32. SELF-REGULATION

The world has its secrets, and those secrets are made. And it is most likely that everything we hear, they were secrets that were told in the first place.

"What?" Ashton asked instead, "Jaxon Spencer?"

"Jaxon's dead?" Jayce queried, Dave's grip on her hand was stronger, "Dad, will you explain?"

"You're coming with me," he stated in a firm voice.

"Where the hell are you taking her?" Ashton asked back as he got handcuffed.

"The more important question is why would Ashton kill him? We agreed to be hands off the case, Dad," Jayce complained back.

"Enough."

"I was with him the entire day yesterday. I know he didn't do anything," she justified, "Check all the cameras and everything, he didn't do it."

"Jayce, that is enough."

"DON'T TALK TO ME ABOUT ENOUGH UNLESS YOU UNCUFF HIM RIGHT NOW." she yelled, "RIGHT NOW."

"Take him," Dave ordered Sanchez, and with a sense of doubt and guilt at first, Sanchez took Ash out of the room and went down the stairs.

"Dad!" Jayce yelled. His grip on her arm was so strong that even she flinched, "DAD!" she was going to kick him when he interrupted once more.

"Stay silent." he glared at her and pulled her out of the dorm and to downstairs

As they reached down the stairs, a bunch of people had assembled.

"What the hell are those two up to now?" one whispered.

"Police? Again?" another one hissed.

"Dad!" Amber stepped out from the crowd in front of the dorm building, "What's going on?"

"I need you to stay here, I won't be long," Dave gave a thin smile.

"Will you mind explaining what the hell is going on?" Jayce complained from behind.

"Later," he replied.

She wasn't satisfied with that answer, of course, so she kicked his ankle and he grunted. She was about to run to Ashton when Dave spoke again.

He had to get into her head, "If you don't come with me, he'll be in jail," he said. It was a lie, of course.

All that Dave wanted at that moment was Ashton in jail and his daughter safe.

Jayce froze, and gritted her teeth, turning around and seeing Ashton being put into the police car and Dave still holding onto his ankle, "Fine." she stated desperately, "Let's go."

~~~

"Sanchez, I think you have the wrong person. Why would I kill Jaxon and my own family? Sure, I hate them, but I promised Jayce that we'd be hands off the case," Ashton argued at the backseat of the police car, "Where is Detective Brooks taking Jayce?"

Sanchez didn't reply.

"Just answer, Sanchez, for goodness sake. What does Jayce have to do with all of this?" he began to yell.

"Your lighter was found in the Walkers' burnt house," he finally replied.

"My lighter-?" he muttered, then realized that he had gone into his dorm with Jaxon in it the other day. Jaxon stole it, "Jaxon took my lighter," he concluded.

"Oh, so Jaxon also voluntarily stabbed himself with a twig and jumped off a cliff?" Sanchez scoffed, "If you want to lie, lie better,"

"I was with Jayce the entire time yesterday," Ashton said, "We didn't do anything,"

"You slept together in your dorm," Sanchez argued back.

"We slept together, but we didn't do anything together," he said, "Am I not allowed to let a friend stay in my dorm 'cause her sister needs alone time?"

"All evidence leads to you as the murderer,"

"I didn't do it. Where was Jaxon killed?" he asked.

"Near the entrance of the lane, which you always use." he replied, "CCTV camera only caught your car there,"

Ashton gave a small scoff and clicked his tongue, understanding everything, "So, let me guess: Detective Brooks is taking Jayce away because she's also a suspect of the murder? I mean, she was also in the car with me,"

Sanchez gulped. He couldn't be fooled, "I don't know what you're talking about,"

"Tell me where Jayce is going. Now." he gritted his teeth.

"I have my orders, Walker," he replied.

"If she's going somewhere safe, then I don't care if I have to go to jail. But if she isn't, you will uncuff me right now." Ashton threatened.

"She's safe. Dave knows what to do," Sanchez bitterly said.

Dave didn't know what he was doing.

~~~

Jayce sat at the backseat of her father's car, with her backpack on the front seat. She wanted to take her backpack, see what's inside.

She lent her hand out and took the strap when Dave noticed and slapped her arm.

"What did you put in my backpack?" she asked, "You went to my dorm, didn't you?"

Dave stayed silent.

"You need to give me answers," she stated, "What is going on?"

The car doors were locked, and they were heading out of town, "Where are you taking me?" she asked once again.

She was still in Ashton's sweatpants and shirt. It seemed rather strange.

"Dad please," she didn't like to beg, but it was genuinely worrying her, "What happened?"

