I am sorry for the delay in getting the first chapter up. I've been having a few problems with my damned computer. Now we finally get to see Danny Fenton and his friends. What to know what's going to happen? Well, too bad, although I'm sure you can kind of gather it for yourself.
Note: I'm sorry for all the sections pulled together. It seems that no matter what I do, whenever I send it in, that's what happens. So I do apologize.
Detectives Robbins and Smith calmly waited in the corridors of Casper High for the bells to ring. They had learned the act of patience a long time ago, so this was nothing new to them. Sure enough, the lunch bells rang and the students ran out the doors. Some students were shocked to see them there, but brushed it off as the typical weirdness of this particular school.
"What can I do for you?" asked the English teacher. He was bald, in his mid-40's and was out of shape. "My name's John Lancer. It's a pleasure to meet you." He shook each of the detectives' hands.
"We're with the Amity Park police department on a homicide investigation." Smith told Mr. Lancer, he and his partner showing their badges. "You'll hear it in the evening papers, but Dash Baxter was found murdered this morning. Do you have any information that can help us?"
Now that shocked Mr. Lancer. He wondered how it could have happened, but swallowed down his curiosity to help them out. "How can I help you guys?" asked Mr. Lancer. "Well, Mr. Baxter was one of my students and he's the star quarterback of the school."
"Was there anyone here with a grudge against him, who could hate him enough to kill him?" asked Robbins.
"Well, he sometimes fought with a few of his classmates, although I don't see anything worth killing over." Lancer replied. "He was one of the popular students; the A-list is what they call themselves."
"So what kind of a student was he?" asked Robbins. "Did he have good grades, do badly in school?"
"He usually passed, although barely." Lancer told the detectives. "He wasn't all that good of a student. Most of his talent was on the football field."
"Thank you, Mr. Lancer." Smith stated formally. "We'll get back to you if we need anything more. Thanks for your help."
As they were about to leave, Lancer spoke up once again. "I think there's something else I have to say." He said, bowing his head. "The school board doesn't want me to tell you this, but he's among the worst bullies in the school. Most of the school board is in his father's pocket and they don't want it getting out anyway. I have to keep him out of trouble, or I lose my job. However, I can't bring myself to care much anymore. God help me, I'm not too sorry he's dead."
Suddenly a little suspicious, Robbins asked: "Where were you last night, Mr. Lancer?" he asked.
"I was at home grading tests from that day's quiz on 'to kill a mockingbird'." Lancer replied.
"Is there anyone who can verify that?" asked Smith.
"Well, I've lived alone since my wife left me 5 years ago, so no." Mr. Lancer stated, slightly worried. "If it's any help, I can give you a list of complaints towards Mr. Baxter. It'll take some time to go through, I got to warn you."
The detectives thanked him as he gave him the notes and they left, reviewing them as they walked. Eventually, they sat down on one of the benches.
"This one says he was cruel and hurtful towards a pair of freshmen." Smith said to his partner, looking over one of the complaints. Personally, he found it a little strange that the school had complaints written in writing, but shrugged. He was known for being old-fashioned. "And this one by a student that he allegedly beat, causing major bruises to the torso."
"There are also a few about sexual harassment." Robbins added. "this one states that Mr. Baxter had made suggestive remarks to a girl named Florence Johnson. Doesn't the school do anything about this?"
"I told you they're more concerned about their reputations than the welfare of the students." Smith replied. "If word of this got out, they'd be up to their neck in lawsuits."
"Ordinarily, I'd disagree with you yet again, but in this case, it looks like you may be right. There's a report of Mr. Baxter tormenting without end a boy named Danny Fenton. All I've done is skim through it and I've found 5 reports that have his name on it."
"I think we ought to check him out. We can look at these more at the precinct." They got up and looked for the Fenton kid. They asked another one of the teachers, who gave them a basic physical description. He wasn't hard to miss, especially with his giant blue eyes. Eventually, they found him, walking around with an arm brace, a girl walking next to him.
"Danny Fenton, we're the Amity Park Police Department." Robbins told the teenager, the detectives showing their badges once again. "Can we have a word with you privately?"
The girl looked worried, but he shrugged and followed them. Once they were alone, Smith got down to business. "Can you answer a couple of questions for us?" He noticed the girl in the distance, watching them warily.
"That's just my sister." Danny stated. "So how can I help you?"
"Where were you last night, around 1:00, 1:30?" asked Robbins.
"I was up late, forced to finish my history homework." Danny replied. "Things came up and I was forced to do it late at night."
"Can anyone corroborate your story?" Smith asked the teen.
"Well, no; my parents and sister are usually asleep by midnight." Danny said, wondering what this is about.
"How do you get along with Dash Baxter?" Robbins wondered, pressing the teen slightly. "Do you guys have any fights, arguments?"
"Well, I don't like him much and he doesn't treat me very well." Danny said. "Mind telling me what this is about?"
