Follow Me Back (complete first draft of the published book)

Chapter 26: The Interrogation (Fragment 6)

Chapter 26: The Interrogation (Fragment 6)

February 20, 2014 8:17 PM
Case #: 124.678.21-001
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT OF POLICE INTERROGATION

~~START PAGE 6~~

INTERROGATOR: For several months now, you've exchanged direct messages with the @EricThornSucks account several times a day, often with lengthy exchanges during the late night and early morning hours. Is that correct?

HART: Yes.

INTERROGATOR: Did you suspect at any time that the person on the other end might be someone other than he purported to be?

HART: Of course I did. I'm not completely brain-dead. My therapist and I talked about it a lot in my sessions.

INTERROGATOR: And at what point did you realize the account owner's true identity?

HART: I never said that. It was more of a vague thing. I just had some concerns. There were a lot of details that seemed kind of sketchy.

INTERROGATOR: So your suspicions were more of a general nature?

HART: I don't know. I thought it would be like it always is on Catfish.

INTERROGATOR: On the television program, you mean?

HART: Right. Like, it would turn out Taylor was actually a married mother of eight in the witness protection program. Something random like that.

INTERROGATOR: You suspected that the account owner might be female after all?

HART: I wasn't exactly sure what to think. Dr. Regan kept encouraging me to move the relationship over the phone, or even Skype or something. She wanted me to keep pushing myself for therapy. I was too scared though. Twitter's so nice and anonymous. It felt safer that way.

INTERROGATOR: Did @EricThornSucks ever suggest communicating more directly?

HART: No, but I was pretty open about my phobias.

INTERROGATOR: OK, Tessa. Can you walk us through how this plan for the two of you to meet in person first came about?

HART: I'm such an idiot. So stupid. So, so, so unbelievably stupid. I tried so hard to be careful, to protect myself. And then this happened. I can't believe I let this happen.

INTERROGATOR:  Nobody here is blaming you for what happened, Tessa.

HART: I'm blaming me for what happened!

INTERROGATOR: Tessa, I need you to sit down. Tessa? [pause] There you go. Take a second. That's it. Catch your breath. Calm down. Good. Should we take a break?

HART: No, I just want to get this over with.

INTERROGATOR: That's fine, Tessa. Now go ahead. Tell us who first suggested meeting.

HART: What difference does it make?

INTERROGATOR: We're trying to get a sense for whether the meeting was consensual. It will help the district attorney to determine what charges to bring.

HART: It's consensual if I'm the one who suggested it?

INTERROGATOR: That's really a question for the DA. Right now, we just need to gather all the facts to the best of your recollection. Whose idea was the meeting?

HART: Both, I think. It's complicated.

INTERROGATOR: Someone must have said it first. We can go back through the DM thread, if that would help jog your memory.

HART: I think--No, I remember. Taylor said it first. Or at least hinted at it. It was really late at night. I was half asleep, and I let slip where I live.

INTERROGATOR: You disclosed your location?

HART: I just said West Texas. And then Taylor wanted to know where exactly. What town.

INTERROGATOR: And you disclosed the name of the town?

HART: I mean, I felt like I knew him really well at that point. I thought I might even have feelings for him. I kind of suspected he was hiding something, but I guess I was hoping maybe it wouldn't be that big of a deal. I don't know.

INTERROGATOR: So you did, in fact, disclose your location after you were pressured to do so?

HART: Just that it was a town outside Midland. I didn't give out my address or anything.

INTERROGATOR: When did this exchange take place? Can you show me on your Twitter account here?

HART: Not too long ago. It was probably a couple weeks. Here. Here it is.

INTERROGATOR: Yes, I see. Let the record show that Ms. Hart is indicating a message exchange that took place on January 24, 2014.

HART: We were talking about the tour, I guess. I've never seen an Eric Thorn concert in person. The big arena shows never come around here. The closest stop was supposed to be Dallas, but obviously I'm not driving five hours to Dallas if I can't even leave my house.

INTERROGATOR: This is the conversation that led you to reveal your location?

HART: Yes.

INERROGATOR: And was there a message from the other account directly requesting a meeting?

HART: I don't think so. Not directly. It was more like. . . . Here. This one. See?

INTERROGATOR: I see. That's very helpful. For the record, Ms. Hart is indicating a message sent from the Twitter account @EricThornSucks. The timestamp is January 24, 2014 at 2:12 AM. The message states, and I quote: "I don't know, Tessa. Maybe you just need the proper motivation. Would you leave your house if Eric Thorn ever came to your town to play?"

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