The moment the word left her mouth, the polygraph let out a piercing, rapid-fire series of beeps as her heart rate skyrocketed.
"You're lying!"
The officer slammed his hand onto the table, his voice booming with anger. "Pushing someone down a flight of stairs that high—if that's not attempted murder, what is?!"
"How can someone your age be so vicious? Is this how your parents raised you?"
"The others have already confessed to what happened. It doesn't matter if you refuse to admit your involvement." The officer stared at the steadily climbing heart rate on the monitor, already knowing the truth. He spoke coldly, "Just wait for Polly's lawsuit."
"It wasn't me! It really wasn't me!"
The girl shot up from her chair, completely losing control of her emotions. "I didn't push her!"
"If it wasn't you, then who was it?"
The officer kept his expression utterly frozen, pressing harder. "Tell the truth!"
"It... It was Sheryl. She pushed her! I swear this has nothing to do with me. I don't want to go to prison..."
As the words spilled from her mouth, the girl could no longer contain her terror and broke down sobbing.
The officer set his pen down and glanced up at the surveillance camera.
The person on the other side of the glass gave him an 'OK' hand signal.
These were all twenty-somethings who had never faced real adversity or consequences in their lives.
After a sleepless night of pure paranoia, followed by being dragged into the station bright and early, their psychological defenses were already crumbling.
Throw in the imposing presence of a polygraph, and they didn't have the spine to keep lying.
Leaving the interrogation room, Officer Donovan dialed Charlotte's number.
"Mrs. Blair, all four of them cracked. They were accomplices, but the one who actually pushed her was Sheryl."
"Mhm." It was exactly as she expected. Charlotte's red lips curled into a smirk as she murmured, "You can call Sheryl in now."
When the call came.
Sheryl was on her way to work. She had been unable to reach any of the other four girls and was already a nervous wreck.
The call from the police station sent her into a full-blown panic.
"Reba, something's wrong. I need to see you right now. Where are you?"
Hanging up the phone, Sheryl practically sprinted to a cab, heading straight for the address Reba gave her.

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