"Do you have any sort of grudge against him?" asked Smith. "Has he done anything to you?"
"Well, he's bullied me a few times, but it's nothing serious, really. Just your typical… high school… stuff. What is all this about?"
"Have you ever been inside his house before, for any reason at all?" asked Smith.
"Well, we're study buddies in History class, so I have to work with him. He's not very good at history, to put it lightly. Oh, and there was once a party at his house that I was invited to."
"Do you study in the living room, his bedroom, where?"
"We usually study in the bedroom, although I sometimes wander out to take a break or go to the bathroom. Again, what is this all about?"
Smith debated with himself for a couple of seconds, then decided to tell him. "We've investigating the death of Dash Baxter. He was murdered this morning."
"And you think I did it? Dudes, I don't like him very much, but I don't hate him enough to kill him. Besides, I have a broken arm."
"You have made over a dozen complaints about Mr. Baxter since you've entered high school, correct?"
"Well, yes, but I don't see…"
"Hey, we can understand if you had enough." Robbins said. "There could be mitigating circumstances."
"You guys are getting the wrong idea!" Danny exclaimed, alarmed. "I'm innocent; I didn't do anything! And I don't know what mitigating means!"
"Danny, you can tell us." Robbins stated. "We're not going to hurt you. We'll be lenient. Just tell us what happened."
"I didn't do anything!" Danny exclaimed. "Why don't you believe me?"
The bell rang and he didn't need to be told twice. He ran, accidentally tripping and falling on his bad arm. He slowly, painfully got up, his sister doing her best to help him. "Jazz, go!" Danny insisted. "You'll be late for class!"
"We're doing anatomy, so I can afford to be a bit late." Jazz replied. "Come on, just be careful."
"You really shouldn't have done that, William." Smith told him. "He's only 15 and obviously a shy kid."
"I just have a feeling he's the one we're looking for, but you're right; I shouldn't have done that." Robbins replied. "I'm just kind of concerned about finding the culprit. Though I got to admit, part of me thinks he got what he deserved, even if half of those stories are true."
"We don't get to pick the victim." Smith replied. "No matter who it is, we have to get justice for them, despite the kind of person he is. Come on, we still have to talk to some of the others."
They decided to talk to some of the less popular students who basically gave them the same story Danny did. However, most of them had alibis that night, save a couple and there was no real evidence against anyone. Now they were talking to Danny's best friends, Sam Manson and Tucker Foley.
"So why exactly are you asking us these questions?" asked Tucker, holding a PDA in his hand. He wasn't exactly happy at being torn away from his game. "Are we in trouble?"
"It's part of an investigation." Smith said yet again. "Please tell us where you were last night."
"Hey, I was at home playing video games." Tucker replied. "It tells you what time you last played it, if you want to verify it. What exactly is all this about?"
"You'll learn about it on the 6:00 news." Robbins stated. "Can your parents corroborate your story?"
"And what about you, Miss Manson?" asked Smith. "Do you have an alibi?"
"Yes, I was home listening to music." Sam replied. "My parents know about that. They were screaming at me to turn it down. I got grounded for a week because I didn't listen."
"Have either of you had any problems with Mr. Baxter?" asked Smith, wondering if they had a motive. "Did he do anything to you two?"
"Yeah, he usually stuffed me in my locker about twice a day." Tucker stated. "Danny had it even worse, though. Hey, are you guys investigating what he did? If he goes on trial, I'll be happy to testify against him."
"He didn't do too much to me, mainly just insults." Sam told the detectives. "Got to admit, it was annoying watching him make out with that slut, Paulina."
"He had a girlfriend?" asked Smith. "Do you know if he treated her badly or anything of that sort?"
"Not that I know, but I can't say that I care." Sam sneered. "Those two are perfect for one another."
"Do either of you know where Danny was last night?" asked Smith. If they couldn't provide an alibi, Danny Fenton would be the primary suspect.
"No, he didn't call us for some reason." Tucker stated in confusion. "Usually he gives us at least a quick call, but last night, there was nothing. I don't know why, but he has been kind of depressed lately."
"We'll be in touch." Robbins told the two. He gave them a card. "Tell me if you remember anything more." The last thing they heard was Tucker restarting his game.
"So there was a fluctuation in his calling habits?" Robbins said to his partner. "Not enough for an arrest, but it looks like we found ourselves a prime suspect."
"We better go talk to the girlfriend." Smith replied. "Maybe she can spread some light on their relationship." After the 5th period bell rang, in which they simply waited, somebody matching the girl description walked out of a classroom. Immediately, they walked up to her, showing their badges.
"My name is Paulina Martinez." She said. "Yes, me and Dash were in a relationship. What do you have to tell me?"
"I'm sorry, but your boyfriend was murdered last night." Smith said and she burst into tears, crying on the detective's shoulder. After she composed herself, she was ready to answer their questions.
"Is there anybody who had a grudge against your boyfriend?" Robbins asked.
