Love & Carnage✗Noah Foster [2]

Chapter Forty-Two//Wrong.

+++

"You wanna feel the sting of this sexually-confused Atheist's foot up your butt?"

--Audrey Jensen

+++

Oh, my God. Oh, my God! I was in jail. I was behind bars. I should've been bawling my eyes out. But I wasn't. I remained calm on the outside. But inside I was screaming. "Miss Collins." I looked at the deputy standing there. "Yes?" I whispered. "Get up. Interrogation room." They opened my cell, and I stood up. The deputy stared at me, standing in my way. I frowned. Then he raised a finger and motioned for me to turn around. I rolled my eyes and turned, putting my hands behind my back. He put the cold metal cuffs on me once again, and then spun me around again.

I fidegted in my chair, waiting for someone to come in. I'd never ever imagined I'd be in a room like this. Being questioned for murder. "Miss Collins." I didn't turn. Acosta walked past me, and sat in front of me. "Look, I know you're best friends with Emma and Audrey." He said to me immediately. I just nodded. "Okay, Arielle... don't think of me as your enemy. Sure, I'm the sheriff... but I'm also just trying to do the right thing here." He said. I nodded again, staring down at the table. "Arielle...look at me." He ordered. I looked up obediently. "I know you're not a murderer. Because, even though I've only known you a short time, I know that you're just a sweet girl who was at the wrong place at the wrong time." He assured me. I inhaled sharply. "I'm not a m--I'm not a murderer." I whispered. "I'm guessing you saw the video." I added. "I did... and it seems to me like you were forced into... killing your teacher." He whispered. I looked up at him with wide eyes. I then nodded furiously. "Yes."

"You were forced to kill him." He said again. "I--"

"You were forced by Audrey Jensen and Emma Duval." I went to nod again, but then I actually heard his words. "Wh--no, no, no!" I nearly shouted. "Arielle--"

"Audrey and Emma aren't murderers either! I may have killed Mr. Branson, but it was... it was the only way for me to get out of that abandoned house." I cried. And, here I thought I was done with the tears. "So... you're saying that Emma and Audrey didn't force you to kill Seth Branson?"

"No, they didn't! I promise you. They're my friends. They would never do that. They're victims here, too." I said. "So, then who called you in that bathroom, Arielle? Who trapped you there?"

"I--I don't know!" I shook in my chair. "But I know it wasn't Audrey and Emma! They're not bad people! First it was Piper... now... it's someone else. I swear to you... somebody is setting us up." I promised. The door behind me swung open, and I turned in my seat to see my mother walk in, looking angry as ever. "Arielle is a minor, and it is the law that minors need a parent or guardian." My mother said, very stern. She had her briefcase out.. and everyone knew that when she had that thing... she meant business. "And, please get these things off of my daughter's wrists." She added. Sheriff Acosta sighed, but got up, as my mother sat in the chair beside me. I looked at her, but she stared straight ahead. I really, really didn't want her to be disappointed in me. I felt Sheriff Acosta behind me, uncuffing me. Once they were fully off, I pulled my arms in front of me, and rubbed my wrists. "Jesus."

Acosta walked back to his seat, sitting down. "Listen--"

"No, you listen." My mother stopped him. " My daughter is innocent on all charges. She hasn't committed any sort of crime. If you want to take her to court, be my guest. But just know that I am her lawyer, and I'll have you know that I've never lost a case." My mom ended her sentence with a mock smile. I raised my eyebrows. I'd never seen her like this before. And, I mean... never. I looked back to Acosta, who had his lips pursed, as if he were thinking. "Arielle." He turned his head to look at me. "Where are Emma and Audrey? Where are they right now?" He said softly. I took a deep breath. I looked back to my mom, who raised an eyebrow. Then I looked back to Acosta. "If you're sure that Emma and Audrey are innocent, then that means that they're in danger." I frowned at his words, and I bit the inside of my cheek. "I--I can't tell you." I whispered. "Arielle." My mother scolded. I looked to her. "Mom, I can't. I know that this is bad, but this...it's a game." I said, looking down at my lap. "A game...?" My mother asked. "It's a game. The killer... he doesn't tolerate police. Because if I tell you where Audrey and Emma are... he'll kill them. And then... he'll kill me." I spoke. "Baby, who is it?" My mother touched my shoulder. "I--I don't know." I whispered. "Arielle." Acosta said. "I told you! I DON'T KNOW!" I screamed. "Okay, okay." He said in a calm voice. "I'll cut you a deal, Arielle." Acosta said to me. I frowned at him. "If you'll tell us where Audrey and Emma are... we will make sure that they aren't harmed, and I will make sure that all of the charges against you are dropped... because I know that you didn't kill anybody." He said. I raised my eyebrows. "So.. what was the point in arresting me?" I asked, crossing my arms. "The whole department saw that video. I had to arrest you." He answered. "Okay...And... if I tell you--"

"All of her charges are dropped?" My mother asked. "All of the charges are dropped." He assured. I thought about it for a second. I knew my mother would want me to. But... then... I'd be betraying Audrey and Emma. But... then, what if Acosta was right? What if Audrey and Emma were in danger. And before I could think it all the way through, I opened my mouth.

