Chapter 3 - QUESTIONS

-David madsen. Mark jefferson & nathan drugged & kidnapped rachel and kate. Secret bunker under prescott barn. U have gps coordinates.
Also search junkyard near old schoolbus. Unmarked grave. Pls hurry. Bring cops.

I sent the anonymous text then deleted it off my phone. It had worked before, and there was no reason it wouldn't work again.
I hoped.

If I knew Jefferson, he would head straight to the Dark Room to salvage what equipment he could before leaving town. He'd bought only the best, most expensive shit with the Prescott's money. Not to mention his precious red binders. No way he'd let it all get seized.

They'd better catch that sick fuck.

I raised my hand to rub my face and saw flecks of dried blood on my fingers. Chloe's blood.

Still on the sidewalk at the foot of the steps, I looked around furtively. Principal Wells was by the fountain talking to a young female police officer, glancing around as if looking for someone.

I needed to avoid being questioned, get to the parking lot and get the hell out. I needed to see Chloe.

Walking as nonchalantly as possible along the sidewalk, I still looked like the most suspicious person in the world. I wondered what the rubberneckers and TV crews could be thinking. I was sure nobody would suspect a skinny, ordinary-looking girl like me of any wrongdoing.

I risked a quick look over my shoulder, fully expecting to be accosted, but I couldn't see Principal Wells anywhere. I walked along the street until I got to the entry road to the parking lot just before the police line, then followed it back up. Finally I saw Chloe's truck, still parked over two handicapped spots.

Frank's RV was gone. I didn't expect him to hang around when the shit went down.

I took Chloe's keys from my pocket, relieved that I'd made it.

The Blackwell Ninja strikes again.

"Maxine Caulfield?"

Oh, fuck.

It was the lady police officer whom I'd noticed earlier, coming down the steps. "Yes?" I replied.

"Going somewhere?"

"My friend's in the hospital. You know she got shot…"

"Miss Caulfield, we have some questions about that incident. May I have a few minutes of your time?"

I should be at Chloe's side right now, not stuck here dealing with this bullshit.

Avoiding her gaze, I nodded in resignation.

"Principal Wells has kindly let us use his office for this. Are you comfortable with me recording this conversation?" the lady cop asked.

"Yeah… I'm sorry, it's been an insane day." I was utterly exhausted, practically dead on my feet. My multiple time jumps had left me completely drained.

"I totally understand, Miss Caulfield." She turned on the recorder, putting it next to the tacky bronze bird on the desk. "Are your parents around? They must be very worried about you."

"They're in Seattle. I've already told them I'm okay." Of course the school shooting had made national news, and my parents had seen me on TV, so I'd called to reassure them right after Joyce and David had left for the hospital. Then I'd texted David.

"Well, that's good. Would you like to have someone else present? Your principal maybe, or a teacher?"

I shook my head. "No thanks." Come on. Just get it over with. I need to get outta here.

We each took a seat in front of the principal's desk. I smiled inwardly at the ugly-but-comfy swivel chair Chloe had wanted to steal. I imagined us wheeling the hideous thing to the parking lot and into the back of Chloe's truck.

"Okay, I'll make this as quick as I can. Miss Caulfield-"

"Max."

"Okay, Max," she continued, smiling. "I'm Officer Connelly, but you can call me Bree."

I nodded silently. Her calm demeanor was reassuring. I took a good look at her for the first time.

She looked to be in her mid-twenties, about Chloe's height, slim, with dark brown hair pulled back in a bun. Bright green eyes. Even without makeup she was quite pretty. She could have given Rachel a run for her money. I could see why the cops had her speaking to witnesses, with her looks and the way she put people at ease. Bree, huh?

"Before we begin, I should let you know that this is not an interrogation. Please don't be afraid."

I nodded again. Thank fuck for that.

"First off, I just wanted to say we all think you were very brave for confronting Mr. Prescott the way you did."

"I had to," I said quietly.

"Do you know Miss Price well?"

"I… Chloe and I were childhood friends… but today was the first time I've seen her in five years."

"Can you tell me exactly what led to the events in the bathroom just after 4 PM?"

Uh… I actually came from the future in order to stop the blue-haired girl from dying. "I don't know if I can relive that right now. It's too raw."

"Please, Max. Anything you can tell us will help. Forensics has the photo you took of Mr. Prescott discharging a firearm at Miss Price, but we'd like a little more info on what led to the shooting."

This is bullshit. Chloe needs me! "Don't you have enough evidence? I mean, I've watched CSI. Isn't there something about gunpowder residue, like on Nathan's hand and Chloe's shirt, maybe? Nathan's fingerprints on the gun? You guys even confiscated my camera."

She looked at me appraisingly. "Sorry about that, but I can't give any more details about an ongoing investigation. Now, were they arguing? Did you overhear anything?"

"I didn't hear a lot. I was too scared. Something about Nathan dealing drugs to students."

"Anything else?"

I can't deal with this right now. God, I'm so tired. "Nathan drugged Chloe. She got away, then she threatened to go to his family. That's why they were arguing in the bathroom."

Bree sat up a little straighter. "He drugged her?"

Oh, shit. What did I say? I'm not supposed to know about that! "He… he sold her drugs. He sold to a lot of kids here. I think he also drugged K- another girl at a Vortex Club party." Shut up, Max! Shut up!

"I see. Were you at this party?"

What have I done? "No, no I wasn't. But the girl was videoed doing… inappropriate things, and the video went viral. She's not like that at all. She's a kind, sweet, decent person."

"Sounds like you're good friends."

"Not really… but she's nice to me, even though she's being bullied because of the video."

"Can you prove she was drugged?"

Careful, Max. "I think you'll need to talk to her yourself. I'm sorry, Bree… I'm just so tired right now…"

She turned off the recorder. "It's okay, Max. I know you need rest, and you want to be with Chloe… Miss Price."

My brow furrowed. "How do you know Chloe?"

She sighed. "Sadly we all know her down at the station. She's been in and out of trouble since… well, since her dad died."

I'd heard that before, from the cop at the Two Whales, in another life. But there was something in her voice…

"Okay, um… we're done for now, Max, but I will be in touch. Here's my card."

"Sure," I replied nervously, getting up to leave.

"Max? Your nose..."

"What? Oh… uh… I guess the stress is finally getting to me," I lied, wiping away the trickle of blood. Had I unconsciously been trying to rewind the conversation?

"You sure you're ok?" Bree asked with a look of concern - and something else - on her face.

"Yeah. I just need to re- to unwind," I replied, catching myself. "Sorry for all the sneaking around earlier. I just want to go see Chloe. Can I go now?"

"You can go, Max. Hold on to my card."

I nodded wordlessly, leaving her in the office.

What the fuck just happened? What do I do now?

Chapter End Notes

GUN NERD TIME. I'd originally written in this chapter that the bullet had travelled through Chloe's side, through the bathroom door, and hit Hayden who'd been standing by the notice board across the corridor.
The instruction manual of Nathan's pistol (found in his room) states it's chambered in 9mm, and while 9mm ball ammunition does indeed have the penetration power, in the game when Chloe is shot there is no exit wound.
This leads me to assume Nathan's pistol (which seems to be a hybrid of 4 real-world pistols) was loaded with hollow points, which either spread or fragment on impact.
Anyway, even though Chloe was only shot in the side here, she's gonna need surgery to extract the fragments.

Poor Chloe Bear just can't catch a break.