Searching for Sera

by Dallas E Tucker

  Several hours went by and still nothing. Being bored was one of the worst parts of surveillance. I pulled out a crossword puzzle book from my glove box. I hadn't worked on it for quite some time. I've had the book since my days on patrol. I would often work on it during the graveyard shift when it was slow.

  I began filling in the blank squares, as I answered the questions. A few more hours passed before my phone rang. It was Rene. My heart skipped a beat, as I waited to hear what news she might have.

  The evidence had been analyzed, and she had good news. The scrapings from under Sera's nails had trace amounts of skin. The scientist was able to extract the skin cells and develop a DNA profile from them. The DNA profile was being checked in CODIS, but it hadn't been matched to anyone yet.

  The toxicology tests were also completed. Sera had traces of 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine, Methylone and Synthetic Cathinones, and Lysergic Acid Diethylamide in her system. I immediately recognized the chemical compounds as MDMA, bath salts and LSD.

  I started feeling good about Tyson being the prime suspect. At this point, it just made sense. The two of them had a secret relationship that no one knew about. He was a drug dealer that started taking Sera to raves and got her using drugs. He hadn’t come forward about Sera’s abduction or death. The only thing I was missing at this point, was a red Chevy truck.

  I thanked Rene for the good news and asked her to call me as soon as she got a hit on the DNA profile.

  It was late afternoon at this point, and I decided I would come back later to watch the house.

  ◆◆◆

  I drove back to the office and called Erica. I asked her if she could come down to the department and talk to me. She said yes, and we agreed to meet in a half hour.

  I prepared the interview room and made sure I had all of my items in order.

  Erica arrived and I escorted her to the room. I showed her to her seat, holding it while she sat down. I asked her if I could get her anything to drink and she said no.

  I started the interview off by throwing the usual softball questions at her. She batted them away, giving me the routine answers. I wanted her to feel comfortable like she was in control. And as soon as she felt nice and cozy, I would get serious and ruin her day.

  I wondered how many bullshit answers I was going to get from Erica. My money was on her holding out for about 10 minutes. I guess we will find out, I thought to myself.

  I asked her if she knew who Sera was romantically involved with. Erica got uneasy, but stuck to her denial of not knowing anything. I could see the lie in her eyes. I could tell this was going to be easier than I thought. Erica wasn't equipped to go head to head with me. I smiled, knowing I was going to win.

  I showed Erica the text messages between her and Sera. The ones where the two of them talked about Tyson. I told Erica that lying was serious and I threatened her with obstruction charges.

  Erica began to cry, as I showed my lack of sympathy.

  "Quit lying to me!" I exclaimed as I looked at her. "I need the truth, and I need it now."

  Erica looked up at me and began to stutter. She tried to talk, but was crying too hard. I gave her a minute to gather herself. Once she calmed down, I went after her again.

  “Sera is dead, and it might be because of this guy,” I said, my angry tone intensifying.

  With tears filling her eyes, she looked at the text messages. She was quiet for a minute, then started talking.

  "His name is Tyson...Sera had been seeing him for about two months. She made me promise never to tell because her mom would disown her for dating an older guy."

  “What else?” I asked.

  “Sera started sneaking out at night to meet up with Tyson. They had sex, and she tried Ecstasy. Tyson gave her the X and Sera said it was amazing. Sera started going to raves and started using X regularly. I tried to talk to her about how she was changing and acting different, but it didn’t matter. She said I was acting like her mother, and told me to leave her alone. I hadn’t talked to her about it since those text messages.”

  “Tell me about Tyson.”

  “I really don't know him. He is just some guy she met online. She said they talked on Snapchat a few times and then she agreed to meet him. They went on a few dates, and then they started a relationship.”

  “Did you ever meet him?”

  “Only once. He picked Sera up from my house, and she made me cover for her.”

  “What do you mean-cover for her?”

  “She told her mom she was staying the night at my house, but she didn't stay over."

  “What kind of vehicle was Tyson driving when he picked up Sera?”

  “A black Toyota pickup I think?”

  Slowly, Erica gave me details about the double life Sera was living. Sera had confided in her about Tyson being a drug dealer. Sera loved Tyson and she believed she could convince him to quit selling drugs. Sera mentioned that Tyson had gotten beat up at a party, a couple of weeks earlier. Supposedly, Tyson owed some guy some money, and that was what the fight was about. Sera stole $500 from Marsha and gave it to Tyson for his debt. As far as Erica knew, Marsha didn’t know the money was missing.

  Over the past few weeks, Erica had dropped off Sera at Tyson’s house several times. Erica didn’t know the address, but gave me directions to Tyson’s house.

  I noted it was the same house I had been watching earlier.

  I could tell Erica was being truthful, but my gut was telling me there was more. I continued to press on with the interview.

  “I appreciate your honesty, but there is something else you're not telling me."

  I could tell the statement made her nervous. She fiddled with her fingers and tried to look innocent.

  "I think you know more about Tyson than what you're telling me. It's time to cut the bullshit. You better tell me the whole truth, and you better tell me now. I've lost my patience with you, and the next time I catch you lying to me, it will be the last time. I will lock you up for obstructing an investigation." I threatened, my voice raised.

