"Another day, Another…. Day" The investigator said as he returned to his dingy, run-down house, still feeling the weight of the day's events on his shoulders. He kicked off his shoes by the door and shuffled over to the kitchen, where he pulled out a frozen T.V. dinner labeled *Rough Riders Chicken Nuggets* and stuck it in the oven.
While he waited for his food to heat up, he made his way to the living room and slumped down in his worn-out leather recliner chair. The chair cried out in metal pain, as it felt the weight of its metal prongs give way to the heavy bag of flesh we call the investigator. He picked up the remote and flipped through channels until he found a rerun of an old crime drama. The sounds of gunfire and car chases filled the room, and for a moment, he was able to forget about the stress of his job.
But his respite was short-lived. Just as he was settling in, his phone rang from across the room. He groaned and pushed himself up from the chair, stepping over piles of trash and other debris that littered the floor.
"Jeez when will someone ever clean up around here, God damnit where's that telephone!"
The investigator stumbled over to his ringing phone, he picked it up, hesitating for a moment before answering. "Hello?"
"Listen," the voice said, "I don't know who else to turn to. The defense is killing us in this trial. We need your help."
"What do you want me to do?"
"I don't know, don't you still have their interrogation audios and such."
"Yeah but I don't think they'll be much help, I did also have a photo with Clarence and buckey on the bus but that probably won't help either since they were pleading that they where with him."
"I guess send them in anyways, God knows we need anything we can get our hands on at this point."
The investigator let out a heavy sigh, contemplating whether he wanted to get involved in this mess again.
"Fine," he said finally, "I'll dig up everything I have and send it your way. But you owe me one."
The plaintiff let out a relieved breath on the other end of the line. "Thank you so much. I'll be waiting for your files."
"Yeah Yeah," The investigator said as he hung up the phone and made his way back to his recliner. He stared at the TV for a few moments, lost in thought.
As the investigator stared at the TV, his phone rang again. He let out an annoyed groan as he got up to answer it, muttering under his breath about the timing.
"Hello?" he answered curtly.
Hey man, it's me," said the voice on the other end. "What's up?"
"Not much," the investigator replied. "Just got a call from the plaintiff in that trial I helped with. They want me to dig up some old files and send them over."
"Sounds like fun," the connection said sarcastically. "Anything juicy in those files?"
"Not really," the investigator said. "Just some old interrogation tapes and the photo of Clarence and Buckey on a bus you sent. Doubt it'll be much help since there pleading that they where with buckey after all, it's all a load of crap yet the judge is eating it up."
There was a moment of silence on the line before the connection spoke up again. "Hey, have you heard anything about Chad Caswell?"
"Who?" the investigator asked, confused.
"Chad Caswell," the connection repeated. "Clarence's step dad. You know, the guy who escaped jail."
"I didn't know anything about that," the investigator said, suddenly interested. "What do you know?"
The connection chuckled. "You really don't keep up with the news, do you? Chad Caswell escaped a few weeks ago with another fugitive. Word on the street is he's been missing ever since, and guess what?"
"What?" the investigator asked, feeling a growing sense of unease.
"I found him," the connection said, a note of triumph in his voice. "Kidnapped him and was gonna hold him for a tidy little ransom, But you know, since I like you so much and I know he can be viable in your trial. I'll let you have him."
The investigator's heart began to race. This was big. If they could get clarence's father on the case, they might be able to finally get an upper hand on the defense.
"Where is he?" the investigator asked, trying to keep his voice calm.
"Don't worry about it, I'll send you the location. But you better hurry, because he won't be staying there forever. And you owe me one for this, buddy."
"Thank you," the investigator said, feeling a sense of relief wash over him. "I owe you big time."
The connection chuckled. "You sure do. And don't forget it."
With that, he hung up the phone, leaving the investigator staring at it in disbelief. He couldn't believe it. They might actually have a chance to crack this case wide open.
He rushed over to the phone and was about to call the plaintiff when,
"Oh Pencils" The investigator muttered as he smelled the unattended chicken nuggets, smoking from the kitchen.
"Good evening, Aberdale. This is your anchor, reporting the trial of Buckey O'Neil versus the Plaintiff is taking place. The case has caused quite a stir in the community, with many people taking sides on whether Buckey is a criminal or a hero.
Some are arguing that Buckey kidnapped the individuals in question, while others claim that he was merely trying to rescue them from an abusive situation. The truth, as always, lies somewhere in between.
We spoke with a few of the jurors who have been closely following the case. One juror told us,
'I think Buckey was just trying to help, but he went about it the wrong way.'
Another juror had a different perspective, saying,
'I don't care what his intentions were, he still broke the law and needs to be held accountable.'
It's clear that the community is divided on this issue. But one thing is for sure, this trial is far from over. We'll keep you updated with the latest developments as they happen.
Now, let's take a look at the weather. It's shaping up to be a beautiful day tomorrow, with clear skies and a high of 72 degrees. So, get out there and enjoy it, Aberdale!"
As the weather report came on, Mary turned off the TV and got up from the couch. She knew that the trial was far from over, and she couldn't wait to hear the outcome. Buckey had to be a "Hero" in this trial, otherwise he wouldn't have brought back her son. Regardless she was happy her son was back for good, but yet again, Chad was still on the loose, and she has yet to tell clarence. Frankly she'd expect him to ask by now, but yet again the trial has probably been taking up alot of his time.
Just as Mary was getting up to go to the kitchen, she saw Clarence walking in from the backyard. "Hey, Mom! I'm back from the treehouse," he said, smiling.
Mary turned around and gestured for Clarence to come sit next to her on the couch. "Clarence, we need to have a talk," she said in a serious tone.
Clarence's smile faded as he took a seat next to her. "What's up, Mom?" he asked, sensing the gravity of the situation.
Sure, let me try to add some more detail to the dialogue to build up the tension.
As Clarence sat down next to her, Mary took a deep breath and tried to find the right words. She wanted to be honest with her son, but also didn't want to worry him too much.
"Clarence, do you remember when you went on that field trip and got lost with Jeff, Sumo, and Chelsea?" she began.
Clarence nodded, looking puzzled. "Yeah, but Buckey helped us and we made it back home, right?"
Mary nodded. "Yes, that's right. But there's something I need to tell you. Chad, found out about you going missing and he wasn't in a good place. He ended up getting arrested for causing a scene at your school."
Clarence's eyes widened in shock. "Chad got arrested? Why didn't anyone tell me?"
"I'm sorry, Clarence. I didn't want to worry you while you were still dealing with everything that happened on the field trip," Mary explained. "But there's more. Chad escaped from prison with his cellmate."
"What?!" Clarence exclaimed. "Why would he do that?"
"I don't know, honey. I'm Sure he's not thinking clearly right now," Mary said, trying to keep her tone calm. "But the police are looking for him, and I just want you to be aware of what's going on."
Clarence's expression changed from shock to worry. "What if he comes here?"
Mary put a reassuring hand on her son's shoulder. "Don't worry, Clarence. The police are doing everything they can to find him."
Clarence nodded slowly, still looking uneasy. "Okay, Mom."
Mary gave him a small smile. "That's all I have to say. Now, do you want some hot chocolate?"
Clarence's face lit up. "Yes, please!" he said, jumping up from the couch and following his mother to the kitchen. Despite the warmth of the drink, he couldn't shake off the worry that lingered in his mind. Clarence hasn't really thought about Chad during this whole ordeal, he wondered where he was, and he hoped he'd be back soon.