Dave wasn't giving an answer, so he just said one thing, "Home. We're going home."

"Why the heck are we going back to the city?" her voice was near a yell.

"Because you'll be safe there."

"Safe from what?"

"The law."

Jayce didn't want to continue the conversation. She was smarter than that. Patience was the key. She was coming back to Syville anyway.

She stayed at the back of the car as they were headed for the city: back to where she was from.

She took out her phone and saw the signal of the cell tower wasn't back yet. But also, she didn't want to text anyone. She knew that no one knew anything.

Instead, she went to her photo library and scrolled through her photos and videos, finding the first video she had of Ashton by the cliff.

The nostalgia went back to her. They hated each other then, twisting each other's heads 'til they broke.

"This isn't hands-off-the-case at all," she muttered.

Dave, who heard her, lent out his arm and forcefully took her phone, throwing it out the window.

"Dad!" she yelled, "What the hell?"

He closed down the window and continued driving.

She grunted at the back of her seat and sighed. This all didn't make sense.

~~~

"That's all I did yesterday," Ashton said as he explained about the other day to Sanchez.

He was still handcuffed in the interrogation room. It didn't make sense.

He was innocent.

But Sanchez had to make sure he was in jail, "You can lie and bluff, but you are still the main suspect,"

"I told you I didn't kill Jaxon. What do you want me to prove more?" he started to yell.

"You're going to be held in the cell until you are proven innocent or guilty," Sanchez replied.

"But in the end I'm always guilty right? That's what you've planned," Ashton narrowed his eyes, "All I'm asking for is where is Jayce and why did she leave-?"

Sanchez ignored the question as two officers took him to the cells. He needed to find a way out of here. He needed to find the connection between Jayce and him and Jaxon's murder.

Someone had set them up.

He entered the cell, and all his personal belongings including his phone were taken. And not to mention, he was still in his tee and sweatpants he had used for bed.

And his cellmate was none other than Niel, who still looked like a bloody mess.

"Bench kid," Ash gritted his teeth at his sight.

Niel narrowed his eyes as a reply.

"Don't fight, or you'd be charged with assault as well. Both of you." Sanchez warned and closed the gates.

"What's your story?" Niel asked.

Ashton sat on the other end of the cell, "Shut up and don't talk to me,"

"Where's Jayce?" he asked.

"Say her name with that filthy mouth of yours one more time, and I won't care if I get charged with assault," he warned back.

Niel rolled his eyes, "I heard someone died. Jail is a really entire place of gossip. Who died?"

"I don't even know why the hell I'm here. Someone set me up," Ashton said, "So shut up before I punch you,"

"You're no fun,"

"And you are?" he asked, "Stalking and spying on a girl makes you fun?"

Niel was still in pain from the scars on his arm and thigh and chest.

"If I had my knife right now, I think I'd chop off your head," Ashton remarked.

"I still have vengeance on you," Niel threatened.

"Is that supposed to scare me?"

"You don't deserve Jayce at all,"

"And you do? Look in the mirror, bench kid," Ash scoffed.

"I will kill you in the future. You took what's mine," Niel gritted his teeth.

"Jayce isn't a property,"

"She isn't yours either,"

"Well, bench kid, here's the catch: she isn't mine, I am hers."

~~~

A few hours passed, and Jayce was stuck in major traffic, on the highway, still quite a long way from the city.

On the other hand, it was lunch time for school, where everything seemed out of place.

Jasmine visited the school after hearing the news of Jayce and Ashton both taken by detectives. She saw Amber from afar in the yard and approached her.

"Hey Amber," Jaz greeted.

"Oh," she replied, "Hi Jaz. Condolences for your brother's loss,"

"Yeah, thanks. We got the report this morning, some officers went to our house saying there was a suspect. Otherwise, I don't have to waste tears anymore but, I do want to know who killed my brother,"

And she was standing right in front of her.

"Why is Ashton arrested?" she asked, "Did he kill my brother?"

"I don't know," Amber shrugged, "This morning dad came to my room and brought a whole lot of stuff into Jayce's backpack. And showed me Ashton's lighter. He said Jayce had done something and I might never see her again,"

"What did she do?"

"How on earth would I know?" Amber whined.

"Oh," Jaz said, "Okay then. Stay safe," she turned around and began walking to her car.

