The Lost Island

Chapter Eighteen| Interrogations and Speculations

"Why are we here exactly?" Jaxon complained, "Everyone else is at the bonfire."

"Because you followed me. I never asked for your company," Max retorted, clearly irritated.

Max had opted out of a joyful bonfire with her annoyed friends to appreciate the island's stunning caves, one of which was near the bonfire site.

The wind blew gently, and she reveled in its touch, the scent of the salty air enhancing the experience.

"Your friends are worried, puppy," he said, leaping over a log. "That's why I followed you."

Her expression dropped. "Why would they worry?"

"I heard something about you needing to apologize, which you never do."

Suddenly, the wind escalated from a gentle breeze to gale force, and a scream pierced the island. "Let's go, Max, there's no time!" He yanked her arm, pulling her further into the cave.

"Jaxon, what on earth are you doing?!"

"Ensuring you're not sacrificed!"

Max jerked away. "Sacrificed? What are you talking about, Jaxon? Where are we going?"

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Melissa was accustomed to witnessing the odd, the insane, and the outright foolish. But seeing both her missing friends in handcuffs as she entered the security office was completely unexpected.

Amy and Max, handcuffed in the waiting area, with Max offering a sheepish smile. "Hey Meli, how was the... bonfire?"

Amy shot Max a disapproving glance. "Is that the best you can do?"

"Well, I don't hear you offering any better ideas," Max muttered under her breath.

Melissa was dumbstruck, her mouth agape, unable to utter a word. Then Dylan walked in, and he too was rendered speechless.

"It looks like the gang's all here. Your friends need to be taken into custody." Ruth announced.

Ruth sighed, her business attire wrinkled, indicating she had been up all night. Her once neat bun was now a messy sight.

Melissa snapped out of her trance, "Custody for what?"

Dylan, without thinking, placed his hand on Melissa's lower back to calm her.

"It's just for questioning. Authorities flew in this morning; everyone not under lockdown last night needs to be questioned."

Two police officers entered, escorting Mason, Jaxon, and Naledi in handcuffs. They took Mason into one of the small rooms, presumably for interrogation.

Melissa's gaze narrowed on Jaxon, "Of course, you would be involved in this."

"Excuse me?" Jaxon challenged, the tension palpable in the room.

Melissa laughed, eyes still narrowed, "I said, of course, you would be involved."

Max watched with slight amusement. Melissa's hateful side rarely showed, but it was quite a spectacle when it did. Instinctively, Dylan pulled Melissa closer, "Kitten, you need to calm down."

"Please, don't speculate just yet; they still need to be questioned. Breakfast is waiting for you if you wouldn't mind leaving," she said, nodding towards the door.

"That's a good idea, kitten. Let's go eat something," Dylan nodded, guiding Melissa toward the doors, ignoring her protests.

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Max was used to being interrogated; unbeknownst to her friends, this wasn't her first time being a murder suspect.

"Why weren't you at the bonfire?" Officer Mitchell, as he had introduced himself, inquired.

Max shrugged. "I had an argument with my friends a few hours before the bonfire. I just didn't want to see them."

"And where were you?"

"With Jaxon, not too far away from the bonfire."

Officer Mitchell stared intently at Max. "Miss White, I see this isn't the first time you've been suspected of such a crime. Do you have anything to tell me?"

Max grinned. "Officer, I can assure you none of the past accusations were true, nor is this one."

"Alright, Miss White, where were you before you were taken into custody this morning?"

Max shrugged. "I was with Jaxon. We went to a cave and slept there when things spiraled out of control."

"Can you describe what happened before you and... Jaxon went to the cave?"

"Yes, we were playing around, exploring the island. We heard a loud scream; that's when Jaxon grabbed my arm and pulled me into the cave. We weren't sure what was happening."

Officer Mitchell perked up at this answer, "But you knew to hide? Why was that?"

"I'm honestly not sure; it was Jaxon's idea."

Officer Mitchell couldn't shake the feeling that something else had transpired and continued to question Max for what seemed like hours. But Max, being Max, kept playing jump rope with vague and detailed answers. What Officer Mitchell didn't know was that Max was playing the game she always played when being interrogated: two truths and a lie.

Attention quickly shifted away from Max as her answers, along with Jaxon's, were identical. However, Amy, Mason, and Naledi's stories differed greatly, not just in timing but also in context, which aroused suspicion.

When Mason and Naledi exited their interrogation rooms and joined Max in the waiting area, the palpable tension between them prompted Max to raise an eyebrow.

"What's going on?" she inquired, looking puzzled.

Mason shot Naledi a glare. "Thanks to this troublesome kid, we're murder suspects."

"We've been suspects since we were brought in," Max replied nonchalantly.

"It's not my fault you followed me," Naledi retorted sharply.

Mason turned to her abruptly. "I didn't follow you; I found you."

"Yeah, sure, you're a major stalker," Naledi scoffed.

Mason's eyes narrowed. "Stalker, huh? Why do you feel the need to have all the attention on you?"

"I would prefer to have none of the attention on me," Max replied.

Max tilted her head; something was definitely happening between the two of them. But her attention shifted from that to the short blonde being released. "Max, why aren't they letting you go yet?" Amy frowned, her handcuffs removed.

She was free to go.

"I don't know, but don't worry, Amz, I'll be fine," Max shrugged, seemingly unfazed.

Mason raised an eyebrow at her. "Why are you so calm about this?"

"It's not my first time being a suspect," she stated plainly.

"What?!" Amy was shocked by this revelation.

"For murder?" Naledi interjected, suddenly feeling uneasy near Max.

Max simply shrugged, "Something like that."

The truth was, it wasn't just murder Max had been suspected of. Growing up in a perilous neighborhood with a crime lord for a boss—and a father—tended to lead to such suspicions.

Jaxon stepped out of the interrogation room and took a seat beside Max. "So, pup, why are they questioning me about your past?"

And all Max could do was shrug yet again.