BENNETT, HOWARD AND JENSON

After Halloween, Jules didn't go to school for a full week. And even though I sent her about fifty texts, she didn't respond.

I could tell something bad had happened. And that it had something to do with Nate.

Tyler Clarkson was booked for assault. But this shit wasn't adding up. And I was putting together the pieces of the puzzle.

"Howard, Jenson, let's roll," Bennett said as she pushed the door of the main room, followed closely by her two detectives.

I wasn't gonna stop until I got the truth.

They walked through the entire precinct until the final door led them through East Highland's hallways, the trio now dressed in classical 90's tuxedos. Jenson dropped the cigarette she had in her mouth onto the dirty floor and swiftly crushed it with her foot on her way to a classroom filled with high schoolers.

"False accusations in today's world can cause serious long-term damage to one's career, reputation and well-being," was being broadcasted in the entire school.

The three detectives bursted in the classroom, keeping their eyes on Nate Jacobs, sitting in the front row with his alleged girlfriend, Madeleine Perez, next to him.

"We all owe Nate Jacobs a heartfelt apology, and are excited and thrilled to have him back at East Highland," the school's PA added.

"Why would Jules lie to help Nate?" Howard asked.

"I don't know."

"Well, have you asked her about it?"

"No."

"You haven't asked her?"

"No."

Keep looking, you mook. I'm Morgan fuckin' Freeman and this is the beginning of the third act.

"Well, doesn't that seem like the first logical step?"

"Honestly, Howard, this whole thing is beyond logic."

Scenery change, they were now in the bathrooms, Bennett lighting a cigarette with matches. She stroke three and was about to give up angrily when Jenson brought the match she had used to lit her own cigarette to Bennett's.

They blew out the smoke in sync.

"Unless... Jules is in love with Nate," Bennett said.

Howard and Jenson exchanged a confused glance, "Why would Jules be in love with Nate?"

Bennett pushed herself off the bathroom sinks and walked towards Howard, "Well, you should listen to me."

"Bennett, the cigarettes are killing me!"

Jenson rolled her eyes as she watched the duo on the verge of another useless bickering.

"Listen, listen, listen," Bennett repeated frantically, "The night of the carnival, she said she wanted to go meet up with this guy she met online, okay? He's some fuckin' jock, he's from a conservative family, and they were talking and texting."

"Honestly, conservative family?" Jenson said with a grimace, "She should've ran for her life, that's one of the many excuses for fuckin' pedos."

Bennett snaped her head in her direction with an unimpressed look, "Jenson, that's not the point."

"Go on then!"

Bennett sighed, "As I was saying... they've been texting for weeks. And when I say texting, I don't just mean regular fuckin' texting. They were sexting."

"Like nudes?" Howard asked.

"Yeah," Bennett said before swiftly turning around to face her two work partners, "Side note, very nice dick. Very clean room."

Howard was letting the info sink in when Bennett added a detail that had a lot of importance, "She never fucking saw his face."

"Yeah, so Jules was catfished," Howard said.

But Jenson opened her eyes wide, throwing her cigarette in the nearest toilet bowl, lighting another one immediately after.

"What are you gasping for?" Bennett asked with curiosity.

"I heard something from Perez," Jenson said, "At the carnival."

"What?" Bennett and Howard asked in unison.

"She found a lot of dick pics in Nate's phone," Jenson revealed, "And when I say a lot, I mean a lot!"

Jenson started pacing around as she dragged incessantly on the white stick in her mouth, "Like... different dicks, you get it? And Perez suspected Nate was actually gay."

"Why the fuck didn't you mention that earlier?" Bennett asked angrily.

"I was off duty and drinking my problems away," Jenson replied, "Don't come at me, okay?"

"Fuckin' hell, Jenson! This shit's serious, we need every detail—"

"Oh, like you share everything, uh?!" Jenson interrupted with a snark.

"Back to the case!" Howard yelled, "Stop it you two."

Bennett and Jenson exchanged a long glance, trying to cover their smiles. Jenson nodded for her partner to keep talking.

"Now, hear me out. So, the night of the carnival, she made plans with this guy to meet up with him at the lake, okay? I fucking go home. Next thing I know, she's fucking knocking at my window," Bennett explained as she knocked on a bathroom stall, "She's all emotional, she's got fucking tears in her eyes. I say, Jules, what the fuck happened? She looks at me. She goes... He didn't look like his pictures."

"Yeah, that's like the definition of catfishing."

"No, but do you know what his name was?"

"Nate Jacobs?"

"Tyler," Bennett said.

"Like, Tyler Clarkson?"

Jenson had her hands on each side of her face, "The fuckin' bastard, he fuckin' framed him."

"You're goddamn right," Bennett replied as she looked at them both.

Scenery change, the trio was now in the lunch room, observing intently the young couple who looked perfectly happy.

"Maddy is seventeen, Tyler's twenty-two, and they fornicated," Bennett added.

"Statutory," Howard noted.

"Yeah. You saw it, I saw it. We all fucking saw it. Including Nate. And what is a lighter offense than statutory?"

The three detectives exchanged a knowing look.

"Assault," Howard and Jenson said at the same time.

"Bingo!"

2:45AM. Jenson groaned when she was awakened by her phone ringing loudly.

"Howard, Jenson, it's Bennett."

"I'm killing you next time you do this," Jenson spat as she closed her eyes.

"It's 2:45 in the morning. Don't you ever sleep?" Howard said groggily.

"Listen, why would Nate single out Jules in the first place? It's obvious, he was sexually attracted to her. And because Jules is predominantly het, okay, he wooed her with his, uh, fucking creepy jock magic shit. She's super fuckin' sensitive, she's very forgiving, and she's basically the most wonderful fucking person on the planet..."

Howard and Jenson remained silent, knowing it was pointless to try and say something.

"... she fell for him. That's why she fucking testified. I'm a genius. I'm a fucking genius," Bennett beamed, "Hey, mom! I'm a fucking genius. I'm not even tired. It's crazy. I'm not even fucking tired. I feel amazing."

Howard was the first to speak up, "I'll be honest with you, Bennett. You're too close to this case," and she hung up, leaving Bennett and Jenson on the phone.

"Jenson? You here?"

Jenson sighed, "Yeah... but I'm not sure your theory really adds up. I don't know... something feels off."

"W-What?"

"I'm fucking exhausted, please, let's do this later," Jenson said and she hung up as well.

And Bennett was alone with her phone against her ear, wishing one of them would have found the strength to listen to her rambling a little longer.

( )

a/n yepppp i kinda did something different because i loooooove this scene so much its one of my fav and i wanted to include lulu in it since she is really important to rue! i hope you guys liked it!