Oblivious Prominence

Oblivious Prominence

Dear diary, I went to the beach again today. I think I have a new record – downing a bottle in less than an hour. I didn’t pass out. Instead a strange man walked up to me and we talked so endlessly. I just forgot his name, did I ask? I can’t even seem to make out his face. Well, that was useless of me. I’m thinking of going back there tonight. Hopefully he will show. Hopefully I will not be tempted to down another bottle of scotch so disgracefully.

P.S – quite weird that I sensed a familiarity in his voice.

Rae got dressed in front of the mirror, for the first time in six months ever since she started the case of the JarMan, she was smiling and happy to wake up early enough to take a long shower. Being a detective has proven perilous to her love life, her social life but most of all her family, she hasn’t had time for her son. The ex-husband was given custody because well rich people can buy worthiness. The law isn’t as favourable for those who uphold it, now as one who has to enforce it, this meant arriving at the end of the party or leaving before the cake is even cut. This meant getting home to hear how your son took his first step while you were in the streets with your life in the hands of a desperate junkie who could pull the trigger anytime. She had to make a choice of whether being a brilliant cop or a late mother. The latter became her curse. Eight years later she still calls her son to apologise for missing his soccer match, makes an excuse for not being able to have Christmas lunches with him and the rest of the family. She cries herself to sleep for being a failure in the one thing that every woman seems to excel in at the very first sight of their newborns. Her tears wet the diary pages but flood her heavy heart.

With the case of the JarMan – a serial killer who collects teeth of teenage boys he kills. It has been four months since Rae had made a huge bust, where he had slipped up with one of his victims who survived an onslaught and his teeth being pulled out. He held on long enough to crawl into the main road where a car was passing by, and was able to point out where he had been kept before losing his life in the Samaritan’s arms. Luckily there was a nearby sheriff office where the man was able to relay this information to. A search commenced where an underground tunnel that had been cut off by the city was discovered in the outskirts near the forest trees. Inside the tunnel a dozen jars of teeth were discovered- each with a strip of paper in it with the name of a victim, their age and date of when they were killed. Although this was a breakthrough in the case but this unnerved everyone because this meant the murderer had killed a dozen teenagers in such a short space of time. Placing more pressure on Rae to have more suspects, set perimeters for where to start investigating, interrogate more people, and put her community at ease by promising she has everything under control.

Dear Diary, I do not have everything under control. I’m scared too. I’m raising a boy child. Will I be able to solve this case before he even becomes old enough to be a victim of this monster? What if he comes after Sami because he is my son? I am the one dealing with his case. There’s no way he does not know me. The media is not helping the matter either, publicising the fourteen arrests I had made the previous year on my first year as a detective. My intuition has never failed me. Why does this monster feel like he is within my reach but yet so far? What am I missing?

The climax of her career meant the downfall of her marriage. “I’m tired of waiting with roses in my hand until they droop, tired of watching the candle flame dance until it dies out while you do not return home, Rae. I’m also a businessman with many responsibilities but I can drop everything to be home with you and our son. I know now who comes first. And it’s visible that Sami and I are not.” These words make a lump in Rae’s throat which can be removed by a Tennessee’s smoothness.

But today was different she had a courteous gentleman escort her to her apartment in a drunken state and left her at her doorstep. No funny business. She got to the police station where her partner Jerry greeted her with a cup of coffee and news on a new witness who came forward with a description that matched that of the serial killer. “She is currently with the sketch artist in the interrogation room. We have a fullhouse today had to make it less obvious that she is a witness to our big case.”

This gave her hope, two days in a row of good fortune. “Were you able to question her?”

“No. We were waiting for you Detective. I tried calling you last night but to no avail. I went to your house, and you were not there. And it was pretty late. I asked one of the police officers who does rounds in your neighbourhood to check on you this morning but the lazybone did not even bother. How are you?” Jerry had always had a soft spot for Rae. He cared for her like he would his own sister. “I’m okay really Jae. Please stop stressing. My luck has turned around. Let’s focus on the witness. This could be a good a lead.” Her phone rang and by the frown on her face that formed it gave away that the ringer was not a pleasant one. Jerry excused himself.  It was Tony calling to inform her that he was on his way to the police station with Sami since Rae had promised to have breakfast with the little guy. “I don’t remember making such an arrangement, I just had a…” He hung up before she could finish her sentence. As she tried to wrap her head around this so-called breakfast, “Did I call last night in my unflattering state?” When last did you spend time with your son? There’s a saying that a drunken mind speaks a sober tongue. You miss him. But clearly time is your worst enemy. His voice again. Sounding so familiar. “Mom.” A nonchalant voice brought her to. It was Sami, she hugged him tightly as if to make up for all the times she was not there. After a few minutes’ eternity she looked around him scouting her ex-husband, puzzled she asked Sami where he was. “Oh, dad, he went to the bathroom.” The alarm went off in the police station, it was a code 35WH (alerting all officers that a witness homicide has occurred within the premises.)

