What Has Fallen

19. Henry: Can't Be Here

September 29

13:30 PM

"Mr. Day." I looked up from my sandwich. Agent Kramer, the youngest of the three agents, stood in front of my desk. She smiled, "May we have a word?"

I mumbled through my bite, "Right now?"

"Yes, please." She swept her short brunette hair behind her ear. "I mean if you wouldn't mind."

I finished my bite and placed the last half of sandwich in the container. I brushed my hands off and stood, "What is you want to talk about?"

Agent Kramer led me to the interrogation rooms. She motioned me to sit and my stomach turned. Ray's words played in my mind 'No mentioning Alice' and the strange understanding when the word 'protocol' came from Ray. Neither of them ever explained what that meant to me. I didn't understand what I could say or couldn't say or why. Agent Kramer sat in the seat in front of the one way mirror. I had never really had to be in an interrogation room before. My throat felt dry. I looked at the window behind Agent Kramer and wondered how many people would be standing there. I wondered if Captain Miles would be watching. I hoped I could bite my tongue and actually lie to the agents as I had been asked to.

"I'd like to ask you a few questions about the arrest you made the other night," Kramer explained.

"Yes of course."

"How much do you know about Fraser Bowden? Maybe why he'd be connected to the Port Bombing? Or where he got the materials?"

"Not much," I figured I had no reason to hide what I know about the actual investigation. "As far as I know, there was an anonymous tip that said he was fleeing the scene. I don't know his connection, he could have been providing drugs to those who had died or working on someone's behalf. And no materials have been found yet, but the investigation is ongoing."

"You received a few calls from dispatch on September 27th?"

"Dispatch reported four cases early in my shift, yes. But Ray and I only responded to one, before..." I hesitated.

"You responded to only the bank call, why?"

"Um," I swallowed and cleared my throat, "Ray made the call. He has seniority and I figured he would make the right call." I didn't understand what the earlier calls had to do with the suspect.

"After you and Officer Ray assessed the bank and were relieved to head back to patrol, when did you receive a call about Mr. Bowden?" I thought for a moment. Before I could say anything she said, "The call wasn't made through dispatch about any suspects in the Port Bombing case."

"Um, Ray got a call."

"From who?" My eyes widened slightly. I tried not to let my eyes wonder, as that would be a tell of a lie. Again, Agent Kramer interrupted my thoughts, "The number on Officer Ray's phone is listed as unknown and is, now, disconnected."

My eyebrows came together as my mind twisted into confusion. Why would Alice use a burner phone? I asked, "Are we," I hesitated not really wanting to know the answer to my question, "Are we under investigation?"

She explained, "We are just trying to put the pieces together as of right now. Since you were there, we want your side of the arrest." I nodded and she asked again, "So who called Officer Ray?"

"I assumed it was Captain Miles." My first lie. I hoped my lies wouldn't get anyone in trouble.

"And why would you assume that? Did Officer Ray tell you so?"

"No."

"So, why would you assume?"

"I had no reason to assume otherwise." With the fast pace of the conversation, I didn't know where my quick ability to lie stemmed from. I had never been put in this situation before. I furthered my lie, "Ray told me there was an anonymous tip about the man who blew up the building at the ports matching the description of Fraser Bowden. He then explained we would sit on his home until he arrived and then make the arrest." My explanation, while vague, gave enough to be believable.