CHANG: And that’s the guy Phillip was hanging out with in the gym?
PEDERSON: Pretty weird to hang in the dark with a dude who “harassed” you.
PHILLIP: Okay, genius. Luke’s in chorus. Like you said, they use the basement of the gym to rehearse. Probably crossed paths for a second when he finished rehearsal and I finished practice. So the camera must be from a different day. Otherwise you and Rebecca Walker would have seen us. You two were dogging in the gym, remember?
PEDERSON: It was dark, remember? And we weren’t “dogging.” Plus, we heard someone come in.
COUNSEL: Again, questioning the relevance of any of—
PEDERSON: Sounds like Kelly caught Phil and Luke together. And then she and Phil . . . talked it out.
PHILLIP: I don’t “talk things out” with Kelly Blake. And I’m not friends with Luke. Ask him. He’ll laugh in your face. And don’t call me Phil. You and I aren’t friends either.
COUNSEL: I’m stopping this here. All you’re doing is using circumstantial evidence to cast aspersions against my client. When was Kelly Blake killed?
CHANG: Coroner says April 28. Sometime between 6:00 and 8:00 p.m.
COUNSEL: Phillip, Flynn, Adam, and Eric were volunteering at Mount Zion Church. Got there at five o’clock and didn’t leave until ten o’clock, at which point they went to GameStop to wait in line for the Modern Warfare release at midnight. We provided eyewitness confirmation from people at the church and the GameStop manager, as well as receipts for their purchases of the game and pizza from Tigerlily’s next door, plus a paper trail accounting for Phillip’s alibis for several of the other murders. This is the last time we submit to questions without a warrant, understood?
PEDERSON: Can’t argue with that.
PHILLIP: Are we done, then?
CHANG: One last question.
PHILLIP: Go for it.
CHANG: Are you glad Kelly’s gone?
COUNSEL: Don’t answer that. Good luck, gentlemen.
PHILLIP: Actually . . . it’s funny. Even with her friends dead, Kelly wasn’t scared of the Princess Killer like other girls. Still was up to her usual tricks. Maybe because she was more Witch than Princess. Guess she got her fairy-tale ending anyway.
PEDERSON: What do you mean?
PHILLIP: You know, Cally Cal . . . Witches never win.
(Door closes.)
CHANG: What the hell was that?
PEDERSON: He’s just being a douche. We need to talk to Luke. Who else is on our list? Kristoff, Flynn . . . Flynn’s lawyer is stonewalling.
CHANG: No, I mean Rebecca Walker. You weren’t going to tell me?
PEDERSON: Look, it’s not a big deal.
CHANG: To you or to her? And what happens when her dad finds out? If you messed with my kid, I’d cut your nuts off.
PEDERSON: Rebecca and I promised not to tell anyone.
CHANG: Was this before or after she knew she was dating a cop?
PEDERSON: “Dating” is a strong word. We were hanging out.
CHANG: Not from what Naveen said. He said there were real feelings involved.
PEDERSON: Calm down. She’s chill. It’s over, anyway. What? Why you looking at me like that?
CHANG: The way you talk about her. “Not a big deal.” “Hanging out.” “She’s chill.” You sound like one of them.
(Silence)
PEDERSON: I’m calling Flynn’s lawyer. He can’t hide forever.
CALLUM
“Monday, May 4, 12:03 p.m. Driving to Chaminade to question Luke and Kristoff. Chang and I got word from the chief: no more bringing kids down to the precinct until we’re ready to make an arrest. We were front-page heroes when we started hunting whoever’s killing their girls; now that we’re after their boys, they want to run us out of town. Feds threatening to come in too. Can barely open my phone without a thousand more death threats and spam messages and virus links. My house got hit last night too. Chang says it was pig’s blood that they sprayed on the walls: ‘PIG BITCH.’ Fuck them. I’m not backing down. There’s a murderer at this school. Killed five girls. What’s next? Rapunzel—strangled with her own hair? Red Riding Hood—her stomach sewn full of stones? Beauty and the Beast—don’t even want to think about what that’ll look like . . . Been reading Grimms’ Fairy Tales at night. Messing with my dreams. We’re close. One of these Princes is the real Pig Bitch.”
LUKE
CHANG: What’s your relationship with Phillip?
LUKE: That’s why you pulled me out of a test to the principal’s office? To ask about Phillip?
CHANG: What’s your relationship with him?
LUKE: None.
PEDERSON: You’re not friends?
LUKE: No.
CHANG: We have surveillance footage from a couple weeks ago. You two were in a dark gym for an hour before you left together.
LUKE: Don’t remember that. Must be a different day. Our security guards are pretty lazy. Probably tagged the footage wrong.
PEDERSON: Did Phillip prep you to talk to us?
LUKE: Phillip and I don’t talk.
PEDERSON: Your student file says you got beat up for harassing him at Homecoming.
LUKE: I deserved it.
PEDERSON: Deserved it?
LUKE: Drank a bottle of vodka, probably got on his jock a bit. You know, barking up the wrong tree. Like Kelly was trying to set you up with me.
PEDERSON: So you do talk to Phillip. In fact, you were hitting on him, and he wasn’t responsive. That’s what you’re saying.
LUKE: Can’t remember. I was really wasted. Maybe I shouldn’t say that to a cop. Then again, I didn’t know you were a cop when we were drinking at the same parties.
(Silence)
CHANG: Mount Zion Church explicitly rejects homosexuality and other cardinal sins. Says it right on their website. Even offers links to conversion-therapy services. How did you feel about you and your parents being thrown out of the church by Phillip’s dad?
LUKE: We’re back in now.
CHANG: Since when?
LUKE: Like a couple weeks.
CHANG: So around the time Kelly came to know about you and Phillip . . . Maybe Phillip was afraid his secret would come out. He had to get rid of Kelly. And keep you quiet. Bet he got his boys to stop bullying you too.
LUKE: Honestly, don’t know what you’re talking about.
CHANG: So what changed, then? Why would a homophobic church bring you back?
LUKE: Better to have me in the fold than out of it, I guess. If you don’t mind, I’m going back to class. We got a test in Calc, and unlike you, he’s a real teacher.
(Door opens.)
REBECCA: Oh, hey, Luke . . . Oh, sorry. Thought my dad was here.
PEDERSON: Principal Walker gave us his office to do a few last interviews.
LUKE: I’m gonna go.
(Door closes.)
PEDERSON: Rebecca—
REBECCA: My dad must really believe you’ll find the killer. Otherwise he wouldn’t let you both back on campus. Best of luck with it. I’m gonna catch up with Luke.
CHANG: Rebecca, mind answering a few questions for us real quick?
REBECCA: Um . . .
PEDERSON: Leave her, Chang. We’re good.
REBECCA: Actually, I have time. As long as I get to ask a question first.
CHANG: Sure.
REBECCA: Callum, did you tell anyone what happened between us? In the gym, I mean.
PEDERSON: No. Did you?
REBECCA: No. We made a promise.