Rae instantly had an idea that it might be her witness. She bolted to the interrogation room. Only to bump into Tony who was curving from the corner in the direction of the I.R. “I CAN’T TALK NOW TONY. I HAVE TO RUSH.” She didn’t mean for her tone to be that loud. What he had told her before about her was right. She was always ready to bite his head off, he was intelligent enough to be a businessman but not her husband. She belittled him, kept him at arm’s length even before they got married ten years ago.

When she reached the I.R a bloody scene greeted her. Her witness’s face was bashed in with a hammer. “Close all entrances and at the gate, nobody is to leave, round up all the people here and look at all the records of all the people who got in here, check CCTV footages. The JarMan is here. Where is Sergeant Jones? He was supposed to be here with her.” Jerry was barking orders from behind Rae of which she heard in a very distant tone. Her frame froze and a chill slithered down her spine, “Tony.” She whispered. “TONY.” Jerry looked her confused, “What?” “Don’t let Tony leave here.” They ran to where he would be with Sami but they had already left. “I said no one was to leave.” Jerry yelled at one of the desk officers. “Sir, I recognised him as Detective Rae’s husband and he had to rush to a meeting. I escorted him out with her son.” “Go to Colonel’s office and go relay this Good Samaritan act of yours which may have proven to be very foolish and against protocol. Officer?” “Officer Parks, sir.” He took a walk of shame with a bowed head. Rae was already calling his line but it kept reading Line Busy. She called up Tony’s assistant but it kept ringing with no answer. “I have to follow them” a look of despair had painted a Picasso across her face. “Do you think…?” Jerry could not finish his sentence because of fear of admitting this gruesome possibility. “I hope not Jerry. I hope not.” She ran to the entrance and hit the road, still trying to reach Tony but still no luck.

Meanwhile at the station, Jerry was going through the footage of today’s visitors. Specifically focusing on the people who had made access to the witness room before, during and after the murder. Nothing was out of the ordinary until… “Go get me a cigarette. This is taking a minute. And find footage of the nearby rooms, the murderer may have been in one of them waiting for the right moment to pounce.” “Yes sir.” The officer left. Play, pause and delete.

A panicked Rae was driving to Tony’s office when she remembered that they always had breakfast at a diner near the station, she barged in already with a gun in her hand pointing at him to warrant an arrest. Before he could say a word he was in handcuffs. Sami started crying and tried to pull her off him, Tony was just shocked while Rae kept yelling at him to stay away. “Go get in the car Sami.” She said in an irritated voice, she put her gun in its socket while manhandling both her son and her thought to be suspect. She put wailing Sami in the front seat, “I’m so sorry baby you had to witness this.” A crack in her voice signified her heartache. “What is going on Rae? Why are you traumatising our son? Wasn’t it bad enough that you chose your career over us? And now this? I don’t know what I was thinking when I …” Her temper seethed through her moral code and she punched him. After she threw him in the backseat. Poor Sami watched in horror as the superhero of his childhood took form and shape of the monster that lived under his bed.

This had to be the most painful, regretful and scarring family car drive that the three have ever shared. Worse than when they had come back from a cancelled trip due to a cancelled flight. “Mom, why is daddy in handcuffs?” “You will not understand Sami. It’s grown up stuff.” “You possibly don’t think that I’m…” She darted a deadly stare in the rearview mirror to him. He silenced himself when he looked at the sobbing little frame of his son. In her head she was just playing the mantra, my gut is never wrong. My gut is never wrong.

When they got to the police station Jerry had called for held up visitors to be let go and Tony was put in custody. “Do you have any proof on him? I’ve called for warrant officers to go check his house and his car is being thoroughly searched.”

