The
Meeting
Jessica arrives at Sam’s Diner
at 1:00 p.m. on the dot. It's a typical greasy spoon joint on the interstate where
truck drivers stop on their way to wherever and gritty blue-collar locals hangout
for their “usual” favorites. Jessica watches for Angela and sees her just
getting her break. She motions her over and Angela comes out to the table.
“Hi
Angela, I’m Detective Jessica Reddit and I’m on a joint task force to solve
cold cases across the U.S. Lancaster just happens to be my first assignment. I
would just like to ask you a few questions if that’s okay?” “I have fifteen
minutes before I have to get back to my shift”, says Angela lighting the first
of many cigarettes, “and I want you to know up front that I am not changing my
mind about anything”.
“That’s fine”, says Jessica, but did your father ever
talk to you about being married before, or about having any other children?” Angela looks at Jessica with a scowl and tells her,
“My daddy never told me about another woman or kids or anything else, but I do
remember him talking to momma one time about being married to someone before
her. He said it was a long time ago. I was little though, and I don’t remember
him ever talking about it again”.
“That’s okay”, says Jessica, but before
Jessica has a chance to ask another question, Angela speaks up and says,
“I
loved my father. He was a good man. We used to play make believe together when
I was little, and he always called me his little princess. He told me he would
slay dragons for me and protect me from this evil world. This evil world where bad
people want to dig up other people; good people. How many so-called good
fathers do you know do that?” Jessica looks at her reflectively, remembering
her own father and her childhood, how he had to work so many hours and was
hardly ever home.
“Not many”, replies Jessica solemnly. “Okay Angela, Thank you
for meeting with me today. I won’t waste any more of your time. Go finish your
break and, if you can think of anything else give me a call at this number”. She
hands Angela one of her information cards. Angela takes the card, folds it in
half, and places it in the ashtray that has become increasingly full at this
time. Angela gets up and leaves without saying a word.
Jessica
looks over her shoulder to make sure Angela was out of sight before producing a
clear plastic baggie from her purse. She removes a napkin from the dispenser on
the table and slips it between her index finger and thumb. She then uses the
napkin to pick up one of the many cigarette butts from the ashtray and drops it
into the bag. “There is more than one way to skin a cat”, thinks Jessica. “This
cigarette butt will be my reverse paternity sample for a DNA comparison. I may
not be able to get Walter’s, but this is the next best thing”. Jessica then
pays the check and watches Sam’s Diner disappear in her rear-view mirror. Her
next stop is the Sheriff’s department in Lancaster to put the finishing touches
on the “evidence” collected and get it sent to the crime lab for analysis.
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