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So after a VERY bumpy stretch of road in my life, I’m finally back on writing,yay! I hope to get more out soon, but I focused on something a little easier to get me started!

Here we meet Verity, and Barkley really needs to learn how to correctly convince a witness to help in the case. Aleiah takes over for the interview since uh... Barkley isn’t the most gentle at the best of times, but we’ll all get to see Barkley’s interrogation interview methods when it comes to meeting the Alexander we see discussed below. And things really, really get fiery there.

For now, though, enjoy Aleiah’s gentler, more professional touch. Oh also, she’s a Dr in, an official capacity, in psychology. Under the table and as part of the agency though-- she’s a doctor of cryptobiology (being able to make up fake things for the world I'm in is fun).

This is taken straight out of draft one, so it’s shaky and subject to change but! Here goes nothing.

[BEGIN LOG]

[Interviewer: Dr Aleiah King. Dated ██████. Informal interview in Dr King’s room at the local Inn]

[██████ is a maid at the Whiterose estate. For her own protection, she will be referred to under the alias of Verity. Interviewee agreed to only be interviewed privately, for a short while, with the agreement that no one else is informed. This was after much persuasion from Agent Barkley -- whom she refused to speak with. Interviewee expressed anxiety repeatedly before recording, and fidgetted frequently throughout. She insists that she cannot stay too long.]

DR KING: I’d like to thank you for agreeing to do this, it helps to have at least one person willing to cooperate.

VERITY: It’s… Okay. I just- I want this over with. I just want to be left alone.

DR KING: I understand. Barkley can be…. [sighs], forthright, sometimes. I know. I’m sorry if she’s been disruptive.

VERITY: [scoffs] Disruptive? Do you know how many times she’s shown up to my house? I speak to her once, and this is how she treats me? Is it standard procedure to harass people? My kids-

DR KING: -I apologise for my partner’s behaviour. But nothing about this case is standard. Barkley wants to find the truth, ██████. As do I. Miss Weiss’ journal indicates that you were one of the last to speak with her. Can you confirm this?

VERITY: Weiss?- You mean... Camille? Yes- she- she spoke with me. She wanted to know about the estate. About my job. [Pause] But I didn’t know her well, or anything.

DR KING: So, you weren’t friends?

VERITY: [laughs] God no. I mean- I tolerated Camille, like many did here. She wasn’t a bad girl, per se. But... far too forward for my liking. Every city girl stereotype you can imagine; that was Camille. We only talked a few times-- when she caught me walking home or… dropping my kids off at school.

DR KING: But you knew her well enough to be on a first name basis?

VERITY: [Pause] We’re… it’s a small town. We’re friendly enough here to all work on first names, maybe things are different in the big cities.

DR KING: Miss Weiss mentions you quite a bit. Is she… over exaggerating your level of interaction?

VERITY: … So we met a few times. So what? She… came to my house once. I told you, it wasn’t any big deal. She might have taken more out of it than I did. I don’t know.

DR KING: Please, ██████, things will be easier if you’re truthful

VERITY: I’m telling the truth.

DR KING: Yes. But I need the whole truth if we’re going to find Miss Weiss. That’s what you want, correct?

VERITY: Of course I want Camille to be found. But have you considered that Camille herself might not want that?

DR KING: You believe that Miss Weiss has... chosen to go missing?

VERITY: I don’t know. Camille was always desperate for a story. Perhaps she decided to become one herself,

DR KING: Did Barkley tell you that?

VERITY: No. She didn’t say anything other than yelling questions at me at ungodly hours of the night, why-

DR KING: It’s only that she shares in the same theory. That this is some... stunt.

VERITY: Perhaps she does have some intellect then. It does seem the simplest answer, no?

DR KING: And the most convenient for the town, and for the Arnou family.

VERITY: Is this leading up to some sort of point?

DR KING: Alright… You said Miss Weiss was asking about your job? Why would she want to know-

VERITY: Why would I know?! She was like you two! Never leaving me alone. She always asked about my work; that’s all she ever wanted to talk about.

DR KING: Do you think she intended to inquire for a job there?

VERITY: No. No, she- she never wanted to know about anything like… that.

DR KING: What do you mean?

VERITY: She wanted to know about… about the estate. About the family. She wanted to know what went on in the manor. She kept asking questions about staff, about… things she thought she saw. She wanted an interview with Alexander. I don’t know why she thought I would be capable of doing that-

DR KING: But you were capable of getting her an interview. Weren’t you?

VERITY: I-

DR KING: Weiss’ notes indicate that she visited the manor on two occasions.

