Chapter 8

The drive back to the police station was a silent one. Besides Emilia telling Archer about the cameras that had been found in her apartment, the car was a graveyard. Emilia was staring out the window the entire time. Archer could tell from her shaking shoulders that she was crying. Archer himself felt like a mule was stepping on his chest. He didn't even bother to turn on the radio so they drove on in silence till they reached the station.

The grand behemoth building that housed the police station on the ground floor also housed the holding cells in the basement, the fire department on the first floor and the coroner's office on the top most floor. Pretty old school if you asked Emilia. They walked in, a mess of sweat and fatigue. The receptionist, Yolanda Holden took one look at them and directed them towards the fridge opposite her desk where Archer and Emilia helped themselves to cold bottles of water.

Emilia had that blank stare again. The same one that Archer saw when he first met her. They walked on passing tired cops typing frantically on their computers till they saw Rukelle who was waiting impatiently by the door to the interview room. She took one look at Emilia and scowled. Emilia returned the scowl with a death stare of her own.

"Why is she here?" Rukelle was asking as she pulled Archer to the side.

"Remember she is the one that gave us this tip. Besides she insisted on coming and I couldn't stop her." which was true because Archer had not wanted her to come given her condition but he hadn't had the guts to say no to her. She had looked so broken.

"He is not going to like this."  The "he" didn't need to be specified. Their boss did not like doing things that deviated from the normal. He was a traditional man who had served in the army for ten years before joining the police force. He was a police officer in the days when black cops were marginalized and they were fighting for their rights by fighting with the white policemen. It was only age that had made him take the job as the Chief and give up on the action on the field.

"She will remain in the observation room." Archer said as he walked into the observation room where indeed their boss, Maxwell sat with his arms folded over his chest and legs crossed. From the look on his face, he hadn't missed what had transpired outside the room.

"You can watch the interview from here." Archer put on his puppy dog face as he silently pleaded for Emilia not to make a scene here. Emilia was amused by the show, so Archer thought she was a woman that made scenes. She nodded her head in agreement then Archer left with Rukelle to get things ready. Alone with Maxwell Adams, Emilia felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise and her heart beat spike but she forced herself to calm down. She was in a police station surrounded by police men who had guns. She was safe. A few deep breaths and her zen mask slipped on. She sat on the vacant chair in the room and waited for the interview to start.

Craig Barker was a hulking bald man. He had a beer belly and was wearing a grey striped suit with a matching grey fedora atop his head. His wife, Gertrude Barker was at his side, her shoulder length grey hair formed a helmet around her head. Her grey helmet was oiled to a shine. She wore a long black dress that touched her ankles and white sandals. If it was not for the slight tremor in her hands, the grey hair and the hard lines in her face, she could have passed for a fourty year old.

Archer and Rukelle walked in after them. Rukelle straddled the chair while Archer leaned against the wall. Archer wanted Rukelle to take the lead in the interview because Craig was every bit the traditional American who believed that women should be seen and not heard. From the looks of things,  Rukelle's way of sitting was already irking him.

The Barkers had already been informed about the reason for the interview over the phone so they got to the point. Rukelle directed her questions to Gertrude, "You are a retired teacher, aren't you."

She looked at her husband before answering when he nodded she answered, "Yes, teaching was my pride and joy. I liked to impart discipline and knowledge to the future of our country." She was a talker and Rukelle was going to take advantage of that.

"What subjects did you teach?" Again she waited for her husband to nod before she answered.

"English and Literature."

Rukelle finally looked at Maxwell. "How many children do you have?"

"I have one child living. Two deceased." Craig answered with narrowed eyes. Was it just Archer or did Gertrude just gasp?

"Tell us about Evan Barker." Rukelle asked.

On this topic, Craig was giddy, he was also wistful. "An aspiring preacher, that one. He worked with me in ministry as an altar boy in the church. He loved baseball. He had a great future. He was just like me."

"How did he die?" Rukelle pressed.

"Motor accident. Winter roads are not easy to navigate." Gertrude gasped again. Her husband held her hand. Was it for support or to shut her up? Archer was going to get to the bottom of this.

"Why did you stop looking for Elaine Barker, eight years ago?" Archer spoke for the first time.

Maxwell was visibly angry. He swallowed before he spoke, "In every family, there is always a devil. Elaine was the devil in our family. She had an attitude even when she was a little girl. She didn't want to go to church and she got involved with a bad crew. She drank and smoked. When she disappeared, we searched for her everywhere. We prayed as a church all day and all night. We didn't believe in the rumours that were being spread till that ungrateful girl sent us a letter three weeks later telling us that she had run away with her boyfriend. Ungrateful girl." To prove his claim he produced a worn paper from his pockets and he gave it to Archer who skimmed through it. He passed it on to Rukelle who did the same. The letter said exactly what Craig claimed.

"Why don't you tell them the truth?" Emilia was at the door. Archer and Rukelle turned abruptly. Craig and Gertrude stood up. No one had heard the door open. Emilia's body was vibrating with anger and something stronger. Was it hate? Her hands were fisted to her side. Her crystalline blue eyes were blazing. That's when Archer finally got what was niggling at him when he was looking at Elaine Barker's photos last night.

Emilia walked to Craig and slapped him hard across the face. He was shocked more by the audacity of the woman than by the slap.

"How dare you..." he said as he raised his hand to return the slap but Emilia talked over him.

"Is that all you are going to do daddy. Why don't you get your damn shot gun and shoot me in the face like you did the last time?" Craig's face paled while Gertrude fell back into her chair like a puppet whose strings had been cut.