Framed

Three.

"We have biological evidence linking you to the murder."

"What evidence?"

"Enough to convict you. Just confess now, tell us the truth. You killed Austin Mahone out of pure rage. You had broken his nose just a few days ago."

"And where did you get that? Off his Instagram while you were searching for a scapegoat?"

"We don't have to tell you where evidence comes from!"

Lauren tried to ignore the grumbling in her stomach as she shot back, "I think I do have a right to know! Since you guys are trying to falsely convict me for something I didn't fucking do!"

The police officer, a beefy man with yellowed teeth and dirty fingernails took a deep breath. When he was given this suspect for interrogation, he had expected to get a confession within an hour or less. He didn't realize until now how wrong he was. The murder suspect, a Lauren Jauregui, had been fiery and uncooperative throughout the whole time she had been in the interrogation room. The officer, whose name was Richard, had tried every legal method possible to try to extract any information - stretching any fiber of the truth he had, adding a bit of evidence here and there to attempt to weasel any confession out of her. He had withheld food and water in an attempt to wear down her defenses. Nothing worked. If anything, Richard noticed that the suspect just got more and more uncooperative as the time went on.

And now here they were, four hours until the San Diego Police Department had to either charge Lauren or let her go, and they were still in the same point as they had been during the first hour. Lauren had refused to offer any evidence, leads, or motives. None whatsoever. The chief had told Richard to get something, anything that could help push this case a little more forward, because at the moment the case was at a complete standstill.

"Look, Lauren," Officer Richard muttered loudly. "Do you know anything, anything at all about this case? Are there any leads you could offer us?"

Lauren didn't respond. She seemed to be thinking. Richard began silently praying that Lauren was retracing her steps. Even if she wouldn't confess to the murder, if she just gave him something - anything would help them at this point.

Instead, Lauren said with a hint of spite in her raspy voice, "I want a lawyer."

Only four hours left, and she asks for a lawyer now. At that point, Richard knows there's nothing he can do. So he leaves the room, balled fists trembling. After he closes and locks the door behind the interrogation room, he stares at the nearby wall for a minute, wondering to himself whether or not he should punch a hole in the wall or not. The chief wouldn't be happy about this at all. But there was nothing he could do for now.

Four and a half hours later, and Lauren was released from police custody to her family. Along with them were Zayn, Ally, and Lucy.

"Where's Camila?" Lauren asked immediately. Zayn and Ally's smiles vanished.

"Lauren, they brought Camila in for questioning too. From what we know, they started interrogating her about three hours after you were brought in," Lucy explained.

"No."

"Unfortunately, yes," Zayn retorted. "I think she'll be fine. According to Ellie, the one they really want to see charged is you. Your motive is the strongest they know of, and past interactions with Austin before he died can only attest to that motive."

"Who's Ellie, though?"

"Ellie is Ellie Goulding, the cheerleader who attempted CPR on Austin and was with him when he died. Zayn said he would go on a date with her if she gave us information. She said sure, and in exchange we got a decent bit of information." Ally replied.