Crestwood Murders

Chapter 12: Red & Blue

The Police man held up guns yelling
"Freeze! Put your hands where I can see them all of you!"

Hannah screamed "this is all your guys fucking fault we could've stayed out of this and we wouldn't be going to prison or dead!"

Tyler and Michael let Joshua go and all 3 put their hands up
Emma also put her hands up

All 4 of them were hand cuffed by police.

Hannah meanwhile crying refused to put her hands up saying they caught the murderer on the ground and telling the police to arrest him instead

The cop grabbed Hannah slamming her down and forcing handcuffs onto her as she protested.

As the friends find themselves handcuffed and surrounded by police, a tense silence envelops them.
Hannah's protests echo in the air as she still refuses.

The police officer barks orders
"Stay calm and cooperate. You're all coming down to the station for questioning."

Emma her voice steady despite the situation urges the others
"Let's not make this worse. We need to explain ourselves and the situation and get out of this mess."

Hannah yells at Emma
"That's easy for you to say your boyfriend isn't going to be in trouble for stopping a murderer!"

As they're led away from the chaotic scene, Randy, still on the ground, watches the unfolding events with a mix of confusion and pain as he is questioned and checked on by police before they let him go.

Joshua and Hannah both protest seeing that he won't be handcuffed Joshua yelling that he caught the murderer and having to be retrained by two officers.

Later that day At the police station the friends are separated into different rooms for interrogation. Joshua, Tyler, Michael and Emma each face intense questioning from detectives trying to make sense of their involvement in the escalating events and who broke into the school and why there was a guy beat up on the ground and why Joshua had bloody knuckles.

Meanwhile Hannah defiant and angry refuses to cooperate in her interrogation she insists on Randy being the murderer and argues against Joshua or anyone being involved in any wrongdoing.

As the night wears on the detectives gather bits of information from each of them. The mysterious informant, the murders, and the unfolding chaos on the campus have drawn them into a web of suspicion and police told Joshua it would be up to Randy to post charges or not.

As dawn breaks the friends are left to grapple with the consequences of their pursuit of justice now turned against them thanks to Joshua's anger and no true lead to go off of yet.

The investigation, the murders, and the force pulling the strings lead them down a path they never anticipated leaving them at the mercy of a justice system that may not distinguish between the accused and the accusers.

In the light of dawn the detectives conclude their initial round of questioning.
The friends exhausted and bewildered are informed that they are not free to leave town until the investigation progresses further but nobody will be arrested tonight.

Randy the man found injured at the scene declines to press charges against Joshua after Instead he expresses a desire for a restraining order citing a payment made by Joshua's parents to avoid legal consequences. The atmosphere turns somber as Joshua, once fueled by a determination for justice now faces the consequences of his actions.

Joshua is visibly distressed his sense of responsibility overshadowed by the consequences of his pursuit. The realization that his family has attempted to shield him through financial means adds another layer of complexity to his emotional turmoil.

As the friends leave the police station a heavy silence hangs over them.

Later that evening Joshua returns home instead of his usual dorm his head bowed with the weight of guilt and remorse.
His parents caught in the crossfire their son caused argue with him.
His father drunk yelling at him
"Joshua you fucking idiot! You're throwing away your life just like the idiot you fucking are, I do so much to get you Into your baseball and a good college and you just fuck up again and again you're nothing but a fuck up you're lucky my money bailed you out!"

Joshua arguing back
"Well i didn't ask you to! I didn't ask for anything you have done."

Joshua's father slaps Joshua across the face screaming
"Don't you dare disrespect me after I do everything for you and I'm the only reason you're successful at anything remember that!"

The words cut deep Joshua dream of being a baseball star he worked hard for his whole life but never got any college recruits had his father pay off Crestwood to get him there to be able to study with his friends and play out his dream but he didn't have a day that passed by without hearing it from his father as guilt against him.

Joshua isolated within the confines of his old room for the night contemplates the events that led him down this path. The pursuit of justice now tainted by his own anger and thoughts of Hannah, Kayla, his parents and his friends all in his head, he was wondering if Randy really was the murderer.

In the midst of Joshua's contemplation his phone rings breaking the silence of the night. he answers.

It's Hannah on the other end Her voice though strained carries a mix of concern and frustration. She dives into the conversation not holding back.

Hannah speaks
"Joshua what the hell happened back there? I mean we were trying to get the murderer and the fucking police make us suspects ourselves I can't believe that cop actually was mean to me the nerve. And your parents they're a piece of work for making you go home with them tonight you know that?"

Joshua defensive retorts
"Easy for you to say Hannah You're not dealing with the mess my life has become right now And what if Randy wasn't the murderer? What if we were wrong?"

Hannah unyielding fires back
"Randy deserved whatever he got. We can't afford to be naive Joshua And your parents seriously they're not helping. You should fight back and take control of your life. You can easily take your dad on"

Joshua his frustration mounting argues
"It's not that easy Hannah. You don't get it. My family, my future it's all a mess now I could be expelled and I'm lucky I'm not in jail even though I hate I had to be bailed out by my father."

Hannah persistent challenges
"Maybe it's time to break away Josh Show them you won't be controlled We're in this together and we need you to be strong and we can stop Randy and end all of this and show the police they're stupid and we aren't stupid.

Joshua conflicted responds
"I can't just cut ties Hannah It's complicated And Randy I don't know if we were right What if we're all just caught in a cycle of anger and violence? We need to talk to him, I can't but I can see if Michael or Tyler or Emma can speak with him and get answers on who asked him to run.

Hannah stubborn asserts
"Randy deserved it And we deserve justice We can't back down now."

As the call ends Joshua is left alone with his thoughts The conflicting emotions swirl within him intensify the burden of guilt, anger and uncertainty about their pursuit all weigh heavily on his shoulders.