  "Ok, Ok!" Erica said as she took a deep breath. "Everything I've told you so far is the truth."

  I stared at Erica’s eyes, still convinced there was more.

  “Tell me the rest of the story... and do it now.”

  “Ok...I’ve been sleeping with Tyson too.”

  The news hit me like a ton of bricks. I didn’t see that coming, I thought to myself. I sat back in my chair and couldn't wait to see what she would say next.

  “A few weeks ago I went out with Tyson and Sera. They were both doing X, so I tried some. It felt incredible, and a few days later I ended up buying some from Tyson. One day I went to his house to pick up some X, and he was smoking some crystal. I was scared to try it, but Tyson convinced me. I smoked some with him, and one thing led to another."

  I got comfortable in my seat, wondering where the story was heading.

  "Over the next couple of days, I went over to Tyson’s after school, while Sera was at cross country practice. I would have sex with him, and he would smoke me out for free.”

  I watched as Erica spoke. I could see she genuinely felt sorry for betraying Sera. I wondered how she could do that to her best friend. I wondered if Erica could see the judgment on my face? Erica continued to spill her guts, as I sat listening to her.

  "On the day of Sera's abduction, I called Tyson. I told him what had happened. He was upset and kept saying it was his fault. I asked him what he was talking about. He said he owed some guy some money, and the guy had threatened to kill him. Tyson pleaded with him, but the guy said he was out of time. I don't know who the guy is, but I assume he is Tyson's supplier."

  “What else?”

  “Tyson and I met up a couple of times, while Sera was still missing. We talked about going to the police, but Tyson was too scared. Tyson told me if I went to the police, he was going to hurt my family. I was scared. I didn't know what to do."

  Erica's eyes began to fill with tears, and her voice
started to break.

  "On the day Sera’s body was found, I called Tyson. I told him that you guys found her body. Tyson told me to lose his number, and to never call him again. He hung up on me, and I haven’t talked to him since.”

  I sat in silence for a minute, absorbing what Erica told me. In my mind, I played out different scenarios that might have happened to Sera. I thought about Erica and Sera's friendship and how Erica had lied since the beginning of this investigation.

  I wondered if she was telling the truth now, or was she still lying? Did she have something to do with Sera's murder? Was this a story that she and Tyson had fabricated? One they came up with in case the police questioned them? Did Tyson kill Sera and torture her to make it look like revenge? My mind was racing with thoughts and theories.

  I looked at Erica, trying to decide if she was being truthful. I knew I was going to have to be tough on her. I knew she was going to hate me after this, but I didn't care. It was time to treat her like a suspect. It was time to come after her.

  I started rapidly questioning Erica, as to her involvement with Sera's abduction and murder. I showed no mercy, and I pressed hard. I yelled and cussed at her, bombarding her with question after question. She had fear in her eyes, and her tears were flowing. I was mad and held nothing back.

  When I was finished, I had gotten my answer. I was certain that Erica was telling the truth. If she was lying at this point, I would have known.

  Erica sat across from me hysterically crying. She was a wreck, sucking air and wiping the snot from her nose. I felt bad, but it was necessary.

  I told Erica she was free to go. She got up and hurried to the door. I reminded her to contact me immediately if Tyson called or texted her. She stood there nodding her head. I told her to leave before I changed my mind and locked her up.

  Erica left the interview room in tears.

  I was pissed off and it showed. I was usually able to control my emotions, but this interview got the best of me. I knew I was probably going to get a call from Erica's parents. I'm sure she was going to tell them how I yelled at her and made her cry. Frankly, I didn't care. If they called, I would make sure they knew about Erica's drug use and sexual activity. The gloves were off at this point, and I wasn't going to hold anything back.

  I knew I needed to find Tyson. From my experience, I didn’t think he was going to be very cooperative. I doubted a good old fashion "knock-and-talk" was going to convince him to come in for an interview. I decided to take things up a notch, and show him who was really in charge.

  I quickly wrote a search warrant for Tyson’s house. I was going to search for drugs and other contraband. Based on the statements made by Erica, the lady from the rave and Goose, I had more than enough probable cause.

  I finished the warrant and got a judge to sign it. I gathered a team and held a briefing. I told the team my intention of the search warrant. I didn't mention my intention of interviewing Tyson about the abduction and homicide of Sera. When we finished the briefing, we geared up and headed out.

  We arrived at Tyson’s residence a little after 6:00 p.m. The team and I gathered on the street and made a tactical approach. I saw a black Toyota truck in the driveway. I could see a faint glow from the lights, illuminated behind the drawn curtains. I was excited. I knew that meant there was a good chance that Tyson was home.

  We entered the front yard and split up. Part of the team covered the front, and the other half went to cover the rear. We made it to the front door. I was the one in charge of knock and notice. I checked my partners to make sure they were ready. Once I got the thumbs up, I stepped to the door.

  "Police Department, Search Warrant, Demand Entry!" I yelled as I pounded on the door with my fist.

  I could immediately hear the sounds of someone running inside the house.

