tag you're it // heathers au

interview four // bud

Detective Kelly: Hello, I'm Detective Maureen Kelly. I'll be conducting your interview of Jesse's death.

Bud: Bud Dean.

Detective Kelly: So, Mr. Dean

Bud: No, don't call me that. Call me Bud.

Detective Kelly: Okay, Bud, how long did you know about Jesse?

Bud: We were probably living in Atlanta then, which was when he would've been about two. A letter came, it was addressed to Jason but I read it anyways. It was from a girl named Tara, she said Jason got her pregnant and that she wanted child support.

Detective Kelly: And why didn't you tell your son about the fact he was a father?

Bud: Jason would've completely freaked out. I'm sure his wife told you that, at first, Jason didn't want to take Jesse in.

Detective Kelly: She didn't tell me that. So you sent Tara Smith money how often?

Bud: I sent her five hundred dollars a month.

Detective Kelly: That's six thousand dollars a year.

Bud: It was so she wouldn't bring Jesse to the attention of the public, I couldn't have a scandal like that. Tara always painted Jason as a deadbeat.

Detective Kelly: Was he?

Bud: No. Jason loves his kids. Him and Jesse argued a bit but so did Jason and I when he was younger. He's a good dad.

Detective Kelly: What about Veronica?

Bud: What about her?

Detective Kelly: Is she a good mother?

Bud: Oh, absolutely. She loved Jesse more than Tara did. She took him in as her own. Not a hell of a lot of people would do that, you know.

Detective Kelly: Do what?

Bud: Take in a kid as damaged as Jesse. When he killed that neighbor girl, she was the one who kept him there. Jason wanted to send him to military school or to his grandparents in Reno.

Detective Kelly: Why did Veronica do that?

Bud: Like I said, she loved Jesse as if he was her own son.

Detective Kelly: Do you know why Veronica took to Jesse as much as she did?

Bud: All she saw was this kid who clung to her no matter what. The second Jesse met her, he connected to her.

Detective Kelly: Are you close with Jason?

Bud: Not really. Jason and I never really got along.

Detective Kelly: Why is that?

Bud: After Josie died, Jason shut me out. And I began drinking more. I used to clobber him pretty bad sometimes. I'm not proud of it, but ever since I heard Jason and Veronica were having a kid, I tried to clean up. I usually visit around Thanksgiving, give Chloe and Jesse their presents and leave by the start of December.

Detective Kelly: Were you close with Jesse?

Bud: No, I hate to admit it but I always favored Chloe.

Detective Kelly: Why did you favor Chloe?

Bud: She reminds me of Josie. They have the same hair color and eyes. Plus, she's such a sweetheart.

Detective Kelly: Has anything ever seemed off to you about Chloe?

Bud: I heard her last night talking to her parents about the bugs under her skin. She's always dealt with some anxiety. But apparently now, she hallucinates.

Detective Kelly: Do you think Chloe would ever hurt Jesse?

Bud: No. She was scared of him.

Detective Kelly: Why?

Bud: Jesse always hurt Chloe. Even when she was a baby, Jesse would pinch her. When she learned to walk, Jesse would push her every time she'd make an attempt.

Detective Kelly: Why do you think that he did that?

Bud: Because she was Veronica's child and he wasn't.