A Long Road to Redemption

Chapter 45

After the evening meal, Sidney sat in the commons area, watching whatever was on the television. She wasn't really into the show; she just more or less wanted the distraction that the program offered. Conversations struck up occasionally, and she even decided to sit in on a game of checkers—anything to keep her mind off her parents. One of the worst parts about prison was the loneliness, but what made this worse was the knowledge that there would not be a reunion with her parents when she got out. Not for the first time, she began to wonder what she would do when that day did arrive.

A few minutes before lockdown, Sidney walked to her cell and situated herself on her bunk. Jillian was already there writing on what looked like a form. She didn't ask what it was at first. Jillian remarked on how withdrawn she had been over the last couple of weeks since she returned from seeing her parents. It was true. Sidney didn't feel like herself. The feeling went beyond the usual unhappiness at her situation. She felt low as if life had lost a lot of its meaning. She prayed a lot, but that emptiness remained.

The cell door slamming shut roused her out of her malaise. In a couple of hours, it would be lights out. "Sidney, are you okay?" Jillian asked.

"I'm fine."

"I need to talk to you, if you don't mind. Why don't you come down here?"

Sidney climbed down and sat on Jillian's bunk. "I'm sorry, I haven't been much company these last few days."

"It's okay, Sidney, but I've been wanting to talk to you about this, but with your parents and all, I didn't want to trouble you anymore," she told her in a way that reminded Sidney of her best friend in high school. Back then, they had planned to go to the same college, but late in the summer of her junior year, she told her that instead, she was going to another school out of state. It strained their relationship over senior year, but Sidney understood, and the two eventually made up.

"I've just gone over the halfway mark of my sentence, so I'm applying to the parole board to have my case reviewed for early release."

"Jillian, that's great news. When will you know?"

"I'm not sure. I'm sending this form in the morning. After the board reviews the form, they'll let me know when I will appear. It will probably be a few weeks from now."

"I'm happy for you girl. I really am. I wish you would have told me sooner, though."

"I know, but I just didn't want to hit you with this with all you're going through. Please tell me you aren't mad."

"Of course not. Jillian, this is your chance to start a new life. How could I be mad about that?"

"I know, but I don't want to get my hopes up too much. They may say no."

"You know I'll help you. We need to practice. Practice everything you will say, how you act, all of it. I'm so happy for you."

"Hey, again, it's not for sure," Jillian stood up and paced back and forth. "Maybe I shouldn't. Maybe I should stay another year and get ready."

"Jillian, no. You need this. If anyone in here deserves a second chance, it's you. Now you get that paper to where it needs to go, or I'll pick you up and carry you there myself."

"Yes, ma'am," Jillian replied, giving Sidney a big hug. "Will you be alright if I do get out?"

"That was always going to happen," Sidney replied softly. "I've always known you'd leave before me. I'll be alright. I promise. Go be happy."

The two embraced again. Sidney was putting on a brave face, but the reality of living without someone she regarded as her only friend in the world frightened her. Still, it was selfish of her to want Jillian to stay. It was a strange feeling. She wanted her friend to be happy, even if life after prison would be hard. She also would miss her very much, and who knows what kind of cellmate she would have next. Still, the news made her happy in a way she could not describe. This may be a sign of things to come. Even if it wasn't, she wanted to help her friend, which she would do.

Shelia and Roger meet up at a local diner for breakfast before driving to the witness' home. The message said to arrive precisely at nine that morning and not after 10:30 because she had a luncheon at her senior's group. Despite their best efforts, they arrived ten minutes after 9. The home was located across the street from the former Cooper residence about two houses down. It belonged to Phil and Amelia Goggins.

When Taylor knocked on the door, he and Shelia were greeted by a lady in her late seventies. "Yes, how can I help you?" she asked. He flashed his badge, and she opened the door to let them in. "You were supposed to be here ten minutes ago."

"Sorry, Mrs. Goggens, it's difficult to keep a schedule in my line of work." Shelia elbowed him hard on his arm as they were shown into their sitting area.

Amelia spoke with a definite German accent, and she explained that she was not German but Austrian. "My family came to America before the war because we did not want to live under that terrible man. After the war, my mother and father returned to reconnect with our family. I was born there and lived in Austria in the American zone for several years. We came back to America when I was 13, and I've lived here ever since then." She asked them to sit as she sat on a glider rocker across from a small couch. Taylor and Shelia took their seats and declined an offer of coffee.

"Mrs. Goggens, you said that you saw the person who may have killed the Coopers. Could you describe him for me?" Taylor asked.

"Oh no, I'm sorry, I can't."

"Why not? You said you saw a man coming out of the Cooper's home the night of the murder," Taylor said, trying to keep his temper in check.

"Well, you see, I didn't see him that night. I have this camera on my front door that my grandchildren just insisted I get a few years back. About once a week, I watch the footage from the camera before I delete it."

"Wait a minute," Shelia interrupted, "you watch all the footage? That takes hours."

"Well, no, I fast forward through it. And that's how I saw that man. Would you like to see the footage?"

She took them to her desktop computer and called up the footage from that night. She explained that she didn't like computers, but her grandkids showed her how to use this one and watch the footage from the camera. Soon, she found the video from that night and pointed to a man walking down the sidewalk to a waiting car. "That's the man. Never seen him here before, and he was the last one to come out of their house before morning."

The video was of good quality, but it did not give a solid image at the distance from the man in the video. "Mrs. Goggens, may I have a copy of this video?"

"Yes, please. I hope you catch that awful man."

Shelia produced a flash drive and saved a copy of the video. Taylor couldn't help but think to himself how ironic it was that a flash drive was what started this whole case and a flash drive that could potentially solve it.

They left the Goggens' home at about 10:25 because she let them both know how important her senior group was to her. They wasted no time leaving the home. "So what do we do now?" Shelia asked as they got in the car.

"We take this to a guy I know and see if he can do some computer magic with the video. Afterward, I'll make a copy or two of it." He dropped Shelia off at the restaurant, where they ate breakfast, and then drove to the station. Taylor placed a call to a computer guy that he knew across town. They met up after lunch at the man's home.

Tavon Garrett was a 26-year-old black man who ran a small computer business in Warrenton. Taylor met him a few years ago while investigating an identity theft case. Since then, any questions he had involving computers, he trusted Tavon. That afternoon, he took the copy of the video to his shop to see if he could enhance the footage of the man leaving the Cooper's home.

"Yeah, I'll work my magic on this. I should have something for tomorrow," Tavon told him.

"Can you get it sooner?" Taylor asked him.

"I see you want the special magic. Come back in a couple hours, and maybe."

"What about now?" Taylor pressed him. "Come on, Tavon, I need it."

Without saying anything, Tavon started working on the video. Taylor didn't know the ins and outs of computer work, but he knew Tavon would do his best. An hour and a half later, Tavon told him he had something. "That's your guy" he said without taking his eyes off the screen. "You know him?"

"Yes I do," he responded, "Yes I do."