The stern police officer sits across from Sumo in a small interrogation room, glaring at him over a table.
The officer knew he'd have to be less easy going with things from what he's heard from the deputies who caught him.
The officer began to clear his throat, "Sumo, we've been investigating the disappearance of you and your friends during the field trip, and we have reason to believe that you were kidnapped by this old man," Holds up a photo of Buckey O' Neil. "Care to explain yourself?"
"I don't know what you're talking about." Sumo said with his arms crossed
"Don't play dumb with me, Sumo. We have evidence that you where with Buckey in a stolen jeep." The officer said scooting his chair in
"Buckey? He's just some old guy who lives in the woods. He wouldn't hurt a fly." Sumo said with a grin
"That's not what your friend Jeff told us." The officer said in a sinister tone
Sumo got worried now, did Jeff really snitch?
"Jeff? I don't believe he said that, you're making this up!" Sumo said as he banged his fist on the table
The officer began to lean in further. "So you're saying that you weren't with Buckey and that he did not in fact kidnap you, Jeff, Clarence, and chelsea?"
Sumo shifted in his seat, avoiding eye contact with the officer. "Look, Buckey didn't kidnap us, I don't even know the guy!"
"Really, then how do you even know his name?" The officer said, think he got a lead.
"Maybe because I enjoy Rough Riders Chicken" Sumo said while perking up "He is the mascot after all, isn't he?"
The officer's face was turning redder by the second, and his voice grew louder with each passing moment. "I'm sick and tired of your lies, Sumo! You were found in a stolen jeep with Buckey, and your friends where too. Do you think this is a joke?"
Sumo remained calm, despite the officer's outburst. "I never said it was a joke, Officer. I'm just telling you the truth. I don't know anything about Buckey, and I certainly wasn't involved in any kidnapping."
The officer slammed his fist on the table again, causing Sumo to flinch. "You expect me to believe that? You were caught red-handed with Buckey, and now you're trying to play innocent?"
Sumo rolled his eyes. "I don't expect you to believe anything, Officer. All I can tell you is what I know, and what I know is that I didn't have anything to do with Buckey or any kidnapping. If you have evidence, then present it. Otherwise, let me go."
The officer leaned in even closer, his face inches away from Sumo's. "You were found in a stolen jeep with Buckey, and your friends are still missing. Don't make me lose my patience with you, Sumo." The officer said while gritting his teeth.
Sumo smirked. "Oh, I wouldn't want that, Officer. You might hurt yourself."
The officer's face contorted with rage, and he raised his hand as if to strike Sumo. But then he took a deep breath and regained his composure. "You're lucky I'm a professional, Sumo. Otherwise, I might have done something I'd regret. But don't think you're off the hook. We'll find out what really happened to you and Buckey will pay for his crimes."
Sumo shrugged. "Suit yourself, Officer. But you won't find anything, because there's nothing to find. Now, can I go? I have a life to get back to."
The officer glared at Sumo for a moment longer, then stood up and headed towards the door. "Fine, for now. But don't leave town. We may need to ask you more questions later."
Sumo nodded and watched as the officer left the room, feeling relieved that the interrogation was finally over. He knew he couldn't admit to anything without proof, even then he'd try to figure out something. But for now, as he walked out of the police station, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off about the whole situation. It seemed like he was a suspect, rather than the hypothetical victim they where painting him out to be.
1 Day, with kids back, and 2 out of 4 of them interviewed. No leads. The cops where getting impatient by the day, and so was the media, as of now nobody knew what was going on. Every news outlet in the state was covering the story, and the speculation was running rampant.
The stern cop enters the room where Chelsea is waiting, and sits down across from her at the table. He doesn't waste any time getting straight to the point.
"Chelsea, we need to know what really happened to you and your friends. We have reason to believe that Bucky O'Neil was involved, and we need your cooperation to bring him to justice."
Chelsea takes a deep breath and looks the cop straight in the eye. She knows that she needs to be honest, but she's also wary of the police and their tactics. "I understand that you're trying to find out what happened, but I can't help you if I don't know anything. Bucky O'Neil had nothing to do with what happened to us, I don't even know how that mascot got brought up!"
The cop leans forward, his tone growing more aggressive. "Don't lie to me, Chelsea. We have reason to believe that Bucky O'Neil was seen with you guys in a stolen red jeep. We need to know if he was involved in your kidnapping."
Chelsea remains calm, but her tone grows more firm. "I understand your concerns, but I am telling the truth. Bucky O'Neil had nothing to do with us getting lost, Nor a "Red Stolen Jeep". I can't help you if you keep trying to force me to say something that isn't true. If you have evidence against him, then use that, but don't try to make me lie."
The cop's expression darkens, and he suddenly stands up, slamming his fists on the table. "You think you're so smart, don't you? Well, let me tell you something, Chelsea. You don't know anything about the world. You don't know what it's like to work a job you hate day in and day out just to make ends meet. You don't know what it's like to lose someone you love because of some stupid mistake. You don't know anything about life."
