tag you're it // heathers au

eight // the phone call

Chloe walked out of the interview room as Tara walked in. Tara smiled her yellow tooth smile at Chloe as they passed one another. Chloe walked up to her parents.

"They want to talk to Bud." Chloe told them.

"Why would they want to do that?" Veronica asked, confused.

"Because he knew about Jesse." Chloe replied.

"Jesus, now I have to call my father." JD mumbled.

"You didn't call him about Jesse killing himself?" Veronica asked, hitting JD's arm in an annoyed fashion. She wasn't surprised that her husband didn't call his father about the death of their son, JD and Big Bud weren't exactly close. And Bud had the nastiest opinions of suicide.

"No, I was going to call him after the funeral because I didn't want him there making a big spectacle of our son's death. Especially because it was suicide." JD explained and Veronica nodded. "I have an idea!" He proclaimed.

"And that is?" Veronica asked.

"You know who Bud loves? Chloe! So she should call him and tell him he has to come to Ohio!" JD exclaimed.

"No," Chloe whined. "I don't want to call Bud."

"Well you're gonna, and your mom and I will be right next to you while you do." JD smiled as Chloe rolled her eyes, pulling out her cell phone and dialing Bud's number. It rang a few times before Bud picked up.

"If it isn't my favorite granddaughter!" Bud laughed into the receiver.

"I'm your only granddaughter." Chloe laughed awkwardly.

"What's up, sweetheart?" Bud asked.

"I actually have some bad news." Chloe said, giving her father the stink eye as she talked to her grandfather.

"What is it, Chloe?" Bud asked.

"Um, Jesse killed himself on Friday. The funeral's in a few days but the cops want to talk to you before that, if you can be here sooner." Chloe explained the reasoning why Bud needed to come back to Ohio.

"When's the funeral?" Bud asked. Chloe put her hand over the phone.

"He wants to know when the funeral is." Chloe told her parents.

"I didn't want him at the funeral!" JD hissed quietly.

"Tell him it's Saturday." Veronica said to Chloe, who passed the information on to Bud.

"Okay, kiddo, I'll see if I can move some things around and come sooner. I gotta go though, got a meeting with some big wig executives about this project in Tulsa I'm working on." Bud said, hanging up before Chloe could say goodbye. Chloe closed her phone and looked at her parents.

"You know you're the worst right?" Chloe laughed, punching her father in the arm. Tara and Detective Kelly came out of the interview room and Detective Kelly walked up to the small family.

"You're all allowed to go, but we'll probably need you all back here soon as we get more information. And when Bud comes into town, let me know so I can speak to him." Detective Kelly told them, they nodded and left.