“What the hell!” Steve calls out.
“Lay belly flat on the floor with your hands to your sides.” A officer says from somewhere in the room.
Recognizing the voice, Steve calls out “Lei?”
“Stay still, Steve!” Detective Lei WuLong walks over to Steve taking his handcuffs from his black pants. He bends over him.
“What’s goin on, Lei?” Steve asks with a hint of panic in his voice.
“You’re being arrested for the murder of Nina Williams.” With that said, he pulls Steve to a standing position.
Steve’s mouth is open in shock as he’s being lead out the front door of his home.
Laughing, Eddy tells her, "Yeah, and that's our little secret."
“I didn’t kill Nina. I didn’t even know she was dead.” Steve says as soon as Lei walks up.
Lei shakes his head, as if he feels bad to about arresting him. “Face forward.”
Steve does as he’s told. Looking straight forward to the camera, the flash almost blinds him. He blinks a few times and then is told to face his left. Doing so, he sees the flash through his peripheral vision.
“Come on.” Lei ushers him forward to a table where Steve sees an ink pad and paper. Lei presses Steve’s right thumb and roll it from left to right. After ward, pressing it to a white piece of paper with Steve’s name, address and date of birth. He does the same with Steve’s left thumb. Getting a tissue, Lei hands it to Steve and escorts him to the dreaded interrogation room.
“Have a seat, Steve. This shouldn’t take long.” With that, Lei leaves the room.
Steve has a few minutes to think before the door is opened again and in walks Lei and another Detective with short silver hair.
“Steve, this is Detective Bryan Fury.” Steve looks at the other Detective and immediately can tell who the good cop and the bad are.
“Steve, why’d you kill Ms. Williams?” Bryan says without speed.
“I, I didn’t kill Nina.” Steve stutters. Looking at Lei, “You know me, Lei. Tell him.”
Bryan faces Lei, “You know him?” Lei shakes his head yes. “You know the rules, Lei. You’re not allowed to interrogate arrestees you have acquaintance with.”
Lei shakes his head knowingly and heads towards the door. Turning to face Steve, “I’m sorry, Steve.” Lei bends his head and his long black ponytail slides over his shoulder. Facing the door once more, he leaves.
20 minutes later, Steve is escorted by Detective Bryan, to a black phone hanging from the wall. Bryan doesn’t have to tell Lei. It’s obvious Steve didn’t confess to the murder. Lei almost smiles.
“Hello?” A woman’s voice answers.
Steve visibly sighs with relief. “Julia, it’s me.”
“Steve? Why aren’t you home? We’re supposed to go out to dinner tonight. Don’t tell me you forgot?” Her tone went from questioning to slightly angry.
“I didn’t forget, Julia. But I need you to come down to the police station…”
“What? Why! What happened, Steve?”
“Julia, I can’t tell you right now. I just really need you to come down to the police station.”
A pause.“Julia?
“Yeah, I’m here. I’m coming.” She hangs up.
Steve does the same, turning to see Detective Bryan staring at him.
15 minutes later, Julia comes through the station doors. Lei is there to meet her. She hugs him and he shows her to Steve’s cell. “I want to go in with him.”
Steve looks up and sees his wife; her long sandy brown hair loose, with green scrubs and a white coat. She turns to him and Lei is about to say something, when Bryan interrupts.
“That wouldn’t be advisable, Miss.” She glares at him.
“He’s my husband…” Bryan cuts her off.
“He’s a dangerous man. He killed Nina Williams…”
“My husband is not dangerous. He didn’t kill anyone.” Someone calls Bryan. He reluctantly leaves.
Turning to Lei, “Can I go in?” Julia asks.
She sits down across from him. He holds her hands in his. “Julia, listen. No matter what they tell you, know this, I’m innocent. I didn’t kill Nina. I promise you."
Julia shakes her head and it looks as if she’s going to cry. “I believe you, Steve.” She lifts his hands to her face, and kisses them.
“I have a few questions to ask you, Mrs. Fox.” Detective Bryan sits across from her.
“It’s Miss Chang.” She says sitting down.
“I was under the impression Mr. Fox was your husband.” He looks at her questioningly.
“He is my husband. I’m an Intern. It’s easier to keep my maiden name, for records purposes.” Julia looks at him.
“Ok, Ms. Chang. Was Mr. Fox at home 2 nights ago?”
Julia swallows. “No. I waited up, for him all night.”
Bryan writes this down on his little white notebook. “Did he ever come home that night?”
She pauses. “Well, I fell asleep around 6. When I awoke, he was asleep next to me. So yes, I guess he did come home.”
He continues to write in his notebook. “When awakened later, did you ever ask him why he came home so late?”
“Yes.” She shakes her head. “He told me that he went to Hwoarang’s to finish a project they were working on…”
“And what type of work does your husband do?” Bryan looks up.
“…”
“What type of work does your husband do, Ms. Chang?” Bryan looks kind of suspicious.
“I’m sorry”, shaking her head to clear it. “Steve works for a videogame company. GameX.”
Bryan writes this down. Julia leans forward to see what he was writing. Bryan covered with his hand. She leaned back.
“I had no reason to doubt him. He regularly does this.”
“Your husband ‘regularly’ drinks?”
“Yes. Why?” Looking kind of scared.
“Does he have a problem remembering things from the night before?” He’s writing and glancing up at her.
“No. Not around me, anyway. But I can’t speak for everyone else.”
Bryan finally stops writing. Looking up, “That’s all the questions. If I have anymore, we’ll talk.” He stands.
She stands and shakes her head ‘okay’. He holds the door for her. They head out the room and down the hall. On her way out the door, Julia glances back down the hall past Bryan.
In the cell, Steve is watching her. With a determined expression she says, “I’m going to help you. I promise.”
