoughts. I did not know how to explain this away. How could I? I felt defeated and alone; taking a breath, I asked, "So what was this doing there? It looks like I am being set up and framed here."
Before placing it back inside his coat, Cooper scribbled a few on his notepad. "Well, Miss Haven, all we have is two dead bodies here, and this is tying you to it. You may or may not be involved, but we must look over everything. Do you have any idea how this could have gotten here? Have you had any break-ins, or does someone know where this could be?"
I shook my head. "No. I know I had nothing to do with this, and I'm tired of repeating myself." I moved my hand back into Zander's. "Get me out of here, please." I kissed him on the cheek before my feet walked back toward the car. Turning my head, I glanced over to Cooper. "Maybe start looking for the actual killer, yeah? Stop harassing me and do your job, or I will have you removed from the case, and you know I could." Without another word, I stepped away, hoping I was doing the right thing. By morning, the remains of my mother and father were all over the news—story after story of random casters talking about what they saw versus what they were told. The one person I needed most to help me comb through the rumors and being called a murderer and a suspect was not answering my calls. I poured myself a cup of coffee while I waited, peering out the window above the sink where the garden used to be. It was always a place of safety for my mother and me. It was something for us to do to pass the time, but as summer ended, it was the last thing I wanted to fix before the new season started. Sighing, I sipped my cup slowly, savoring every drop. It was much needed as sleep seemed to allude to me. Closing my eyes, I turned around, leaning over the sink, clenching my cup as I pondered what to do next.