Chapter 17: Interviews

I DIDN’T THINK I’d have much luck and I was right. I talked to everyone who would talk to me. One or two indicated they thought I’d gotten a raw deal, but didn’t have any useful information. Some didn’t trust me and had no desire to help me, unfortunately. Worse yet, there were a couple or three guys who kind of “wink wink nod nod” signaled they’d like to know how it felt to fuck Ellie.

It was all I could do not to slug the bastards.

Things didn’t really warm up very much with Mateo, although I gradually seemed to accept that I was trying to do the right thing. Jesus, that sounds stupid. What is the right thing? Admit guilt for something I didn’t do? Not hardly.

I’d told Mateo I wasn’t going to ask him to be a go-between for Ellie and me and I meant to keep that promise. There was nothing I could really say to her until I had some kind of evidence that would exonerate me, or at least head in that direction. After we’d met a few times to talk about what little progress I was making I couldn’t help myself.

“What kind of feeling do you get from Ellie? I know I said I wouldn’t ask you to be a go-between, but I’d really like to know how she’s feeling, how she’s doing.”

“Bullshit, O’Brien. You are asking me and I’m not going to do it. Come up with some proof, some evidence, that another guy did it, and things might change.”

I guess I must have looked needy enough without being a total wuss that he took pity on me. A little.

“Look, Christopher, she’s unhappy. I mean, she’s gotten off to a pretty good start at school, all things considered. She’s not dating anyone, although I don’t think she’s closed herself up in her room all the time. It’s the same deal as with Mom and Dad. She can’t believe you did it, but there’s the evidence that you did. What’s she supposed to think?”

After some wrangling, I got my parents to go with me to see the investigating detective and interview him. I guess he wouldn’t have given me the time of day, otherwise. After all, why should he? It was an open-and-shut case, at least in the sense that they arrested who they thought was the right guy, presented the evidence, and the jury agreed. Open-and-shut. That’s it.

“Look Mr. and Mrs. O’Brien.” He paused. “Christopher.” He fiddled with something on his desk as we sat in awkward and uncomfortable chairs in front of him. “I’m not sure what you want me to tell you.”

Dad looked at me.

“Detective Macdonald, I appreciate, I mean, we appreciate, you taking the time to talk with us about the case. Is there anything you can tell us that maybe you didn’t feel you could include in your official report or in your testimony?”

Mom broke in. “We’re not looking to blame anyone or point fingers, Detective Macdonald. We want to find out the truth. We think Christopher is innocent, that’s no secret, but we need to find out what really happened. To prove what really happened, if we can.