Innocent

Ten

TW: very brief mention of suicide 

Tuesday morning. Another body. It's Connor. Found dead in the bathtub with a cinderblock on his chest. It's unreal. Four kids dead in just over a week. It feels impossible. Sitting in fourth period, there's a knock on the classroom door. The police and the assistant principal enter and speak to the teacher briefly before approaching me.

"Keith Kogane, we need to bring you down to the station for questioning." Officer Holt, the cop from the other day stands in front of me.

I nod and grab my bag, "Oh... Okay." I follow them out of the room and before I know it I'm being put in the back of a squad car.

Down at the station I sit in an empty room, staring at myself in the mirror that takes up almost a whole wall. It feels like a century before someone finally enters.

"Hello there, Mr. Kogane." A woman, looks to be middle-aged with thick, blonde hair pulled into a tight bun smiles at me and sits down on the other side of the table. "I'm Detective Dunard, I've been handling the Luis Rodriguez and now Connor King case. We wanted to bring you in to ask a couple of questions about your involvement with the boys."

I nod, "I'll cooperate however you want me too."

She opens a notebook and draws a pen from her jacket pocket, "When's the last time you saw Connor?"

"Yesterday at lunch. He came up to my table and actually apologized for the video and the prank. I didn't see him for the rest of the day after that."

"Where did you go after school?"

"Straight home. My mom has been paranoid ever since the video and then the deaths following. I was in my room studying all night." I take a sip from the cup of water she brought me.

She nods and jots down more notes in her book, "Where was your mother during this?"

"She was at work. She's had a lot of late nights lately."

The detectives eyebrow raises, "Lately? When did that start?"

"Last weekend I think. It could've been before that too though, I was away for most of winter break but that can be a busy time for her."

Detective Dunard nods along, "We are concerned for the safety of the girl, Veronica McClain, who was also involved in the prank. Now that we know the last two were definitely victims of homicide. What do you know about her?"

"Not much. She's been tormenting me since freshman year but she has a lot of friends. I've been hanging out with her brother recently too. Beyond that, I don't know her."

Dunard puts her book down suddenly and interlocks her fingers on the table in front of her, "Keith, you seem like a good kid. I've looked at every file on you and from what I can tell, you're a smart boy with good grades and a squeaky clean record. However, you are our only suspect at the moment. Right now we only have circumstantial evidence and that may be all we find. We are investigating another suspect at the moment but it mostly comes back to you. Four kids are dead. We know two of them were killed and it's likely the other two were as well. If you know anything, now is the time to tell me."

I shake my head, "I'm sorry, I don't know anything. If I did I would tell you, I swear."

The detective nods and stands, opening the door and gesturing for me to leave. "Alright then, Keith, you are free to go. We will contact you with further questions if we have them."

Lance is sitting by his car outside the station. It's midday, he must've left school to get here. He leans against his old, rusty Ford with his arms crossed. When he sees me he shoots up and wraps me in a tight hug. His arms fit around my neck as he rests his head on my shoulder. The embrace is far too short-lived.