Chapter 4

"I didn't do a 'Fucking Thing' to her," Jason Clifford was screaming as he pounded on the table in front of the Sergeant and Officer Post. "I didn't even touch her!"

"Well, what about pushing her, 'Fucking out of the Fucking Car, ' did you do that? That's what you said in 'ONE' version of what you told us," the Sergeant asked Jason.

"Jason, shut up. Don't answer any more questions," Samuel Bern his lawyer, told Jason. "You've said enough."

"But I didn't touch her or hurt her. I just pushed her out of the car and drove off. That FUCKING BITCH can fend for herself!"

Noticeably concerned, Bern pounded the table to get Jason's attention and demanded, "Shut Up. NOW!"

"This interview is OVER," Bern told the officers.

Complying with his lawyer's statement, Sergeant Frame and Officer Post shut off the video recorder and taking it with them, left the two in the room.

"Jason, you are in serious trouble here. Right now they have probable cause to charge you with at least Manslaughter and possibly Second Degree Murder. Even if you didn't harm Tammy Jordan," you can still be charged with 'Reckless Abandonment.'

"That's not a felony, but can still lead to jail time. Also, they can charge you with Obstruction of Justice and Making False Statements. Both of those charges can be escalated to a Felony if anything has happened to Miss Jordan.

"SHIT," Jason screamed and banged his forehead on his hands laying on the table. "That Fucking BITCH! I didn't hurt her," he continued. "All I did was push her Raggedy Ass out of the car. I didn't hurt her.

"Look at this," Jason said as he pointed to the little triangular cut just above his left eye. "That bitch threw a box of Trojans at me and dented my head."

"You didn't mention that in your statement," Bern told him.

"I Fucking forgot until now," he said, rubbing the place where the box had hit him.

"Well, that might just help your case." Bern got up and knocked on the door. When it opened, he asked the Officer there to have Sergeant Frank and Officer Post come back in the room.

Before they arrived Bern told Jason not to say a word. "Not ONE word," he said very firmly. "Not one word except 'Yes, ' when I ask you if what I tell them is true. Understand?"

Jason reluctantly replied, "Yes"

When they returned, Bern began, "I have another piece of the puzzle for you.

"First, have you examined the box of Trojan Condoms that was found on the floor of my Client's car?"

"Yes," Officer Post said. "It was not opened and it had several sets of fingerprints on it, including Mister Clifford's and Miss Jordan's."

"Was there anything else about the box of condoms that might be significant?" Bern asked.

"Yes," Sergeant Frank responded. "There was some skin cells on one corner of the box along with some possible blood residue. The box hasn't been tested yet."

"My client just indicated Miss Jordan threw the box at him and hit him on the head, just above his left eye. That mark you see is the result of that throw."

Sergeant Frank nodded to Officer Post and then told Bern, 'We have closeup pictures of that injury to your client. We had assumed something like you have just described, happened. That does not help your client in our opinion though," the Sergeant continued.

"I beg to differ with you, Sergeant. It would give my client Cause to push Tammy from his car. Perhaps not the best way to treat someone, but none-the-less, cause for his action."

"I understand your position," the Sergeant responded, "But, it is up to the District Attorney to decide what charges are to be brought. For now, your client is being held for questioning as a material witness."

"I understand," Bern said. "I wanted to be sure you had put together the mark on Mister Clifford's head and the actions of Miss Jordan."

"We did, but seeing it only strengthened our findings, we had not mentioned it. I do thank you for your candor," the Sergeant continued, "and we hope Miss Jordan is found quickly and unharmed."

The Thursday morning paper came bounding in the mail slot with a slap as it hit the ceramic tile. Darlene opened it and gasped. "REEVE!" she screamed and ran to the kitchen.

He met her in the doorway. She grabbed her husband and sobbed into his chest. "The paper ... The paper!

"Tammy!" was all she could say through her sobs.

Reeve guided her to the breakfast nook and helped her sit down on the bench. He laid the paper on the table and gazed down at it. There on the front page of the Boynton Daily Review, was Tammy's picture, doubled with Jason's, right under the huge headline, "Local Girl Missing. Local Boy Jailed!"

The story was pure sensationalism, but revealed a few facts that the Jordan's hadn't known about. "An interview with," as the story put it, "An unidentified source told the Review that the Case's Lead Officer, Sergeant Frame, said that after driving to Trainor Lake for a Make-Out Session, the couple fought and the whereabouts of Miss Jordan is currently unknown."