"Well, there are some who don't like him, like Danny Fenton." Paulina replied. "Just because we pick on that loser a little bit…"
"Can you define a little bit?" asked Smith. Paulina hesitated slightly. "Yes, please tell us what exactly you mean by that."
"Okay, he broke his arm by accident a couple days ago." Paulina stated. "So what? He didn't do it on purpose and it serves the loser right for his girlfriend pulling Dash's pants down in PE and humiliating him?"
"So who watched him do this?" asked Smith, struggling to keep the anger out of his voice.
"The whole class." She replied. "They were cheering him on. Ms. Tetslaff didn't do anything, and I'm not sure she knew about it. I have a little sympathy for that loser, but don't tell my friends that. I don't want to lose my spot at the popular table."
"Don't worry, we won't say anything." Smith stated coldly. "Where were you last night?"
"I was at a party with my friends." the girl said. "At least 50 people saw me there. You can ask any of them."
"Thank you for your time." Robbins nodded. He wasn't quite as angry as his partner, but he still disliked Paulina. "We'll ask you if we need anything else.,
Smith and Robbins were wondering where to turn now. It seemed that Danny Fenton had a lot of motive but who could know exactly what was going on? Finally, they went to the principal's office in hopes of a few answers.
"We hope we're not intruding." said Smith, looking around the office. It was a standard office for a principal with a giant calendar that stated scheduled events. Ms. Ishiyama's desk was a little larger than most, but still not that different. It had a lamp, a laptop, and various papers having to deal with matters in Casper High.
"Don't worry about that." Ms. Ishiyama stated. She was around 55 years old and had dark, slanted eye. She was Japanese and had been principal for nearly 20 years. "So what can I help you with?"
"Did Mr. Baxter have anyone with a grudge, someone who truly hated him?" asked Smith. "We're the Amity Park police department and we would appreciate any help you could give us."
"Is this about vandalism?" she groaned. "I swear, if Danny Fenton tagged the buildings again… and to answer your question, Mr. Baxter always seemed very popular. "
"What do you mean, again?" asked Smith. "He's known as a troublemaker?" Anything can help in an investigation, so he felt it wouldn't hurt to ask.
"A couple days ago, he ended up spraying his name on the building around the corner." Ms. Ishiyama replied. "He tried to deny it, but we caught him red-handed. The empty paint can was in his backpack."
"Why didn't he throw it away?" asked Smith.
"He's not known for being too intelligent." Ms. Ishiyama told them. "He seems to like causing trouble to draw attention to himself."
"You still haven't answered our question." Robbins said with some exasperation. "Was there anyone with a grudge against him?"
"Well, Valerie Grey doesn't like him, but she's smitten with the Fenton boy and they don't get along." she said. "I swear, he brings it on himself, the idiot. Pardon me for speaking ill of my students, but I have to say it."
Suddenly, detective Smith's cell phone rang. He answered it and nodded and once he hung up, he turned to his partner. "They've found a witness who said he saw somebody walking away from the building at the time it was committed."
"Ms. Ishiyama, can we have some photos of your students?" asked Robbins. "It's part of our investigation."
"Sure, here you go." she replied, giving them photos of at least 40 people. "I wish you guys luck. Is there anything more I can do?"
"No, but thanks for what you did do." Smith replied. Once they left, he was fully in agreement with his partner. "Danny Fenton isn't well-liked around this school, apparently. I'll bet anything our murder victim was responsible for this. The school has to know about this. They can't be this stupid."
"That may be so, but we're investigating a murder, not the school." Robbins stated. "We've got a waterfall of motive, but as of yet, no concrete evidence. Let's hope our witness can help us with that."
"So can you describe him for us?" asked Robbins once they got back to the precinct.
"Yeah, of course I can." The man was one of the neighbors who had seen someone walking away from the house that night. He had brown hair, green eyes, was about 6'2 and weighed 220 pounds. His name happened to be Robert Bauer. "I was about 15 feet away from him and he kept staring at the house nervously. He had blue eyes and was around 5'5, 5'6, something like that. Didn't even seem to acknowledge me when I greeted him."
Smith showed him an array of pictures. He shook his head as he mentally went through them until he saw who he felt matched the description. "It's this one, I'm sure of it." he stated, pointing at one of the photos. As luck would have it, it was Danny Fenton.
"Are you completely sure?" asked Robbins.
"Completely." Bauer replied. "It was him I saw."
"Thanks for your help; you're free to go." Robbins said to the man, shaking his hand. He then turned to his partner. "So is this enough for an arrest?"
"Not quite, but certainly enough for a warrant." Smith replied, mentally counting what they had on his fingers. "An unsubstantiated alibi, a huge motive, and an eyewitness that puts him at the scene. It's time we have a little talk with the parents."
Yep, things are really looking bad for him. Hate to say it, but updates may be slower, since I have to start "Digital Phantom" and continue with "Mistakes". I apologize for any inconvenience. Please review.