Something was going on, she was sure. And so she went to the police station.

~~~

Harrison went to the station to see Ashton there. He was out of place.

They talked near Sanchez, in one of the interrogation rooms.

"I need your help to get me out of here," Ashton asked Harrison, "I'm innocent. You know that, dad,"

"I don't have money to bail you out. I can't take the school's money," Harrison said, "I can't. They won't trust me if I make a witness statement. Like you said, you've been set-up perfectly,"

On the other hand, Jasmine had arrived at the police station, asking one of the officers that she would like to meet Ashton Walker.

The officer went to the interrogation room and knocked on it. Ashton and Harrison turned and listened carefully to who it was.

"Jasmine Spencer is here. She'd like to meet Walker," the officer said.

Sanchez looked back at Ashton then back at the officer. He knew what he was doing was wrong, but was it right? He was helping Dave protect Jayce while he was framing Ashton.

"Let her in," Sanchez said.

Jasmine entered the room and sat beside Harrison. Ashton and Jaz just looked at each other. It was quite awkward.

"I need you to explain everything to me and what connection you and Jayce both have with my brother and the Walkers' deaths," she said, "Everything. From A-Z."

Ashton knew that Jaz would do anything to find Jaxon's killer and help Jayce. He also didn't want to be set up and he needed to find Jayce. But the death of his family, it didn't matter to him. They deserved to die.

"Okay fine. I'll tell you, and you know for a fact that I'm innocent. I would never kill anyone," Ashton said.

"Not when it comes to Jayce, no." Jaz replied calmly, "Explain everything. Now."

Ashton explained from Niel's camera thing to torturing him and to the the police station and then back to the dorm and all that. It made sense that he wasn't guilty.

"I'll bail you out of jail," Jasmine said. She was rich. Of course.

"Really?" Harrison gasped, "Why?"

"Because I want to help Jayce and find my brother's killer,"

"You are not taking my son into some murder investigation,"

"Your son has been involved in his best friend's murder investigation for a long time," Jaz replied, "I'm serious, Principal Harrison. I'll do anything to do what I want to achieve,"

"Thank you, Jaz," Ashton said.

"Welcome," she replied, "I'm doing this for Jayce, you know that right?"

"I would be more surprised if you did it for my sake,"

~~~

"I'll be fine, dad," Ashton said, "I'll meet you back at the school in the evening,"

"Fine, don't look for trouble. At all." Harrison warned and drove away.

Ashton took his phone from the police, and there was still no signal yet, "I need to go to the crime scene. Jaxon's crime scene. And the Walkers as well,"

"Okay," Jasmine said, "Hop on,"

The two got in the car and Jasmine started driving.

"I met Amber earlier," she said, "She said that Dave showed her Ashton's lighter and she confirmed it was yours. And also he packed random stuff into Jayce's backpack and then left, saying she's done something horrible,"

"Someone's framing us for his murder," Ashton replied.

"I was staggered when the police arrived at my doorstep this morning, saying my brother was dead. They said he was found in the lake, bleeding from a twig stabbed on his abdomen," Jasmine said, some pain heard in her voice.

"I can see you didn't waste time on crying for him,"

"The hardest part of having someone you love as a bad person is choosing between saving them or saving yourself." she said.

"How's your dad?" he asked.

"Dad's okay. He went to visit Oliver and Ella. They've been friends for so long, they grieved together," Jaz continued.

"It's quite strange,"

"About what?"

"Me, Jaxon and Eric. We started off as a trio. We did everything together. I never thought we could be where we were right now," Ashton sighed, "They're both dead, and it seems I'm the last survivor,"

"And you survived with Jayce," she said.

His ears rang, "Meaning?"

"She loves you, Ash," Jaz said, "She just has always been in denial,"

~~~

The two arrived at the scene, and there were police lines around it. It wasn't too crowded, so the two sneaked in and went to where the stabbing and pushing happened.

Ashton looked around the area. It was too clean to be true.

"Is there anything?" Jasmine asked.

"There's nothing to prove that we're-" his eyes realized a twig that looked as if it was broken from a branch, hanging. "There's something," he said.

He took the twig and put it back up the branch, so he could see what it was before it was broken.

"What is it?" she asked.

"The killer hit this when they walked, which means it's their first kill, because this is just careless," he concluded, "Measure how tall this is from the base to this branch,"

Jasmine took out her phone and used the Measure app and measured it from the base to the branch, "1.65m," she said.

"That's too short for Jayce," Ashton huffed, "She's 2cm taller than 1.65. Jayce is 1.67m tall,"

"How do you know that?"

"By observing," he replied proudly.

"So who would do this?" Jasmine asked.

Ashton's mind felt cramped when he realized, "I think I have a suspect,"

"Who?"

"There's specifically someone 2cm shorter than her and has the most sensible motivation to kill Jaxon,"

"Okay, who?" she asked.

"Amber,"

~~~

"I need to see some witnesses in the Walkers' house," Ashton said, "Just follow my direction,"

"Amber killed Jaxon? Amber Brooks?" Jasmine gasped.

