CORNERS
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CORNERS
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Burlington County Times
NEWS SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT OPINIONS
Breaking News: New evidence in Robbery Murder leads to new arrest
Alma Parrish, SouthJersey.com
Published 10:18 a.m. EST Aug. 22, 2026Burlington, NJ – Authorities announced today that police have arrested a new suspect in connection with the July robbery of the West Jackson Corner Store in which cashier Jim Trent tragically lost his life. Investigators say new evidence, including enhanced CCTV footage, led to the identification and apprehension of the suspect, whose name is being withheld until formal charges are filed.
The case has garnered attention after earlier charges were filed against a local teenager, who is now believed to have been wrongfully accused. Sources indicate those charges will soon be dropped, though officials declined to provide details.
“This arrest highlights the importance of pursuing every lead to ensure justice is served,” said Detective Harriet Daniels of the Springfield Township Police Department.
The suspect is believed to have connections to a local wrestling club, a detail uncovered during the ongoing investigation.
More updates will follow as the story develops.
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C:\Users\WKaplan\Desktop\Witch101\Recordings\witch101_august_23.mp3
03:01:59 | 06:00:14
“She’s gotta be out here somewhere.”
“Are you sure? It’s getting pretty dark and we’ve swept this part of the parks, like, twice.”
“I can sense her. She’s here.”
“Alright then, let’s check again.”
“Something’s wrong, I haven’t seen her in days. Not since we heard from Jen.”
“She’s probably off hunting her own leads, you know?”
“Maybe. I’m just worried, you know? Like, what if her spirits caught in a trap or she’s been bound by another witch or-”
“Or she’s drunk next to a graveyard?”
“Oh. My. God.”
“Howdy, kiddo. Oh, and you brought boytoy. Wonderful.”
“I’m going to kill you. Seriously, I’m gonna figure it out this time and actually kill you! Do you have an idea how scared I was?!”
“Chill out, Teen. Auntie Agatha’s been working.”
“Working? You’re drunk!”
“Just a little. Turns out, if you siphon all the energy out of a gluttony demon, you can get a ghost wasted! Whodathunk?
“You’re unbelievable. I have a week left on my deal with Rio and you’re partying like some kind of incorporeal frat boy. Do you even care I’m about to get my soul sucked out?!”
“Wait, what?”
“Oooooh, you’re in trouble.”
“Shit. I didn’t want to tell you this way.”
“Tell me what way? What do you mean you’re getting your soul sucked out!?”
“He made a deal with devil, boytoy. A really, really dumb deal.”
“Shut up! Eddie, I swear, I didn’t mean to hide it. I just didn’t want to freak you out.”
“If he can’t find Tommy-boy by the end of summer, he’s done for. But shhh, don’t tell Eddie, he’ll worry.”
“Agatha, I swear to god.”
“So you’re going to die next week? And you were going to tell me this when exactly?”
“I thought I’d have it figured out.”
“Obviously!”
“I panicked, okay!? I asked Rio for time to find Tommy’s soul, I thought I’d have a year, at least-”
“So you can die at eighteen, not seventeen? Jesus, Billy, this isn’t the kind of thing you can just pretend doesn’t exist! You made a literal deal with Death and didn’t tell me about it.”
“Yeah. Yeah, I did and I’m so sorry.”
“And you!”
“Me?! What did I do?”
“You were meant to watch out for him! You were meant to keep him from doing this kind of thing!”
“Agatha doesn’t keep me-”
“You’re meant to keep him safe! Not feed him to your wife, ex-wife, whatever! God, this is insane! What is the point of having a three hundred year old ghost witch for a mentor if you let him do this kind of shit!”
“Three hundred and fifty thank you very much. And why do you think I’ve been chewing on demons all week, huh? The blood marker went kaput so I had to improvise.”
“Do I even want to know what that means?”
“I figured I’d just keep nabbing the little bastards until one of them coughed up where the other scarlet spawn went.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, you mean this drunken stupor is for my benefit?!”
“Like it or not, yes, it is! I know exactly how many days you got left before Rio comes for you, kid and I’m not gonna let her take you without a fight! So if I have to juice up on demons to get ready for that fight-
T́H̷́E̸̢Ǹ͡ ̸̸SÓ̷ ͢͝B͟͟E I̕͜͞T͟!̛͡͏ “
“…Whoa.”
