“What? You mean I’m a suspect?”
Pouring himself a cup of coffee, Tony thought before he answered, “Thank God, he’s our friend or I’m afraid you’d already be hauled over to the sheriff’s office to answer questions. Sierra… you are a suspect in the murder of that boy.”
“Papa, I swear I didn’t kill Randy. I’ve been mad at him for all those lies he’s been telling about me, but I would never kill anyone. Don’t you know that?” I can’t believe this, she thought. Even my own family thinks I shot Randy.
“You’d better go on home,” her dad said. “Sandra, you take her home and then come back and help me here. Sheriff Garza said he’d come to the house and talk with Sierra about one-thirty or two. I want to be there. You go on and take her home. I’ll call your mama and tell her what’s happening.” He turned to Sierra, “Do we need to call a lawyer?”
Sierra shook her head no and took off her apron. Everybody’s staring at me like I’m a murderer. Look at that Ella. Con su lengua Larga. She’ll have the chisme all over town before sundown. She followed Sandra out the back door and listened to her sister moan and complain how this was going to make the family look.
“We’ll be the talk of town. How embarrassing! How could you get us into this Sierra?” Sierra didn’t answer, but gave her sister her meanest look.
“Go on, make faces Sierra. That’s good, I’m sure that’ll impress the judge and the hangman when he slips the noose around your neck. You’re in a mess and too stupid to care. My sister the murderer.”
Chapter 13
Her mother was crying and pacing the floor when they walked in. Rosemary was eating Cheerios and watching cartoons. She stopped eating and looked up when her sisters came through the door. Milk dripped from her chin back into the bowl as she said, “Sierra I know you didn’t murder that boy.”
Anna cried louder and Sandra threw up her hands in a theatrical gesture and said, “From the mouths of babes. I wish I could just die.”
“Thank you, Rosemary. I didn’t kill anybody, but it looks like you and I are the only ones in the family that are sure about it. I’ll be in my room if that’s all right with you Mama.” Not waiting for an answer she walked away, leaving her mother crying, Rosemary dripping milk and Sandra trying out for a Shakespearian play, waving her arms above her head and bemoaning her misfortune to have a murderer for a sister.
I wish I had the nerve to tell Sandra that if she doesn’t shut up, I’m going to kill her next and use the same gun I shot Randy with, Sierra thought. I bet that would shut her up. I’ve got to think this out, plan what I’m going to tell the sheriff when he comes. One thing’s for sure, I’ve got to keep my mouth shut about what happened last night. I’ve already told so many lies to Mama and Papa, I’m not sure if I can ever tell anyone the truth. I’d like to be able to tell them yes, I got drunk on prom night and yes, I had sex with Randy. Maybe the world’s shortest sex act, but sex nonetheless.
I wonder if that’s all there is to sex. Heck, if that’s all there is to it, why would anyone even want to do it? I wish I could tell everyone that Randy tried to rape me last night and I had to hit him on the head with a rock to stop him. But, I can’t. I’ve already lied myself into a hole. Now I’ve got to stay with the story.
What would it do to them if I told them? Yes, Papa I got drunk, screwed Randy’s brains out and beat him on the head with a rock. Oh yes, I’m sure they would just love to hear something like that. And Sandra, oh my gosh, she gets her back arched over nothing. I can hear her now in the kitchen pitching a fit about what a tramp sister she has embarrassing her. Give me a break. No, I’m into it already and I don’t have any choice but to stay with the stories I’ve already told.
Chapter 14
At two o’clock there was a knock on her bedroom door. Her father opened the door and said, “Sierra, the sheriff’s here.” Having heard the two cars pull up in the drive, she was ready for the knock and not surprised when her father called her.
“I’m coming,” she said and prayed a little prayer as she opened the door to face her father and Sheriff Rey Garza. Somehow Rey didn’t look the same with a western hat pulled low on his head and a gun strapped around his waist. Somehow he didn’t look as friendly as he had last night at the park.
“Sierra,” he smiled and motioned her to sit down on the couch. When she did, he pulled up a chair and sat close to face her. “The first thing I’ve got to do is advise you of you constitutional rights. Now, I don’t think for a minute that you murdered that boy, but I want you to have all the protection the law gives you. Understand?”
“I understand.”
“You have the right to remain silent. You have the right to have an attorney. You have the right to have that attorney present while I question you. Sierra, you don’t have to talk with me. You don’t have to say a word. You can go back into your room any time you want. Understand?”
She nodded and he went on, “But, if you do talk with me, anything you say can be used against you in a court of law. Do you understand that?” Again she nodded and he continued. “Sierra, do you want to call an attorney?”
“No sir.”
“Do you want to talk with me about your relationship with the deceased? Randy.”
“I don’t mind. I didn’t shoot Randy.”
“I really believe you. I’m sure you didn’t murder Randy. How old are you Sierra?”
“Seventeen.”
“Good, if you were any younger, I’d have to take you before a magistrate before I could talk with you. That might open you and your family up for more gossip than there already is. Would you like for your mother and daddy to leave the room while we talk?”
“No, it’s okay. I want them here.” Her dad came and sat beside her on the couch. He was pale and drawn and didn’t say a word. She thought he looked scared and reached out and took his hand in hers. “Go on, Mr. Garza, ask whatever you want.” Her dad mumbled something about it was now Sheriff Garza.
“All right, Sierra, why don’t you tell me whatever you feel is important.”
“Where do you want me to begin?”
“At the beginning.”
“Well there’s not much to tell. Randy asked me to the prom. It was my first prom. Randy Howard was not my first choice for the prom, but, as it turned out, Leo Castro had asked Jill Harris instead. The Sounds of Music were playing at the dance. Mama helped me get dressed. Sandra let me borrow her gold necklace, the antique necklace that had belonged to our great grandmother.”
Sierra paused and Sheriff Garza said, “Go on.”
“Papa told me that I shouldn’t plan on staying out all night, said for us to be home by two A.M., not a second later. When Randy arrived, he had a purple orchid for me and then we left in his old blue pickup. Randy told me to open the glove box and when I asked him why he said, “Just open it and you’ll see.”
“What did you see?”
“There were two glasses in there and then he told me to take one of the glasses and hold it under a hose. When I placed a glass under the hose, Randy reached and pushed the windshield washer button and liquid squirted from the hose into the glass.
“What was the liquid?” Garza