SCREAM: Mother of All Secrets

Chapter 7

After composing himself, Sheriff Porcher walked out of his office with a separate file and heads toward one of the interrogation rooms. He enters and Wade sits straight in the chair. Jakob sits across from Mr. Tatum.

"So, have you found the guy that mugged me?" Wade asks.

"We did." Jakob says. "But the evidence I have against him is only circumstantial. But I'm not here to talk about him."

"Then what do you want to talk about then?"

"I want to talk about you." Jakob replies. "And how you don't seem to exist on social media, on-line, our national database, or just generally in life. So, tell me, who the hell are you?"

Wade feels nervous. He sighs as he tilts his head down. "Look, whatever I tell you cannot leave this room." Wade looks back up at Jakob.

"I can't promise that." the Sheriff states. "So, before I decide to toss your ass in a cell, I suggest you start talking."

"Fine." Wade sighs again. "When I was young, my father abused me and my mother. I had to wear clothes that covered all of my body to hide the bruises. One day, my mother was tired watching me being smacked around by my father, so she bought fake IDs and documents and we left. My mother died when I was eighteen, and I didn't know if my dad was looking for us or not, so I bought more fake IDs, documents, and diplomas on-line. I switch my identity every few years. Wade Tatum didn't exist until a month ago. Before that, I was Greg Carpenter. And before, I Benjamin Swan."

"So, who were you before you and your mother changed your names?" Jakob asks.

"My real name is Martin Mills." Wade replies. "I haven't used or heard that name in years."

"Why didn't your mother report your father to the police when the abuse started?" the Sheriff questions.

"She was scared." Wade explains. "So was I. I guess she figured it would be easier if we ran away."

"Why didn't you report your father to the police when you were older?"

"We were already far away from that monster." Wade says. "I mean, what's the point?"

"The point would be that that monster would have been brought to justice." Jakob says.

"Justice would be if someone broke into his home and beat him to death." Wade states.

Jakob sits in his chair in an unsettling silence, thinking of what Wade just said. "Now, I want to talk about last night. There is video of your attack." Jakob opens the file and pushes a photo in front of Wade. "This is a screenshot of you glancing over at your attacker. It sort of looks like you knew as if he was about to hit you."

"All I did was look at him. I noticed the shovel and I thought he was digging something up. I didn't know he was going to hit me."

"All right, then." Jakob comments and pushes another photo in front of Wade. The picture is Victor Reynold's mugshot. "Can you verify that this is the man that attacked you?"

Wade concentrates on Victor's facial features. "I think so... Yep, that's definitely him."

"Thank you so much, Mr. Tatum." Jakob says.

"Does this mean I can leave?" Wade asks.

"No." Jakob replies and leaves the room.

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Erik stopped at the hospital before reaching his destination. He walked through the main entrance and into the ICU wing. He found Fred's room and knocked.