by Emily Knight
One 911 call later and Peter sat in the living room with the same officer as the previous night standing over him with the same notepad and pencil. The kitchen was cordoned off with police tape and Rich was safely in the back of an ambulance on his way to the hospital. The prognosis wasn't good.
"Your friend's lost a lot of blood," the officer told him.
Peter stared at the floor and ran his hand through his hair. "How much?"
"The medics think he lost five pints of blood. Another pint and he would have died," the officer replied.
"Jesus. . ." Peter whispered.
The officer frowned. "I'm starting to think he doesn't have anything to do with this, but can you tell me what happened?"
Peter shrugged and waved his hand toward the kitchen. "I came in from taking a walk and found him there."
"No forced entry? No sign of foul play?" the officer questioned him.
Peter shook his head. "No, but the back gate was open when I came through. Rich always makes sure it's closed." A bitter chuckle escaped his lips. "He says it makes him uneasy with it hitting the post."
"Were you the last one to leave the house?" the officer asked him.
"I don't know. I guess not because somebody got him," Peter pointed out.
"Does anyone else live here?"
He nodded. "Yeah, Val."
"And where is she?"
Peter opened his mouth to reply, but there was the sound of a scuffle outside. The front door opened and Val stomped him. Her eyes fell on Peter and she scowled at him. "What in the world is going on here? Why are the police outside?"
A female officer swept in behind her and tried to grab her wrist. "You're not allowed here while there's an ongoing investigation."
Peter stood and hurried over to them. "Wait, she's my roommate."
The holding cop exchanged glances with the officer who was questioning Peter. The man nodded, and the female released Val. She went back outside and shut the door behind herself.
Val pulled her arm against her and turned to Peter. "Mind telling me why we have officers swarming the place and why where's a sidewalk full of people gawking at the house?"
Peter pursed his lips. "It's Rich. Something got him."
The color drained from her face. "What do you mean something got him? What got him?"
The officer stepped forward and nodded at Peter. "That's what we're trying to find out. It looks like he was attacked in an identical manner to that of a victim found by your roommate here last night in the park."
Val's eyes widened and she pressed her hands against her chest. She looked from Peter to the office and back. "Is he going to be all right?"
Peter closed his eyes and shook his head. "They don't know yet, but he's probably at the hospital by now."
She pursed her lips and turned to the officer. "Then that's where I'll be if you need me to answer any questions."
"Of course," he agreed.
Val hurried from the house and Peter ran his hand through his hair. "Why him. . .?"
The officer looked to him and raised an eyebrow. "I beg your pardon?"
Peter shook his head and stared at the ground. "It's nothing, I was just thinking, that's all."
The officer frowned and he scrutinized the young man seated before him. "You could start with thinking about who would want to attack your friend like this."
Peter shrugged. "I can't think of anyone who'd want to do this. Rich annoyed people, but not enough for them to want to kill him like this."
"Has anyone made any threats against you?" the officer wondered.
Peter lifted his head and frowned at the cop. "What do you mean?"
The officer tapped his pencil against his notepad. "Two people have been attacked in two nights in identical fashions, and the only constant is you."
"I guess I just have bad luck," Peter suggested.
One side of the officer's mouth twitched up. "Bad luck is finding you guessed the wrong numbers on a lotto ticket, but finding two victims in an apparent attempted murder? You're either cursed, or not telling me everything."
Peter stood and looked the officer straight in the eyes. "If I thought I had something you'd want to write down in that notebook of yours then I'd tell you. Right now I've got nothing but a friend in the hospital who I'd like to go see, if you're through with me."
The officer frowned, but tucked his pen in his breast pocket. "That's all for now. Did you need a lift to the hospital?"
Peter sheepishly grinned and nodded. "Yeah. I don't have a car."