They were here all day, questioning each of us. They asked about the fraternity itself, whether any hazing was involved, and then they asked about Dean. Very thorough.
I answered the officer the best I could. She was a younger officer, blonde, almost drowning in her puffy coat as she scribbled stuff down on her notepad. Other officers were interrogating the other Sigma Chi guys.
We were all involved one way or another. If I had to pay for what I did, I’d do it. I played a hand in hurting Mel last year, so I was willing. It’d be selfish of me not to. Being with Kelsey, I…I wanted to be a better man. I wanted to be the good guy, not the bad guy.
“There is something that you should probably know,” I told her, causing her to stop writing down whatever it was I’d said that had interested her before and look at me. “I don’t know if any of the other guys told you, but to stay in Sigma Chi, you have to get with whoever the others tell you to.”
“As a form of hazing?” she clarified, and I nodded.
“Yeah,” I said. The officer and I stood in the hall, a few of my other fraternity brothers sitting in the living room, talking to other officers. I watched as the front door opened, and another cop walked in, this one holding a paper. Behind him, Dean appeared.
Must’ve come home from his classes at the right time, then.
“What the fuck is this?” Dean shouted, and the cop in front of him steadily ignored him.
Another cop came down the stairs, leather gloves on her hands. When she stepped on the landing, I saw she held onto a few tiny cameras.
“You need a warrant for that,” Dean growled out.
The cop, a middle-aged woman, stared squarely at him, clearly unimpressed with his antics. “The others gave their permission.” The hand free of tiny cameras reached for the paper the cop who’d just walked in held, glancing over it quickly. “This, however, is a warrant for you. We’re going to dig through your room whether you like it or not.” Her wizened eyes turned to the cop currently questioning me. “You, bag these up.”
The younger officer folded her notepad and stuck it in her pocket. She pulled out a plastic bag for the tiny cameras.
“That’s bullshit, on what grounds?” Dean was frantic now, glancing all around. His face stopped when he looked at me, and I sent him the tiniest knowing smile.
He started to walk towards me, fury on his face, but the older officer stepped between us, saying, “Anything you want to admit to, Dean?”
Dean scoffed, frowning. A hideous expression. “Like what?”
“Like, maybe, that you’ve been harassing your ex constantly these past few months, convincing your fraternity brothers to do the same? You should know that we reside in a state with a cyberstalking law, meaning anything you do online, someone can press charges against you.”
Dean said nothing; what could he say?
“You are aware that your ex, Melody Riley, is currently in the hospital?” the older woman went on. “We have witness accounts that you’ve been stalking her, harassing her at every turn. She tried to kill herself, Dean, and not for the first time. This time, that girl might not be so lucky. She might not make it, but I’m going to make sure that I do my damnedest to see the person responsible pay.”
“I didn’t make her try to kill herself—”
“No, but you helped lead her to that point,” the officer said, pointing to the living room. “Now, have a seat. I’ll get to you next. Right now, I need to dig through that room of yours. Is there anything I should know before going up there?”
A muscle in Dean’s jaw clenched. “No,” he said simply, storming into the living room in a huff.
With that scene over, the younger woman’s eyes returned to me. I said, “Can I use the bathroom real quick?”
“Yeah, sure. When you’re done, go in there with the others.” She walked out of the house, still holding onto the evidence bag of cameras.
I went to the bathroom on the first floor, locking myself inside. Didn’t really have to go, just had to call Kelsey and tell her that her plan looked to be working. This was some serious shit, but it was shit Dean rightly deserved. After hanging up, I knew she’d be on her way, rushing over here to watch. She wanted to see her handiwork, and I couldn’t blame her.
This was a reckoning Dean had needed from the very beginning, and even if it would drag us all down, I’d be more than willing to go down with this ship. I’d go down with the ship and the knowledge I helped sink it.
Beggars couldn’t be choosers in this situation.
By the time the police were done going through his room, we were told we might be needed for questioning again. With the blue and red lights flashing outside—the Greek houses were right next to one of the many streets that intersected campus—me and my fraternity brothers watched as shiny, silver handcuffs were slapped on Dean’s wrists.
They’d found the safe, and he’d opened it for them. They’d played the flash drive, the videos on it, and when they asked the other guys about being filmed, their faces of shock and confusion were genuine.
No one else knew Dean had filmed them. No one else really knew
