Chapter 6: The Interrogation Room
The interrogation room was painfully quiet, save for the rhythmic hum of an overhead fluorescent light that flickered stubbornly. Clara sat at the metal table, a hospital blanket draped over her shoulders, her red hair falling loosely around her pale face. Across from her sat Detective Miller, a seasoned investigator whose kind eyes belied a sharp, analytical mind.
"Take your time, Clara," Detective Miller said gently, sliding a cup of lukewarm water across the table. "You don't have to rush through this. But whenever you're ready, I need to hear everything from the beginning."
Clara took a slow sip of the water, the cool liquid soothing her raw throat. She looked down at her hands, still trembling slightly. "It wasn't an accident," she began, her voice steadying with each passing second. "Victoria Hayes meant to hit me. She was driving Daniel’s black SUV, but she was behind the wheel. Daniel had been pressuring me for weeks to sign the divorce papers and hand over the rights to the property development."
Detective Miller leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table. "You're saying this was premeditated?"
"I'm saying they wanted me out of the picture," Clara replied, lifting her gaze to meet the detective's. "Victoria pulled into that parking lot and accelerated when she saw me walking toward the clinic. She didn't brake until after the impact. I heard the engine rev. I saw the look in her eyes through the windshield."
The detective jotted down notes in a small black notebook, the scratching of his pen the only sound in the room. "And Mr. Vance? Where was he during all of this?"
"He arrived seconds later," Clara said bitterly. "He acted shocked, but he knew what Victoria was capable of. They’ve been working together behind my back for months, trying to strip me of everything I built."
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"We’ve already impounded the vehicle," Detective Miller stated calmly. "Forensics will pull the black box data—speed, braking pressure, impact angle. If what you're saying is true, the car's computer will tell us the exact story of those final seconds."
Clara felt a grim sense of validation wash over her, though it brought no comfort for the profound emptiness in her chest. She had lost her child, but she refused to let them take her dignity or her silence.
