Interview With Danger, Part 2
Posted on Mon Sep 16th, 2019 @ 2:16pm by Commander Arianna Frost & Captain Mrazak
700 words; about a 4 minute read
Mission:
Mission 0: Everybody Has A Story
Location: undisclosed location
Timeline: following Part 1
Previously:
"Lieutenant, you are charged under the suspicion of murder of eight individuals on Starbase 82." Garis began, equally coolly. "What have you to say for yourself?"
"Like I told you before, boss, it wasn't me," came a drawled out reply as Shipley looked up at them.
And now, the continuation:
"Lieutenant, you were found at the scene of the crime, with the murder weapon in your hand and the autopsy has found conclusive evidence that you were indeed, the perpetrator," Garis pressed.
Arianna leaned back in her chair, observing. His declaration of innocence was...lazy.
"So?" Shipley said dispassionately, almost mechanical like. "Lots of people passed through that section. Anybody could've left anything behind. Proves nothing."
"Do you like touching them?" Arianna asked, "all of them had your prints over their shoulders, the wrists, we've found some in other places too. Is it a thing for you? The feel of their flesh under yours? Or do you like the struggle?"
Shipley sat still, totally unmoved by the morbid grotesquery. "Is that what you people think? Maybe I should infer some things about you, Commander. Do you like intimidating men? Are you aroused by the sheen of their sweat under the bright interrogation light? Does it swell your inverted genitals to make men squirm under false allegations?" A sadistic smirk played at one corner of his mouth. "If you want a psychopath, seems to me you might look in the mirror."
Arianna contained a smirk, "that's quite vivid imagery there, seems like you gave it some thought." Then she leaned forward, leaning on her elbows. "Tell me more why you think I'm a psychopath."
Garis, to her right, couldn't hide the mortification on his face. Still, he said nothing, just visibly gulped at this strange interplay.
"Freud said it best," Shipley fired back. "Penis envy. You resent men for their biological superiority, so you take power, no, pleasure in your witch-hunt where you get to make them cower under the weight of your badge. So how about it, Commander?" Shipley's lip began to curl. "Do you feel powerful now? Or do you find yourself...lacking..." His curled lip overtook his mouth in smug satisfaction.
Garis' eyes widened.
Arianna studied Jonathan Shipley for a moment, a look of curiosity, "your mother must have mistreated you when you were young, didn't she? What was it? Hating the fact that your father left? Or died? Or was it because he abused her and she took it out on you?"
"You can't talk about my mother that way! She raised me right after Da left, stolen away by that evil bitch." Shipley clammed up tight, though his eyes held daggers for his questioner. "I want my advocate."
Garis moved to say something, but stopped as he felt Arianna's hand on his forearm.
"Of course, we'll arrange one to be assigned for you, Mister Shipley," she said in her politest, warmest tone, her green eyes shrewdly studying him. "Thank you for your time, we'll talk again soon."
Shipley shook his head. His composure rapidly melted away into a perspiring, rage-fueled conniption. "No you won't. I'm going free. You won't take me! Not like she took my Da! I'm innocent! You're the evil one! Not me! You!!!"
Arianna got up without a word, simply nodding to Garis and lead the way out, their interviewee loudly in the background complaining.
As they stepped outside of the interrogation room, the bajoran rounded on Arianna. "What the fuck was that, Frost?"
Arianna's eyes narrowed, "getting us information, Sardi. Hatred of a certain type of woman. I thought it was the mother initially, but it's 'the other woman'. It could be the trigger that spurned his initial motivation. We need to follow this up, mate."
Garis sighed, "you're right." He sighed again, "I'm sorry. I'm just frustrated. This guy has killed eight people on my station. It's..."
Arianna nodded, "I know, mate." She placed a hand on his shoulder. "I know. We have to follow the evidence though, otherwise we won't make it stick. He's JAG-ing up, so we need to be up on our game."
"We will be..."