Crippled Lies

(Chapter 16: Newfound Truth) Katie's POV

Katie looked up Anthony Eggert's name and wrote down the address. She got in the car and headed there hoping that she could help Aaron out if needed. However, when she got there, his car was nowhere to be found. She looked at the house and was about to drive off, but something compelled her to go to the house. She really couldn't explain it, possibly woman's intuition, but she knew it was something she had to do.

Katie turned the ignition off and got out of the car locking it behind her and headed towards the house, walking up the three steps onto the porch. She rang the doorbell and waited for a few moments before a middle-aged man answered the door.

"May I help you, officer?"

"Yes, my name is Officer Childress, and I would like to ask you a few questions about Anthony Eggert."

"Um, yeah, come on in," the man stepped aside allowing Katie to enter.

A middle-aged woman came into the entry way drying her hands on a dish cloth, "Who is it, dear?" She looked at Katie shocked. "Oh, hello officer; can we help you?"

"Yes, as I was just explaining to your husband, I wanted to ask a few questions about Anthony Eggert."

"That's our son," the father said.

"Okay, what are your names?"

"My name is Henry, and this is my wife Debra."

"Does anyone of you know of a man named Eric?"

"Yes, he was the son of our neighbors," Debra replied.

"Were Eric and Anthony friends?"

"Oh yeah, they used to hang out all of the time with our other son, Damien."

"Are they still close now?"

"I'm not sure."

"Have you heard from any of your children?"

"Maybe a few weeks ago, we heard from Damien; but it has been a few years since the last time we talked to Anthony."

"What was the conversation that you had with Anthony?"

"That he was changing his name," Henry replied.

Katie appeared puzzled. "Why would he change his name? Did he tell you?"

Henry shook his head. "The only thing he said that he was sorry, and that he couldn't stay in the town where that girl died. He said that he needed a change."

"What girl?"

"There was a young girl that Anthony was dating at the time, and for some unknown reason, she died. They ruled it as a suicide, but rumors are saying that it was actually murder." Henry shrugged, and rubbed his balding head. "Who knows what the truth actually is."

"What was the girl's name?"

"Abigail Mendez."

"One final question, what did Anthony change his name to?"