“I didn’t say he dropped his wallet. I said we found it. There is a difference.”
Officer Willis said, “You’re right. You found his wallet. What do you need from us?”
John said, “Help finding him.”
“Well, you know we have to wait 24 hours to file a missing person’s report for a missing adult, especially one where there’s no evidence of foul play.”
I said, “Officer Willis, I don’t mean to be rude, but I think you’ve been watching too much television; there is no waiting period on filing a missing person’s report. We need you to file the report tonight, and we need you to track down Eric Parker and question him.”
Officer Willis slowly looked from his notepad. His eyes were slitted. His easy-going demeanor was gone. With a degree of caution, he asked, “Why Eric Parker?”
“He’s the man that had the altercation with Paul in the bar.”
“You said Eric; you didn’t say Eric Parker. How did you find that out?”
“I can’t volunteer that information at this time.”
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t know who in the world is Eric Parker and I saw the look you gave me when I mentioned his name. Are you as scared of him as the bartender?”
“No, I’m not scared of anyone named Eric Parker. I was just wondering if you were sure about the name.”
“I’m sure. It came from a reliable source. Like I said before, Paul left shortly after Eric, who could have been waiting for Paul. This Eric Parker guy had a heck of a temper. Either way, he might know something about Paul’s disappearance, especially given the evidence of foul play at the scene.”
John was staring at the exchange between Officer Willis and myself. His furrowed brow evident of his confusion.
Officer Willis said, “Look, I don’t agree that a dropped wallet is evidence of foul pl—”
I said, “And I keep telling you that the wallet was not necessarily dropped. Why do you keep referring to it as dropped? And who is Eric Parker in this town?”
“Sir, I don’t appreciate your tone.”
“I don’t appreciate the run-around I have been getting ever since I started trying to get information on a man that I feel might be responsible for Paul’s disappearance.”
I could feel my nostrils starting to flare while I glared at the officer. John obviously sensed my growing frustration because he put a hand on my shoulder and then said, “Officer Willis, what’s your plan tonight for my son?”
“Mr. Deland, I’ll file the report. I have his name, so give me a physical description, and the make, model and color of his car, his license plate if you have it. I’ll radio the other officers on night duty to keep an eye out for him, but that’s as far as I’ll take it tonight. Y’all will have to come by here tomorrow morning and talk to the chief about Eric Parker or Jackie. I’ll page the chief and tell him to come in around noon. Y’all can tell your suspicions to him then.”
I excused myself from the desk while John provided the necessary information for the missing person’s report. Officer Willis was polite, but he also seemed unimaginative and lazy. Arguing with him over my suspicion of foul play seemed futile. He also knew something about Eric Parker, more than he was letting on. At least he was going to file the missing person’s report. I did all I could short of busting some heads at the bar to get more information, and there was no guarantee that would help regardless.
***
After leaving the police station, John insisted we drive the streets of Emmettsville. It was a small town, with a population around 14,000. One of those towns with a Main Street that led to a square built around the local county courthouse. Small local business surrounded the square. They were all closed. Some high school kids were seen cruising the square. There was nothing there.
John knew it was a long shot. He said he just could not go home without looking. I couldn’t blame him, but his method of looking was aimless. I finally asked him to stop at two 24-hour gas stations in the area. No one had seen any sign of Paul or his car. I did ask about Eric Parker at one of the stations. The attendant replied, “Whatcha want with him fer anyway?” I told the man that he had left something at Falco’s. He replied, “That’s as good as any place to look fer him; I reckon he’s kind of a regular there.”
During that time, I had to repeat the events of the entire day several times to John. Unlike Officer Willis or Steve, John was able to understand my suspicions concerning the location of the wallet. He also felt the same about Eric Parker.
John remained surprisingly calm while driving around. If I had a son that was missing, I am not sure I would have handled it as well. Only when John dropped me off around two in the morning did his fear and concern become fully apparent; the dome light of his vehicle was bright enough to reveal his drawn, worried face and bloodshot eyes. I wished him my best and told him to get some sleep, although I doubted he would get much.
Wearily, I shuffled up to my apartment and headed straight for bed. My tired, droopy eyes appeared to be playing tricks on me as I entered my bedroom; Ellie was asleep in my bed wearing one of my dress shirts as a nightgown. It looked fabulous on her. Stripping down to my underclothes, I climbed into bed and snuggled next to her.
She leaned over and gave me a peck on the lips. ‘Welcome home, sailor,” she said before she turned her back towards me, allowing me to spoon in behind her. It was a fine way to end an otherwise lousy night. I set the alarm clock inside my head for eight o’clock and went to sleep.
CHAPTER 9
My internal alarm clock must have been upset by the presence of Ellie curled up next to me all night because it did not wake me up at eight o’clock. Instead, I awoke to the smell of breakfast. Eggs, ham, coffee, and biscuits, definitely biscuits. It was shortly after 8:45 in the morning.
Donning some pants, I plodded out of the bedroom. I did not have a kitchen, not in the traditional sense. The open floor plan meant I had more of a kitchen area: stove, refrigerator, sink, appliances, and a table along the side wall nearest my bedroom. Virgil and Ellie were sitting at my kitchen table. They had already eaten and were talking about Virgil’s relationship with Jewel, his girlfriend, as I approached.
