Alexander David Turner

My foot was tapping against the floor. I took a sip of water from the polystyrene cup. Then another. Where was the detective? Why was she taking so long? I glanced at my watch. It had been ten minutes already. I took another sip of water then placed the cup on the table before crossing my legs.

The door opened. A woman entered with a clipboard, and she shut the door behind her. She placed her clipboard on the table and I stooped. "I'm Detective Joy Spencer," she said, extending her arm to shake my hand.

"Nice to meet you," I say, shaking her hand before we both sat down. She sat on the opposite end of the table.

"Okay, so are you alright to get started?" She smiled, looking at me. I nodded. She shuffled some papers around and took out a pen. "How old are you?" She asked.

"Eighteen," I replied.

"Would you like to call a parent, or a lawyer-"

"No thank you," I answered quickly. I wanted it to be clear that I didn't want any of those things.

She looked at me in concern. "Okay. I am going to turn on the tape recorder and we're going to repeat everything all over again. Do you understand?" She asked and I nodded.

I hear the click of the tape recorder, and she places it on the table. She takes out her phone to check the time and date. "It is January 3rd, 2020, 5:07pm. This Detective Joy Spencer speaking. Please state your full name and age."

"Alexander David Turner. I am eighteen years old," I replied, and I could feel the terror making its way up my throat. It was all beginning to set in, what I was about to do.

"Alex, I was informed that you had some information on the bank robbery." She stated,waiting for me to elaborate.

"Yes I would like to-"

I heard the door slam open. "What the fuck is going on here?" Leo screamed. What on earth was he doing here? I thought I had played it quite cool. The detective stopped recording and stood up.

"This is an important interview, sir. Please wait outside," she responded calmly, trying to control the situation.

"I need to talk to him," he says staring at her with a deadly glare. He points to the ground. "Now."

"I'm afraid that is against protocol and I can't allow it," she responded calmly, obviously trying to keep her cool.

"Whatever, stay here and watch, I don't care. I'm not leaving until I speak to Alex. He is here under his own free will, so I have full right to speak to him. Let me speak to him. It's your choice whether it's in private or not, but I will speak to him even if you don't like it," he shouted, and the detective looked conflicted.

"All you're doing, sir is subjecting yourself to an investigation," she responded. "The way in which you burst into the room, your clear defiance with Mr Turner's cooperation will make any law enforcement officer question your involvement in the matter."

"You know he shouldn't be unaccompanied. Dr Turner will be here any minute, and she told me to put a stop to all of this. I am a close friend of Alex's and I feel that it is important to discuss things with Alexander before revealing information. Now please leave," he said and as the detective returned a terrible glare, she walked out in a way that every part of her body didn't want to.

Leo closed the door, and he gave me this look that just told me he was going to combust internally at any given moment. "What in the fuck are you thinking?" He asks, and just as I was about to speak, he cut me off. "No, seriously. Do you actually understand what you were about to do?"

"What I am going to do," I replied, and Leo looked like he was going to strangle me. I guess we weren't that close just yet. "I'm going to confess. What's the big deal?"

"I'm not worried about you, you do understand that right?" He asks rhetorically, and rolls his eyes. "You literally have no idea what this all amounts to. You'll get off because they don't just take confessions, they need corroborating evidence, and they won't find a shred on you," he whisper shouts.

"Then, we'll be under the microscope. We are a gang, we have a reputation in this town. Everyone knows what we do. Who do you think they'll look to next? Especially since the whole town knows you two have history?" He said, shoving me a little. He pulled me close again. "You have no idea what you've done. You've already damaged things, just for your little Romeo act."

"It's not like that. I want to protect her. She can't handle anymore," I replied, and I could feel my eyes well up with tears.

"You have no idea what she can't handle," He grumbled.

I laughed sarcastically. "Oh yeah. Where to begin, huh?"

"She loves you, you love her, but don't act fucking stupid," he said, rolling his eyes. "Now your mum knows. How are you going to explain this all to her? I mean, my God. What the fuck have you got us into?"

"What have I got myself into?" I shouted, "you guys robbed a bank! You framed an innocent man, and now I'm trying to protect Autumn and THAT is what astounds you?"

Leo takes a deep breath. "We need to get you a story," he says, rubbing his forehead, pacing back and forth.

"I mean what the fuck!" I turned around, running my hands through my hair. "I am not going to leave this alone you know-"

"Give it up," Leo said coolly. "The less you know the better," he said, walking toward me. "Now let me think of a story."

"A story?" I asked, confused.

"When they ask you why you're here, you can't tell them the truth now can you? We have to give them a story. What car does Bruce Van Saun drive again?"

"A black Mercedes, I think," and I could feel that I was doing something so incredibly wrong.

He nodded, the pieces falling together perfectly in his head. "Right. You saw a black Mercedes outside the bank on your way home in the bus or by walk or whatever," he said.

"Alright, okay," I said, as I exhaled out. "Let's get the hell out of here."