Guilty Before Sunrise

In less than ten minutes, the sound of sirens grew louder and louder in the distance.

Just as the group of parents was about to find me, I seized the moment and sprinted straight toward the police.

"Officer, help! They’re trying to kill me!"

The officers moved quickly, pulling me behind them. The parents were furious, their teeth clenched in rage.

"You people in uniform, don’t think you can cover for her!"

"What did her family give you to protect her like this?!"

"Murder must be paid with a life! Even God himself couldn’t stop us today!"

The officers did their best to calm them, their tone as steady as possible. "Please, calm down. We will find the truth and give you justice. Tamsin’s alibi is still inconclusive. We cannot arrest someone without certainty."

Nevertheless, they weren’t listening at all.

"That alibi is fake. It's just a trick to fool you!"

"It has to be her. She has the strongest motive!"

"If you keep protecting her today, then we’ll get justice ourselves!"

One of the parents raised their arm and shouted, "Make her pay for our children’s lives!"

"Tamsin Wallace, didn’t you say you know who the real killer is?"

At the officer’s question, the crowd suddenly fell silent. All eyes turned to me, filled with suspicion and scrutiny.

"Yes. But I can’t say it here. I need to go back home first."

"I knew it! You’re just trying to stall!"

The parents clearly didn’t believe me, but I had to get back home.

"I have to go back to identify the killer. Because the killer is among them."

The officers were visibly stunned by my words.

Everyone in that house was my closest family.

"Tamsin, I need to remind you that false accusations carry consequences."

"See? This monster will say anything to get out of it, even accuse her own family!"

"Just execute her now! Letting her live will only make her a danger to society!"

I met the officers’ eyes steadily. Solving the case was their top priority.

"We can agree to that," Detective Reed said at last. "But you’d better not be wasting our time."

I walked between the officers as they escorted me. The parents glared, teeth grinding, but they couldn’t get close.

They didn’t give up. Instead, they followed us right up the stairs.

When the doorbell rang, Mom opened the door. The moment she saw me with the police, confusion flashed across her face, then anger.

"Who told you to run outside?!"

Before I could respond, Officer Riley Shaw spoke first, "According to Tamsin, the killer is inside your home."

Mom looked at both me and the police like we were insane. "You must be mistaken! You’re actually believing her nonsense?!"

"See? Even her own mother doesn’t believe her!" The parents behind us smirked, clearly enjoying the scene.

Just then, Dad and Grandma came out after hearing the commotion.

I raised my hand and pointed at someone.

"She's the killer!"