VERITY: I don’t see how that’s relevant… We have visitors to the town trespassing a lot-

DR KING: But we both know that Miss Weiss was hardly a trespasser. In fact, we know that her first visit here was on an invitation from the Arnou family themselves. A letter signed by Alexander Arnou- You had.... no hand in this at all? You can be honest with me. You’re not in any trouble here.

VERITY: [lowly] I… I told her to stay away.

DR KING: Can you repeat that? I-

VERITY: I only mentioned Camille to Alexander once. She must have arranged the meeting herself.

DR KING: Did you say that you told her to-

VERITY: [raising voice] I couldn’t tell her to do anything. Camille did what she wanted. That’s all she ever did since she arrived. She didn’t listen to anyone- she just- she came barrelling in without a care, acted like she owned the town. Started messing with the founders, trying to get into the estate- talking about all her theories-

DR KING: It sounds as if she was causing some upset to the residents?

VERITY: (laughs, harshly) You could call it that. We’re used to bothers but... Camille pushed further than most. There are good folk here. Honest folk. People that don’t deserve to have their private lives pried into.

DR KING: And was Alexander one of the people she decided to... pry into?

VERITY: [sighs] What do you think? You read her diary, didn’t you?

DR KING: Were you there when she came to the manor?

VERITY: [SILENCE]

DR KING: Did something happen? Please, any information could be helpful with finding-

VERITY: I- I ca-. Nothing happened. Camille-

DR KING: You seem nervous- Please, Miss ██████, if something happened, you have to tell me. For Camille’s sake.

VERITY: N- No.

DR KING: No?

VERITY: The family affairs are private.

DR KING: What?

VERITY: We take their secrets to the grave. I cannot tell you.

DR KING: [voice raising] A woman is missing. Now isn’t the time for- If you have information-

VERITY: I can’t.

DR KING: You… can’t tell me? If you’re scared, I promise you that we can provide protection for you and your children, you’ll be safe-

VERITY: [snorts] That’s not why. You don’t understand. I just... can’t.

DR KING: You mean you won’t. Withholding information is-

VERITY: [Loudly] I. Can’t.

[SILENCE]

DR KING: ... Help me try to understand-

VERITY: You couldn’t. Even if you tried. I want to leave. Please. You’ve asked your questions- I need to go-

DR KING: You’re in no fit state to leave alone- you look-

VERITY: Please. Let me go. I- I’ve told you… everything you I can. I swear to you.

DR KING: There’s more to this than you’re letting me know. You can tell me now, or I can find it myself. I have more than enough grounds to investigate. The family will be interviewed-

VERITY: [INAUDIBLE]

DR KING: Excuse me?

VERITY: [pause] I said it won’t work. [laughs] Even Camille knew that.

DR KING: What do you mean?

VERITY: It doesn’t matter. I meant that- that you wouldn’t find anything.

DR KING: Why-

[AUDIBLE SOUNDS OF A CHAIR SCRAPING AGAINST THE FLOOR, FOOTSTEPS, A DOOR CREAKING OPEN.]

VERITY: I mean- there’s nothing to find. You- you really shouldn’t-

[sound of more footsteps, both the voices of DR KING and VERITY are further from the recorder, muffed.]

DR KING: You’re scared of them, aren’t you? They have something on you-

VERITY: You don’t know anything about me. And don’t make- assumptions about the family. You should- we all should be more grateful to them- everything is for the greater good- you don’t know the half of-

DR KING: Then tell me. How am I supposed to know if no one tells me anything?

VERITY: [scoffs] You’re as bad as Camille. You think we all owe you something. That you have the right to interfere with whatever you want. If you keep digging, is it really a surprise when you find something you shouldn’t?

DR KING: Did Camille find something she shouldn’t?

VERITY: I- I need to leave. Please don’t- I don’t want to be part of this. I shouldn’t have even- I’m sorry.

DR KING: At least let me walk you home-

VERITY: No! No- it’s alright. I- I just want to be left alone.

[END LOG]

[Notes: Interviewee expressed physical symptoms of a migraine after being asked about the events at the manor -- continually rubbed her head and seemed almost in distress. I intend to give her a few weeks to recover before attempting to interview her again. Perhaps building a rapport with her may ease her anxiety. I blame Barkley for this... Poor woman.]

So? Thoughts on Ms Verity over here and what might be going on with her? Aleiah is convinced there’s something awful happening, and Barkley thinks she’s being intentionally obstructive (though, that’s just what Barkley thinks of most people in this town.)

Taglist: @snowwritesall @writinginslowmotion @quilloftheclouds @mvcreates @typewriter-jade @purpleshadows1989 @lady-redshield-writes

#violetvineyard #writeblr #writing #original writing #wip #writblr #my writing #btp #between the pines #aleiah king

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