Ellie spotted me and said, “Good morning, sleepy head. Breakfast is on the table, let me heat it up and cook you some more eggs. You want six, right?”
I saw the hefty slice of ham and replied, “No, four would be fine. Thanks.”
Ellie said, “I hope you don’t mind, but we helped ourselves to your food. Virgil and I both thank you for keeping coffee in the house especially since we know you don’t like it.”
“Mi casa es su casa, I always say.”
When she got up to cook my eggs, I noticed she was still wearing my dress shirt and what looked like a pair of my gym shorts. She looked wonderful. I could get used to mornings like this. In fact, I wanted mornings like this, the warm feeling associated with family. I had no living grandparents, no siblings. I did have an aunt and two cousins in Norway, but I had only met them a couple of times. Apparently, my mother was still trying to stay in touch with me. Too much water under the bridge there. Virgil was the closest thing I had to family. The brother I never had. He would always be there.
Ellie was a different matter. That relationship needed cultivating. We had never had a fight, not even an argument, which meant we had also never been tested. Smooth sailing does not adequately test the seaworthiness of a vessel. Then there was the fact that I had withheld information about my past from her, much like I did with everyone. I was pretty sure I was in love with her, but it did not seem to make it any easier to let her in, let her see the real me with the polished veneer pulled back. I kept thinking she might not like what she sees.
The conversation stayed light and trivial while I was eating my breakfast, but I had a feeling they were both waiting patiently to hear what happened after they left. Ellie waited until I put my dish in the sink. “So, spit it out. What happened?”
“Nothing
. He didn’t show up, obviously, or I would have already told you. I questioned the bar owner, a real jerk, but got nowhere. We filed a report at the police station and then John drove around for several hours looking for him. Nothing, nada, zip.”
“So now what?”
“I go with John to talk to the Chief of Police around noon. Tell him my theory that the big guy might know something, or had something to do with it. Eric Parker was his name. I got it from some guys playing pool at Falco’s.”
Ellie cocked her head quizzically while her eyes slightly widened, “Eric…Parker?”
“Yeah, you know him.”
“Not personally, which is why I didn’t recognize him last night. He was six or seven years ahead of me in school, but the whole town knows him in one way or another. He’s a local hero. He was a high school football hero who got a full ride to Auburn. My dad told me that he even made it to the NFL. I don’t think he played long, but he made it.”
“There is more isn’t there? I can tell by your cute wrinkled forehead you are worried about something.”
She continued, “My dad also told me he has a history of violence.”
“I guessed as much.”
“However, he never seems to get into too much trouble.”
I asked, “Because of his small-town celebrity status?”
“Maybe, somewhat. More likely because of who his dad is?” She paused, the wrinkled brow returned. She was reluctant to continue.
“Who is his dad?” I asked.
Her chest heaved, then she sighed, seeming to resign herself to the fact that she needed to answer me. “Sam Parker, the Chief of Police in Emmettsville.”
“Oh, boy. Now that is a horse of a different color, isn’t it? But why were you reluctant to tell me?”
“Because if Chief Parker dismisses you and won’t follow up on anything, then what are you planning on doing?”
“Ask around a little bit. Maybe go to the sheriff and tell him the problem. I won’t let the chief just sit on it and do nothing.”
“There is no sheriff. Basically, Chief Parker is the sheriff. It’s an elected position, not an appointed one. He’s the chief for the whole darn county. They have always called it the police department, instead of the sheriff’s office. I don’t know why.”
“Ellie, thanks for telling me. It’s better I find it out now instead of finding it out later. Now I know what I am up against beforehand.”
“It seems my concerns are already coming true. You said ‘what I am up against,’ which means you already see yourself as involved somehow. That dangerous side we talked about is worse than I imagined.”
“I’m just helping a friend with a report.”
“Why am I not convinced?”
“I don’t know; why are you not convinced?”
“Maybe because I saw something in you last night. A certain set to your jaw. A small change in your attitude, your body language. The way you glared at poor Steve. It was like Dr. McCain had been replaced by Lieutenant McCain, ex-Navy officer, and you seemed totally okay with that.”
“Steve was a jerk. But since you seem a little worried, I’ll tell you what I’m going to do. Today is Sunday, so Virgil has to go back to Huntsville. I’ll ride over with him since it’s not too much out of his way and meet John at the police station. I will give the Chief my side of the story, and then press him to follow up on my suspicions. If he doesn’t, then I’ll convince John to take the problem to the State Police. He’s an attorney so he must know someone who can help. I will be L.T., boyfriend of the prettiest and sweetest woman I know. Besides, I cannot argue with anyone who looks that sexy in one of my shirts.”
She did not look entirely convinced, but her brow was no longer wrinkled. “I will hold you to that, L.T.”