"The old pig farm." I whispered. Acosta was up in a second, walking towards the door. "Wait!" I called, standing from my chair. "What?" He turned to look at me again. "Take me with you." I said. "Arielle!" My mother said again. "No, I can help. Really, I can. I was supposed to go with them. And if I had been..." I trailed off. Acosta and my mother watched me. Then the sheriff sighed. "Fine. Let's go." He opened the door and waved me forward.

----

We had about a million police cars trailing after ours. "You're sure they're here?" Acosta questioned. I nodded at him. I sat up in my seat, and I could see the barn ahead. "There!" I said loudly. "See? There's Audrey's car." I humphed. "And... Mayor Maddox's..." I whispered. Before Sheriff Acosta could stop the car, I unbuckled my seat belt, and opened the car door. "ARIELLE!" Acosta shouted, slowing the car down. Which made it easier for me to run out. I ran away from the car, and towards the barns. I didn't hesitate. I opened the barn doors, and gasped. Emma and Audrey stood behind the body of the mayor, who laid on the barn floor, blood oozing out of his body. I cupped my mouth. He was dead. I looked up from him to my friends. Audrey had a crow bar in her hands, while Emma had a big pitch fork. They were sweating, and they both had blood all over them. I stared at them in confusion. I frowned at them. "Audrey...?" I whispered. "Arielle, listen--" I stepped away, backing into the barn door. Yes, I admit. This was the only time I'd ever been afraid of them. I was afraid of my friends. This... it really looked terrible. Like... they had done it. "Did you... Did you hurt the mayor?" I cried. "What? No, Arielle, I promise you--"

"Look, you guys need to get out of here. Like... now!" I said in panic. "What do you mean? Arielle, what did you--?"

"Drop the weapons! Hands up!" The doors behind me opened and I was pulled behind a cop. I watched as Audrey and Emma dropped their weapons, raising their bloody hands. I cupped my mouth again in terror.

It all happened so fast. The medics got here quickly, and so did the crime scene investigators. A medic checked me out, even though I told her that nothing had happened to me. But she didn't care. "When did this happen?" She gestured to my thigh, where the infamous scar was. "Oh." I sighed. "That happened..." It felt like so long ago, but it wasn't. "Three months ago." I answered. "Okay. You seem to be fine." She hummed. "That's what I told you two minutes ago." I sighed. She mock smiled at me, before I jumped off the back of the ambulance. "You're arresting us!" I watched as Audrey had cuffs put on her wrists. "You can't possibly believe that we did this." Emma cried. The cops didn't care. They cuffed them both, and led them towards a squad car. "The killer was in the barn! We heard him!" Audrey shouted. "You're letting him get away, okay? It wasn't us! You know that it wasn't us!" Emma yelled at Acosta. I rushed towards them. "Arielle, tell them!" Audrey ordered. Acosta didn't care. "I need you to search the grounds, a hundred yards in every direction, do you understand?" Acosta told his deputies. I chased after the cops that had Audrey and Emma. "EMMA!" Maggie rushed towards Emma, as they led Audrey in a different direction. "The mayor is dead. We didn't do it. We didn't do it!" Emma told her mother, as the cop dragged her away, towards the same car Audrey was at. "You're arresting her?" Maggie yelled at Acosta. "Maggie, we found her with a pitchfork in her hand over a dead body. I have to take her in." I didn't listen to anymore of his words. I cried some more, as I rushed towards Audrey and Emma. "You guys, I am so sorry!" I cried. "UGH!" Audrey groaned as the cop slammed her down on the back of the car. "HEY!" I yelled at him. "My mom will represent you! You'll get out, I promise!" I said to them. "It's gonna be okay." Maggie wrapped her arm around me. "Just go quietly. I'm gonna see you at the station." Maggie promised Emma. "Yeah, okay." Emma whispered. The cops began to place the girls into the car. "Emma! Emma!" I turned my body to see Kieran rushing out of his truck and towards Emma. "Kieran!" Emma cried, as he ran towards her. "Let them go!" But he was stopped by Acosta. "Don't make this worse." Acosta pointed at him. "You've got this wrong." I whispered. "So wrong." Kieran agreed with me. Once they were both in the car, the engine roared to life immediately. I cried into my hands, before reaching into my dress pocket to grab my phone. I dialed Noah automatically. He answered with a dull voice. "Hello?"

"Noah? I'll be there soon. We need to talk."