SCREAM: Mother of All Secrets

Chapter 8

After Jakob intensely questioned Wade/Benjamin/Greg/Martin, he worked privately on a project related to the murder investigation. He has a bulletin board of clippings of the documents from the Erik's file and the November File, pictures of the victims before they became victims, and pictures of possible suspects and motives. There are not many pictures for suspects and all he has pinned up for a motive is a drawing of a question mark.

Someone knocks on the door and Jakob responds by saying, "Come."

Tasha walks into the room holding a manila file. What she notices first is the Sheriff's project. "Nice murder-board." Tasha compliments as she closes the door. "How come I've never seen it?"

"I started it a couple days ago." Jakob says. "And I only work on it in here with the shades down."

"Okay." Tasha comments. "So what did you find out about your two suspects?"

"Well, Victor denied attacking Mr. Tatum, not too surprising. He gave the you-have-no-proof-that-I-did-it excuse, and he's right. All of it at best is purely circumstantial."

"Then what did Wade have to say when you asked him why he exists no where?"

"He told me this story of how he and his mother was abused by his father." Jakob begins to explain and turns away from his murder-board. "And that the reason why he doesn't exist is because he's been switching identities so his father wouldn't find him."

"That's terrible." Tasha states.

"Yeah, it is." Jakob says. "At least it would be if we knew it was true."

"Do you want me to check his story out?" Tasha asks.

"Yeah. He claims his name is Martin Mills. I also want you to search for Greg Carpenter and Benjamin Swan." Sheriff Porcher turns his attention back to his murder-board.

"I'll be right on that after I show you something." Tasha says.

"Show me what?" Jakob turns his back on the murder-board again.

Tasha hands Jakob the file. He opens it, and inside is a side-by-side pictures of dirt. "What the hell is this?"

"I took a look at the sample of dirt I found on the blade of the shovel." Tasha point to the picture on the left. "I then compared it to another sample that was collected. They're the same sample."

"Okay, then where did this sample come from?" Jakob asks.

"I removed it the casket that Erik was trapped in. And since this shovel was in Mr. Reynolds possession..."

"Then there's the possibility that Victor is the killer."

"Exactly."

"Thanks for showing me this." Jakob starts taking some pictures off his murder-board and places them in another file. "Get on those names."

"I'll have one of my assistants on it because I want to check up on my cousin." Tasha says.

"All right."

Jakob and Tasha part ways when they exit the office. The Sheriff heads to the interrogation room holding Victor Reynolds.

"You finally gonna let me go?" he asks when Jakob enters the room.

"No." Sheriff Porcher replies.

"You know you can't hold me in here forever." Victor says with a smug tightly stretched across his face. "You'll have to eventually let me go."

"I think I can keep you in here a little while longer." Jakob replies with just as much confidence. "And maybe add more charges so your sentence is longer."