Clarence sat down, his hands still cuffed, and waited anxiously. The room was silent except for the sound of his own breathing. After what felt like an eternity, a detective finally entered the room. He was a middle-aged man with a stern look on his face.
"Mr. Wendle, I'm Detective Johnson. I'm here to ask you a few questions about your disappearance," the detective said, taking a seat across from Clarence.
Clarence nodded, feeling intimidated by the detective's presence. "Okay."
"Can you tell me what happened the day you and your friends went missing?" the detective asked, opening a folder and taking out a pen.
Clarence took a deep breath and began recounting the events of that day, trying to be as detailed as possible. The detective listened carefully, occasionally jotting down notes.
"Did you or any of your friends see or interact with an old man, in a military suit, during your disappearance?" the detective asked, looking up from his notes.
Clarence's heart sank at the mention of the old man. He knew where this was going.
"No, we didn't see any old man," Clarence replied, his voice shaky.
The detective raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? We have reports that a man matching that description was seen in the area around the time of your disappearance."
Clarence felt a wave of panic wash over him. He didn't want to get himself or his friends in trouble by admitting to anything.
"I don't know anything about an old man," Clarence insisted, shaking his head.
"So tell me, how did you guys get back to Aberdale, all alone, Clarence?" The detective further asked, scooting his chair in closer.
Clarence felt a lump form in his throat as he tried to come up with an explanation. He knew that their story sounded unbelievable, but he didn't want to incriminate himself or his friends.
"We...we just found our way back," Clarence stuttered, avoiding eye contact with the detective.
"Found your way back?" the detective repeated, his tone skeptical. "Can you explain how you managed to navigate your way back home without any help?"
Clarence shook his head, feeling more and more anxious by the second. He didn't want to lie, but he also didn't want to reveal the truth.
"I don't know, it's like...we just knew where to go," Clarence said, hoping that would be enough.
"Hmm yes, ok Mr Wendle." The detective said in a sort of sarcastic tone.
"Do you know how long I have been in this business, Mr Wendle?"
Clarence shook his head, feeling even more nervous now.
"Long enough to know when someone is not telling me the whole truth," the detective said, leaning forward in his chair. "Now, I want you to think very carefully before you answer my next question. Did you or any of your friends have contact with the old man before your disappearance?"
Clarence hesitated for a moment, his mind racing. He knew he couldn't keep lying forever, but he also didn't want to implicate himself or his friends.
"I...I don't know," Clarence finally admitted, feeling a lump form in his throat. "We...we might have seen one around, but we didn't talk to him or anything."
"Look Mr. Wendle. I have done many cases in my career, and over my years of work I have built a reputation. A Reputation that has given me many connections that not many other lousy detectives can say they have," the detective said, his tone becoming more serious.
Clarence looked at him, confused. "What does that have to do with me?"
"Well, let me show you something," the detective said, pulling out a file from up under the desk. He started flipping through the folder until he pulled out a picture.
"Do you know this man?" the detective asked.
Clarence studied the picture for a moment and then shook his head. "No, I don't know him." he said with sweat beading down his head, barely maintaining his composure
The detective leaned in closer. "Are you sure? Because this man's name is Buckey O'neil, and he has quite the reputation around these parts, I heard he is the rough riders mascot."
Clarence's heart skipped a beat. On the photo was indeed Buckey O'neil
"I don't know him, I swear," Clarence said, feeling a lump form in his throat.
The detective raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure about that?"
Clarence nodded, feeling increasingly agitated by the detective's questioning.
"Yes, I'm sure. I've never seen that man before in my life," he insisted, his voice growing more forceful.
The detective leaned back in his chair, studying Clarence closely. "Alright, Mr. Wendle. But just remember, lying to a police officer is a serious offense."
Clarence felt a sense of panic rising in his chest. How could the detective have possibly found out? He had been so careful to cover their tracks and keep their encounter with Buckey O'neil a secret. He just hoped the detective wouldn't push the issue any further.
The detective studied Clarence for a moment longer before standing up from his chair. "Well, I think that's all the questions I have for now. But if you think of anything else that might be helpful, don't hesitate to give me a call."
Clarence nodded, relieved that the questioning was over. He stood up as well, ready to leave the station.
"Thank you, sir," he said politely.
The detective nodded curtly and turned to walk back to his desk. Clarence let out a sigh of relief as he walked out of the station, feeling grateful that he had managed to avoid implicating himself or his friends. However, he couldn't shake the feeling of unease that lingered in his gut.
The police arrived at the trailer park where Sumo lived, and they were immediately struck by the chaos and noise of the place. Kids were running around everywhere, and it seemed like every other trailer had a different family living in it. The officers looked at each other, unsure of where to start.
They made their way through the maze of trailers, knocking on doors and asking if anyone had seen Sumo. But no one seemed to know where he was.
