Carter stared at the photo in his hand, the single stand of hair occupying his thoughts, his mind racing.
The strands of the investigation were starting to weave together. Micha's death had been violent, personal. The discovery of the blonde hair in the glove added a new dimension to the case, one that pointed toward Alison. She was the only blonde among Micha's circle of friends, and while circumstantial, the evidence couldn't be ignored.
The interrogation room was silent except for the rhythmic ticking of the clock on the wall. Alison sat across from Carter, her hands fidgeting in her lap. Her usually composed demeanor was shattered, replaced by a mixture of fear and frustration.
"Detective," Alison began, her voice trembling, "I… I'm telling you, I didn't do this. Micha was my friend. We may have had our differences, but I would never hurt her."
Carter placed the evidence bag on the table between them. "A blonde hair was found in this glove, Alison. Micha's blood is on it, and it was in the bin near her dorm. You're the only blonde in the group."
Alison's eyes widened in disbelief. "Are you serious? Do you know how many blondes there are on this campus? That hair could belong to anyone!"
"It's a strong lead," Carter said calmly. "And you have a motive. Micha and James were dating, and yet, you… had feelings for James, didn't you?"
Alison's cheeks flushed. "Yes, I liked James, but that doesn't mean I killed Micha! She and I resolved our issues. I moved on!"
"Did you?" Carter pressed, his eyes narrowing. "Witnesses said you and Micha argued often. And just last month, someone saw you and Micha in a heated exchange outside the library."
"It wasn't about James," Alison said, her voice rising. "It was… about something else. Personal stuff. Not everything is about a love triangle, Detective."
"What was it about, then?" Carter leaned forward, his tone sharp.
Alison hesitated, her gaze dropping to the table. "She… she accused me of spreading rumors about her. It wasn't true. She was paranoid."
"And that paranoia led her to threaten you?" Carter asked, his tone probing.
Alison's head snapped up. "Threaten me? No! Look, Micha and I weren't perfect, but I didn't kill her. You have to believe me."
Carter studied her for a moment before pulling out a photograph of Micha and James, taken at a campus party. Micha's arm was draped over James's shoulder, her smile radiant. Alison's eyes flicked to the photo, and her jaw tightened.
"You wanted to be in her place," Carter said softly. "Didn't you?"
Alison's fists clenched. "This is ridiculous. Yes, I liked James. But do you know what it was like watching him choose her over me? It hurt, okay? But that's life. People get over it."
Carter's gaze didn't waver. "Did you get over it, Alison? Or did that hurt turn into anger?"
"I didn't kill her!" Alison shouted, her voice cracking. Tears welled up in her eyes. "Why would I throw away everything over something so stupid? You don't have any real evidence against me. That hair could belong to anyone!"
"Forensics will tell us soon enough," Carter said, his voice calm. "But until then, I need you to stay available. Don't leave campus."
Alison stood abruptly, her chair screeching against the floor. "I didn't do it. I swear to you, Detective. You're wasting your time."
Carter watched her leave, his expression unreadable. As the door slammed shut behind her, he leaned back in his chair, his mind churning. The evidence was compelling, but Alison's reaction—the raw emotion, the frustration—felt genuine. Yet, he'd seen guilty people cry before.
Outside, Alison stormed across the campus grounds, her chest heaving with a mix of anger and fear. She pulled out her phone and dialed Kyro. When he answered, she wasted no time.
"They think I did it," she said, her voice shaking. "They found a blonde hair in a stupid glove, and now they're looking at me like I'm a murderer."
"What?" Kyro's voice was sharp. "That's insane. You didn't do anything."
"I know that, but they don't care," Alison snapped. "They're convinced it was me because of James and Micha."
"We'll figure this out," Kyro said firmly. "Just stay calm. They don't have anything solid. They're grasping at straws."
"What if they make something solid?" Alison asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "I don't trust them, Kyro. What if they pin this on me?"
Kyro's silence on the other end was unnerving. Finally, he said, "We won't let that happen. Stick to the truth, and you'll be okay."
Alison wasn't so sure. As she hung up and walked back to her dorm, her mind raced with possibilities. Someone had killed Micha, and if it wasn't her, then who? And why were they so intent on framing her?