"It's a speculation. I'm not sure if it's true or not," he said.

"Gosh. I mean I understand why she would kill Jaxon but putting the blame on you both is a bit too much," she replied.

"She's gotten on my nerves since day one,"

The two arrived at the Walkers' house, the smell of ashes and fire still in the air.

Ashton didn't care about his family's bodies. He was glad Milton died, maybe he would thank Amber for that.

It was still crowded, and some demonstrators were just about to go home.

"Sorry, sir," Ashton stepped in front of a middle-aged man, "Can I ask something?"

"I've told everything to the police," the man replied.

"We want to double-check something," Jasmine broke in.

"All I said was there was a girl in a black hoodie who brought a container of oil and poured it around the house and burnt it. That's it." the man was rather irritated, "Satisfied? Now, get out of my way."

Ashton was staggered. It was all clear.

"It's Amber. She wore Jayce's black hoodie yesterday," Ashton concluded.

Jasmine's heart sank, "So what's gonna happen now?"

"Once Amber finds out I'm out of jail, she'll want to kill me to finish her revenge because Eric was killed since Jaxon was obsessed with me. We can't let Jayce back here, not until this is all finished," he said.

"Then where is Dave taking Jayce?" Jasmine asked.

"Dave definitely thought me and Jayce did it, because we were the only ones in that lane that day," Ashton responded, "Wherever Jayce is, it's definitely safer than here,"

"Then what are you going to do? Sanchez has been told to make you the suspect. The police can manipulate any evidence,"