Chelsea is taken aback by the sudden outburst. She stays quiet, not knowing what to say.
The cop continues, his voice rising. "And you know what? I'm sick and tired of people like you, who think they're better than everyone else. You think you can just sit there with your fancy clothes and your perfect teeth and tell me what's what? Well, let me tell you something, sweetheart, you don't know anything!."
Chelsea looks at the cop with a mixture of confusion and concern. She came to the interrogation expecting actual Interrogation questions, not this entire personal spiel.
The cop takes a deep breath and sits back down, his expression softening slightly. "Look, Chelsea, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get so worked up. It's just that this case is important to me, and I need your help. If you know anything, please, just tell me."
Chelsea takes a deep breath, still reeling from the cop's outburst. She knows that she needs to be honest, but she also knows that she can't trust the cop completely. "I understand that you're trying to do your job, but I really don't know anything about Bucky O'Neil. All I know is that we were lost, and made our way back. That's all I can tell you."
As Chelsea leaves the police station, she can't shake off the feeling of unease that has settled in her stomach. She Knew that the interrogation was going to be stressful for her, but it seemed more stressful for the cop. She just hoped that her other friends where handling it as well as she was.
The stern cop leaves the room, his mind racing with frustration. He knows that there's something more to this case, but he can't seem to get anything out of Chelsea, Sumo, or Clarence. He decides to call in a favor with one of his connections, hoping that they might have some information that could break the case wide open.
He dials the number and waits anxiously for the person on the other end to answer. "Hello?" a gruff voice answers.
"Hey, it's me," the cop says, trying to keep his voice steady. "I need your help. I'm at my breaking point here."
"Don't worry, I've got an ace up my sleeve," the connection says cryptically. "I have a photo with Clarence and Bucky O'Neil on a bus, timestamped with the date before they got back home. But it'll take at least a week for me to mail it to you."
The cop lets out a sigh of relief. "Thank you. I owe you one."
"Just doing my job," the connection says before hanging up.
The cop sits back in his chair, feeling a weight lifted off his shoulders. He knows that he can't rely on the photo alone, but it's a good start. He'll need to track down Clarence and find out what he knows.
An hour later, the cop finds himself back in the interrogation room, this time with Jeff. He sits down across from him, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips.
The interrogator sat, across from Jeff, frustration etched on his face. "Look, Jeff, we know you and your friends were with Buckey O'Neil. We have a witness who saw him kidnap you. We just need you to tell us what happened."
"I want my lawyer," Jeff repeated for what felt like the hundredth time.
The officer let out a frustrated sigh. "Do you understand the gravity of the situation here, Jeff? We have a man accused of kidnapping and no leads. You could help us solve this."
Jeff leaned back in his chair, arms folded. "I understand the situation just fine. And I also understand my rights. I want my lawyer."
The officer stood up and paced back and forth. "Fine, you want your lawyer, we'll get your lawyer. But you're not going anywhere until we get to the bottom of this."
As The officer stormed out of the room, Jeff couldn't help but feel a twinge of satisfaction. He knew he wasn't in any trouble, but he also knew he couldn't say anything without his lawyer present.
After what felt like hours, Jeff's lawyer finally arrived. "What's going on here?" she asked, sitting down next to Jeff.
"The Detective thinks we were kidnapped by Buckey O'Neil, but we weren't. We just made our way back home on our own." Jeff explained.
His lawyer raised an eyebrow. "Is there any evidence to support his claim?"
Jeff shook his head. "None that I know of. But he won't listen to me."
His lawyer nodded, pulling out a notebook. "Okay, let's start from the beginning. Can you tell me everything that happened on the field trip and how you ended up getting back home?"
Jeff began to recount the events of the field trip, starting with them getting lost in the store and ending with them getting tickets for a bus ride back home, making sure not to mention Buckey O'neil. His lawyer took detailed notes, occasionally asking for clarification or more information.
As Jeff spoke, his mind drifted back to the events of the field trip. He could vividly remember the chaos and confusion as they wandered around the store, desperately searching for their classmates. He could still feel the pounding of his heart as they rushed out of the store, hoping to catch the bus back home.
But as he spoke, he also became acutely aware of the seriousness of the situation. The accusations against Buckey O'Neil could have serious consequences, and he knew that he needed to tell the truth. "Wait," he interrupted his lawyer. "There is something I need to tell you."
His lawyer raised an eyebrow, looking up from her notebook. "What is it?"
Jeff took a deep breath. "Buckey O'Neil did help us get back home. We weren't really kidnapped, but we were lost and he offered to help us. He drove us back home and made sure we got there safely."
His lawyer nodded, jotting down a few notes. "Okay, that changes things. We need to make sure the detective knows this."
As she spoke, the door to the interrogation room opened and the detective walked in, his face grim. "We need to talk," he said, taking a seat across from Jeff and his lawyer.
Jeff's heart sank. He knew that this wasn't going to be good.