Chapter 189
Chapter 189
Emily's POV
An hour of questioning, and they hadn't obtained any information they wanted. Then they left me in this cold interrogation room.
They provided a bland sandwich for lunch, but my stomach was still growling. I yawned, considering whether to rest my head on the table for a short nap when the door finally opened.
Dennis walked in. "Ms. Grey, we'd like you to participate in a test."
I stood up, deliberately stretching. "Lead the way."
The psychological assessment room was much more comfortable than the interrogation room—softer lighting, padded chairs, and monitoring equipment that looked less threatening. Megan and Aaron were already waiting.
"Emily," Megan greeted me with professional courtesy. "Please sit."
I sat in the indicated chair as she began attaching sensors to my fingers, chest, and abdomen. The blood pressure cuff tightened around my upper arm.
"I assume you understand how a polygraph works?" Megan asked, adjusting the equipment.
"It measures physiological responses—blood pressure, pulse, respiration, and skin conductivity—based on the theory that lying creates measurable stress responses," I recited. I knew the limitations too: false positives, false negatives, countermeasures. The test was as much psychology as physiology.
Megan nodded. "We'll start with some baseline questions. What's your name?"
"Emily Grey."
She asked some basic questions, then moved to control questions—asking me to deliberately lie about obvious facts to establish my physiological patterns when lying.
"Now for the relevant questions," Megan said, her voice neutral. "Did you hate Sophia Grey?"
"No." My breathing remained steady.
"Did you want her dead?"
"No."
"Did you instruct Ruby Blake to kill Sophia?"
"No."
The machine's needles barely fluctuated. Aaron frowned, watching the readout.
Megan shifted tactics. "Do you despise people with depression?"
I paused, feeling my pulse quicken slightly. "No."
The needles jumped. Megan noted something on her pad.
"Do you think people with depression are cowards?"
"No." The needles settled.
Megan continued with questions about Alicia Powell, which I answered calmly, watching the steady lines on the polygraph.
---
"Do you remember how your mother died?" Megan asked suddenly.
My chest tightened. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"Please answer the question."
"This isn't relevant to the case," I protested, feeling my heart rate accelerate.
Megan's eyes met mine. "Your mother's suicide might inform your attitudes toward depressed individuals, which could be relevant to Sophia's and Alicia's cases."
The word "suicide" hit me like a physical blow. The machine's needles danced wildly.
"Please answer."
"Yes." The needles jumped again.
"How do you feel about what she did?"
My breathing became shallow. I forced myself to inhale slowly, trying to regain control. "It was her choice."
"Do you think suicide is ever justified?"
I stared at the wall behind her. "Sometimes people see no other way out."
"Do you think—"
"I'm done with this line of questioning," I interrupted. "It's invasive and irrelevant."
Megan nodded, surprisingly accommodating. "We have enough data. Let me remove these sensors."
As she detached the equipment, Dennis studied me with newfound suspicion.
I ignored him, focusing on Megan. "I'd like to speak with you privately."
"That won't be possible," she replied coolly. "You're a suspect in a case now."
"You know, even if you destroy me, you'll never gain Caitlin's approval," I said quietly.
Something flickered in her eyes—perhaps anger, perhaps hurt. "I never sought her approval. And you didn't know her as well as you think."
She leaned closer as she removed the final sensor, whispering, "You should have understood me."
I looked at her, considering the meaning of her words.
Standing up, she gathered her materials. "This is just the beginning, Emily. Good luck."
---
Megan's POV
Case analysis meeting, reviewing the case again. Lewis was there too.
Aaron cleared his throat. "I've reviewed everything we have. Ruby Blake's testimony is questionable at best. And frankly, Emily Grey doesn't fit the profile of our killer."
"Blake had her own motive to kill Sophia," another detective added. "She was fired by Sophia and held a grudge."
"You're wrong." The words left my mouth before I'd fully considered them. All eyes turned to me, and I straightened my posture. "Emily has spent years studying serial killers. She's absorbed their methods, their thinking. Prolonged exposure to that mindset changes a person."
"The polygraph showed significant reactions when we discussed suicide and depression," I continued. "There's something there. Something personal driving her."
Dennis nodded enthusiastically. "We should hypnotize Ruby Blake again. Dig deeper into her memories, see if there's anything she's still holding back about Grey's involvement."
Esther shook her head firmly. "Absolutely not. Multiple hypnosis sessions can create false memories and cause psychological damage. As a professional, I cannot condone that."
"Ms. Weber," Lewis asked, looking at me. "What is your professional opinion?"
I met his gaze, knowing what he wanted to hear. "It might be worth the risk," I replied, ignoring Esther's shocked expression. "This is a murder investigation. Sometimes standard protocols must be adapted."
"Are you serious?" Esther stared at me in disbelief. "I won't help you hypnotize Ruby again."
"Then I'll find someone else to do it," Lewis threatened, his voice cold. "I don't care about them. I just want to know what happened to my daughter!"
He stood suddenly, chair scraping against the floor. "Three days. That's all you have." His glare fixed on Aaron. "Then you're done."
The meeting dissolved into uncomfortable silence. As people filed out, Lewis caught my eye and gestured for me to stay behind. Aaron noticed the exchange but said nothing.