Box of Crayons

Chapter 2 - Red

I open the door to see that the kid is wearing jeans. Surprise surprise. "Hello my name is Detective Ramos. Before we get started, I must inform you that we will be recording this conversation. I am of the understanding that you came here to confess to a crime? Correct?"

The young man nods. "Y-Yes."

I continue, "And you have agreed to give up your right to have legal representation present?"

He nods again, "Yea."

I sit down across from him. "OK. First things first. Please state your full name for the record."

He says, "Percival Anden Miller."

I continue, "Your address."

He replies, "7426 Camden Way, Laurington, Ohio"

I ask, "What name do you prefer to be called?"

He says, "Andy. All my friends call me Andy."

I say, "OK Andy. What crime are you trying to confess to?"

He looks at me straight in the eyes with a vein popping out of his forehead. "Murder. I know I killed these women! You have to arrest me! I don't want to do it again, but I can't stop him!"

I attempt to calm him. "It's OK. It's OK. I'm here to help. Take some deep breaths. Why don't we start from the beginning? Tell me how it all started."

He looks down at his belly, still fidgeting with whatever is in his pockets. "Mandy Jones was the first. She had long wavy red hair. It was the color of fire. I could almost believe that I would get burnt if I touched it. You see? It's the color that draws me in. It calls to me. I must possess it.

In high school I sat behind her in Algebra. The long curls were long enough to brush the edge of my desk. I had fantasies that her hair would set my book, homework, and tests on fire whenever they touched. Eventually I had to touch it myself. It was soft and light, not what I was expecting but wonderful in its own way. It became an obsession, I had to touch it. She was out sick one day, and I got into a fight. I don't remember what happened, but I do remember being suspended from school for a few days and the bruises that were on my knuckles.

The last week of classes that year I brought scissors with me to Algebra. I just wanted one hair. She wouldn't have missed it. I accidentally cut three without anyone noticing, and acted like I was picking it off of the back of her shirt. She gave me a strange look, but turned back around. Three hairs didn't seem like enough. I needed more. The last day of class I grabbed a fistfull and cut. She screamed while trying to pull away, but the hair held her in place. I managed to cut half of what I held before Mr. Kavlov was able to stop me.

They didn't let me keep the hair. I only kept the three strands I initially cut and a few others that fell out naturally. My mother decided I would be home schooled after that. I remember the angry look from Mandy as I was held to the ground, unable to move. Some of her hair long and mesmerizing, and some of it short and frayed. She was led out of the room by another teacher, and that was the last time I saw them."

I flip a page in my notepad. "Let's take a break for a minute. Do you want any coffee, water, or soda?"

He looks at me again. "No. I'm OK."

I say, "Well I need a refresher. I'll be back in a minute."

I go to the observation room to find a fresh cup of steamy hot coffee waiting on me. Officer Tanley might be my new favorite uni. "Track down Mandy Jones, and check out the kid's story. See if she's gone missing. Her name isn't in the summary file as a victim. If you pull his age off the check in report, it should be easy to figure out when he was in high school. Got it?"

Officer Tanley nods. "Got it. Did you want me to call Detective Brooks?"

I reply, "Unless we're sure this guy is telling the truth, there's no need to wake him yet. We don't have any evidence. Anyone can come in here saying they have information. What is he doing?"

Tanley looks up. "He's playing with a crayon."

He is infatuated with a red crayon. He's focused on the red wax stick as if it is a holy artifact. I take a sip of the coffee. Maybe Tanley isn't my favorite uni after all. This coffee is terrible. I take another drink. Strong though, and that's what I need right now. "I'm going back in."