Here I Am. Send Me.--Chapter Forty-Five

The start of the police interrogation of Cal.

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

         Evelyn bolted upright, covered in cold sweat and panting. She tried to remember the nightmare but came up blank. Overcast daylight filled the windows. Chris appeared at the door, wearing jeans and a T-shirt while combing his hair.

         “Are you all right?” He asked.

          Nothing was making sense to Evelyn. This wasn’t her apartment. Things began to come together. She was on a couch in Chris’ living room where she had slept because Chris had been too tired to drive his car home after the police had returned them to the church last night. Then she had been too tired to make it to her apartment after she had brought him home. Now that her brain had put everything in order, it was time to get her mouth in gear.

         “What time is it?” She groped around on the small coffee table for her phone.

         He answered before she could reach it. “It’s a little before 7:00. We’re supposed to be back at the Hermitage Precinct by 9:00 to watch the police interview Cal and Rachel.”

         “I remember the last part. You have any mouthwash?”

         “It’s in the bathroom. I’m done in there. It’s all yours. You want coffee? Toast?”

         “Yes, to both. Do you have a spare toothbrush?”

         He shook his head. “No. Sorry. I use them one at a time.”

         She didn’t respond as she headed into the relatively clean restroom but smiled at the memory of the closest thing to a fact-of-life speech her mother had given her. It included the admonition never trust a man that keeps spare toothbrushes.

         Thirty minutes later, Evelyn entered her apartment with Chris in tow. Beth was sitting on the couch wearing her usual sweatpants and watching the two of them enter. Evelyn made her way through the room and to her bedroom without uttering a word. The door closed behind her.

         Beth turned to Chris. “Hello Pastor.” She purred out his job title, dripping innuendo.

         “Evelyn and I were attacked and spent most of last night in police stations. She crashed on my couch so that we could get at least a little sleep before we have to go back.”

         “What are you two caught up in?”

         “Hopefully, we’ll find out today.”

         Evelyn dashed out of her bedroom with changed clothes and yelled over her shoulder “Just one more sec.” She ran into the bathroom.

         Chris didn’t have the energy to talk Beth through the situation and deflect double entendres, so he remained silent. She returned to working on her computer.

         The door from the bathroom burst open, Evelyn charged back through to her bedroom and came out in seconds hopping into her second shoe. “I’m set. Let’s go. Bye Beth.”

         The door was closing behind them as they heard Beth’s voice. “Ba-yee.”

         As they sat in traffic crawling toward the Hermitage Precinct, something caught Evelyn’s attention from the corner of her eye. She glanced toward Chris. “You’re smiling.”

         “Am I?’ He thought for a second. “I guess I am.”

         “Do you want to let me in on it?”

         “It’s just that, after the last few days, this morning has been so mundane.”

         “And that’s a bad thing.”

         “No. It’s a good thing. Two weeks ago, trying to explain why a woman had spent the night at my house would be a major problem. Today, it’s not even a blip on the radar.”

         “I didn’t even think about that.”

         “I didn’t either until just now. That’s why I was smiling.”

         “Well, smiling time is over. We’re here.” She pulled into the station parking lot and found a space near the door. Chris was able to get out of the car by himself, but his gait was still strained as he made his way unassisted to the door.

         They made their way back to the reception desk. “We’re here to see Detective Sergeant Simon.”

         A few keystrokes into the computer at her desk and the young woman looked up. “Ms. Dunham and… Mr. Leighton?”

         “That’s us.”

         “The detective will be right out.”

         For the first time, the phrase ‘be right out’ was accurate and the detective came out within a few minutes.

         Evelyn started speaking immediately. “Is Leyla okay?”

         “She’s fine and with Family Services.”

         Simon then ushered them back to a room filled with electronics and two video screens. A single operator was seated in front of both. On one screen was a tired and haggard Cal and, on the second screen, was a remarkably composed Rachel.

         Simon pulled two notepads out of a cabinet and handed Chris and Evelyn each one along with pens. “I’m going to start with Cal first. Y’all watch the interview from here and take notes of any questions that you think I should ask. I’ll take a break after a while and check in with you.”

         “Did you get any sleep?” Chris asked.

         The detective shook his head. “Not on purpose.”

         Simon left and they watched the screen as the door into Cal’s interrogation room opened. The detective stepped in and sat down. His voice came over the speaker.

         “Cal, I’m Matt Simon.”

         Cal didn’t move. He was seated and handcuffed to the table. His head hung down, and he looked between his knees at the floor.

         “Cal, Courtney told us everything.”

         Cal nodded. “Good.”

         “She took our people out to the church where she buried your clothes from the night of the robbery. We found them and our lab will be checking them for DNA evidence.”

         Cal was silent and motionless.

         “You’re going to be charged with murder.”

         Another slight nod.

         “Who was with you that night?”

         No response.

         “Cal, it will go better for you if you cooperate.”

         Nothing.

         “Why were you running tonight with your mother and daughter hidden in the back of your truck?”

         A slight shrug.

         “Where were you going?”

         No movement.

         The detective changed track. “How is the trucking company where you work tied into all of this?”

         Cal sat.

         “Were you at Leyla’s school last Tuesday during the school shooting?”

         Cal looked up with a confused expression. “No.”

         “Do you know who was?”

         Cal shook his head.

         “Please say your answers aloud.”

         Cal didn’t respond.

         “Do you need anything? Maybe a restroom break?”

         Cal nodded.

         “No problem.” Simon stood, opened the door, and stuck his head out. A uniformed officer came in, freed Cal from the table, and escorted him out. The detective came straight to the observation room and looked at Evelyn and Chris. “Any thoughts?”

         “Not much to have thoughts about.” Chris replied.

         Evelyn looked at the one note she had written down. “There’s a part of him that seems relieved that the secret of the murder is finally out. But he did react to your question about the school.”

         Simon’s voice went taut. “There’s no way that it’s not related.”

         “Agreed. But he personally might not have been involved. Taking guns into his daughter’s school? He would likely have been opposed to that regardless of the intent.”

         “Rival gang?”

         “Is there any indication of that?” Chris asked.

         The policemen shook his head. “None.”

         “It’s all about Rachel. She’s what ties everything together.” Evelyn opined.

         Simon looked up at the screen which showed Rachel still calmly sitting by herself. “She’s going to have to stew longer before I talk with her.”

         “I’ve met her. Stewing won’t be enough. You need more than that.” Evelyn said.

         “Like what?”

         “You’re allowed to lie to a suspect to get a confession, right?”

         “Yes.” The detective answered.