Until Proven Innocent

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

AFTER
Detective Gerard Sullivan
Saturday May 20, 2016

After leaving District Systems, I head back over to the station, hoping to end this now, get a confession, perhaps? I didn't understand at first. Why would one of Cordelia's friends want to take and potentially harm Emerald? And that got me thinking: what if she didn't want to harm Emerald at all?

Before I left William Kittner's office, I asked if he had Savannah's file and medical record. As he handed me the files and I flipped through the pages, everything looked fine. No criminal record, not even a speeding ticket. I flipped through the medical file. All was well, healthy as can be.

As I was nearing the end of the file, I came across a hospitalization record from three and a half years ago detailing her stay at St. Augustine's General Hospital, admitted for two days. I flipped to the last page and discovered the reason: she gave birth to a stillborn.

____

I walk into the interrogation room where just last night, Cordelia sat, being questioned. The same room that, earlier that day, we held and questioned Steven Mendoza. The thought crosses my mind that perhaps I'm wrong about Savannah as well – that there's some bigger story here. I push it aside and remind myself what's at stake: the baby.

I take a seat across from her, resting my hands on the table. Her eyes are hollow. She doesn't look thrilled to see me. I'm hoping for a quick confession, anything to get me out of this room and closer to the whereabouts of the baby.
"Ms. Valentine," I start. "I just came from District Systems. I had a nice chat with Mr. Kittner."
"Then I'm sure you've seen the log-in files and security footage by now. I was at work during the time of the abduction. You've got this whole thing wrong."
"He did show me both of those things indeed. However, you were late coming back from lunch, which isn't usual for you, seeing as though you are always on time. And it still doesn't explain why you were at the Waters' residence in the first place."
"I told you, I went over to talk with Cordelia."
"Cordelia claims that you were never at her home on Thursday, and that the two of you never had a fight."
Her eyes widen, her face contorts into that of utter confusion and shock. "What are you talking about?"
"Cordelia doesn't recall speaking with you at all the last few days. In fact, she told me that whatever you say is a lie."
"You've got to be fucking kidding me!" she turns in her chair and brings a fist to her mouth. "What the fuck is going on?"
"I was hoping you could tell me."
"Listen, detective, I understand where you're coming from. I want Emerald found just as much as you do. But you've got the wrong person. This is just one big misunderstanding. Go check my apartment. Go check anywhere! I don't have her and you'll see that. Why would I take Cordelia's child? That's insane!"
I study her, trying to determine whether her emotions are genuine or fabricated. "Why didn't you tell me about the baby you lost?"
Her eyes widen once again and she slowly leans back in her chair. She can't lie her way out of this one. She knows that I know.
"It wasn't relevant," she says matter-of-factly.
"Not relevant? You lost a baby, and then your friend's baby goes missing. How is that not relevant?"
"I know it looks bad. God, it looks so bad right now. But I swear to you, I would never take Emerald or do anything to hurt her. Why would I do that to Cordelia? She's my friend!"
"Perhaps you weren't doing it to hurt Cordelia. You just felt that the baby would be better off in your hands?"
"No. No, you've got it all wrong."
"Ms. Valentine, we're running out of options here. We need to find that baby. And I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure you tell us what really happened that morning."
"I already told you what happened! Cordelia and I had a stupid fight. Then I went over to her place to talk about it. We hugged it out, had coffee, and then I went back to work. I guess I lost track of the time. We were chatting for a while. But I can assure you, I didn't bash her over the head, steal Emerald, and then go into work as though nothing happened."
"We're getting a search warrant from the judge now to search your home. An eyewitness can place your vehicle at the scene of the crime Thursday around noon. We will go from there."
"I want my lawyer."
"That's fine. That is your legal right. But just know, I will be back. And if we don't have the baby by the time I return, I'm not going to play nice."

I leave the interrogation room and wander outside to get some air. I'm conflicted, internally. Nothing is adding up. She loses her baby three and a half years ago. What makes her suddenly decide to take Emerald? Where is the motive? Did she want the child for herself? Or did she think that Cordelia wasn't being a good enough mother?

Okay, makes sense. But why go back to work afterwards? If she did just kidnap a child, she would have planned it properly; called in sick or taken the day off work. It doesn't make sense that she'd go back there after all of that. And leave the baby where, exactly? In her apartment? Does she have another location that we don't know about? Or maybe she has an accomplice?

My mind is spinning with possibilities. But if she is innocent, how do I explain what Cordelia said? That she doesn't remember a fight. She was certain that it never happened. She was even certain that Savannah was lying. Could Cordelia have been lying? Does she think that Savannah took Emerald, and lied to point me back in her direction? They have both lied to me and I'm honestly not sure what to believe anymore.