Savannah

4

Part 1 - Identification Parade

The quiet, idle afternoon lay waste as Meriam sat with Elaine and Ralph on the open air porch. The crisp air revitalized Meriam as she watched Ralph on the floor making a kite. He put two cocoyea sticks crosswise and began tying it at the intersection. Elma emerged from the house and started picking up the door mats sunning on the bannister. Nothing out of the ordinary occurred with Elaine after yesterday's first meeting. Meriam had expected an episode such as she'd experienced that day, with Elaine calling her soucouyant and skinny. It had embarrassed her. Still, she decided should the incident recur, she'd ignore it and pay no heed. The elder woman suffered from Alzheimer's and dementia and so it wasn't her fault.

A rolling, humming sound alerted Meriam, who looked up to see a police car approaching. She had learned from Elma that they'd visited on Saturday and Sunday to conduct inquiries into the kidnapping incident. She also heard of the gun, marijuana, the strange cloth, and powder Ralph had seen.

The car parked in the driveway. Two police officers emerged and approached the porch. Two men emerged from the side yard and stood observing. One was the short, stocky Indo-Trinidadian man Meriam had seen on Saturday. The other was the Venezuelan she'd seen earlier today, talking to Ana.

"Good afternoon," one officer said.

Everyone on the porch returned the greeting. "Good afternoon."

"I'm Sargent Sylvester and dis is Officer Ramsingh from de Cedros Police Station."

"Yeah. I remember you," Elma said.

"How's everything Ralph?" Sargent Sylvester asked.

"Okay," he answered.

Sargent Sylvester turned to Elma. "We registered him with de victim and witness support unit, so dey will be in touch," he said.

"Ok, dat real good."

Officer Ramsingh's cell phone rang, and he moved aside to answer it. The men, standing in the side yard, kept looking on as Sargent Sylvester continued. "We intercepted the vehicle de boy described. Only one man was in it, but he led us to de other man. We need Ralph to go to the Point Fortin Police Station to identify them."

"You will take him to de station?" Elma asked.

"Yeah, we will take him."

"Ok. May I come too?"

"Yes."

Not long afterwards, Elma and Ralph left with the officers.

Ralph felt scared as he wondered whether he could remember them. He tried to imagine their faces, but couldn't. What if he can't identify them he feared? What if they are the men who attacked him and they recognize him at the police station he wondered? He was glad Elma was with him. Soon they reached their destination. Sargent Sylvester led them to a small enclosed room with a glass screen at the front. The Sargent told them to wait there, leaving and returning fifteen minutes later.

"Ralph, tell me if you recognize anyone." He pointed as five men appeared behind the screen.

Ralph scrutinized every face, adjusting his head to avoid the glare. Soon, recognition dawned on him. "Yes, dat's them," he said, pointing out the two men to Sargent Sylvester.

Valentina's Double Life

It was 3:00 p.m. Meriam, abiding with the schedule, had checked Elaine's vitals and ensured she had her bath. Now, sitting in the great room, Elaine watched the Gardening channel while Meriam read her favorite book, Mystery at Cedros. Minutes later, Meriam looked up and noticed the back patio through the opened light brown drapes. She got up and walked toward the doorway, opened it, and stepped out onto the patio, making sure Elaine was within sight. Breathing deep, she took in the fresh air and the cool breeze. She noticed the northern wing's second-floor windows opened, with the drapes removed. A paint roller was moving up and down inside one room. She realized they were doing renovations.