"This isn't fake. The police are here. I can have them verify it!"
Alice seized me. Her tears flew as she pleaded, "Quinn, stop being so stubborn! You've made a grave mistake; don't compound it with another! If you just confess to the police now, we can face the judge together and plead for a lighter sentence."
I shrugged her off. "I've committed no crime. Why should I admit to anything? Your slander is unfounded. What do you truly want?"
"Lying won't save you from justice. The evidence is undeniable. Refuse to admit it, and you'll only face harsher punishment."
I pushed past her. "I have no time for your nonsense. I need to be at the hospital with Mitchell and Poppy."
Alice trailed behind. "You're planning to flee, aren't you? After such a devastating fire and explosion, everyone must be dead. How could Mitchell and Poppy be in the hospital? We might not even find their bodies!"
"How can you be so certain? Were you there when it happened?" I questioned.
"I wasn't, but it's obvious!"
"I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. They're alive and in the hospital."
Mitchell and Poppy were in the ICU, where I hardly reached them.