“Did she just-?”
“Yeah, I definitely saw horns.”
“Ahem…so there may, in fact, be some side effects from drinking demon energy.”
“Yeah, I’ll say.”
“The point is, I’m handling it. I said what I said, she’s not taking you without a hell of a fight-ooft!”
“Thank you, Agatha.”
“We’re hugging. Why are we hugging?”
“I mean it. Thank you.”
“Yeah well…I’m the only one who gets to kill you, Billy Kaplan.”
“God, you guys are so weird sometimes. And for the record, I’m still so incredibly not okay with you bartering your soul away. I know you want to find Tommy but for god’s sakes, Billy, you have a life of your own to think about!”
“You tell him, boytoy.”
“I don’t like you two teaming up.”
“Do you know what it would do to your parents to lose you again? Or to me? Did you even think about that before you just agreed to whatever terms Rio gave you?”
“I was desperate. I wasn’t thinking straight.”
“That’s what he said.”
“Oh my god, really?”
“Sorry, sorry.”
“Eddie…Eddie, come on-”
“Don’t ‘come on’ me. Do we mean so little to you? Did you just figure you’d hop bodies again?”
“What?! No, of course not! I-I just thought-”
“You thought you’d what? Cheat death? When has that ever worked? Look at Agatha for crying out loud!”
“How am I in trouble again?”
“Even she died! Agatha, the most annoying, self-serving, trickiest bitch of them all!”
“Aw shucks, boytoy.”
“You’re right. You’re both right, I really screwed up. I didn’t think it would be this hard. I thought…I hoped Tommy would meet me halfway, you know?”
“It took you three years to figure this stuff out. Tommy’s had three months.”
“I know. I see that now, I do. I’m sorry. I really, really am.”
“Fine. I’m still pissed at you but I guess now we really don’t have time to fight. You said we had a week left, right?”
“Pretty much.”
“Then we have to figure this out. One way or another.”
“That’s the spirit, boytoy! And on that note, does anyone wanna hear what the gluttony demon had to say before he combusted?”
“Was it ‘Gross, I’m a gluttony demon’?”
“Not quite. But he did give me another little sound bite like our imp friend. Hi, Officer Daniels, it’s Tommy Shepherd. I thought about what you said and I want to talk more.”
“Well, that was sincerely creepy.”
“Wait, his name’s Tommy here too? Not Greg?”
“Nope. Tommy Shepherd’s your boy, at least according to ol’ Glutty.”
“Damn it. He’s not the guy from the video.”
“Maybe not, but we have a name now. It’s a start.”
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ENCRYPTED STATUS UPDATE - TRANSMISSION
ORIGIN: Field Operative [REDACTED], Green Park Correctional Center
TO: Division 7 Oversight, Site Epsilon, Director [REDACTED], DOJ Commission on Superpowered Containment (CSC)
SENT: 18:59:13 23/08/2026 [security code #### confirmed]
> Formal charges against Subject 6A to be dropped following arrest of new suspect by Springfield Township PD. Warden has suggested we begin preparing for his release, pending standard processing and administrative delays.
> Subject 6A remains under close observation. No discernible shift in demeanour, he appears unaware of external surveillance. However, there has been increased interaction with legal counsel and federal investigators that should be factored into future extraction planning.
> Subject’s metabolic anomalies continue to resist suppressant efficacy. Elevated vitals persists, though no observable instances of abilities within confinement so far.
> Requesting immediate decision in light of changed circumstances. Option to initiate transfer to secondary facility at Site [REDACTED] with appropriate power containment protocols still available for limited time. If unfeasible, we recommend additional operatives be dispatched to prepare for more direct extraction from Green Park.
Field Team Lead Notes:
“Our window of opportunity is closing. If you want this kid, we’ve got to take him or move him.”
TRANSMISSION ENDED.
***
REBECCA
+412 9824-638
So??? How’d it go?
The judge agreed to drop the charges.
Finally, this kid catches a break.
Oh honey, I’m so glad.
I know this has been a tough one for you.
