The Castle On The Hill

Part 2

Part-2

Alysa Parker stood behind the huge glass, crossing her arms. She was observing Sam Tyler who was sitting behind the one-way mirror. She had just finished taking his statement and was thinking about it. Sure, what he said made sense but there was something about him that just ticked her the wrong way. She couldn't put her hand on what but she didn't buy his nervous act. He acted nervous but his eyes were sharp and she had the feeling they were observing her every little actions. Her instinct said he was no ordinary person and she trusted her gut.

She turned her face at the knocking sound on the door,

"Come in."

The door half opened and a head peeked in.

"Boss, Captain called for you. Said it's urgent."

"Now?" She asked.

"Yes, now." Walker replied strongly.

Parker looked at his big eyes which were eagerly expecting for her answer. Then she gestured him and spoke,

"Go. Tell him I'm coming."

Walker nodded and closed the door. She heard his footsteps receding away from the door. She again turned to look at Sam.

Sam was still massaging the bump on his head. She couldn't help but to feel a tiny sliver of sympathy for him and a little bit of guilt as it was indirectly her fault. After all it was her who chased him with the gun.

Parker shook her head after a few minutes and turned to leave. It was boring watching Sam just sit there.

She passed the short hallway and entered the bullpen. The officers in the room turned to see who it was. When they saw it was her, they nodded at her and went back to their paperwork and casual conversations.

Almost all the officer present except for Walker who was not there at the time-all four of them were in their mid-forties to mid-fifties. Each of them spent at least over twenty years on the force. But like any small-town cops, they had no grand ambition to advance and was content staying officers in this little town. She was the only Sargent/detective in this station. Her uncle was lieutenant when she first joined here one years ago. He was fielding the post of detective alone before she joined. He showed her the ropes and taught her most of the things about investigating. Although she served as a marine before, she was just accustomed to following orders. Her uncle took her under his care when she was discharged and gave her a purpose.

When she first joined here, she thought that the officers here would not accept her as their senior officer. That they would be old fashioned and discriminate her because of her gender-like she faced in all her life. But quite contrary to her expectations, they quickly welcomed her with open arms. She was still doubtful but she quickly figured out that they were good hearted people. And now, after working with them for a year, almost all of them treated her as if she was their own daughter.

She stopped before the Captain's door. Underneath the shiny title there was a name written in small font on the wooden nameplate. It read 'Fredrick Parker'. The name was her uncle's. He was the older brother of her father and the only one who actually took care of her when her parents died. He became Captain this year when the old Captain-Walker's father retired. Her uncle had been offered the job before but he turned it down. 'He'd rather be a detective than a paper pusher' he said or so she heard from the others. But old age finally caught up to him. After he broke his leg chasing a suspect early this year-the doctors forbade him to do any heavy work. He wasn't fit for the field anymore so he reluctantly accepted the promotion.

Parker knocked two times before entering. She expected to see Walker in the room but he wasn't present.

The first noticeable thing in the room was the big wooden desk that occupied about half the room. There was an aluminium filing cabinet on left side of the table and a ceremonious shotgun hung on the right side. There were also some framed picture hung beneath it.