In the shadows of the campus, someone watched her go, their face hidden, their intentions far darker than Alison could imagine.
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Later that evening, Alison sat in her room, surrounded by the remnants of her usual study routine. Books and notebooks lay untouched as she stared at her phone, her thoughts spiraling. Finally, she summoned the courage to call her friends. Within minutes, James, Kyro, and Amber arrived, their faces painted with concern."What's going on?" Amber asked, sitting cross-legged on Alison's bed.
Alison ran a hand through her hair, her frustration palpable. "They think I did it."
James frowned. "Who? The cops?"
"Detective Carter," Alison clarified, her voice trembling. "They found a blonde hair in a glove with Micha's blood. And guess what? I'm the only blonde they're looking at."
Amber gasped. "That's ridiculous! That hair could belong to anyone."
"That's exactly what I told them," Alison said, pacing the room. "But Carter brought up the… the whole thing with James and Micha."
Kyro leaned forward, his brow furrowed. "The love triangle?"
Alison nodded, her cheeks flushing. "He knows about how I felt about James. And how Micha and I… weren't exactly on great terms back then."
James's face darkened. "That was months ago. We're past that. You and Micha made up."
"Did we?" Alison countered, her voice bitter. "I mean, we said we did, but there was always tension. And Carter's using that against me. He even mentioned people seeing us argue outside the library."
Amber's eyes darted between Alison and James. "Wait… are they saying you had a motive because of James?"
"Exactly," Alison said, collapsing into her chair. "They think I couldn't handle Micha and James being together, that I was jealous enough to…" She trailed off, the weight of the accusation too much to finish.
James shook his head vehemently. "That's insane. You wouldn't hurt anyone, least of all Micha."
"Tell that to Carter," Alison muttered. "He's convinced that my feelings for you turned into some kind of… obsession. That I couldn't stand Micha being with you."
Kyro rubbed his temples. "This is so messed up. They're just grasping at straws because they have nothing solid."
Amber hesitated, then asked softly, "But… Alison, is there anything else? Anything that might make them think you… you could…?"
Alison's eyes snapped to Amber's, hurt flashing across her face. "You think I—"
"No! No, of course not," Amber interrupted quickly. "I just mean… maybe there's something they're twisting. Something you said or did that looks bad but isn't."
Alison sighed, her shoulders slumping. "I don't know. We argued, okay? Micha accused me of spreading rumors about her. I denied it, but she didn't believe me. And yes, we fought about James before, but I never… I would never hurt her."
James leaned forward, his voice firm. "Then we'll help you prove that. Carter doesn't know the full story."
"What is the full story?" Kyro asked, his tone cautious. "You said there was tension. Was there anything else that could…" He gestured vaguely, "make this worse?"
Alison hesitated, then shook her head. "No. I swear. Micha and I weren't as close as before again, but I didn't kill her. Someone's framing me."
Amber reached out, placing a comforting hand on Alison's knee. "We believe you. But we need to figure out who would do this. Who would want to make it look like you're guilty?"
The room fell silent as the weight of the question hung in the air. They each replayed the past few months in their minds, searching for answers that refused to come.
Finally, James broke the silence. "Maybe it's not about you. Maybe Micha… knew something. Or someone wanted her out of the way."
"Then why the blonde hair?" Alison asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "Whoever did this knew it would point to me."
Kyro's jaw tightened. "We need to dig deeper. Find out who else had a reason to hurt Micha."
Amber nodded. "And fast. Because if Carter keeps focusing on you, Alison, the real killer's going to get away."
Alison looked at her friends, their determined faces giving her a sliver of hope. "Thank you. I don't know what I'd do without you guys."
"We're in this together," James said firmly. "No matter what."
However, no one believed a single word that was said.
Each person had their own suspicions, finding it difficult to trust each other. But one thing was certain, one of then was lying, if not that, then one of them knew what was happening.
As the group sat in quiet solidarity, a chilling realization settled over them. Micha's killer was still out there, and whoever it was, they were playing a dangerous game—one that could destroy them all.