#Wattys2015 The Ghost of James Fitzpatrick

Chapter 31

Sarah and her mother made their way through the foyer of the solid old building. The ceilings were high, and at one point in time were probably elegant. Black and white marble accents were above, nestled into the dark mahogany paneling, but at eye level, it was a typical government room. Benches lined each wall and posters displayed the FBI's "Most Wanted".

There was a frosted window along the counter, and Sarah and her mother were unable to see beyond it. A man in overalls finished up his conversation with a woman and stepped away with papers in his hand. Sarah imagined he had parked his tractor somewhere along John F. Kennedy Avenue out front. He nodded politely at Sarah and her mother as he walked away and they stepped up.

"How may I help you?" asked the woman behind the counter. She was a young, attractive black police officer, with blue eye shadow. Her hair was in a bun on the side of her head. She did not smile, even as Mrs. Netherby did so nervously.

"My daughter has something she would like to speak to someone about," she said.

"What about?" asked the officer in full professional mode.

Mrs. Netherby brought Sarah toward the counter to allow her to speak.

"My name is Sarah Netherby. I'm 17 and I'm a junior at Arden High." Sarah began.

She wrung her fingers nervously in front of her waist, while her mother kept a hand on her daughter's back as if she were five years old again. She and her mother had discussed at length how they would present Sarah's story to the police, and they both felt the need to "modify" the idea of James. Even Sarah had not been a hundred percent forthcoming to her mother about her feelings for him, but she guessed her mother would come to her own conclusions. Her mother, surprisingly, had not interrogated Sarah as Sarah suspected she would. Linda's thought was that her daughter would confide in her fully in her own time.

"I think I have some information about a crime that occurred a very long time ago, so I'm not sure if I would talk to you?"

The young officer pulled out a form from beneath the counter and was filling in blanks, perhaps dates or other small bits of information. She looked at Sarah and waited for her to go on.

"What sort of crime Miss Netherby?" she asked.

Sarah turned to look at her mother, then back again to the officer.

"It was a murder," said Sarah.

"And how did you come to know of this murder?" asked the officer without even looking up.

Sarah does not immediately answer.

"When did this murder take place, Miss Netherby?" The officer looked up at Sarah.

"Well it was a very long time ago. 1978 actually," said Sarah.

The officer set down her pen.

"Where did you obtain information regarding this crime from the 1978, Miss Netherby?" asked the young officer.

Sarah's mother interrupted the exchange.

"Officer..." she leaned in to read her badge..."Johnson, do you think it's possible for my daughter and I to sit down with someone for a few minutes?" asked Linda. "This is sort of unusual and I'd rather she sit with someone face to face."

"One moment," said Officer Johnson. She slid the glass window shut and they could see her blue form behind the glass step away into the back and out of their view.

Sarah and her mother looked at one another. They took a seat together on one of the benches along the wall to wait. Their legs touched, and Sarah's bounced up and down in anticipation. She bit at her lower lip.