Chapter 9
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Detective Fredo went to the Pine Valley police station to talk with deputy JR Chandler. JR was just about arriving when Gay Fredo got here.
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Fredo: Deputy Chandler, I wish to speak with you.
JR: I already told you where I was last night.
Fredo: Yes you did. I'd like to speak about "Five Dollar Bills."
JR: Fine. It's a strip club, I work there as a security guard.
Fredo: Have you ever noticed any underage girls working there?
JR: No, I checked the identification of all employees myself.
Fredo: Including Marissa?
JR: She's 19.
Fredo: Are you aware that there was a fire at the club last night?
JR: Yes, I heard this morning. But I've already told you that I was home, with my wife, when the fire started.
Fredo: Does your wife know that.
JR: Ask her yourself.
Fredo: I will.
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As detective Fredo and deputy Chandler were talking, a car stopped abruptly at the station parking lot. The speed at which the driver stopped caught Fredo's attention. It was Krystal, and she seemed angry. Her anger was directed at JR, Fredo would soon learn why.
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Krystal: You son of a bitch! You made my daughter work in a strip club.
JR: I didn't make Marissa do anything. She's 19, legal age.
Krystal: For God's sake she's a child!
Fredo: Krystal, I don't blame you for being upset with him. But I am investigating, if he forced Marissa or anyone else to do something against their will he will be arrested.
Krystal: He'll just use money and threats to get out of it like he always does. He has to be stopped.
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Krystal took a gun from her purse and aimed it at JR. Gary Fredo tried to step in front of JR, to stop her from making a huge mistake. JR meanwhile tried to run into the station, but in his fear he fumbled with his key card.
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Fredo: You don't want to do this.
Krystal: Trust me I do.
Fredo: If you shoot him I will have to arrest you. Marissa needs you.
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The mention of Marissa did seem to get through to Krystal. She handed her gun to Gary and surrendered herself for arrest. Sheriff Hayward soon questioned JR.
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JR: That woman is nuts.
Anna: She thinks you forced her daughter to work in a strip club.
JR: Marissa is of legal age, and noone forced her to do anything. So I moonlight as a security guard. Ever since my father cut me off, I've had to find extra sources of income.
Anna: Apparently being a cop hasn't taught you responsibility. Are there underage girls working at the club?
JR: Not that I ever saw.
Anna: I find out you knew about underage strippers and did nothing, being cut off from Adam's money will be the least of your problems.
JR: What about Krystal, she probably killed Ryan and Michael.
Anna: We're testing her gun now.
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Krystal immediately asked for a lawyer and refused to answer any questions. Kendall offered to pay Krystal's bail, once it was set. Until the gun was tested, it was unclear whether she could yet be charged with multiple homicides. When the ballistics report came Anna shared it with detective Fredo.
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Anna: Krystal's gun was not used to murder Michael or Ryan. But here's the weird part, Krystal owns a gun, fully licenced and registered. This gun doesn't match that one either.
Fredo: If she was really angry enough to shoot JR, in public, and was not too concerned about the consequences, why not use her own gun?
Anna: That's the 64 dollar question. Is it possible this is all a ruse, that she went through all of this to make us think she's innocent?
Fredo: Here's another question, why was Kendall so eager to pay her bail?
Anna: Michael raped Kendall's sister, had Krystal's daughter work at a strip club. And it seems that Ryan at least helped him get away with both. Maybe JR and Greenlee as well.
Fredo: So maybe one or both of them committed these crimes, and try to give each other an alibi. Or maybe they fear that Bianca and/or Marissa is responsible for the murders. Maybe they're right maybe not. At this point I don't have enough evidence against a single suspect to make an arrest. We might be able to hold Krystal on the assault charge, but that's it. At least for now.