LOTF: Before and After

Phase 3: Chapter 42

"I know this isn't easy, baby, but you have to tell them what you told us" Laurie tenderly prodded her unwell son at the table in a conference-style room in the Police Deparment & Information Services office.

"It's okay, son, take your time" the responding officer gently assured the boy.

Ralph was sitting, encompassed in what appeared to be a vow of silence. He held his hands out on the table in front of him, folded together, as he stared intensely at them. Both his parents sat to the left of him, the officer of the East Point Police Department to his right.

"Ralph?" Jeffery spoke calmly, encouraging Ralph to speak, but to no avail.

"Why don't one of you two tell me what Ralph told you guys? Just to get the ball rolling" the officer suggested, turning his attention to Jeffery and Laurie.

"I picked up Ralph from the convenient store in Brookhaven last night. He was upset, and had implied that he spoke with Jack at some point between then and when he left our house that morning. It appeared to me that the boys had a falling out of some sort. Ralph told us this morning that he'd gone looking for Jack, and managed to track him down in Brookhaven where he was staying" Jeffery explained.

"Did Ralph say who Jack was staying with? Or if he or Jack knew this person in Brookhaven?" the officer asked.

"No, he didn't. We tried to ask him about it, but he wasn't willing to go into any more detail. I'm still not sure why" Jeffery responded.

"He's obviously upset about what happened between him and Jack, if you can't see that already" Laurie cut in to advocate on Ralph's behalf.

"Yes, he knows that, honey" Jeffery put a hand over his wife's as he looked to her.

"I understand" the officer confirmed. "Did Ralph say anything else about the place in Brookhaven? Are there any friends or family you know about that Ralph or Jack might have in the area?"

"Not that we are aware of" Jeffery replied.

"And it was sometime between 11:00 in the morning and 5:00 in the evening that Ralph and Jack had contact?"

"Yes, my wife and I left for the store just before 11 and I picked Ralph up at around 5:30" Jeffery confirmed the timeline.

"Did Ralph provide any intel about what the house looked like, any mention of anyone else in the house other than Jack, what part of the area it was in, what buses he may have taken to get there?"

"No" Ralph spoke up unexpectedly.

All three adults immediately turned their attention to the boy, who kept his gaze steady and intently on his folded hands in front of him.

"No?" the officer questioned him. "No to what, Ralph?"

"All of it" Ralph elaborated, still without looking up. "I never said that."

"What didn't you say?" the officer pried further as he grew more confused.

"I never told them I saw Jack" Ralph lied, his tone low, sharp and consistent.

"So you're saying that you never saw Jack Merridew yesterday? Did you speak with him then? Possibly in regards to his whereabouts?" the officer pushed on.

"No" Ralph repeated bluntly. "I never saw or spoke to Jack yesterday. I haven't heard from him since I stayed at his house the night before."

Shocked would be an understatement in describing the looks on Jeffery and Laurie's faces. They couldn't believe that Ralph was sitting here, lying through his teeth, to a police officer nonetheless.