He just reminds me of Billy, you know?
You remember when he came home after the accident?
Like the whole world was new to him
and he was just barely keeping
afloat by the skin of his teeth?As if I could forget
Well, this one’s tough but he’s still a kid
He doesn’t have anyone, Bec
His own mother kicked him out. You
know she hasn’t visited him once since
all this started? Who does that?!?What’s the plan for when he gets out?
Does he have family at least?
There’s a distant great-uncle
in the file, I think but no one closer.So are you gonna ask?
What?
If you can keep him.
That is what this little song and dance
is about, isn’t it?I mean
The thought crossed my mind.
Would it be possible?
I don’t know. I’d have to look into it.
The firm would probably find a conflict
of interest somewhere, the State can assume
guardianship if his mother doesn’t take him back.There’s a lot of moving pieces to consider.
But?
But I think this kid needs someone in his corner.
You know he’s the same age as Billy?
Yeah, you mentioned.
No, I mean, the exact age. I looked
in his file, he was born October 17Same day, same year as Billy.
Slow down there, Dad Of The Year
You said there were moving pieces
Go find out what you can
And then we’ll talk.
I love you.
Rebecca is typing…
I know :)
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G:\GPCC\ Autorecord\Audio\Interview\2026\August\Room5\
Case29A_590B1\interviewrecording_filew9e2r744.mp3
Green Park Correctional Center – Burlington County, New Jersey
Interview Room Automated Record - 25/08/2026
“Hey Tommy.”
“Lawyer Jeff. Is it true?”
“Is what true?”
“Prison guards gossip worse than teenagers, you know.”
“Yes, it’s true. I heard it straight from the judge’s mouth himself.”
“Wow. Okay…wow. I don’t know what to say.”
“That’s a first. Come on, have a seat, Tommy.”
“So they found him?”
“Your friend’s tip on the CCTV footage panned out. They picked him up outside the wrestling club about sixteen hours ago. He confessed to the whole thing and most, importantly, he has no clue who you are.”
“Did he say why?”
“Don’t torture yourself with that, Tommy. Take the win, okay?”
“Okay. So what happens now?”
“I’m not gonna lie, it’s gonna take some time to figure out. This federal investigation is throwing a few wrenches in the works but I’m on it, I promise.”
“Agent Vidal said she wasn’t the one pushing to move me upstate.”
“Agent Vidal? The federal agent I spoke to was Victor Pradesh.”
“Pradesh hasn’t been here in weeks.”
“Huh. Okay, leave that with me. I’ll get to the bottom of it and sort it out, I promise.”
“Sure. I’m getting the sense you’re good at keeping your promises, Lawyer Jeff.”
“Tommy, it’s been a month and a half. Call me Super Awesome Captain Lawyer Jeff.”
“I’m not calling you that. But I will say thank you. You really saved my ass here, man.”
“Make the most of it, Tommy. You’re getting a second chance, don’t blow it.”
“Maybe.”
“I’m serious. Look, if staying with your mom isn’t an option, we can work something else out.”
“I’ve got options.”
“I mean an option that doesn’t involve you sleeping on someone’s crappy futon for months at a time. One that keeps you in school and out of trouble. And in the meantime, the State can assume guardianship and you’ll be placed with Family and Children’s Services.”
“Foster care? Jesus, you think that’ll keep me out of trouble?”
“It’s a place to start. But that’s in the future. Right now, you get to bask in being an exonerated man.”
“I’m basking on the inside, I promise.”
“How about I pull a few strings? See if I can get Lisa in for a visit? Monitored, of course.”
“I, uh, I’m not sure if she’d want to come right now.”
“Girl trouble, huh?”
“Kind of. She’s processing some stuff right now.”
“Well, we wouldn’t have found the guy without her. So whatever’s going on with you two, remember: she’s in your corner too.”
“Yeah, I know. I’m real lucky to have her.”
“That you are. Look, I’ll try to get the paperwork processed as quickly as possible but you know how these things work. So sit tight and let me get you out of here, okay?”
“Thanks Mr Kaplan. For everything.”
“Oh, gross. No, I hate it. You have to go back to calling me Lawyer Jeff.”
“Sure thing, Lawyer Jeff.”