He huffed, "Amber will want to kill me. That's the only chance we'll get to receive the real proof of Amber's crimes."

~~~

Sanchez had been trying to contact Dave but the cell tower was still not fixed. He had to inform him that Jasmine had bailed Ashton out of jail. He was clueless on what to do. But the message wasn't sending through.

And now it was past noon, and Dave and Jayce were already in the city.

She didn't think she would come back to the city. The tall skyscrapers, the crowded sidewalks, the smell of pollution covering the air. She didn't hate it, but she also didn't miss it.

She and her father didn't talk at all during the trip. She needed time to escape.

They both arrived at their old house: the house of memories, both bad and good.

Jayce stepped down from the car and entered the house. It wasn't sold, it was still theirs. Dave kept it in case they needed to move back.

She went inside, both irritated and vexed, and it was very much dusty and filled with cobwebs.

"You can rest first. You want lunch?" Dave acted as if nothing had happened.

"That's really funny: you expect me to eat when you just dragged me out of Syville and back here?" she scoffed as she stepped up the stairs, "I don't understand you, dad,"

She walked hastily up the stairs, and into her old room. The beige wallpaper was still there, and some of the arts and crafts she did on her preschool days. Some photos of her and Amber as babies and toddlers were hung, and a cuckoo-bird clock still hung on the wall. Her bed was also still there, filled with dirt and dust.

She listened to Dave walking up the stairs, and into his old room as well. She listened well, finding out what he was doing. A sound was heard, she guessed it was him putting her backpack on his bed. Another sound was heard, and she guessed that he had put his firearm and car keys on the desk.

Then the bathroom door was heard, and Dave went to the bathroom.

Jayce saw the chance as a way to check her backpack. She sneaked out of her room and went to her parents' old room. She had mixed feelings about that, but at this point, she just needed the truth.

She opened the backpack and found her black hoodie. It had soil and dirt and ashes on it. She flustered, "What the actual heck?" she muttered.

There was a USB as well inside, and some of her random things that Dave must have thought she would need. He was going to send her somewhere.

"Put that down, Jayce," Dave interrupted from the doorway.

"Why do you have my hoodie?" she went straight to the point, "What's in the USB?"

"Put it down."

"No, you will answer me. I deserve some answers." she replied, "You dragged me out of Syville and you're not telling me why. I deserve to know why."

"PUT THAT DOWN, JAYCE!" he began to yell.

"Where was Jaxon killed?" she asked, "How were the Walkers killed?"

"Jayce-"

"Does Ashton's arrest have something to do with me?" She was smart. She knew, "Answer me, dad."

"DON'T ACT STUPID WHEN YOU MURDERED 6 PEOPLE OVERNIGHT." he yelled again, "DON'T ACT LIKE THAT IN FRONT OF ME."

"What-?" she staggered, "I didn't kill anyone,"

"Then if it wasn't you and Ashton who killed Jaxon and the Walkers, who did?" he asked, "Who else would have the correct motivation, huh?"

"You panicked," she scoffed, "You panicked and you barely checked all the CCTV cameras and evidence correctly. You're all over the place and you drag the wrong daughter here,"

Jayce put all the pieces together quickly.

"What do you mean?" Dave asked.

"If you checked the CCTV cameras yesterday, you would see that Amber was the one who wore my hoodie for the entire time. I barely went to the dorm, I just went there to check on her after going to the station," Jayce said.

"Are you saying my investigation is wrong?" he asked, "Are you blaming Amber now for killing Jaxon and the Walkers?"

"I don't know, dad. Someone set me and Ashton both, we didn't kill anyone," she argued, "Only Amber wore the hoodie the entire time yesterday. Only her, dad, geez!"

"The USB has CCTV footage of the entrance of the long lane Ashton uses and the school's entrance footage. It recorded you both. I made sure there was no evidence of you being caught. I've told Sanchez to make Ashton the only culprit in this."

"Am I supposed to freaking thank you?" she started to yell, "He didn't do anything, dad. Nothing. He's innocent. Someone set us up." she was getting tired of arguing, her dad didn't believe her.

"Then do you want me to believe Amber did it? Your sweet, innocent sister?" he asked, completely wrecked.

"Then what made you think I did it?" she asked back.

Dave clenched his jaw, unable to form the words. Her eyes started getting watery.

"Is it because I'm my mother's daughter?" Jayce asked, trembling, "Is it because I'm more of Nadia than Amber?" she queried once more, "Is it?" she yelled.

"Was I supposed to believe Amber was a killer? I know you both enough to make a decision," he replied.

"Was it a correct decision though?" she asked back, "Was it?"

He stayed quiet.

"How could you-a father and a detective-just panic and blame someone who's more likely to be a killer rather than really finding out who?" her words felt like they were eating her up.

"I panicked, Jayce, okay? I knew your intelligence and skill and stubborness and strength could make you commit murders, alongside Ashton, who's pretty much a bright boy. I PANICKED BECAUSE I COULDN'T LOSE YOU TOO. I WAS TRYING TO KEEP YOU SAFE FROM THE LAW." Dave felt he was on the verge of crying.

"WHERE WERE YOU GOING TO KEEP ME SAFE? HERE?" Jayce yelled back.

"I was-" he trembled, "I was going to send you to a psych ward,"

The girl stood there frozen, turning around, making sure her face wasn't red and her tears were not falling at all, but she failed. She gave a somber sigh and looked back at him, "Do I look mentally ill in front of you?"

Dave couldn't reply to that. He felt guilty above all.

"I don't care about that crap, anymore," she hastily spitted, "Explain in detail about Jaxon and the Walkers' murders,"

He gritted his teeth. He had to explain everything, from deleting the evidence, to asking people to shut their mouths, to the lighter, to Amber saying that the hoodie was Jayce's, to the fire, to the stabbing and sinking of Jaxon and to how he manipulated everything to make sure Jayce was not getting into prison.

"Amber's getting revenge on Eric's murder. She's killed Jaxon, who was obsessed with Ashton," Jayce started, "And then she killed Ash's family too, and now she's sent me off. This is what she wanted and you gave it all for free because of your panic and cloudy head,"

"Sent you off?"

"She always wanted me to disappear. Now that Ash is in jail and I'm here about to be sent to a psych ward," she scoffed in pain, "She can do whatever she wants. All the love in the world, she thought, would be hers,"

"Jayce- I'm sorry-"

"We have to go back to Syville. Make things right." she ignored his words, she was beyond disappointed.

"So now I have to lose Amber too?" he asked, confused.

"Are you not going to that to 'bring' justice? Isn't that what the so-called law does? Finding the truth?" she asked back. She was in a state where she just wanted to run and sleep.

"I can't lose someone else, Jayce. Please, just bury this deeply and put Ashton in jail, and you can go back to Syville. Just don't give Amber away, please-" his words were cut off by the sound of his phone beeping.

The cell tower was fixed in Syville, and Sanchez could finally text Dave.

Dave opened his phone to see a text message from him. His eyes widened at the text, heart thumped and his face was pale.

And Jayce could read facial expressions, "What's wrong?"

"Jasmine bailed Ashton out of jail," he remarked.

She felt like she stopped breathing, "Amber's going to kill him once she finds out he's out of jail," she looked to the side and took his firearm and car keys.

"Jayce, what are you doing?" he was going to approach her when she stepped back to where the window was.

She hanged onto the window sill, "I need to save Ashton,"