Chapter 14

[bexeth]

Independence Day returns with Chapter 14.

The sound of Marnie beating on the windows of the car was what awakened Evan to his surroundings. He glanced over at her, rollers in her hair, still clad in her bathrobe, and sighed. “I’m sorry,” he began apologizing as he opened the door.

“Where have you been?” she demanded. “I was up almost all night worrying about you! You – ” Her breath caught as he stumbled out of the car. He was still wearing the same clothes as the night before, but they were smeared with dried blood. “Evan!” she cried. “Oh my word, what’s happened?”

His eyes were bloodshot, and he held up a hand to shield them from the sunrise. “Don’t make a scene, Marnie. Please. Let’s just go in, huh?”

Also:
Julia's feeling the heat.
A bloody crime scene is the absolute least of Shane's worries.

This chapter is also the second to be a part of the Lyrical Challenge (details of which can be found here). The lyric used is "It goes on and on and on," from the song Once and For All, by Whiteheart.

And if you haven't yet, don't forget to check out the Score Charts feature, which is the first option in the trivia menu. Arc One is complete, so grab a comprehensive look at the suspects...and the victim.

Thanks so much for all your patience throughout my hiatus. I'm happy to say that I do believe it's full steam ahead from now on!

[kellyzollo]

I had a busy last two days at work Bex and getting ready for the weekend but holy cow epicness from you.

Brett/Julia- My jaw dropped, he knows and when she couldn't hear let it out I loved it! Maybe it is because I think she deserves it and maybe deep down I want her with Jeff. But for crying out loud you could feel the tension leading up to it and it was made of awesome!

Marnie/Evan- Erg um he is creepy and his behavior keeps topping to the top of the who done it list. I loved their scenes, I loved that Marnie stood up for herself with that no good excuse of a man, alright maybe not no good he is a bit nuts. Either way I loved it!

Shane/Michael- I like crime scenes, I'm morbid I like death and sadness and I think you captured this beautifully just like you did when you opened the series. I really loved the cop angles that you played here it was nice to see Shane actually doing his job with a level head. As for the body, it is about time that they got what they deserved. I like the new cop Michael as well, keep him around I like the semi partnership brewing between him and Shane.

I loved every little bit and morsel and cranny! Great work and I can't wait for the next one!

Kelly

[Dallas]

Hey Bex,

Another fantastic read. It seems like things are really heating up in Haven Park with another murder. I love how there really does seem to be three key suspects right now, although with all the secrets that have already been uncovered, it could still be anyone on the series that has killed Carol and Lance.

Brett/Julia -- I love how Brett was just so darn cold to her. At first she didn't question anything, but the more he slept in and the more he remained distant, she knew. Or at least she thinks he knows, which is such a spot-on reaction for a person who knows they have done wrong to their loved one. I'm so looking forward to reading more as their relationship spirals out of control from here.

Marnie/Evan -- Well thank goodness she finally sticks up for herself and calls him out. Of course, everything with him goes back to Francie. Finally, Marnie gets some balls and tells him that she is not his dead wife nor will she ever be. It's been a long time coming. Evan comes home covered in blood; with his mental state it's only natural that he could be the killer. Of course in the past episode we also saw Lucas in a similar state so it's interesting.

Shane -- Poor Shane being taken off the case. I do wish that, at least, part of the scene was more dedicated to Lance and his death, sort of like Carol's was. It seemed like we learned it was Lance that was dead then it was more about Shane being taken off the case than the actual death. Still, riveting stuff. I'm glad it wasn't too gory either. You have a wicked touch with these death scenes.

Once again, fantastic read Bex. Looking forward to Chapter 15.

d

[Ty Junior]

I am reserving my comments regarding the latest episode, but I will just say that it did turn out to be who I feared it would be.  I mean, I just don't think it would have made sense for the victim to be anyone else.  This opens up the suspects to a nice chunk of people, including good old Jeff if he hasn't managed to flee town yet.  I also noted the disconnection with the discovery of the body, but chalked it up to the fact that Shane wasn't as close to him.  Therefore, there wasn't a lot of emotional range to be obtained from the scene.  I'm curious as to who the three suspects are in Shane's head since I don't believe he knows of Evan's mental history.

Thanks for putting us out of our misery, Bex.

[bexeth]

Hey guys,

First off, you're welcome, Ty. Always happy to put you out of your misery.

Yeah, I guess the reveal that it was poor Lance really wasn't much of a shock to many people...the writing was basically on the wall. As for Shane, his subdued reaction to it all has a lot to do with the fact he didn't really care for Lance anyway. With Carol, there was years of history (and unrequited love on both sides), whereas with Lance, it was more of a "wow, that sucks." sort of thing, I think.

I was incredibly proud of Marnie for holding her ground in these scenes! I'm so glad you guys enjoyed it. She's been so passive as far as he's concerned, even as he gets crazier by the day...it was about time she really let loose, I thought. And yes, Evan's wherabouts the night before and the state he came home in was incredibly interesting...

As for Brett...I'll say it again: I love Brett. I mean, I L-O-V-E Brett. I had one hell of a time with that first scene, because I really wanted a showdown of sorts...but I realized that it was far more within his character to kind of play it off. He's not the aggressive, argumentative type. More like the silent broody type. I wrote about 30 different versions of the first scene, but I think the published version is probably the one closest to his character.

Thanks for your feedback & thanks for reading. Much appreciated.