“The clothes he’s wearing. There must be some evidence on him, the victim’s DNA. I don’t have the strength to talk to him Jerry. I have an eight year old son I have to tell that his father has a teenage boy fetish and he is to be sent away for a long time.” Her voice shuddered at this. She asked Jerry to interrogate him while the search was on the way while she took Sami home.

You have always seemed to trust everybody else but not your ex-husband. Did you even love him? Why was it so easy for you to let go instead of fighting for him?

This voice from last night came to her again in the form of a question that had similar connotation in which Tony would ask her. She shrugged it off.

“Sami, let’s go home baby, I’ll explain everything once we get home.”

“Where’s daddy, mom? Is he under arrest? But you beat him up. You should be under arrest.” “Baby, daddy has done something bad, worse than the punch I gave him. You see, your daddy he…” Don’t be too blunt Rae. “Your daddy he…” Maybe it’s too soon?  “Detective Rae.” “This is not a good time,” she turned around quickly to procrastinate the conversation, “Yes.” It was Officer Parks, “I would like to apologise ma’am for my earlier mishap.” “It’s okay, what did the colonel say? Hope you got off with just a warning.” “I did, but ma’am.” He hesitated. “Speak up Parks.” “I think we should talk in private.” Rae told him she was heading home and they can talk in the parking lot.

“How long have you been working with your partner ma’am?” “You mean Jerry? It has been a good six years. He is like family. Why?”

In the interrogation room there were no cameras, Jerry walked in with a recorder and sat opposite Tony. “I told your partner that I am not saying anything. My lawyer is on his way. Did you plan this with her? To frame me? Take my son away from me? Well it won’t work.” “Has anyone ever told you that you talk too much Tony?”

“What are you trying to tell me, Parks?” “When he disgraced me in front of everyone and I walked out I was drooping my head and I saw a streak of a wiped bloodstain on his shoe.”

“You think because you could keep Rae away from Sami you could do the same thing with the JarMan? You think he won’t get him when he wants him?” “I knew it, I knew you were the JarMan. You handled a similar case seven years ago when you were in a small township. Young boys were going missing under your watch. You left and made a fresh start here. Or should I say a new killing spree. Old habits die hard you sick pervert. This is what I was trying to warn Rae about last night. But…” “She was too drunk to comprehend wasn’t she?” He laughed deviously as if mockig the helplessness of Tony in the situation.

“You know you could lose your job over such wild allegations right Parks?” “Who else besides you, him and the sketch artist knew where the witness would be?” “If you’re using that logic then the sketch artist is to be persecuted too.” “But the sketch artist was seen in the canteen at the time the murder took place. Where was Constable Jerry amidst this commotion?” “He was with me until I got a phone call from Tony and… No, you’re wrong. Jerry can’t be… It’s my…” She looked into the car to see Sami had dozed off. “My ex-husband is the suspect.” “But what proof do you have?”

“Rae does not even have reason to keep me here.” “I hugged you when we met in the corridor and intentionally wiped some blood on your inner collar without you getting suspicious. Good luck with your car. I planted the hammer I used to bash her head in with in your fancy SUV’s hidden compartment. Of which your precious Rae knows exists.”

Rae decided to drive with Sami and officer Parks to the diner where Tony’s car was being searched, she knew of the secret compartment that Jerry was taunting him with and revealed the murder weapon that was just placed in there. Something did not add up. Tony was never this haphazard with handling things, let alone a murder weapon. “It was a quick job, he had to stash it away quick enough so he can return to people without taking a suspiciously long time to return from the bathroom. We’re wrapping this up folks, we have found the JarMan.” Everybody cheered on but Parks was onto something however Rae was hastily shunning her junior.

“Jerry, put him in a cell. We found evidence.” “Of course you did.” “What? What do you mean of course I did?” “I mean brilliant work partner.” A whispered nervous chuckle escaped him over the phone. “You go on and put him in a cell and take the rest of the day off Constable. Given you had yourself a long night last night.” “Me? A long night? Not at all Detective, I slept pretty early.” A long pasue followed… “Rae? Are you still there?” That’s when she remembered… “I tried calling you last night but to no avail. I went to your house, and you were not there. And it was pretty late. I asked one of the police officers who does rounds in your neighbourhood to check on you this morning but the lazybone did not even bother.” What’s the name of the officer who does rounds in my neighbourhood that you asked to check on me in the morning?” “Umm, what’s her name again…” He bit his tongue a couple of times before he abruptly hung up. ”Parks was right” she muttered to herself. My intuition failed me.