CHAPTER 4
FLIP'S INTERROGATION

WARNING: Flip will say something Racist!

ROYAL WOODS COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, ROYAL WOODS, MICHIGAN
March 13th, 1:53 pm

We hauled Flip back to the station and took him to interrogation room number 2. Me and Bowie handled the interrogation. "It doesn't look good for you Flip", I said, "You've got the wallet of a dead child in your pocession. You're looking at the electric chair". "Now hold on to your taters!", said the gruff con man, "I did nothin'! Ya hear! I didn't commit no crime!" "Then why did we find you with Lincoln Loud's wallet in your back pocket?" asked Bowie. "Listen here, c***ky! You stay outta your bus-" "I beg your pardon!?" I suddenly grew defensive. Bowie was an African American. My father fought for civil rights alongside blacks during the age of discrimination and hearing that fat orge call Bowie that made my blood boil.

"Ya heard me!" I suddenly grabbed Flip by the collar. "Listen here, Flip. I'm gonna tell you why you had Lincoln's wallet on you! Last night, you whacked the child in the park, dragged him to the dumpster and stole his wallet." "HEY HEY HEY! Listen! I didn't murder no kid!" Flip said getting nervous. "Listen here fata**! If I and the rest of the department don't see anything wrong with my partner's skin color, I dunno why you think its a problem! Now I suggest you start telling the truth before I get physical!" "Okay! Okay! I take it back! I'll tell you everything!" I dropped Flip onto the chair. "That's better", I said before muttering "You racist pig!".

"Alright, listen. Last night, I went dumpster diving, seeing if I can find anything that could be worth sellin' off in my shop. Then I came across the kid. From the odor, I figured he was kaput, so I figured-" "So you figured you'd help yourself to his wallet!?" I asked. "Yeah, so what? It's not like he needed it". I just stood there, looking at Flip. I then walked over to the door, stuck my head out the window and saw deputies McDougal and Smith. "McDougal! Smith! Haul this racist sack of s**t to the cells!"

"Wait! Wait! There's more!" "More?", asked Bowie. "Before I dived into the dumpster, I thought I saw someone walk away from the dumpster." "Someone? Explain." "Well, this person was just a small girl, with burnette hair, and was wearing some kind of sports jersey with watching red shorts. She was also carrying a baseball bat". "Thanks for the information", said Bowie. "Does this mean I get to go off scott free?" "Are you f**kin' kidding me!? You just pitched a wallet off of a dead child's corpse, evaded the authorites and endangered the public with your road rage. You're going back to prison!" "Crap", Flip said as Deputies McDougal and Smith hauled him away to the cells.

As my deputies carried away Flip, Bowie turned to me. "Hey Sheriff", he said, "When we were at the Loud residence, there was a girl matching the description Flip said there. You thinking what I'm thinking?". "You're d*** right I am", I said, "Go get Hartmann. We've got to investigate the Loud Family". We got out of the interrogation room and found Hartmann. "I just got off the phone, you know that Margo Roberts kid we met eariler?" "Yeah?" "I think she may have some information for us. She told us to meet her at her house". "Where's that?" "1324 Evergreen Avenue". "Good, let's interview her and go take a look at the Loud Family", I said as we walked outside and towards my patrol car.

ROBERTS FAMILY RESIDENCE, 1324 EVERGREEN AVENUE, ROYAL WOODS, MICHIGAN
March 13th, 2:16 pm

We arrived at the Roberts Family Residence. We parked the patrol car in the driveway and walked up to the door. A woman answered. "Hello?" "Ma'am", I said, "I'm Sheriff John Hughes and there are my detectives Hartmann and Bowie. We heard your daughter might have some information about the murder?" "Oh yes, such a shame," the woman said as she called for her daugher, "MARGO!" Then Margo came up to the door. "Yeah mom?" "The Sheriff and some detectives are here to ask some questions honey". We then followed Margo to the living and sat down in on the couch. "Okay miss Roberts. shoot away", I said. "Well, it happened yesterday, when Coach Keck kicked Lynn off of the team. I deeply remember the last time I saw Lynn yesterday, she was steamed. She was heading towards the locker room. She said she was going to talk to Lincoln". "Lincoln?" "Yeah, he was going to return the suit". "Interesting", I said. "I remember it directly because she shoved Laura away from the doorway". "Laura?" "Laura Leighton. Another member of the team. In fact, one April Fools Day, she was hired to be Lynn's double so she can avoid getting pranked by her sister Luan".

"Go on", said Bowie. "Well Laura joined the team after that incident. In fact, she almost resembles Lynn!" "Really?" "Yep, only difference is that Laura has a round nose". "I see", I said, "We might want to talk to this Laura Leighton. Thank you very much Ms. Roberts". We got up and began to leave when Margo stopped us. "Oh and Sheriff?" "Yeah?" "Are you going to the Loud's house?" "That depends, why?" "Can you drop these off for me", Margo said holding a pair of sneakers, "They're Lynn's!" I looked at the Sneakers, they looked exactly like the sneakrs we found at the park. But the only difference was that they had the initials, LJ on them, that, and they were a different size. "Uh sure, I'll take them to her. Where di you get these?". "Laura found them. She was heading back to the locker room to get her sneakers but only found Lynns. She gave them to me and asked if I can give them to her". "Intersing" I took the shoes and we headed outside towards the squad car.

