Follow Me Back (complete first draft of the published book)

Chapter 17: The Interrogation (Fragment 4)

Chapter 17: The Interrogation (Fragment 4)

February 20, 2014 8:17 PM
Case #: 124.678.21-001
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT OF POLICE INTERROGATION

~~START PAGE 4~~

HART: Did you talk to Dr. Regan? Is she coming soon?

INVESTIGATOR: We left a message with her answering service. Is there anyone else we can call for you in the meantime? A family member?

HART: No no, don't. Just my therapist.

INVESTIGATOR: What about your mother, Tessa? You said that you live with your mother. Correct?

HART: Yes, but you can't call her. She's working. I can't-you don't know how she gets. She'll kill me. She just started at the new hospital in Midland. She's on a double shift. You don't have to call her, do you?

INVESTIGATOR: Only if you want us to. It's up to you.

HART: No. No. Just get Dr. Regan. Did you say it was an emergency? Did you tell her what happened?

INVESTIGATOR: We're doing our best to get ahold of her. You said your mother works at a hospital? She's a nurse?

HART: Not really. A phlebotomist. She just takes blood from people. You know, when they need blood tests and stuff.

INVESTIGATOR: I see.

HART: She doesn't know about tonight. I didn't tell her. I planned it on purpose for a night she was working.

INVESTIGATOR: Why was that?

HART: She wouldn't approve. She thinks anyone who even so much as watches MTV is a Satan worshipper, basically. She's going to find out now, isn't she? Oh God. Oh God, she's going to kill me. I really, really need my therapist.

INVESTIGATOR: OK Tessa. We're working on it. In the meantime, can we go back to the Twitter activity we've been discussing?

HART: What? What were we talking about?

INVESTIGATOR: We were just looking at the direct messages you exchanged on September 15, 2013.

HART: Oh. OK. Right.

INVESTIGATOR: Now, it looks like there's a gap starting on the afternoon of September 15. Do you happen to recollect that date?

HART: Yes.

INVESTIGATOR: Can you explain to me what happened?

HART: I unfollowed him. I was skeeved out.

INVESTIGATOR: I see. And why exactly were you 'skeeved out,' as you put it?

HART: You saw. You just read it.

INVESTIGATOR: I'd like to have you explain in your own words if you don't mind. Let me remind you that this interview is being recorded.

HART: Well, I freaked because I thought he was a girl. I had a mental picture of who I was talking to, and it was definitely not a-not a 'him.' I felt like he misled me. Like he'd been flirting with me all that time, and I didn't even realize. It was very unsettling.

INVESTIGATOR: But you resumed communication with him a few days later? On the night of September 19?

HART: So dumb. I should've followed my instincts.

INVESTIGATOR: Tessa, what led you to resume communication?

HART: He kept tweeting at me. Apologizing and stuff. You'll see if you look at his history.

INVESTIGATOR: Terry, can you pull that up for us?

[Pause]

INVESTIGATOR: Thanks. For the record, I'm looking at a number of public tweets originating from the account @EricThornSucks, dated from September 15 to September 19. There are a total of 13 tweets by my count, all tagging the username @TessaHartsEric. Does that sound about right, Tessa?

HART: Probably. I don't know. I had him on mute.

INVESTIGATOR: You had him on mute over that entire period?

HART: Yes.

INVESTIGATOR: And yet on September 19 at approximately 11:31 PM, you replied to one of his tweets?

HART: I'm so stupid.

INVESTIGATOR: Tessa, can you confirm for me that you tweeted on September 19 at 11:31 PM, and I quote: "@EricThornSucks thanks for ruining my life."

HART: I should've blocked him. I never should've listened.

INVESTIGATOR: Can you confirm it for the record, Tessa?

HART: What? Yes. I tweeted that.

INVESTIGATOR: And what exactly did you mean?

HART: That's hilarious actually, come to think of it. Thanks for ruining my life.

INVESTIGATOR: Tessa? You mean you were joking when you said that?

HART: No, I wasn't joking. I just mean I didn't even know the half of it. I had no idea how true that would turn out to be.

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