The metal table wobbled when the enraged man slammed his fist onto the table.

“Why can’t you tell me what you were doing in that alley!” He screamed at me.

I was tired. So fucking tired. My fingers found themselves at the temple of my head. The slight headache that has been constantly there throbbed in response to his outburst.

“Sir. I can’t think right now. Just let me go. I’m going on 5 minutes of sleep.” I yawned and leaned back in my chair.

The mid-height man’s face got more red — if that was even possible. Sweat dripped down his temple. The guy was big and looked in desperate need of a donut.

“Why you little —“ His partner put a hand on his shoulder. Now she was someone I would listen to. She stood taller than him, with hair as dark as the night. In her hands was a rather thin folder.

“I’m officer Kelly. I’m the lead woman on this case. Can you tell me where you were at around 2:30 AM last Saturday?” She gave the fat man a look that told him she’s had enough. He hobbled out of the chair — almost falling on his way out of it — and walked out the door. He didn’t neglect to slam it shut.

What a joke he was.

“Sir.” She snapped in front of me face, drawing my attention.

Ah. Yes. Saturday. I let out a little laugh. May 7th. That was my best buddy’s birthday. I can’t remember most of that night.

A long sigh blew out of my mouth.

“I went out with my friends. It was my buds birthday. He just turned 30. God we’re all getting so damn old. Almost too old to party. But we did. We partied so hard.”

I paused, searching my foggy memory. “To be frank with you, Officer Kelly, I’m can hardly remember shit from that night.”

She sighed, “I was afraid you’d say that.”

Officer Kelly brushed her hair behind her ear and put the file on the table between us.

“Can you identify this man?” She opened it and pointed to a photo.

I refrained from gasping as I took in his appearance: his face was bloodied and battered, almost inhuman. His body was mostly the same. There were bruises all over his bare torso and what I assumed was his shirt was thrown next to him in a bloodied pile. There was liquid all over him. I gulped.

The picture was taken in a dumpster.

Well shit.

I do remember one thing. I can remember the constant urge to take a piss. And I did. In that stupid dumpster. I must’ve been so out of it to not have noticed the dude.

“Well? Mr. Vance I don’t have all day. Do you recognize this man or not? Because, right now, you’re our only lead.” She crossed her arms in front of her chest and stared in my eyes.

“Ma’ma you gotta understand. I don’t know him. I was there, yes, but with my buds. I was wasted and I barely remember taking a piss there.” I put my hands on the table, palms up. She had to see my truth.

“Well, Mr. Vance,” her voice had a bite to it. “There’s a video. I can show you it.”

She looked at the mirror behind me and nodded her head. Seconds later I was looking at a dinky black and white T.V screen.

She pressed a button and the motion picture played. The lady let me watch it. She didn’t say one word because she didn’t have to. It looked really, really bad.

There was nothing, just a moving almost static screen. Then in the bottom left corner a man appeared. He was on the floor, crawling and gasping for breath. I watched as he managed to hoist himself into the dumpster; all the while glancing behind him as if someone was coming.

Not even a minute later I see another guy come into the shot. He was tall and walking funny, clearly out of his mind. His companions pointed at the dumpster and laughed at something stupid.

And then the man — that was clearly me — jumped into the dumpster. He disappeared from the cameras view for awhile. Then his hands found the rim of the dumpster and he was standing. Then pissing all over the trash. You could clearly see hands pushing out of the dumpster, trying to shield themselves from the stream.

I looked awhile and felt the heat rise up my neck.

“I know how it looks.” I risked another glance at the screen, I saw the man fall face first out of the dumpster and into the alley. Huh. I had thought someone punched me. I tried not to laugh at myself.

“Really? Because I don’t think you know how it actually looks.” She stopped the footage and packed up the pile of papers.

“It looks like you and your buddies beat the shit out of that man. And then you went to finish the job. And then you pissed on him.” She went to get out of her seat.

I stared at her as she went. My tongue was dry and foreign.

“I.. I. No that—“

“I thought so.” She cut me off then opened the door. “Expect a follow up and a possible trial. The cops will be watching.” Just as she began to close the door, she stopped. “If you run, we will assume your guilt.” And with that, she shut the door and left me with my thoughts.

Well shit.

I put my head in my hands. That was a bad time to pee.