"Where were you on the night in question?" Danny was being interrogated.
"I went to the homecoming dance with some friends."
"And did you leave with those same friends?"
"Uh, no. I went home early. One of my other friends drove me."
"What friend? What time did you leave the dance?"
The detective was firing more questions than Danny could answer, so he just leaned back in his seat cooly. Danny smiled confidently at the detective and scooted in closer to him to take control of the interrogation.
"Detective, I guess I've grown kind of...accustomed to these kinds of precedings. So tell me. Am I being held in custody? Or better yet do you even have the evidence to make a formal arrest? If so, I'd like to be Mirandized. Should I call my lawyer?" He smirked.
The detective shifted in his seat uncomfortably and tapped his pen on the table between them. "We'll be calling you back in tomorrow for further questioning."
"Thank you sir," Danny smilied "I'll be looking forward to seeing that winning smile of yours."
The detective frowned. Danny reached out to him for a handshake, but he just glared at Danny and snarled,"Guilty or not, you'll be back in the system soon enough."
Danny wiped the smug grin off of his face and left the interrogation room
...
Lacey was waiting outside of the precinct. She texted Danny asking him to meet her there. Lacey had seen Karen's car out front and for the sake of peace, did not want her to know that she was seeing Danny. Lacey still hadn't told him that his mother disapproved of their relationship. She did not want to stir things up between the mother and son.
"Hey," Lacey said quietly as Danny stepped into the vehicle.
"Hey," there was discouragement in his voice. Lacey noticed this and reached for his hand. "It's going to be alright Danny, I know you didn't do this."
"I could have." He said blankly, pulling his hand from her grasp. "It wouldn't be the first time."
Lacey looked down, it hurt her that he still hadn't forgiven himself for what he'd done five years ago. "That's not who you are anymore." She tried to comfort him.
Danny started to raise his voice. "Well I did hate Archie! And everyone knew it. That already gives me motive, and my cell phone was mysteriously found at the scene of the crime? Gosh, Lace whoever is trying to frame really thought things through this time."
"Wait, that's just it! Whoever is trying to frame you for this could be the same person that killed Regina."
Danny narrowed his eyes at Lacey's newly enlightened face. "Oh, no, I can't let you get involved with this."
"I am involved with this Danny. My best friend and my ex boyfriend are dead. I can't lose you too."
Danny smiled, the first genuine smile to cross his lips in the several hours since he found out he had been renamed the suspect of yet another murder. He leaned in to kiss her, when the two of them where interrupted by a tapping on the passenger side window. It was chief Masterson.
"Danny can I have a word with you?"
Danny stepped out of the car to speak with Jo's dad.
"Look, I'm going to cut to the chase here, there's talk of institutionalizing you."
"What?" Danny exclaimed in disbelief, "They want to put me in a nut house?"
"Not a nut house, just um," he cleared his throat, "a home where you will be treated for any psychological instabilities you may or may not have." Chief Masterson observed Danny's facial expression. "Think of it as your own personal getaway from all the craziness going on around here."
"I'm not going to some psych ward, I'd rather they send me back to juvie."
"Juvie is not an option for you anymore Danny, you're sixteen. Considering your history of- " he tried to euphemise, "violent tendencies, you're more than likely going to be tried as an adult, and if you're convicted, you'll be facing some time in prison." Danny just hung his head in shame. "But this could actually work in your favor, if we're able to prove to the court that you're clinically insane, you may be acquitted."
"Yeah, only to live the rest of my life staring at white walls and painting pictures of inanimate objects that even in their lifeless simplicity possess more emotion than I do."
Chief Masterson frowned and scratched his head.
"Aren't you going to ask me if I did it?"
"I know you didn't son, but until we can prove that, an institution is your best chance. I was just talking to your mother and we both-"
"I'll take the chances on my own." Danny cut him off and started to walk away.
"Danny, don't you want a ride?" Lacey rolled down her window when she realized their conversation was over, but he was too disheartened to even turn around.