"Ms Gould, Ms Baker may have committed a terrible crime. If you're involved, you're in serious trouble," the detective told her.
"I didn't do anything!" Sandy said hurriedly, "Connie asked me to help her but I didn't want to. I said 'no'! I didn't help her!"
Detective Larioza glanced at her partner, who blinked his eyes. Then she turned back to Sandy. "Did she say what she planned to do?"
"She..." Sandy hesitated. Did she dare break her promise to Connie?
"Ms Gould, if you do not have anything to do with what Ms Baker did, now's your chance to prove it," Detective Larioza urged her.
Sandy silently apologized to her queen. "Connie planned to strip Annie naked, take photos of her and spread them all over the Internet."
Mrs Johnson covered her mouth with a hand.
"How did she plan to do it?" the detective asked.
"I don't know. She never told me."
"Why didn't you tell anyone?"
Sandy looked down. "I promised Connie I would keep it a secret," she replied.
"You should've told someone," Detective Larioza said, "Ms Baker clearly planned to hurt Ms Billings."
Sandy looked up. "But she wasn't hurting anyone."
"Physical harm may have been involved in the process of getting the photos. And having her shameful photos on the Internet hurts a girl socially and emotionally," the detective told the teenager, "You should've told your guardian or your guidance counselor."
The detective paused to allow Sandy to process her words. Then she glanced at each of the other two adults. "Do you wish to add anything?"
Detective Gomez shook his head.
"No," Mrs Johnson replied.
Detective Larioza turned back to Sandy. "Thank you, Ms Gould. You may go."
Mrs Johnson rose up from her desk. "I'll see her out," she offered. She opened the door for Sandy and followed the teenager out.
Sandy was relieved that she had not been questioned about the spread of the photos. She had thought that she had been summoned for that reason and had been worried. Well, it was over.
"Ms Gould," Mrs Johnson called her once they were alone in the corridor outside the office waiting area.
Sandy turned around. "Yes, Mrs Johnson?".
"Ms Gould, it's not nice of you to spread obscene pictures of Ms Billings around the school," the guidance counselor chided softly.
Sandy bit back a gasp. So they did know! She turned her head aside.
"The police aren't interested in that at the moment, but please don't do such deeds again," Mrs Johnson advised, "Ms Billings is going through a lot of pain because of what you did."
"Yes, Mrs Johnson," Sandy promised quietly.
"You may return to class," the guidance counselor excused her.
***
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