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The four teenagers stared at Deputy Standall questioningly. An idea? What the hell did that mean?

"What kind of idea?" Monty asked.

"The kind of idea that proves your innocence for a crime you didn't commit." Deputy Standall responded.

Monty and Winston shared a confused glance, before Winston spoke, "Well, what's your idea then?"

Deputy Standall sighed before he began, "Even though it pains me to say this, Alex needs to confess."

At their confused and surprised faces, he continued, "But not for what you think. He'll tell them that it was an accident, because technically, he's still in recovery."

Diego cut in, "Wait, I don't understand. How could it have been an accident?"

"Alex is still unstable because of his brain injury. He could've very well tried to help Bryce up off the pier and tripped. Next thing he knows, Bryce is in the water."

"What's the catch?" Winston asked, skeptically.

"There isn't a catch, I'm just trying to make things right." Deputy Standall said.

Winston was still unconvinced, "Okay fine, so even if he confesses and everyone believes it, wouldn't Alex still have to go to jail?"

"Twelve months. That's the minimum sentence for involuntary manslaughter. If Alex can live with the guilt of actually killing someone, then he sure as hell can put up with a year in prison." Deputy Standall informed them.

"What about Ani? Didn't she make some big compelling argument about how Monty did it? And didn't she clear everyone else's names?" Estela brought up.

"I've thought a lot about that, because giving a false testimony is a serious offense. The charges could go from as little as a small fine to jail time." Deputy Standall told her.

"As for her clearing everyone's names, she didn't do that. She tried, but she failed." Deputy Standall added.

"What do you mean she failed?" Diego asked.

"The day we found Bryce's body, the team also found car tire marks on the ground. They match perfectly with the tires on my wife's car." Deputy Standall answered.

"So you've had evidence that Alex was at the crime scene the whole time?" Winston asked.

Deputy Standall nodded, "Yes, I burned the clothes he was wearing that night too."

"If you went through so much trouble to try and cover it up, then why are you doing this now?" Estela asked.

Deputy Standall exhaled slowly, "I tried to come up with a way for Alex to get away with it, I really did. But I just kept thinking back to how someone would be stuck in jail for life for something they didn't do. And now I think that the only way for anyone to get any peace is to take accountability for their actions."

Monty's hands turned into fists at his sides. Winston tried to reach over and take one of them, but Monty shook his head and looked up at Deputy Standall. He stopped squeezing his hands in such a constricting way. His eyes were set forward, so he didn't see the look of hurt flash across Winston's face.

"What about Monty being currently dead to the rest of the world?" Diego asked.

"That's another thing. If Montgomery were to suddenly make a reappearance, he would be arrested immediately because of his previous charges." Deputy Standall stated.

"Aren't you the one who told everybody that Monty was dead? You might lose your job when everyone finds out that Monty's alive." Diego said.

Deputy Standall let out a humorless laugh, "Oh believe me, I'm fully prepared to lose my job because of this. I'm expecting it, in fact."

As Deputy Standall told them his idea, he saw each of their different reactions. Diego nodded at most things he said, which gave the impression that he liked the idea. Estela just looked unsure. Winston was continuously glancing over at Monty, who didn't see him since he was too busy looking looked terrified.

"I need to be sure that all of you are in agreement with this. If one thing goes wrong, or one person says the wrong thing, everything could fall apart." Deputy Standall looked at them, waiting for their responses.

Diego was the first to break the silence, "I'm in."

"I'm in too." Estela agreed, "Winston?"

Estela and Diego looked over at Winston, who nodded, "Yeah, I'm in."

Everyone turned to Monty, who's gaze was firmly set on the floor. After a moment, he slowly looked up at all of them. They were staring at him expectantly.

He was shaking slightly, as he ran his hands down his face. Before he could stop himself, he glanced over at the one person who made him feel calm. When he looked into Winston's eyes, his shaking came to a stop and he found the confidence to speak.

"Okay. I'm in." Monty said.

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