“I need to get out of this circus, Mom, please,” Julia says. A van from a local television station has just pulled up.

Iris hurries her toward the car after telling the police officer they’re heading to the police station and will wait there for the detective.

Kyle stands there, stuck. He feels like he should stay. But he has things he must do, right now, now. He may not get a second chance.

6

Excerpt of Transcript of TCSO and LPD Interview with Edward Frimpong (Minor)

Conducted by: Travis County Sheriff’s Office detective Jamika Ponder, Lakehaven PD detective Carmen Ames, and TCSO juvenile counselor/advocate Juan Castillo.

Present in observation room: Iris Pollitt, a family friend requested by the minor.

Detective Ames: I know this is very difficult and I am so sorry. We just want to establish what happened this morning. Detective Ponder and the Sheriff’s Office will be the lead investigators on this, and you can tell them everything you know.

Ned: Yes, ma’am.

Detective Ames: Can you tell me your full name?

Ned: Edward Roberts Frimpong. But…everyone calls me Ned.

Detective Ames: OK, Ned. Your mother is Danielle Roberts.

Ned: Yes.

Detective Ames: Ned, where is your father and what is his name?

Ned: Gordon Frimpong. He’s originally from Ghana, but he lives and works in London. In international banking. I haven’t seen him since last year, but I talked to him last week. His number is in my phone if you want to call him.

Detective Ponder: Right now I just want to talk about what happened this morning. I know this is terrible, and I’m so sorry. Do you think we can do that?

Ned: Yes.

Detective Ponder: If you need to stop, you just tell me, OK?

Ned: Yeah.

Detective Ponder: Julia Pollitt met you at your house this morning to walk around playing this Critterscape phone game?

Ned: Yes. We texted last night about it. We were both trying to up a level. So Julia said she would meet me at my house at seven and we’d walk around and play for an hour.

Detective Ponder: And Julia got to your house at what time?

Ned: Around seven.

Detective Ames: Julia said in her statement you called back into your house to your mom as you were leaving.

Ned: I thought Mom was home. In her bedroom. She often wakes up and reads in bed for a bit before she gets up.

Detective Ponder: But you had not seen her that morning.

Ned: No. The automatic coffee maker had made a pot, though. So she had loaded the coffee and the water at some point last night. She…she…

Detective Ames: Are you OK, Ned?

Detective Ponder: We can take a minute.

Ned: I just don’t understand why this happened. Do I have to go live with my dad now? I’ll be eighteen in a few months. Can’t I stay here?