GUILTY 26

CONTINUED FROM LAST NIGHT....

‘Why didn’t you go over on Wednesday night?’ ‘You didn’t hear her, detective. I didn’t even consider going over there. It wasn’t until I was at work the next day that I was thinking about it and decided she’d probably have had plenty of time to cool down by then. So I went over.’ ‘Around twelve, correct?’ ‘Yeah, it must have been around there. When I got there, she was not happy to see me. Starts going off about how we’ve been sneaking around behind her back and she never even suspected it. Crazy talk. Just going on and on. Eventually I had to call Winston and tell him to come over to help sort things out. I didn’t want to drag him back into it, but I knew he could talk her down and clear things up.’ ‘Wait a minute. Winston was there that morning?’ ‘Well, yes. But only a little bit.’ ‘What time?’ ‘Was he there?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Um, I think he got there around twelve - thirty, maybe? He was gone by quarter to. So was I.’ ‘He went back to work?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Why was this not brought up before? Do you know how bad this looks on all of you?’ She looks down. ‘I’m sorry. I know, it’s so stupid. I would have said something earlier, but…’ ‘But what?’ She looks up at me, ashamed. ‘Winston told me not to.’ ‘He told you not to tell anyone that he was there?’ ‘Not that, necessarily. He just said not to tell anyone about the fight and Danny’s behaviour. I though she was just stressed and overwhelmed. I had no idea about the blackouts. But now I guess it makes sense why she doesn’t remember the fight. She was in another state of mind or something.’ ‘What happened when Winston came?’ ‘He talked to her, managed to calm her down. She was still yelling at me, though. Told me to get out. Winston told me to wait outside. I guess he managed to calm her down. Then he came out front and told me that she’s just going through a hard time right now. He said not to mention it to anyone. He promised me that it wasn’t a big deal. So I agreed and promised that I wouldn’t say anything. Then we both left.’ ‘You saw him drive away?’ ‘Yeah. I was checking my phone before I left and I watched his car pull out and leave. I waited around a few more minutes. I was so shaken up. And then I went back to work. That’s why I was late.’ ‘Ms Visagie, you are aware that you lied to multiple police officers. Multiple times. That’s an offence in its own. Interfering with an investigation. Do you know how much trouble you could be in?’ ‘I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t have lied. But I honestly didn’t think this information was relevant. I truly believed that someone abducted Emerald, and so what relevance would Danny yelling at me have? I figured you guys were out there chasing some child abductor. I didn’t even know she was experiencing the dissociative amnesia. You have to understand where I’m coming from, detective.’ ‘I do. But regardless, it was still wrong, and you will face consequences for your actions.’ I let out a deep breath. ‘Before you left, did you see anyone else around? Any cars? Anyone that might have looked suspicious?’ She shakes her head. ‘No, it was pretty empty at that time. And I wasn’t exactly paying attention to my surroundings.’ ‘Did you see Emerald at all during your visit?’ She thinks about this for a moment. ‘No. I didn’t, actually. I guess I was a little preoccupied, having Danny screaming at me an everything. Perhaps Winston checked on her. But then again, I’m not too sure he was even thinking of his daughter during Danny’s episode.’ I nod, taking in this bit of information. ‘Do you think there’s any reality to Danny’s claims?’ ‘What, that her husband was having an affair with me?’ ‘Not you specially - an affair in general.’ ‘No. Not at all. I just assumed she was being paranoid. I don’t know Winston well, but I know that he and Danny have a healthy marriage. They’re happy together. I don’t think he’d ever do that to her. Or Emerald.’ ‘I hope for everyone’s sake that you’re right.’ She wipes her eye where a tear was beginning to fall, then looks back up at me. ‘Do you think she did it? Do you think she killed Emerald?’ I hesitate before answering. ‘Honestly, I don’t know what to believe anymore.’ One thing is clear, however. Savannah wasn’t the only one who lied about Thursday, I need to find Winston….. ----------- Danniella Waters Saturday May 20,2016 I have no appetite, but I manage to scrape together something to eat anyways. The pile of dishes continues to grow and I know I’m going to run out of plates and silverware soon. And then someone will have to wash them. I stir the bowl of soup and walk over to the kitchen table. I glance down at my ankle bracelet and debate whether I could saw it off with a knife. Doctor Eilsteen is sitting on the couch in the living room speaking with Doctor Kelvin. They’ve been sitting there for what feels like hours, subtly lurking from corners and watching me every chance that they get. I don’t know what they think staring at me is gong to do - I’m not going anywhere. I can’t leave the house with this thing on. Aside from the doctors, two officers wander around the house, keeping an eye on things. Winston went out, yet again. I swear he’ll make up any excuse just to leave this house. Other than that, there’s no one else here. Just the five of us. I’m getting pretty restless. I must admit, there was a moment - just a brief one - where I doubted myself. But I quickly recovered from those thoughts, reassuring myself that they are wrong. I didn’t do this, even If my mind is a bit unsteady right now. I’m not crazy. I know I’m not. There’s no way I could have hurt Emerald. Even in my craziest state of mind I wouldn’t do that. It’s just not me - not anymore, at least. I’ve changed. I’ve improved so much. We were doing so well, Emerald and me. I was even starting to get used to her cries. And now my world is being tipped upside down and shaken consistently. I didn’t do anything to her. I couldn’t have. I’d remember that. Wouldn’t I? When I hear the doorbell ring, I immediately stand up, wondering who else could be here. Gerald again, perhaps? Doctor Kelvin motions for me to sit back down as he strides towards the front door. When he pulls it open, my heart nearly leaps out of my chest when I see my parents standing there. I know they were only here yesterday, but yesterday feels like a lifetime ago. They drove back home to Delmas to drop their things off last night, which is reasonable considering they came to my place straight from the airport, and said they’d try to be back as soon as possible. I had completely forgotten , with everything else going on. I jump up and make my way towards the door to greet them. Having my parents here makes everything feel so much better. A feeling of invincibility. They can’t arrest me if my parents are here to protect me. It reminds me of being a child. How you know everything will be okay as long as your parents are there and on your side. They will protect you and make sure nothing bad happens. Except now I’m not sure that they can protect me anymore. This situation has gone so far beyond my control and now, even my parents are concerned for me. They keep assuring me that everything will be fine. That they’ll find the person responsible for taking Emerald. But no matter how convincing they try to be, I can still see the flicker of doubt in their eyes… ---------------- Detective Gerald Sullivan Saturday May 20,2016 I signal left then turn onto the Waters street, Just as I’m approaching the house, I see that we have company. Multiple cars and vans congregate in front of the house, news anchors and camera crews waiting outside like a starving pack of wolves. I park on the side of the road and brace myself for the storm. As soon as I open my door, lenses and microphones are shoved into my face. ‘Excuse me, detective, can you give us an update on the Waters’ case?’ ‘Detective! Over here! Have you located the body of the missing child yet?’ ‘Is it true that the mother is the main person of interest in the Emerald Waters’ case?’ ‘Can you give us an update on the status of Mr Waters?’ ‘Do you know where the child is?’ ‘Can you give a word on Savannah Visagie?’ I walk forward, keeping my face neutral as I repeat the words ‘NO COMMENT.’ How did they already find out about the Savannah lead? Someone must have leaked information. Fuck. Now we have a PR problem on our hands. I rush into the house and close the door tightly behind me. Holden notices me and comes over. He gives me a quick update, letting me know that the parents arrived a couple of hours ago and are in the other room watching television. But now for the real reason I’m here, the search warrant. After leaving Savannah’s place, I got a judge to grant me a warrant for any and all property, possessions and belongings owned by Winston Waters. If he is indeed hiding something, it won’t be long before I find it. ‘Where’s Winston?’ I say to Holden. ‘No idea.’ ‘He’s not here?’ ‘Don’t believe so. The wife said he was out grabbing dinner.’ ‘Great.’ I say. Holden finds Danny and vacates her from the premises while I begin my search. They can’t go far due to the ankle bracelet and the zoo of paparazzi out front, so he takes her to the back porch. She protests at first, telling me that I have no right to search their home. But she eventually accepts this fate and willingly vacates, knowing all too well the consequences of arguing with me. I begin with the living room, going through drawers and cabinets, not sure exactly what I’m looking for. I go through the kitchen, seeing if I can spot anything out of the ordinary. Any kind of clue or piece of evidence that can point me to something. Next, I move to Winston and Danny’s bedroom. If he’s hiding something, surely it will be in here. Anything that can explain why he lied, and continues to lie, to both me and the police department. Something isn’t adding up here. That’s when I spot it - the laptop sitting on his night stand. I walk over and perch myself at the edge of the bed, grabbing the laptop. I open it and am brought to the lock screen. Fuck. There’s a password. My moment of disappointment is only temporary as I soon remember Meredith Yong Vincent. She’ll have no problem getting into this thing and finding anything of value. I show up at the station, Winston’s laptop in hand. I head directly to Yong’s office and take a seat next to her desk. She’s been awaiting my arrival. ‘Let’s have a look, shall we?’ she says, taking the laptop from my hands. She puts it on her desk and opens it. Within seconds, she’s through the firewall and into his system. ‘That easy, huh?’ I say to her. ‘It’s easier on a PC than it is a Mac.’ ‘Remind me never to leave you alone with my personal belongings,’ I joke. She laughs. I slide my chair closer to her and lean in to get a better look. ‘Anything in particular that you’re looking for?’ she asks. ‘No idea. All I know is that he’s continued to be dishonest with me from the beginning. I don’t know what it is exactly that he’s lying about, so we have a wide base to cover.’ She nods and gets to work. The screen opens to reveal a mundane screensaver. Files and documents lined perfectly down the side of the desktop. She begins clicking through each of the files, looking for anything that stands out. It’s mostly work files, we soon learn. Patient files, X-ray scans, receipts and tax information. There’s a folder titled Emerald filled with hundreds upon hundreds of photos. We quickly scan through them even though they all look the same to me. Then again, I’m not a parent. ‘Here, let me see,’ I say, taking the laptop from her and placing it in front of me. I want to navigate it myself. ‘I’m going to fetch coffee,’ she stands. ‘Want anything?’ ‘I’m good, thanks.’ ‘Let me know if you need me to get through anything else.’ ‘Will do.’ Yong leaves the office and I continue going through the folders on the desktop. When that proves fruitless, I open up the internet browser. Emails. That would be the ideal place to check. Upon entering his email account, which he leaves logged in, I scan through the inbox. There’s nothing too interesting that stands out, mostly just back and forth emails with clients and employees at the practice. Other than that, his emails don’t extend much beyond subscriptions and emails to Danny. Is Winston Waters’ life truly that uninteresting? What does the man do for fun? Who does he associate himself with? These questions remain a mystery. The mouse hovers over the trash folder. Perhaps I’ll have better luck in there. I click the button and the screen fills with multiple emails, most of them junk. But there are two emails that stand out amongst the rest, solely because they are from the same sender, JK Lakes. The most recent email is dated from five days ago. I open it and see that it’s only one sentence. ‘It would be respectful if you’d at least take my calls!’ So perhaps this is not junk - mail after all? Although I wouldn’t consider it a formal email either. No, ‘Dear Mr Waters’ or ‘Yours Truly.’ Its very straight to the point. Could it have possibly been sent by mistake? But then I remember there’s another email from the same sender. I click back to the junk folder and find it, dated from just over a week ago on May 9th. ‘Finniken’s Tap? Regular Time..’ That’s it - another one liner. What does this mean and what is Finniken’s? I pull up another tab and Google it, Ah, it’s that bar down on Cheyanne Avenue. I’ve passed by there a few times. I can conclude two things from these emails. The first is that they are not junk - mail. Whoever this JK Lakes person is, must know Winston personally. The second thing I can gauge from these emails is that Winston is clearly hiding something - or someone. Why else would they be asking him to meet, and why else would he delete the emails? Could this be the golden ticket I’ve been searching for? TO BE CONTINUED…..