Here I Am. Send Me.-Chapter Thirty-Eight

Evelyn and Chris buck the Nashville Police Department to investigate a clue.

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

         Except at shift change, police stations are not the loud, hectic centers of activity that are shown on television. Most conversations are conducted in low tones and most of the action occurs out on the streets. This library-like quiet is what greeted Evelyn and Chris when they entered the Hermitage Precinct. To continue the metaphor, the building architecture looked like a library, and it was located across the street from the Hermitage Branch of the Nashville Public Library. It would be easy to get the buildings confused.

         They entered through the doors in the large window wall façade and walked past several closed counters to the only spot of color in the gray and white room. It was a brown counter in the back of the large lobby. There was a telephone on the counter next to a small sign that read, Need a Copy of Your Report?

         There was a woman seated behind ballistic glass. Evelyn leaned forward and spoke into the small metal circular grill embedded into the ballistic glass. “Hi. I’m Evelyn Dunham and I’m supposed to meet the arresting officer of Courtney Wilkins.”

         “Spell that please.”

         “Which one? My name or Courtney’s?”

         “The name of the person that you are here to see.”

         “W-I-L-K-I-N-S.”

         The receptionist tapped the name into her computer. “I’m sorry. No one with that name works here.”

         “I know she doesn’t work here. She’s being arrested and brought here.”

         “Do you know the name of the arresting officer?”

         “No. Can you please contact Sergeant Langley Wilson? He can give you the details.”

         More typing. “Sergeant Wilson doesn’t work in this building. He is at the Headquarters Building at 600 Murfreesboro Road.”

         Evelyn knew that frustration wouldn’t help but that didn’t make it stop. “I’m aware of where he works. I was just on the phone with him, and he told me to come here.”

         Evelyn’s phone rang and she pulled it from her pocket. It was Amanda. She stepped away from the counter to take the call.

         Amanda started speaking immediately. “Where are you?”

         “I’m at the Hermitage Police Station.”

         “Are you working on the Marshall case?”

         “Yes. There is something going on…”

         “That’s none of your business.” Amanda interrupted. “I just got a very angry phone call from some captain or other telling me that you were browbeating a very busy sergeant.”

         “I didn’t browbeat him hard enough.”

         Amanda chose to ignore that. “You seem determined to make waves. If Metro PD tells me that you have made yourself persona non grata with them, then you will no longer be employable with this company. Do you understand that?”

         “I understand.”

         “Are you going to stop?”

         Evelyn looked at Chris who was standing next to her and hearing every word. The expectant look on his face made it clear to her that lying was not an option. It probably never was. “No. I’m not. I have become convinced that something bad is going on here and it needs to be stopped.”

         “That’s the police department’s job.”

         “Well. Right now, they stink at it.”

         “You’re obviously not going to listen to me. I can’t be responsible for the consequences.”

         Evelyn’s voice softened. “I get that. I have to do this.”

         “I’m suspending you. Effective immediately.”

         “I understand.”

         They hung up.

         Evelyn immediately called Sergeant Wilson, who now recognized her number. He answered with, “I thought you were being told to get off this case.”

         “I was told that. I’m waiting at the Hermitage Precinct to speak with Courtney Wilkins as we agreed.”

         The non-sequitur between her two sentences confused him. “You’re what?”

         “You agreed to allow me to speak with Courtney Wilkins when she was brought in. I’m here to see her.”

         “Are you crazy?”

         “Maybe. But the question here is whether you are a man of your word.”

         Wilson was better at running complaints up the chain of command than he was at direct confrontation. “I’ll have to report this.”

         “A lot of people are telling me that. What’s the name of the arresting officer?”

         “McDonough. Jason McDonough. He should be there by now.”

         “Thank you. I’ll ask for him. And if I have any further problems, I’ll call you again.”

         “Fine.” He answered and hung up.

         “They want browbeating, I’ll give them browbeating.” She mumbled to herself.

         Chris was concerned. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

         “I have to do this.”

         She returned to the counter. “We’re here to see Officer Jason McDonough.”

         The woman behind the counter typed into her computer and then spoke into her headset. She looked up at Evelyn. “He’ll be out when he's available.”

         He wasn’t available for nearly two hours. The receptionist quit looking up when Evelyn approached. Finally, a young officer with ‘McDonough’ on his nameplate stepped out from door to the right of the counter. He spotted Evelyn and walked over with a smile on his face. “Sergeant Wilson says that I am supposed to see a crazy lady about the Courtney Wilkins arrest?”

         Evelyn returned the fake smile. “I am the crazy lady in question. My name is Evelyn Dunham and I’m a co-responder with the Partners-in-Care Program. And this is Chris Leighton, the pastor for the program. I need to speak with Courtney Wilkins as soon as possible.”

         “I’ll take you on back, but you’ll have to speak with the detective about talking to the prisoner.”

         They followed him back through the doors and were seated in a brightly lit hallway. There they sat for another two hours until a detective, wearing dress pants, shirt and a sportscoat with his badge clipped to his belt, came through a door down the hall and walked to them.

         They stood to greet him and looked at Evelyn. “You’re Dunham?”

         “Evelyn Dunham. Yes.”

         He folded his arms in front of his chest. “You’ve got Sergeant Wilson mad as a hornet which, admittedly, is not hard to do. Tell me what this is all about.”

         “We believe that there is something going on at the trucking company that Cal Marshall works for. And we believe that his mother is also involved.”

         “And Cal Marshall is one of the people being arrested today for all the baby-swapping stuff?”

         The detective was obviously late to the game. “That’s right.”

         He leaned against the wall, pulled out a cigarette, and then put it back in the pack. “This belief is based on what?”

         “We went to the trucking company office this morning…”

         “This morning? While we were getting warrants? I can see why Wilson is peeved. Please continue.”

         “They acted really squirrelly and then one of them whispered to another that Rachel told her to get rid of us.”

         “Rachel? Did she whisper a last name?”

         “No. She just said Rachel. But yesterday Courtney said…”

         “Ms. Dunham, I’ve read over the report, and I know that you two were instrumental in getting the evidence for these arrests. Given how confusing this whole mess is, I’m not sure whether I should thank you or not. Either way, what you uncovered was impressive.

         “That being said, there is a process. And we do not want to jeopardize the case that we are presently prosecuting to go on a wild goose chase based on a whispered first name. I’m sorry. But I’m not letting you speak with the prisoner.”

         Evelyn nodded. “Thank you for hearing me out. I’d better go back to my office and see if I still have a job.”

         The detective walked them back out to the lobby and shook their hands. They walked to Evelyn’s car and climbed in.

         Chris tested the water. “I guess that’s it, then?”

         “Not on your life. Given the nature of the charges against her, they’ll probably release her on her own recognizance. If not, she’ll be out on bail by tomorrow.”

         “How do you know someone will post bond for her?”

         “Because, if no one else does, I’ll do it.”