Guilty

Charged

The teens sat in science class, each separated into different corners of the room, all eyes were on them as the teacher tried desperately to teach a normal lesson. "Well considering all of you are thinking of other things do the exercises on pages 84 and 85." The teacher spoke giving up as chatter began filling the classroom. Trisha sat in the front left corner, directly opposite her was Ryan who didn't look up once from his desk. At the back Alexander wrote a note, desperately trying to communicate with his friends who have been banned from talking to each other. As Alex stands up from his desk his teacher glances at him, "You know you need to ask before getting up." The teacher sneered "Sorry, can I sharpen my pencil?" He asked as his teacher glared at him before turning back to mark his papers. As Alex walked to the bin he slipped the note into Penny's pocket as she looked at him puzzled. Penny unravels the shrivelled piece of paper before reading the note "Police just pulled up in the car park, if we stand any chance of being free we need to come together to convince the police it was either Trisha or Ryan." The note said as Alex sharpened his pencil before walking back.

As he past Penny's desk she grabbed his arm "Why do you want to pass the blame onto one of them? For all I know you could've done it!" Penny whispered into his ear, "I only trust you Penny, I've got a hunch it was one of them two, if we come together to put the focus onto them we will no longer be part of this. I know it wasn't you just as much as you know it wasn't me." Alex replied "Penny and Alexander!" The teacher hissed as he saw them communicating. "You are under strict orders not to speak to each other! What's that in your hand too?" The teacher asked as everyone stared at them. The teacher snatched the note out of Penny's hand before reading it, his eyes widened. "You know I'm gunna have to hand this into the police?" The teacher asked as Trisha and Ryan became fixated from the front. "What's he said? Is he trying to put this onto us?" Ryan exclaimed from the front as things became heated. "Is there a problem here?" Tim the lead investigator spoke as he and 3 police officers walked into the classroom along with the headmaster. "Trisha, Penny, Ryan and Alexander, grab your things." The headmaster spoke as chatter erupted into the classroom, gossiping and whispering from their other classmates as the teens grabbed their things and one by one left the classroom.

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way, you can come with us voluntarily to the police station or we can arrest you all, your choice." Tim said as the teens looked at him in fear. "Sorry officer, my colleague who was taking their science class just confiscated this note that Alexander gave to Penny." The headmaster spoke as he gave it to Tim. Tim read the note before his eyes widened and he looked at Alex. "Right, Alexander Tate I'm arresting you on suspicion of perverting the course of justice..." Tim spoke as one of the officers handcuffed him. "How is that perverting the course of justice?" Alex hissed as handcuffs gripped tightly on his skin. "Writing notes to fellow suspects trying to conspire together to put the blame onto another person? That's perverting the course of justice to me." Tim chuckled finally making an arrest with substantive evidence means he won't lose his job. "Right and for the rest of you, follow us." Tim spoke as he escorted the others out of the school and into police cars ready to be driven to the station.

Greeting them at the station were the kids parents and their respective solicitors. "Why is Alexander in handcuffs?" His solicitor asked "Perverting the course of justice, passing notes to another suspect conspiring to frame another person for Tina's murder." Tim spoke as his parents jaws dropped. "Put them all into interview room 1, I've gotta see if CPS will charge Mr Tate." Tim added as he gave orders to his colleagues. One by one the teens were marched into the interview room, their parents and solicitors walking in behind them. "What's this about?" Penny whispered to her solicitor who was sat behind her "All I know is they're doing a group interview on you all, just keep quiet and don't say anything." Her solicitor instructed her as she nodded whilst the others glared.

Soon Tim and his assistant walked in and shut the door behind them "Sorry about the wait." He smirked like a petty school child. "Before we start can I ask the status of my clients arrest of perverting the course of justice?" Alex's solicitor asked. "Mr Tate passed a note to a fellow suspect encouraging them to try and place the blame onto Trisha or Ryan, this is a serious offence and does not work well in your clients favour. CPS have pressed charges and he will appear in court in the morning." Tim spoke as Alex slumped back into his chair as his parents sat in shock.

"So, Ryan can I start with you. How long have you known your friends in this room?" Tim directed to Ryan who was sat playing with his hands. "I don't know, since year 7 maybe?" Ryan replied bluntly. "Did you meet Tina at the same time?" Tim continued. "No, she moved to our school 2 years ago. She never said why." Penny butted in from the other side of the room ignoring her advice to stay quiet. "Did you all get along with Tina?" Tim directed to them all as they nodded. "Well surely there was some conflict between one or more of you with Tina, one of you killed her." Tim added before Trisha's solicitor butted in "I cannot accept that based purely on the fact my client was near the victim when she died, there is no concrete evidence here of my clients involvement." She said as Tim blatantly ignored her. The questioning continued for hours and hours, yet Tim's hope of turning the teenagers against each other didn't work. Time is running out, someone needs to be charged. But who?