With Friends Like These

TW: Mention of suicide, alcohol abuse, grief

TRANSCRIPTIONS RECEIVED FROM THE MASON POLICE DEPARTMENT, 45837

DETECTIVE MARISSA JONES--BONNIE MITCHELL

DEC. JONES: Before we begin, Bonnie, I just want to say I'm really sorry for your loss. I know that Camilla Hubbard was your good friend. Is that right?

BONNIE: Yeah, we were. I mean, we are. We're really close.

DEC. JONES: I see. Yeah, I'm really sorry.

BONNIE: Thank you, ma'am.

DEC. JONES: You're very welcome. I know it must be so hard. Anyway, let's get right to the point, the whole reason you're here: do you know what happened to Camilla Hubbard on March 5th?

BONNIE: I know basically what you've told me, ma'am. I know that she was murdered, or that she died at least. I know that you don't know who did it. I know that she was a really good person, and that she didn't deserve to die the way she did. I know that I loved her. I know that we all loved her, really. If you knew her, you loved her. That's really all I know.

DEC. JONES: Okay. That's the obvious stuff, hon, and I'm glad that you at least know that. But I want to ask: were you at the party that night? I'm aware that only certain people were invited, but I want to know anything and everything you know about the party and who was hosting. Can you tell me that?

BONNIE: Yeah, I can. I was invited, and obviously, so was Camilla. So yeah, I was at the party. It was hosted by this guy named Les Hewitt, a real pain in the...

DEC. JONES: I'm not gonna arrest you for cursing, Bonnie. I've heard it all.

BONNIE: Okay, then. Anyway, it's this guy, Les Hewitt, who's a real pain in the ass. Anyway, he and Camilla used to date, but then Les like, hooked up with another girl, wait no- it was a guy. Yeah, it was this whole thing for like, a month. Les Hewitt, the Billy Bad-ass of the school, dumped Camilla Hubbard, my best friend, to hook up with Floyd Mills like it's nobody's business. It's not like I'm hating on gay people, which I'm absolutely not, because I'm bi myself, but it was just so... unprecedented for Les to do something like that, y'know?

Anyways, Les was inviting only a specific group of people and I was like 'oh, we're not gonna be in it because he's probably only inviting Floyd and Randall so that they can drink and then get down', so I didn't expect it at all when Camilla and I got an invite. And apparently, a lot of other people who weren't expecting an invite got an invite, so expect the unexpected from Les, I guess.

Anyway, me and a couple other people, including Camilla, got invited. We got there at like, 9 or something, and we weren't really expecting anything from this party. I mean, it was Les. He was just... there was something off about him, there always has been, really. We used to be friends in 5th grade or something like that, but that was before he got weird.

DEC. JONES: What do you mean when you say he 'got weird'?

[SMALL PAUSE]

BONNIE: Oh, uh, he like... I dunno how to say it without being mean, but like, he started acting really weird around me and Camilla. Me mainly, because we'd been friends. It was like, he was asking to do stuff that I didn't wanna do, you know what I mean?

DEC. JONES: Oh, oh yeah, okay. Continue.

BONNIE: But yeah. Anyways, Les also wasn't really one to host parties. That was Grant or Mallory's job, to be honest. So it all was kinda new for us, having a party at Les'.

When we got there, it was actually chill. There were a couple pegs, and people were already on their third shot and making out in the corners. I for one, am always the designated driver, and I just plain don't like the taste of vodka, so I didn't drink that night. But Camilla did. She might've drank too much, honestly, and it was stupid of me to not watch her shot count, which went into the double digits. After the party, before I lost track of her, when, uh, she... she died, um, she was basically falling into my arms as she stumbled around his house. I knew she was really drunk, but I didn't really do anything. It was so stupid of me.

Whatever, that's not the point. But she was really drunk, so that could've contributed to her death. And they're ruling out like, suicide or anything?

DEC. JONES: They're not ruling out anything until they know exactly how the death happened, and when they get suspects. It's only been two days, and we're going as fast as we can. So no, they haven't ruled out suicide. Why do you ask?

BONNIE: Well, I dunno, I just feel like since my best friend just died I need to know how my best friend died and if I could have saved her. If I could have checked up on her more often to save her life.

DEC. JONES: That makes perfect sense. What makes you think it could have been a suicide that ended Camilla's life?

BONNIE: I never said that I thought she died that way, but I guess there were some pointers. She just looked kinda off the whole time. I struggled with depression for a little bit, back in middle school, and I could just tell, you know? You could just feel that she was sad, and I really wanted to help her. She hadn't said directly she wanted to end her life, but she sort of hinted at it, a little bit, I guess. She used to be this perfect little angel- and I mean perfect. But her own expectations ate her alive. She told me that, word for word. They ate her alive. But then, about halfway through last semester, something happened. She wouldn't tell me, which is why I knew it was bad. Her grades started to plummet, and she started drinking. If you told junior Camilla that she'd be blacking out from drunkenness, she would have never believed it. But literally everything scared her. She wouldn't even talk about guns, wouldn't dare touch a knife, and she hated even swallowing regular pills. I just don't see how she could have died that way. It just wasn't like her. But that's what everybody says at every suicide girl's funeral.

DEC. JONES: I see. Okay, thank you for sharing that. It really means a lot. As I said before, they're not ruling anything out yet. Now, I know that you might not want to know, but do you know how Camilla was killed?

BONNIE: Gunshot wound to the neck, right? Fatal, no looking back. That's how it happened, right? Quick, clean?

DEC. JONES: Yes, I'm afraid you are correct. Gunshot wound to the neck. But just one more question before you go- who do you think killed Camilla Hubbard if she didn't kill herself?

BONNIE: Oh, that's easy. Les Hewitt. There's no doubt about it, I mean, it could have been some random ass person just mistaking Camilla for a dear or something, but a lot of the evidence points to Les. It was a regular shotgun that was used, yes? Les was always bragging about having him one of those. And, why not? They broke up, he was the host, and he wasn't in sight for the last thirty minutes of the party, although we all assumed he was screwing around with Floyd in the basement. But yeah, Les. I don't see why not.

DEC. JONES: Well, we're still waiting for the evidence to pile up, but I just want to say that I somewhat agree with you. You're sure you weren't drunk, right? You're 100% sure?

BONNIE: Of course I am, Detective. I've only had one shot in my entire life, and that was when I was in sophomore year. Don't arrest me for underage drinking. You could arrest Camilla, but... whatever. I'm sorry, can I get like, a water or something?

DEC. JONES: Of course. I know this is a lot to take in. Here, hold tight while I get you something.

[PAUSE]

DEC. JONES: Okay, I'm back. Here's your water, and a packet of Kleenex.

BONNIE: Thank you, ma'am. I appreciate it.

DEC. JONES: You're welcome.

DEC. JONES: Hey, Bonnie, one more question before you leave: how did you know how Camilla was killed? It wasn't released anywhere, to the students, or even to Camilla's parents. How did you know?

BONNIE: Lucky guess, I mean, that's the first thing that came to my mind. Wait, you think I killed her. You really think I killed her! You psychos! You utter psychos!

DEC. JONES: No, no, we're not doing any of that here. All we know is something that you don't know. So, the next time you come rolling up to this station, don't expect us to not know anything. Bonnie, I know you're a good liar. You're not as careful as you think. Time's up, kid.

BONNIE: No, I-

END OF TRANSACTION - TERMINATED AT 11:43 PM