He was questioned for hours; endless cups of coffee, cigarettes. Told the detectives he couldn’t remember; it was all just a haze. Said he wished he could help em out, but, he just couldn’t think straight. Little things cluttered his mind.

They showed him pictures from the crime scene. A body, her body, lay there in the grass; tall weeds surrounded it. She was bruised, blue, her hair was pulled, cuts and abrasions covered the young lady. These things were pointed out to him. They thought they had their man.

It was so quiet in the room. There was a time when not a word was said. Just silence. He was asked how long he had known the girl. The young man didn’t answer at first. Said nothing. Then he cried; balled like a baby. Told em he’d known her since high school. They dated off and on for a year, or, two. He’d had Sunday dinners over at her parent’s house. Played with their dogs in the back yard. Helped her father out with projects ’round the home. He said they did a lot together over a year and a half, but, when it was over it was over; both went their separate ways. The detectives nodded their heads, offered more coffee.

And, he never asked for an attorney. Said he didn’t need one. Said he had something to say. He told them he did it. Told him things just got out of control. Asked what was going to happen to him? They told him he was going away for a long, long time. He said no. He meant when he was dead and gone. What would happen to him? One of the detectives just looked at him. The other told him, that’s for God to decide.