The Turn: Chapter Twenty

The Turn

Chapter Twenty

~Busted~

Two Years before the Turn

Zara sat in a dark interrogation room. She stared at the dark window in front of her where she knew a camera and maybe a few people were watching her. Since they sat her down, she hadn’t moved from her straight backed sitting position. She hadn’t even moved her head.

The door opened and she followed the man entering with her eyes. He had long light blond hair up to his jaw, so light that it almost looked white. He wore a casual white shirt with a light black sleeveless jacket and denim jeans. Overall he didn’t look very threatening. He slapped an empty folder on the metal table, pulled out the chair across from her and sat down. He placed his elbows on the table and looked at her. The man had nice blue eyes. He looked bored and disinterested but she could tell he was taking in her appearance too.

“I’m Detective Row Harper,” he pointed at the folder, “and you, Ms. Jolene Ross, do not exist. You’ve already wasted enough of my time, how about we just cut to the chase, hmm? Who are you?”

Zara said nothing.

Row leaned in a little, “Not even a hint?”

Again, Zara said nothing.

Row sat back in his seat, “Well, I guess we could start with what I already know. You aren’t Ms. Jolene Ross. You’re not 29 years old. You’re not a Public Health Inspector. Look, the guys that were firing at you, they are talking. Heck, they are singing like my aunts canary. Right now, it looks like you were trespassing and you drew the gun on them first. Do you want to set the record straight?”

Again, nothing.

“The girl in the hospital, is she with you by any chance?”

Nothing.

Row sighed. The girl in front of him was a hard nut to crack. In the time that he had entered the room, she had barely blinked. He had to find some way to make her react. The way a person reacted could tell a lot.

“What about this thing called the Tower?” Row asked.

Zara’s eyes inadvertently darted briefly to the right. Row smiled.

“So what? Is it some kind of secret agency or something? You aren’t allowed to talk about it or you’ll have to kill me?” he waited a moment. After a while, he picked up the empty folder and walked out of the room.

The police station was buzzed about the five teens with iron clad jaws. Row walked to his desk and collapsed in his chair. He quickly took out a pen and paper and wrote the words ‘The Tower’ on a sheet of paper. He had one more kid to interrogate but he thought he knew he wouldn’t get a word out of him. By the way the night was shaping, he wouldn’t get home until midnight…maybe.

“Hey, Harper!” his superior called, “Will you quit lounging around and get to work! That kid won’t shut up! He’s annoying everyone’s ears off!”

Row looked up, “Yes, sir.”

Before going down the hall, Row picked up an evidence box and walked toward another interrogation room. Sure enough, the boy’s voice could be heard half way down the hallway. Row opened the door and walked in.

“About time! What’s it take to get noticed around here!?” Chaud complained.

Row set the box down, “You going to cooperate?”

“Maybe,” Chaud smiled, “Can I get my phone call now?”

“What’s with this Tower?” Row asked.

Chaud laughed uncomfortably, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You want your phone call?” Row threatened.

Chaud shrugged, “Hey, I don’t know which tower you are referring too. Last I checked there were millions of towers in the world. You’d have to be awfully specific for me to answer.”

Row reached into the box and started setting things on the table. All the devices in Chaud suitcase were strewn all over the table. Chaud bit his lip.

“An information skimmer, wire cutters, forged documents, multiple ID’s, keys to a stolen cab, keys to a car stolen last night, I think there is a set of electric truck keys somewhere in there, half a dozen cell phones, a hand gun and ammo, and a packet of unopened gum,” he looked at Chaud, “Let’s start with your name.”

“Phone Call,” Chaud smiled jokingly. Row packed everything back in the box and headed for the door, “Okay, okay, okay! Ask me something else! It isn’t fair that you ask me things I can’t tell you!”

Row looked over his shoulder, “Than what can you tell me?”

Chaud shrugged, “It depends on the question.”

Row couldn’t follow this kids thinking but it seemed apparent that he knew a lot more. He walked back in and sat down.

“Is there a team here?” Row asked.

“Maybe,” Chaud answered.

Row sighed, “Are you in charge of your merry band of friends?”

Chaud shook his head, “No.”

“What do you do exactly?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Row thought a moment, “What are you hobbies?”

“Oh, you know; surfing, basketball, soccer, videogames, stuff like that. I have to make things happen, you know what I mean?”

Row pulled out the several sets of keys, “You ever play game Grand Theft Auto?”

“Couple times, I guess,” Chaud answered.

Row was getting the hang of this double talk, “You have a job.”

Chaud sat back in his chair, “As a matter of fact, I do.”

“Does it pay well?”

“It’s decent, I guess; better than minimum wage.”

“Much better, I imagine,” Row nodded, “So where did you learn to use a data skimmer?”

“Work,” Chaud answered casually.

“Right,” Row smiled, “The work you can’t tell me about. The work that has something to do with the Tower?”

Chaud smiled, “You know, there was this one time when I was younger, and my brother got this science assignment from school for the science fair. Well, he decided to explore reverse psychology. I was like seven. He set a box in front of me and said “Don’t open”, and walked away. Naturally, I opened the box. I got covered in that dye that stains your skin all over my face and arms. On top of that he had me sit in his display in front of all those people with a video of the ordeal playing over and over again on a TV behind me. Not to mention my mother was pissed that the stains wouldn’t come out. I think she’s still trying to get them clean. Moral of the story is—”

“Don’t open the box?” Row finished his sentence. He could sense the real meaning of what Chaud was saying.

Chaud tilted his head slightly, “I wouldn’t want you to get inked. It isn’t fun. Can I have my phone call now?”

Row rolled his eyes. He let Chaud up and walked him down a hallway. There was a single phone attached to the wall. Row noticed Chaud glance up at the camera. Chaud stood awkwardly in front of the phone.

“Um,” he started, “could I have just a minute?”

Row looked up at the camera before stepping several feet back. He kept looking to see what Chaud would do. Chaud stood in front of the phone. He scratched just above his eyebrow, glancing up at the hallway camera. Moments later, the phone rang. Chaud picked it up quickly and turned his back to Row.

“What is it?” the voice on the other end said. It was all business, “I’m busy.”

“Hey, Jekyll,” Chaud muttered, “great to see you too. My brother owes you another one doesn’t he?”

Jekyll sighed, “Actually, this favor for your father.”

“Name?”

“Armitage Shanks,” Jekyll hung up.

Chaud placed the phone back. He walked back over to Row and was brought back to the interrogation room. Row glanced at Chaud as he sat down in his chair.

“If you don’t mind my asking, who was that?” Row asked.

Chaud reclined, “Man, I’m tired. I don’t think I want to talk anymore.”