As we drove, I began to think. "Why did we find Laura's shoes at the park?" I said. "I guess we'll have to find out", said Hartmann. "I say we take a look at the Middle School locker room", said Bowie. "That sounds like a good idea", I said. "I say now is a good time to interview the Loud family".

LOUD FAMILY RESIDENCE, 1216 FRANKLIN AVENUE, ROYAL WOODS, MICHIGAN
March 13th, 2:31 pm

We pulled into the Loud Family driveway. We could hear crying from the house. "The Loud adults must've told them about Lincoln", said Bowie. "Alright, let's go do some interviewing", I said. We walked to the door and rang the doorbell, but it broke. "Dang it", I said. So I simply knocked. Then Mrs. Rita Loud opened the door. Her eyes were red with tears. "Y-y-y-yes, wh-whadda want?" "Mrs. Loud, we're here to conduct some interviews with your family, especially Lynn Loud Jr.", I said. "O-of course Sheriff", Rita said as she lead us into the house. All of the Loud daughters were in the living room, crying away. "I'll interview Lynn Jr. You guys handle the rest", I said before turning to the father, "Where's Lynn Jr.?" "Upstairs", the father said with tears in his eyes, "I'll show you". The father lead me up the stairway and towards a bedroom door. He opened the door and suddenly, several bats came flying out! I nearly pulled out my revolver by instint. "Good lord! Do you any permits to have livestock in your household!?"

I looked into the room and saw a young 13 year old girl with Brunette hair, tied in a pony tail. She wore red shorts and a red and white long sleeve jersey. I noticed that she had bandages on her feet. I gently knocked on the door and the girl noticed. "Mind if I come in?" "I don't care", the girl said quietly. I walked inside the room and sat down beside her. "I'm just here to ask questions", I said kindly. "Sure, shoot away Sheriff". "Okay, when was the last time you saw your brother". "Uhhhhh well...ummmm. It...it was yesterday in the locker room". "Go on". "We...we got into an argument and we just walked away". "What was the argument about?" "It was about...uhhhhhhh...it was about who'll be paying for lunch down at the Burpin' Burger. Lincoln didn't feel like paying so we...yeah. That was it". I was getting suspicious. "I don't you're telling the truth kid", I said. "Beg pardon?" "We are aware that you were kicked off of the team because you were forcing your brother to wear a stupid costume in order to get "Good Luck".

"Whanna back that up cop?" Lynn said agressively. I was surprised by this, but I continued. "Principle Rameriz and your friend Margo Roberts us about it". Lynn's eyes goggled. "Why that little b-", he whispered before talking normal, "Ugh, fine! I got kicked off the team because of that! I forced him to wear it because he was jinxed! He was making me lose?" "How?" "By being there! That's how!" "Explain?" "At the start of the season, I forced Lincoln to come to my baseball match. But we lost and I figured since Lincoln never came to my games before, he was bad luck." I sighed. "Kid. Does Lincoln play baseball?" "No." "Is he intersted in any sports at all?" "No." "Then how was he responsible for losing the game?" "Well he...he...". "Exactly, you're the one playing the game. Not him. And this good luck bulls**t, it's just crap people made up because they don't want to admit they lost". I then turned to her feet. "What happened to your feet?" "They...er...I stepped in some thorns and scraped by feet against them". "I see. Can you recall where you went after that argument?" "I...I went to the Burpin' Burger to mope". "Can anyone back this up?" "Uhhhh, ask my boyfriend Franscisco. He'll back me up". "I see. Is there anything else you can recall?" "Yeah, after I left, Laura Leighton. She's another member of our team, walked back into the locker room. She...she said she needed to get her sneakers".

Before I could say anything, Hartmann walked in. "We took care of all the family members". "Good", I said, "Let's go". As we walked out of the house, Bowie talked to me. "So what did Lynn Jr. say?" "She claims that her brother was bad luck and forced him to wear the suit in order to win games", I said. "That's what the other girls said. They even forced Lincoln to come to their events to order to have good luck. Even the Parent's stupidly followed this". "What were they thinking?", I asked. "Aparently, they thought the girls were just playing a joke on Lincoln, they didn't even know they meant it until it was too late". "The minute this case is over, we outght to make those two re-take parenting class", I said. "Now what's next?" "We investigate the Locker Room at Royal Woods Middle".

EVIDENCE SO FAR:

- Lynn Jr's Shoes have the initials LJ on them. Margo says that Laura Leighton, a girl in the same team and with similar features as Lynn Jr. found them in the Locker Room and gave them to Margo to give to Lynn. Also to note, Lynn Jr's shoes were a little bigger than the shoes found at the Locker Room

- Lynn Jr's feet were covered in bandages. She claimed to have stepped in thorns and scraped her feet against them.

- Flip said a girl with brown hair tied in a pony tail wearing red shorts and a red and white jersey and carrying a baseball bat walking away from the dumpster where Lincoln was found.

- Margo Roberts said she last saw Lynn Jr. the previous day in order to talk to Lincoln in the locker room. Shoving away Laura Leighton in the process.

- Why was Lynn Jr being so aggressive?