After a few minutes of searching, one of the officers spotted Sumo's parents outside of their trailer. They were both reading outdated magazines and watching their kids play in the dirt.
"Excuse me, ma'am," the officer said, approaching Sumo's mom. "Do you know where we can find your son Sumo?"
Sumo's mom gave the officer a suspicious look. "Why are you looking for Sumo?"
"We have reason to believe that he was involved in an incident involving a kidnapping," the officer explained. "We need to bring him in for questioning."
Sumo's mom narrowed her eyes. "I don't know nothin' about that," she said, brushing the cop off more than she does to her own kids.
The officer sighed, knowing that getting information out of Sumo's family was going to be difficult. "Ma'am, I'm going to have to insist that you tell us where your son is."
Sumo's dad stepped forward, looking even more intimidating than his wife. "We don't know where Sumo is," he said, his voice low and menacing. "And even if we did, we ain't gonna willingly hand him over to the pigs."
The officers exchanged a nervous glance. They knew that they were outnumbered and outmatched in this situation. They decided to back off for now, but they made it clear that they would be back.
After They walked away from the trailer park, one of the officers couldn't help but feel a little bit intimidated by Sumo's family. He knew that they were going to have a tough time tracking down the scrappy kid. But they had to find him. As the officers continued their search, they eventually caught a glimpse of Sumo in the distance. He was running after a squirrel, throwing rocks and sticks in its direction. The officers quickly approached him, causing Sumo to stop in his tracks and stare at them with defiance in his eyes.
"Sumo, we need to talk to you," one of the officers said, trying to keep his voice calm.
Sumo crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. "What for?"
"We need to bring you in for questioning, relating to your disappearance."
Sumo scoffed. "I didn't do nothin'," he said, his voice filled with irritation.
"Come on, Sumo," the other officer said, grabbing him by the arm. "Let's go."
Sumo struggled against the officer's grip, but it was no use. The officers led him away, leaving behind a trail of dust and commotion.
As Sumo was being led away, his parents stepped out of their trailer, watching the scene unfold. Sumo's mom looked worried, while his dad looked angry.
"What's going on here?" Sumo's dad demanded, striding up to the officers.
"Your son is being taken in for questioning," one of the officers explained.
Sumo's dad scowled. "My son didn't do nothin'," he insisted. "You got no right to take him away like this."
"Sir, we have a warrant for his arrest," the other officer said, holding up a piece of paper, as a few of the other kids from the trailer park started to gather around, watching the scene.
Sumo didn't say anything, but he looked back at his parents and gave them a nod. He knew that they were tough, and they would be able to handle things without him.
The officers loaded Sumo into their car and drove away, leaving behind a cloud of dust and a group of stunned onlookers.
"He'll be just fine" Sumos dad said to his wife
-
While this was happening, over at Chelsea's house a similar scene was taking place.
The police had arrived at her doorstep and were demanding that she come with them immediately. Chelsea was caught off guard.
"What's going on? Why are you taking me away?" Chelsea asked, her voice shaking.
"We need to take you into questioning relating to your disappearance" The officer said
"Now hold on a second," Mr Keezheekoni said as he walked to the door "Where's your guy's warrant?"
The officer pulled out a paper from his pocket and handed it to Mr Keezheekoni. He quickly scanned through it and frowned.
"This warrant isn't specific enough. It doesn't mention any reason for Chelsea's arrest," he said, raising his voice.
The officer hesitated for a moment before speaking, "We suspect Chelsea may have been involved in a crime and we need to question her."
Mr Keezheekoni looked at his daughter, who was now trembling with fear. He put a reassuring hand on her shoulder and turned back to the officer.
"Okay, but please treat her with respect and let us know what's going on as soon as possible," he said firmly.
The officers nodded and escorted Chelsea out of the house. Mr Keezheekoni watched them go, his heart heavy with worry. He made a mental note to call his lawyer and find out what his daughter's rights were. He wasn't going to let anyone bully or intimidate his family without a fight.
Next on the list was Jeff, and by now it was getting dark outside.
A voice from inside the house responded, "Yes, this is Jeff. Is everything okay?"
"We need you to come with us, Jeff. We have some questions for you regarding your recent disappearance and possible involvement with the old man," one of the officers replied.
Jeff's heart sank as he realized he was in trouble. He had never been in trouble with the law before and didn't know how to handle the situation. He quickly gathered his thoughts and tried to compose himself.
"Can I at least get changed and grab my phone?" Jeff asked.
"Ughh, Sure, but please make it quick," the officer said. At this point, after dealing with Chelsea, and Especially Sumo. Anytime the officer could choose patience over force was the go to option for the officer.
Jeff hurriedly changed into a clean shirt and grabbed his phone and a jacket. He had expected the officers to show up, he just didn't know it'd be so soon. But he had a game plan for when he was going to be questioned, "just they wait" he thought.