*ೃ༄ PROBLEMS, J.M 2

nine

CHAPTER NINE
To be the retrievers.

WITH THE CAMERA BEING the groups only source of proof, they were done for. No camera meant it was gonna be a lot more difficult to clear their friends name.

The sheriff stared at them as he didn't believe a word coming out of their mouths, staring at them as if they were lying out to their asses.

Luna could sense it, she began to her frustrated with the man, as well as JJ, Pope, and Kie.

"Look it was right here and this is where that maniac claimed his next victim. Right there." Kie explained thoroughly.

"Uh huh. Alright, his next victim?" Shoupe repeated, holding his pen, glancing around the seemingly empty scene.

Kie nodded her head as JJ examined the floor where Gavin had been shot, no traces of blood leaked onto the wood.

"How long ago did you say it happened?" The man asked, holding up his blank note pad as he glanced up at the curly headed girl.

Kie looked between her three friends, arms up slightly, JJ lifted his head as he crouched down, "Like forty-five minutes ago, Shoupe."

"Okay. And so, Ward Cameron just popped one off and shot him?" Shoupe furrowed his brows.

"Yes."

Shoupe sighed before speaking, "Execution style? Then cleaned it all up in forty five minuets?"

Pope leaned against a pole, clutching the broken camera as he stared at the chief, "Obviously."

"Look, we filmed the entire thing." Luna crossed her arms, speaking up, her words capturing the grey haired man's attention.

"You filmed it?" He asked, interested in what she had to say.

Luna nodded, "Yes, but we can't show it to you because  Kie stepped on JJ's hand and then he kicked Pope and then Pope dropped the camera cause it's a piece of shit and broke."

"Officer, this is a telephoto and we needed it to get long distance imagine and...and I fell and it broke so there's no videos, but we were there and we watched-"

"So the dog ate your homework?" Shoupe cut the rambling teen off with a sly comment.

Kiara rolled her eyes, throwing her head back in frustration, "No, Shoupe, I know-"

"No! I don't know what you kids expect me to do with this. Alright, you dragged me out here in the middle of the night for a whole lot of nothin' accept for some crazy stories about how Ward Cameron's out on a random killing spree." Shoupe went off, slipping the pen and notepad back into his pocket, in complete disbelief with the teens.

The group began to argue with him, backing up their claims as Shoupe just listened with one hand up.

"It's not a random killing spree. Gavin was his pilot. Okay, he was paying him hush money because he was there on the tarmac that day." Pope exhaled, beginning to loose hope.

"He was blackmailing Ward because he has the gun that Rafe used to kill Peterkin." Kie added, her chest rising up and down.

JJ held his hat in his hand, standing beside an observing Luna, "And he came to try and pay him off but it wasn't enough and then so he shot him with the murder weapon."

Shoupe darted his eyes between the riled up teenagers, his voice low and calm, "How do you know that?"

Kie turned to Pope, gesturing her hand towards him, "Pope did this thing with his phone, he liked put it in his car-"

"I heard their whole conversation." Pope disclosed, still holding the camera.

Shoupe eyes went slightly wide as his brows pulled together, his tone harsh as he spoke to the boy, "You wiretapped him?"

"Is that bad?" Luna asked, worried that they got themselves into deeper shit, meaning they would be screwing John B over if they didn't clear his name soon.

"Just stop. Stop." Shoupe shushed them, "I've had enough."

JJ began to get angry as the man walked away, he followed him, "What are you talking about Shoupe? How many times?"

"Shoupe I know it sounds crazy. I know that." Luna pleaded, staying the most calm as the man continued to walk with his back towards to her.

"False alarm. Let's all go home." Shoupe directed his team, their faces growing annoyed as the group of Pogues rushed out.

Kie put her palms up, begging the officers to stay, "No, no, please don't go home. No wait. Why would we make this up!"

"Can you just do your job for like twenty minutes?" Luna spat, glaring at him as he turned to face her with a harsh glance.

"Hey. I-I know. I know you're upset. And I know you think your brother and friend was innocent." Shoupe cautioned, holding one singular finger up.

Luna swallowed, her eyes growing teary as she shook her head, "That's because he is!"

"You weren't there. The only actually witness who were both there and are above ground say the exact opposite. Alright? And both of them have a hell of a lot more credibility then any of you right now." Shoupe kept calm, "Saw you're little art project on Wards wall. Do not do that again. Alright? Gonna make things a lot harder for both of us. Go home."

The lights shined on the teens face, sadness taking over their features as the cop cars sped away, the sound of the sirens drifting away.

"Someone died tonight!" Kie cried out.

"Get on home to you're parents now." Shoupe waved the Pogues off, driving away as he left them alone.

JJ walked backwards, flinging his hat around angrily as he spoke, "I told you this would happen. Like you're the one that had to drop the camera."

"It was you're fault!" Kie defended the boy walking in front of her, JJ turning to her with anger.

"Oh, it was my fault?" JJ snarled as he stopped walking.

Kie shook her head, "It was you're fault!"

"Why do you always take his side? Like why do you never take my side?" JJ barked, pointing towards the dark skinned boy.

"Hey!" Pope shouted, making their loud fighting come to a pause, "We're not out of this yet. We can still go get the gun."

<3