Trapped

Chapter 14

"Y'know after all these years I forgot that Toby's father was a cop." Jackson mumbled as he tossed a rock into the cement wall of our cell.

"You're not the only one." I sighed, beginning to fidget with the sleeve of my jacket. "I didn't even recognize him at first, he looks awful."

I truly did feel sympathy towards Mr. Woods dreadful appearance. I knew it was in connection to Toby's death. It had taken it's toll not just mentally, but physically as well.

"How long do you think we'll be trapped in here?" Jackson mumbled as he stared at the wall with a blank expression.

"Y'know I really hate that word." Another faint sigh escaped my lips.

Jackson's face turned towards me with a confused expression, "What word?"

I ran my hand across the bars as I spoke, "Trapped."

He smiled without humour, "Yeah, I can understand why. Let me rephrase that sentence then, how long do you think they'll hold us in here for?"

I shrugged, sitting down on the bench across from him.

"Probably until that haunted house opens or until they find a way to permanently incarcerate us."
Jackson's face filled with annoyance, "Incarcerate us for what?"

"Well, you saw Toby's dad, probably for murder. Despite the fact we are innocent. I knew we shouldn't have come back here." I crossed my arms over my chest as I leaned back against the cement wall.
"So that's it then, we're just giving up?" He looked at me with doubt.
I sighed, glancing around the dank cell.

"Well, yeah. Unless you have any bright ideas."

"Yeah," He mumbled. "I got none."
Jackson and I instantly hushed when we heard the murmurs of speaking down the hall.
We glanced at each other as the voices got closer.
"—I don't care what you do just get answers out of them." One of the hushed voices said.
"Well then," Jackson snorted as the young police officer appeared outside of our cell. "Oh wow, your dad sent you. What as a form of torcher for Jane?"
I got up from the bench and came face to face with Toby's younger brother Christian.
He still looked so much like Toby it hurt. The same dark blonde hair, the same hazel eyes. I felt like crying, this was cruel.
The tears did end up coming as I continued to stare at him,
"Chris," I sobbed. "Why did they send you?"
His expression was blank of emotion as he glanced down at me.

"For the experience " He replied blankly and tapped his badge with the end of his pen. "Rookie cop."

Jackson practically peeled me back from the bars. Forcing me to sit back down on the bench. As I sat there the sobs came out of me uncontrollably.

"You realize all we were doing was standing outside an unopened haunted house on public property right?" Jackson hissed the words.
"Not what I've come to ask you about." Christian's serious tone wavered only hinting at the emotion he was feeling underneath.
Wiping my eyes I glanced towards them. Christian's face was a mix of different emotions as he stared back at Jackson.
"I've come for a re-statement on the night of Tobias Woods, Xavier Cunningham and Michael Lewis' murders."
I felt anger bubble up. I knew they were going to pull this crap.
"We're innocent on that! The courts even ordered for the animatronic's to be dismantled! It was chalked up as an A.I. malfunction!" Jackson howled in rage, "We were your brother's friends, Jane was in love with him for god's sake."
"Yes but as there were no security camera's to prove your claims;  our department has decided to reopen the case." Chris retorted as he jotted down everything.
"On what grounds?! The FBI closed that case. You are not above that law!" Jackson howled, hitting the bars in front of Chris' face. He didn't even flinch.
I got up from the bench, crossing my arms over my chest as I glared at this man.
"Listen to us! The only thing illegal we did that night was breaking and entering," I chimed in. "In fact it was your own brother's idea to do it."

The last part was a low-blow, I admit.

Chris's face paled as he looked between the both of us, his voice visibly shaking as if to fight back tears.
"You have no proof of that statement either."
"Actually," Jackson said glancing at me for a moment. "We do. In the form of old Facebook messages."
I gave him a look of disbelief. "What Facebook messages?"
Jackson pulled his phone out of his pocket a small smile on his face—I guess there was a positive side to not being searched by the police before being dumped in here. He slowly unlocked his phone and opened the messenger app.
"I thought you had deleted Facebook." I mumbled glancing down at his phone.
Well, in all honesty I hadn't deleted it either but I never logged on anymore, there was no point.
I watched as he clicked on a conversation, he screenshot it first quickly sending the image to me as back up before turning his phone around and showing Christian.
"See? A message from Toby dating the week before he died,"
Chris's eyebrows furrowed together as he read the message. "That didn't sound like my brother. He was always responsible. He'd never do that."

I couldn't help it I released a chocking laugh. "Your brother put on that front for his family. He hated the box your dad put him in. We were teenagers, he wanted to get in trouble. Wanted to enjoy his life. In fact if I remember correctly I was the overcautious one. I kept him from doing the really crazy stuff he wanted to. I thought that this venture of his was harmless. If we had believed the stories a little more than we had. I wouldn't be standing in this cell talking to you. I'd probably be married to him."

Jackson shuffled awkwardly beside me; my face reddened suddenly remembering  his confession all those years ago. Remembering how in all the years as roommates he never hid his feelings.

Chris's face softened as he looked at back and forth between us for a moment.

"Y'know I never really thought you killed him." He mumbled, dropping the clipboard he was holding in mild defeat.

"Then why-" Jackson began but Chris jumped in quickly. "Because my dad asked me to. I was never like Toby, I could never stand up for myself..."