***
A bleary-eyed John was waiting for us outside the Emmettsville Police Station. I had slept like a baby. He looked as if he had not slept a wink. While introducing Virgil, I spotted someone waving to us from the front door of the station. The man was average height, athletically lean, much like a distance runner. He looked about 60 years old with a full head of sandy brown hair that was slightly receding in the front. There was an intelligent gleam in his eyes, and he possessed a large friendly smile. The smile was something else; he appeared to have more teeth than any human I had ever seen, resulting in a megawatt smile on an otherwise ordinary looking man. Chief Parker did not look like I had expected.
He hollered, “Welcome gentleman. Come on in; I’ve been expecting y’all.” We followed the man inside. “My office is right over there. I was expecting only two of you so let me grab an extra chair.”
John said, “Thanks.”
“I take it Paul did not show up last night, or else I would have probably just gotten a call.”
Last night Officer Willis looked suited to desk work and acted like a man that was putting a lot of effort into conserving energy, but Chief Parker moved and bounced around like he had energy to spare. Virgil and I cast a glance at each other, measuring the surprise in the other one’s face. His smile was surreal. I wondered why he even bothered turning on the light in his office; his teeth could light the room.
He started speaking again while he was still carrying in the extra chair. “I’m the Chief, but then you probably guessed that. And from Officer Willis’ report, I garner you are Mr. Deland and Dr. McCain, but who might you be?”
“Virgil Johnson, L.T.’s friend. I was there last night as well, although I probably have little to offer that L.T. did not already report.”
Chief Parker said, “Who is L.T.?”
“I am. Dr. L.T. McCain.”
“You are the guy who saw everything last night, then. The one mentioned in Willis’ report. What does the L.T. stand for?”
I told him.
He said, “That’s an interesting name.”
“Yeah, my mother is an interesting person.”
“Now tell me, Doctor, do you have anything else to tell me that you didn’t tell Officer Willis, something you might have remembered since then?”
“Nope, nothing new,” I said. I noticed he called himself “The Chief” earlier. Was omitting his last name intentional, or habitual? “And what do you like to be called?”
“Chief is fine.”
It was intentional. I was going to allow him to play his game a little longer and see what happens.
I said, “Well, Chief, for the purpose of clarity, would you like to tell us what Officer Willis put in his report?”
“I will do you one better than that. You can read it for yourself; it’s pretty short. Let me know if we need to edit anything.”
I was right about Willis; he was well-suited for a desk job. The report was typed, well-written, brief, to the point and mostly accurate. Mostly. There was one mistake, and I was sure it was intentional as well. I handed the report to Virgil hoping he would catch it and point it out.
Chief Parker said, “Before we continue, do y’all see any reason for me to get a statement from any of the other people mentioned in the report? And have you heard from any of them since last night to make sure Paul has not been in contact with them?”
I replied, “That’s up to you, Chief. But I am dating Ellie Carmichael. I think you know her family; I am told.”
The Chief said, “Why, yes I do. Wonderful family and she is a beautiful girl. Congratulations.” He did not even flinch when he found out I knew Ellie and her family, leaving me wondering how long he planned on keeping up his charade.
“Thank you. As I was saying, I know she didn’t hear from him. And Lisa didn’t know Paul before yesterday, so I highly doubt he called her. Virgil is from Huntsville and crashed at my place, so I know he didn’t hear anything either.”
John said, “And I already called his friend Steve, who told me that neither he nor Kate heard from him.”
Virgil had finished reading the report. He was squinting his eyes at me, looking perplexed and questioning at the same time. I gave him the
slightest nod hoping he would pick up my cue, which he did.
Virgil said, “There is one problem with this report. Eric’s last name was Parker, not Harker.”
Thank you, Virgil. I did not want to be the one that pointed out the mistake. If Chief Parker could play his cards close to the chest, then so could I.
I took the report and faked surprise as I discovered the error. “Virgil is right; the last name is Parker. This report needs to be amended.” The Chief’s expression remained unfazed. “Do you know if anyone tried to contact Mr. Parker last night? Or Jackie for that matter?”
“Officer Willis must have heard you wrong. He told me he could not find any Eric Harker listed in any database, and he did not have Jackie’s last name, so no one has questioned anyone so far. I’ll have Officer Willis correct the report to reflect the proper name, and then I will personally talk to Eric Parker. I will even find the young woman and talk to her.” His mega-watt smile was in full force after finishing his last sentence.
John said, “I appreciate that very much, Chief. Should I call your office for updates, or are you going to call me?”
“How about we call you. But before y’all go, can y’all tell me if Paul had any known enemies or people that might want to do him harm for any reason. And does he have any previous history of disappearing like this?”
John’s eyes darted up and to the right before answering. “I cannot think of anyone who might be after Paul for any reason at all. He is just an average guy, a car salesman. And he definitely never mentioned anything to me, that is for sure. Or his mother either.” John stopped to clear his throat. “I mean what kind of trouble could an average guy get in? Oh, and he does not do drugs or anything like that, so that is out of the question. I am not sure why you are asking me these types of questions.” I wondered if John noticed he was shuffling his feet the whole time he was talking. Or that he had not uttered one contracted word in his denial.
“I’m not trying to upset you, Mr. Deland; these are just standard questions. But I wouldn’t want to involve Mr. Parker or Miss Ge—, Jackie, in any type of investigation unnecessarily.”
Memphis Legend Page 11