  "We're compromised, Hit it!" I yelled as I stepped aside for the breach.

  A loud crashing sound echoed, as the officer hit the door with the ram. The door exploded off of the hinges, and we made entry.

  Once inside, we quickly scanned the room and began clearing the residence. We made our way down the hallway yelling “Police Department, come out with your hands up!” No one responded, and we continued with our search. We cleared all of the rooms except for one.

  I made it to the last room, the door was closed. I turned the knob and discovered it was locked. I kicked the door, and it swung open. I immediately saw a male trying to escape out of the bedroom window. I could see his hands were free of any weapons, so I rushed him.

  I tackled the male and got on top of him. I twisted his arm behind his back and locked it into a bent wrist lock. I applied pressure, and I ordered him to give me his other arm. The man screamed in pain and quickly put his other arm behind his back. I quickly secured him in handcuffs and rolled him over. I shined the light on his face. I immediately recognized him as Tyson.

  I conducted a search of his person, for safety reasons. I stood him up and walked him into the living room.

  I sat him down in a chair and asked him where his identification was. Tyson motioned with his head towards the kitchen area, saying it was on top of the microwave. An officer retrieved his wallet and brought it to me. I pulled out his ID and confirmed his name and date of birth.

  I took out a copy of the warrant for my pocket. I held it in front of his face. I explained the warrant, and told him we were searching for drugs. I could see the look of relief come over his face. I'm sure he thought this was about Sera, but was pleasantly surprised to find out it wasn't.

  After Tyson calmed down, I smirked at him. He smiled back, not knowing what was in store for him.

  CHAPTER 10

  Just You and Me

  It was about 10 p.m. by the time we finished processing Tyson’s house. We had located a large amount of MDMA, crystal meth, LSD and cocaine. I arrested Tyson and transported him back to the department, to complete the jail booking forms.

  At the department, I placed him in an interview room and took his handcuffs off. I let him get comfortable. I even got him a cup of coffee. I advised him of his Miranda rights, and he said he was willing to talk. We made small talk with one another and he seemed to be opening up about himself. He was comfortable, so I decided to end that.

  “Who is Sera?” I asked in a slow, subtle voice.

  I could see the shock on his face, as he instantly turned white. Tyson sat motionlessly, and didn't answer.

  I leaned in closer and looked into his eyes. I could read him like a book, and I definitely had the upper hand. I was excited for this interview, to say the least.

  “I asked you a question," I said, in a stern voice.

  Tyson's head pointed down, as he looked at his hands.

  "Who is Sera?” I asked again.

  I moved the table out of the way so he couldn't hide behind it. I pulled my chair closer until I was only a couple of feet away. I sat back down and continued to stare at him. His head lifted slightly.

  “She’s a friend of mine.” He said, clearing his throat after answering.

  “Don’t you mean she WAS a friend of yours?”

  In a low, somber voice, Tyson said, "Yes."

  I could see the anxiety in his eyes. He didn't want to talk about this, but we were going to.

  I inched closer to him.

  "You know we can cut the bullshit now. You're not here by accident. You're in a world of shit that you need to dig yourself out of. I'm offering you a shovel to make it a little easier for you. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

  Tyson sat there motionless. His breathing was getting heavier. He hung his head and placed his arms on his knees. He leaned forward, as he took a deep breath. He looked up at me. I could see he was ready to talk.

  "Tell me about it," I said, encouraging him.

  “Sera was my girlfriend. I met her about two months ago. We met online and developed a friendship. We ended up meeting in person, and we hit it off. We started dating, but kept it a secret from everyone because of her
age and mine.”

  “Keep going,” I replied.

  “We went out to dinner a few times and then she started going to parties with me. It’s obviously not a secret what I do for a living. After all, you guys found my stuff. I go to the parties to make money, cuz that is where the business is. I sell a little on the side here and there, but the real money is at the parties.”

  "Let's concentrate on Sera," I told him, trying to keep him focused.

  “I use my product, and Sera was curious about it. One night, she said she wanted to try some X, so I gave her some. We were high and had sex. Sera told me it was her first time, so I was gentle and made sure she enjoyed it. Our relationship kinda grew from there. We started hanging out more, and she started using drugs more often. She was curious about all of them, so we smoked some crystal together and did some acid too. She liked how the drugs made her feel.”

  “If your relationship was such a secret, how did you guys hang out so much?”

  "Sera would wait till her mom would go to bed and then she would sneak out. I would pick her up down the street from her house. We would go back to my house, or sometimes we would go to a party. It just depended on what kind of mood she was in."

  “Who knew about your relationship?”

  “As far as I know, only one of Sera’s friends.”

  “Who?”

  “Her name is Erica. She was Sera’s best friend.”

  “Did you ever have any of your customers come to your house when Sera was there?”

  “No, I don’t do that at my house. I meet people in public places. I don’t want that kind of attention at my place, plus I don’t want people knowing where I live.”

  “Do you know Erica?”

  "Ya kinda, I mean she buys some shit from me once in a while."

  I knew that wasn't all, but I didn't want to cloud our conversation with details about him and Erica. I would save that for later, in case I needed it.