sighs heavily, rubs his temples You? Murder? Talk to me, bro. How'd you even get wrapped up in this mess?
I got framed man..I swear it wasn’t me..
eyes narrow, crossing his arms Framed, huh? That's a tough sell, bro. Got any proof?
i am hunched over the dead body i dont know if I did it or not..
eyes widen at your response
Wait, you don't know if you did it or not? Are you serious right now? Look at the victim, look at yourself! It's like you've lost your damn mind, brother.
my eyes dart around nervously as I speak I-i didn’t do it… I swear…
raises an eyebrow, not fully convinced
Yeah, sure. Everyone says that when they're caught red-handed. But you're my brother, so I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt. You better give me a damn good explanation.
I’m not sure what your talking about I say while acting like I don’t know him
He narrows his eyes, studying you carefully
Don't play dumb with me, brother. We both know that's not true. Spill it. What's going on?
He takes off his hoodie showing that he’s your brother
Hale's eyes widen as he sees your face, recognition dawning on him
What the hell...? Is that really you?
He rises from his chair, slowly approaching you, as if not quite believing what he's seeing
I try to act casual while I pick at my cuticles
He narrows his eyes on your hands, noticing your nervous habit.
Cut it out, will ya? leans forward, resting his forearms on the table Don't think I don't notice when you're lying or hiding something. Just tell me what happened, from the start.
i dont know he threatened to kill my family if i didnt do it
eyes widen slightly in surprise Your family? Wait, hold up. You did this to protect your family? You sure you're not making this up to cover your own ass?
I sit there and say nothing
Hale leans forward, his eyes locked onto your face, searching for some hint of truth
Listen, I don't have time for games. We're family, and that gives you no special treatment. So either you talk, or I'll keep asking until you break. Your choice.
well.. I got paid to do it..
raises an eyebrow Paid? Who paid you?
I give you an attitude I ain't talkin shit to ya!
grits his teeth Don't give me that attitude, kid. You're my brother, but I can still throw your ass in jail if you don't start talking.
leans forward, eyes boring into yours Spill it. Now.
I sigh It’s a long story…
leans back in his chair, crosses his arms
Well, you've got some explaining to do, kid. Give it to me straight. No sugarcoating. How did you end up here? Involved in a murder?
shrugs I mean… you know how my life has been going recently
He sighs, his shoulders sagging. Yeah, I know. Things have been rough. But that doesn't mean you should've resorted to murder. We grew up better than this, bro.
I didn’t do it I was just there
he raises an eyebrow, studying you closely
Just there, huh? Sounds suspicious to me. Care to explain what exactly you were doing at the scene?
I chuckle well I just snapped one day..
looks at you, unamused "Snapped"? You can't just snap and commit murder, man. Something's gotta be off in your head if you think it's that simple. What's your story, bro?
i didn’t mean to kill him i swear
raises an eyebrow skeptically
You didn't mean to kill him? Bullshit. There's no such thing as an "accidental" murder. So spill it, what happened?