The Forgotten City

Ch: 3 - Innocent

Cobe: Corinna? You okay?
Corinna startles as her brother speaks and she places her phone face down
Corinna: Oh hey, don't scare me like that
Cobe: I knocked?
Corinna: Oh... well I didn't hear you
Cobe: Clearly. You've also never hidden your phone from me. What's wrong
Corinna looks down at her phone contemplating what to tell her brother
Corinna: Karson texted me
Cobe suddenly grows angry
Cobe: I'll kill him
Corinna: He knows I'm innocent
Cobe: Corinna he's a journalist. He'll say whatever he has to to get you to agree to talk to him
Corinna: Coffee shop at 3pm tomorrow
Cobe: You wouldn't
Corinna finally looks up and makes eye contact with her brother. She knew he was worried and angry but seeing his eyes scared her even more
Corinna: I'm going. I'm only telling you I'm going because I know you'll panic if you don't know where I am, but I'm going and you're not stopping me
Cobe: I could lock you in your room
Corinna: But you won't. We both know you won't. Deep down you know that this is my chance and you're not going to stop me from taking it
Cobe: Corinna I have been protecting you since I was 13 years old. I'm not letting something happen to you
Corinna: He's a journalist Cobe not a serial killer. Besides, we're meeting in a public place
Cobe: In a town where everyone thinks you're guilty.
Corinna: Maybe he'll take me to a private place from there, I don't know and I don't care. This is my chance Cobe. You can follow us if you like but you are not to intervene with anything unless I scream and tell you to.
Cobe: Are you sure about this Corinna?
Corinna: I'm positive. And you have to trust me. You can't tell anyone else where I am either. Granna will freak and Clarissa will laugh thinking I'm trying to make him fall in love or something
Cobe: Journalists are obsessed with crazy; the world thinks you're crazy
Corinna: Not funny Cobe
Cobe: My apologies.
Corinna: Do we have a deal?
Cobe: Yes, but I swear Corinna if anything happens to you-
Corinna: I'll be fine. I'm 21 Cobe, I can walk around town without a chaperone
Cobe: You're also tiny
Corinna: Oh well, I learned how to defend myself if needed
Cobe: Yeah and even the police in this town wouldn't believe you if you reported something
Corinna: Heard will
Cobe: Yeah but Heard is out of town
Corinna: We have him on speed dial Cobe. And he's the sheriff, all he'll have to do is call the station and report it. They'll have to do something
Cobe: How long have you been planning this?
Corinna: Since Karson texted me
Cobe: Is that why you left the living room an hour ago?
Corinna: Yes
Cobe: Clever
Corinna: Yeah and unfortunately instead of being seen as clever I'm seen as a cruel genius

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Kateland: Alright Karson, you're taking a risk with this interview. We'll have full security with you the entire time to ensure your safety.
Karson rolls his eyes
Karson: That will be unnecessary Kateland.
Kateland: She's crazy Karson, and you're trying to prove that today
Karson: And if I don't?
Kateland: You're fired
Kam pulls Karson to the side and whispers
Kam: Are you sure your fascination is worth this?
Karson: She's innocent Kam, and I'm going to be the one to show the world that
Kam: And lose your job?
Karson: The truth is worth losing a job over
Kam: For a girl you've never met?
Karson: Especially for Corinna McAllister
Kateland: Karson do you hear me? You will lose your job
Karson turns around to Kateland
Karson: And what makes you so certain that she's guilty. Is there any proof?
Kateland looks stunned before her eyes turn to anger
Kateland: Her innocence is not what the town wants
Karson: But there's no proof she's guilty, is there?
Karson smirks to himself knowing that proving Corinna's innocence will be easier than he thought
Kateland: Your goal is to make her confess. Is that clear?
Karson: And if she doesn't confess?
Kateland: Don't make me cancel this interview
Karson: You know she's innocent. You know there's not a single strand of proof to support the theory she's guilty. An 11 year old girl has no way of knowing how to plant a bomb on her parent's ship and delay the detonation for a month.
Kateland: There's nothing that says she couldn't
Karson: She never even set foot on the ship. You may know the allegations but have you ever actually researched the case? She was proved innocent years ago but so many people don't want to believe it was an inside job.
Kateland: That's it. This interview is canceled and you're fired. Get out of my office.
With that, Karson turns around with a grin on his face, and walks out of the building.
Kam: You realize they're going to send someone else to do the interview right?
Karson: I'm already a few steps ahead of them

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The next day - 2:45 pm

Kam: So what exactly is your plan here?
Karson: I just have to get to her first
Kam: But if she doesn't show up at the coffee shop they'll just say that makes her even more guilty
Karson: The people know my name, not the label.
Kam: Wait, are you submitting an independent report?
Karson: I'm going to do a whole lot more than that
Kam: You don't know her that well
Karson ignores him and walks out the door
Kam: Atleast let me come with you
Karson: Get in the back seat.
They drive off to head for the coffee shop. As they get there, Karson notices Corinna standing close to her car talking to someone
Karson: Cobe McAllister: Your classic overprotective big brother. You two will get along great.
Kam: Based on the look he's giving us, I wouldn't expect much
Karson pulls his car close to Corinna and rolls the window down
Corinna: Karson.
Karson: Corinna, I need you to listen to me carefully
Corinna stirs
Kam: Great start man
Cobe: What are you doing McKeller
Karson: Cobe, I know you don't trust me but I'm trying to protect your sister from serious defamation
Corinna: Cobe stay quiet, what's going on Karson?
Karson: My label wanted me to "prove" the accusations against you, so I stood up to them because they told me I had to get you to confess
Corinna: I'm not guilty Karson
Karson: I know that Corinna. That's why I'm here. They took me off of the interview and are sending someone here to interview you instead of me.
Cobe: Won't her not showing up just make it more suspicious?
Corinna: Cobe quiet
Karson: I'm doing an independent report. Proving your innocence. No one knows my label, they just know me. So what I'm asking is if you'll come with us
Cobe: Absolutely not
Corinna: Cobe, I'm 21. And if this'll clear my name then I'm doing it
Cobe: How can you trust these guys Corinna?
Corinna: You can follow if you'd like
Cobe: I will be, that wasn't a question