Dirty Laundry

Part 4: Who am I to tell you that you need to change?

"Play the tape."

"911 what's your emergency?"

"Hello? Please, you have to help me. My girlfriend's gone missing. She's not at her apartment and she hasn't shown up for work in a week. She's not answering her phone, I think she might be in danger."

"OK sir, you've done the right thing. We'll do everything we can to help your girlfriend, but first I need to ask you a few questions. Can you tell me her na-"

"I - I think she might have hurt somebody. I think my girlfriend might have killed someone."

The prosecution lawyer paused the tape and turned to Bob, who sat in the witness box.

"Lt Floyd. When you first made the call, you believed your girlfriend was missing, is that correct?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Yet in the space of, let's see, 7 seconds, you deduced that she had committed murder. What changed?"

"I didn't know for certain; I was just scared. There was so much going through my head - I jumped to all kinds of conclusions -"

"What changed your mind, Lt Floyd? What did you see?"

"Objection. Badgering," the defence lawyer cried in protest to his opposite counterpart's insistent questioning.

"Overruled."

Bob glanced up at you. He wanted you to meet his eye. He wanted you to see that he was sorry, that he felt sickeningly guilty for the part he was playing in this charade. But you were looking elsewhere, staring blanking at the wall.

"Lt Floyd?"

Bob sat up straight and looked to the jury.

"I saw that the cutlery drawer was open. And that the steak knife was missing."

The lawyer pressed play on the tape again and the court heard Bob explain his suspicions to the 911 Operator. Officers were dispatched to Carter's home to conduct a well-being check and ensure his safety. Another unit would be on its way to your apartment to start searching for hints of your whereabouts. Bob was instructed to stay on the line and keep his phone close but hidden, in case you came home in the meantime.

You arrived 25 minutes into the call, completely unaware that anyone but Bob was listening.

"I thought you weren't coming back until next week? Why didn't you tell me you were coming home early?"

"Never mind that. Where have you been? Did you get my calls? I tried to surprise you at work, but your boss said he hadn't seen you all week. I've been worried sick. What - what happened to you?"

"Oh Bobby, that's such a boring question. Why don't you ask me what I did?"

"What - what did you do?"

He could hear the dryness in his voice.

"I finished what I started. He can't hurt me or anyone else ever again."

"What do you mean?"

"He had another girlfriend. She looked just like me. She wore the same kind of clothes and heels he used to make me wear."

"Who did?"

Bob knew who you were talking about, but he needed you to say Carter's name. You weren't listening though, you were too buzzed on the aftershock of what you'd accomplished.

"She had my bruises. She wore the same scars. What sort of person would I be if I let him hurt someone else like that Bobby? I'm not a monster. He is."