“Shit!” Rafael cursed under his breath.

A sizable crowd had gathered to see what the commotion was. Reporters and regular people alike. Both groups were pushing up against the yellow tape, clambering to get a better look.  

Rafael leaned toward Alex, keeping his voice low. “Could you get some officers to move the circus back some more? We don’t want anyone knowing who it was that jumped.” He looked at the bloodstained sheet covering their witness, still on top of the car.

Alex looked over at the crowd then gave Rispoli a smile and lifted his hand to his forehead, saluting as if Rispoli was a commanding officer in the army, “yes sir!”.

Rafael rolled his eyes, walking away from the car. Rispoli followed him. EMT’s, officers and crime scene techs walked around them gathering evidence. A burst of light flooded his vision. A teen was sitting on top of his friends shoulders to get a clear view, taking a photo of the grim scene.

Rispoli shook his head, “I could understand some sick news journalist trying to make the front page but I don’t understand the kids these days. Taking video and pictures of the deceased. We had more respect for victims. What if their parents, or spouse, or kids, or anyone close to them sees them like that? It's incomprehensible!”.

Rafael frowned. They’re fucking animals is what they are. He stopped behind a cop car, looking around them before speaking in a low voice, “this is the third person to commit suicide involved with the hospital. Three people is a lot. Too many for coincidence”.

Rispoli mulled over Rafael’s words, staring at the ground, “You think this hospital could do something intentionally to make three separate people commit suicide? Unlike the other two who were patients of the hospital, this guy worked through a third party agency transporting patients around. According to the records we have, he never transported the two patients.” He sighed. “We have to see if there is some other overlap.”

Rafael rolled his eyes. “According to the records of a hospital that was allegedly forcing experiments on their patients. They could have drugged all three people with something that induces suicidal thoughts in people with mental health issues. I don’t expect them to hand over those records if they even exist officially to be handed over.”

The two men stand in silence for a moment. 

Paul shook his head, “this is very concerning. We don’t know how far this goes. We have to wait to meet the next witness on our list and have a doctor look into your drug theory”. 

*************************

Outside of the Knox Ridgewood police station, Elise switched between adjusting the curls she did painstakingly slow this morning and picking at her outfit she had reluctantly picked after cycling through a hundred options. The white button down top paired nicely with her pink and brown plaid sweater vest. As did the dark brown mini skirt, white stockings and brown boots that went all the way up just under her knee. At least, that was what she thought hours ago. Now after  waiting under the hot sun for hours she wasn’t so sure. 

I look like a a highschooler trying hard to impress on their first day instead of a fucking reporter. She bit her lip, “Ruth, I’m not too sure I like this one anymore.”

Ruth stopped applying her black eyeshadow. “I think we’ve been out here too long and it’s messing with you.” 

Elise looked at Ruth. Her brown skin was perfectly even, not a single blemish in sight, no obvious bags under her eyes that were a different shade she had to conceal with makeup. Her metal choker necklace stacked on her neck looked like a bold fashion statement, not like someone who couldn’t make up their mind what they wanted and put random jewelry accessories. A black button down shirt paired with a black corset that complemented her slim figure and black skirt all the way down to her black boots. Ruth looked good. She always looks amazing and I look like a truck hit me and I haven’t realized I’m dead yet. 

Elise let out a cry, “you look stunning and beautiful! I look like a kid who’s mom picked her outfit.”

Ruth smiled assuringly, “College girl isn’t a bad style.”

Elise deflated with a dramatic sigh. “You’re just trying to make me feel better."

In front of them, sitting on the sidewalk, Arlo was checking the battery of their camera. He chuckled.

Elise shot a glare at the back of his head. “You have it the easiest out of all of us Arlo. A quick spray to moisturize your twists, then shirt and pants and that’s it!”

“Yeah. And that’s it.” He joked. 

The doors of the precinct opened. Elise grabbed her microphone before she could register who it was then forced herself to stop and look to see if before getting her hopes up. It's them!   “Arlo! Ruth! Come on!” Elise took off, trusting her friends to be right on her heels. “Detectives!”.

Two men stopped on the stairs leading down from the precinct doors.  Two men she knew well from tv press conferences. 

“Detective Alex Ha. Detective Christopher Lauren. I’m Elise Robinson. We’re with Egan Gate, an independent journalist group and we have a few questions for you today.” She studied their reactions.

Detective Laursen turned his head to Detective Ha, eyebrows raised in disbelief. Not saying a word. 

Detective Ha snorted, tonging the inside of his cheek. He looked at his partner, a smile fighting its way on his face though he tried not so subtly to hide it. “These  people sure work fast.”

Detective Laursen stepped to the side, giving them a wide berth to make his way down the stairs. “No comment.” 

They’re going to make this difficult. Not that I would expect anything less. She took a step to the side to block his exit and put on her best signature reporter smile. 

“Anything you can give us is better than nothing. We know it’s an ongoing investigation-” Detective Ha let out a chuckle, “but the people of Knox Ridgewood would like something more than ‘no comment’ when Edestone hospital has been accused of illegal and inhumane experiments. Dylan Walker jumped to his death today when assistant district attorneys Rispoli and Silva went to question him-”

Detective Ha cut her off, “if you’re a journalist like you said and you know it’s an ongoing investigation like you said, then you know our mouths are tied shut.”

Ruth stepped forward, “don’t the people have a right to know if there is a danger to the public?”.

Detective Laursen crossed his arms,“what danger?”.

“A private hospital that gets donations from rich people is allegedly experimenting on their patients. Suddenly someone who could have spoke out against them commits suicide. If they can experiment on people and have people so scared they commit suicide to keep secrets how are the people supposed to feel safe? They’re -”

Detective Ha shook his head.  “What the people don’t need is independent journalists and news reporters going around making accusations or implying things that haven’t been proven. Please let us do our job.” 

Ruth gave him an unimpressed look, “charges have been filed against them. There’s enough evidence for a court trial. A witness committed suicide just as he’s about to be interogated. What are people supposed to think?”

“They don’t want us thinking.”

Everyone gathered turned to the voice. It was a group of three. Two men and a girl. They were holding out their phones recording, walking up.

The guy leading them had a similar complexion to Ruth. He looked young, his dreads were long enough to drape down to the top of his back despite most of it being secured in a bun on top of his head. He spoke up, “The police knew, there’s no way rich powerful people torture and experiment on whoever they want and the cops didn’t know.”