Dr. Renault
I hope the house detention hasn’t been too hard on you, Detective?
Det. Horne
No. Though I’d like to know why I’m locked up here.
Dr. Renault
We’ll get to that Detective. Now let’s go back to where we left off.
Dr. Renault
You said that the case you were assigned was strange. How so?
Det. Horne
The weirdest thing about the case was that my partner Lydia Palmer wasn’t there. She was the best. Had that instinct.
Det. Horne
But then that stuff with her pancreas happened. Really sad. She only made detective a year before. But she never stopped.
Dr. Renault
Wait, I’m confused here Detective.
Dr. Renault
When exactly did Detective Palmer get sick? And when did the case come in?
Det. Horne
Lydia was put into the hospital for treatment in June. The case came July sixth.
Dr. Renault
Was it strange working with a woman? Especially one ten years younger than you?
Det. Horne
No. Not at all. We were professionals.
Dr. Renault
What happened? What role did Detective Palmer have in the case?
Det. Horne
She was never there. You can’t hold that against her. We did it all over messaging. Just like this. Like I said, she was the best.
Det. Palmer
Tell me they gave you it Horne…
Det. Palmer
No BS. It came across the scanner. You didn’t think I’d leave you all alone, did you?
Det. Horne
Lydia. Rest. Everything is fine here. All this work and headache will be here when you get out.
Det. Palmer
Right. Enough chitchat. Give me the rundown. What have you got?
Det. Horne
Nothing. No prints. No traces on the body. No witnesses. No cameras. It’s like a ghost did it.
Det. Palmer
What about the girl?
Det. Horne
17. Good family. Graduated high school a year early. Like you. Was headed to the ivy leagues.
Det. Palmer
What about the body? Trauma? You-know-what?
Det. Horne
It’s been hard going. The parents didn’t want us to autopsy. I should get the results today.
Det. Palmer
Suspicious. Think they’d want to know who did it.
Det. Horne
It’s shock Lydia. Happens to most parents.
Det. Palmer
Can you email me the reports?
Det. Horne
You know I’m not supposed to do that Lydia…
Det. Palmer
You got hacked. Terrorists. Cyber-criminals. The press.
Det. Palmer
You owe me. Better yet, you need me.
Dr. Renault
I assume you gave Detective Palmer the documents?
Det. Horne
I did. She was right. I needed her. It was too much for me.
Dr. Renault
So you gave her everything? Autopsy too?
Dr. Renault
Weren’t you worried about getting in trouble?
Det. Horne
No. It’s strange but I wasn’t.
Dr. Renault
Detective, how old was Detective Palmer? How long did you work with her?
Det. Horne
She was 25 I think. We worked together for 3 years.
Dr. Renault
How old were you at that time Detective?
Det. Horne
I was 35. Why does this matter?
Dr. Renault
Detective Horne, can I ask you a personal question? Will you promise me to answer honestly?
Dr. Renault
Were you in love with Detective Palmer?
Det. Horne
I don’t think that’s any of your business.
Det. Palmer
Did you verify the parents’ alibis?
Det. Horne
Yeah. Checks out.
Det. Palmer
So the girl was working at the coffee house until 10 PM. The last person to see her was her coworker Tim. Two years older. Solid videogame alibi with friends.
Det. Horne
We’ve been over this Lydia. Victim leaves work in red 09 Honda Civic at 10:05 PM. Victim’s body is found in alley next to dumpster at 6 AM by sanitation. No one in between.
Det. Palmer
What about the phone?
Det. Palmer
The parents said the girl was always on her phone. That she would have texted or called if she was going somewhere. The kid at the coffee shop said the same.
Det. Palmer
Said she was on her phone when she left. Who was she talking to? And there was no phone on the body. Where did it go?
Det. Horne
I see where you’re going.
Det. Horne
Find her phone, trace the call, we find the culprit?
Dr. Renault
That led to the arrest?
Det. Horne
Yeah. I’d missed the phone. It was right there, but I missed it.
Dr. Renault
Is that how your relationship was?
Det. Horne
What do you mean? Relationship?
Det. Horne
I guess. She filled my lapses. I filled in her’s.
Dr. Renault
Not long after the suspect was found Detective Palmer passed away, correct?
Dr. Renault
You were there, right?
Det. Horne
Stop asking me questions you know the answers to.
Dr. Renault
Apologies. What did you two speak of before that day?
Det. Palmer
Congratulations!
Det. Horne
Couldn’t have done it without you.
Det. Palmer
You’re going to have to from now on Horne.
Det. Horne
What’s that mean?
Det. Palmer
I can’t do it anymore. The pain, it’s, it’s just too…
Det. Horne
Don’t talk that way Lydia. You’re going to be fine.
Det. Palmer
I may be sick Horne, but I’m not an idiot. Don’t treat me like one.
Det. Horne
You’ll be okay, Lydia…
Det. Palmer
Stop. Listen. There’s something I want you to do.
Det. Horne
Whatever you need.
Det. Palmer
No. You have to promise that you’ll do it before I tell you. Promise. Promise that whatever I say, you’ll do.
Det. Horne
Of course. We’re partners. Whatever it is, I’ll do it.
Dr. Renault
It was then that she told you to end her life, wasn’t it Detective?
Dr. Renault
She was on medication. A lot of medication. How do you know she was in her right mind?
Det. Horne
Because I knew. She was my partner. I knew her.
Dr. Renault
Your judgment was clouded by your feelings.
Det. Horne
She solved the case! She knew what she wanted! She’d told me!
Dr. Renault
So you broke protocol by leaking documents to an off-duty officer, and then broke the law by killing your partner?
Det. Horne
It wasn’t like that.
Dr. Renault
How do you even know it was Detective Palmer sending you those messages?
Det. Horne
No one else had her info for the department chat system.
Dr. Renault
Detective, the hospital security video was pulled and matched to the date-stamp on your messages with Detective Palmer.
Dr. Renault
We don’t know who you were talking to, but it wasn’t Palmer.
Det. Horne
That’s impossible?
Dr. Renault
There’s only one other person who had access to her messenger credentials.
Dr. Renault
You, Detective.
Det. Horne
What? No? Why would I be talking to myself? Why would I do all that?
Dr. Renault
You loved Detective Palmer. You needed her. And yet, you couldn’t stand to see her suffer.
Det. Horne
No! There’s no way!
Dr. Renault
Detective, it’s okay. We all do strange things for love...
