Letting Go (Chapter-14)

Serena

“I don’t see why they had to stick us in one of these rooms,” her mom gestured to the emptiness surrounding them, “it’s not like we’re being investigated.” Serena sat still, sandwiched between her parents, who had scooted so close to her that she could barely move her arms. They hadn’t been in the room for more than ten minutes, but her mom had started complaining the minute they were seated - first of the cool temperature, then the hardness of the chairs, and finally about the room itself.

“I mean really, Mark, they should be more sensitive to our situation,” she said, leaning across Serena to her father, “and put us somewhere less...stark.” She looked at Serena and put her hand on her daughter’s shoulder. “Do you want me to ask them to move us, honey?”

Serena had very little idea of what to expect in the meeting, except for her mother’s behavior. She despised her mother’s coddling but had spent years learning to deal with it. She took a deep breath and gently moved her mother’s hand away.

“Mom, I’m fine. I don’t mind the room. Really.”

Her mother looked back at her sympathetically and gave a small nod. “Okay sweetie, just let me know if you change your mind.”

Serena turned away and glanced up at the small camera in the corner. “I wonder what time it is,” she said, more to herself than to her parents.

Her father moved restlessly in his chair and for the first time since they’d entered the room, he spoke. “Well if they hadn’t taken our damn cellphones, we could check,” he adjusted his seat slightly, “I don’t understand why they confiscated them, as if we were criminals.”

“Dad, it’s their policy,” Serena glanced in his direction without meeting his eyes, “it’s not a big deal.”

Before her father could respond, the metal door clicked open. A heavyset officer walked in and trailing behind him was Jilliana, dressed in the same jean shorts and tight shirt she had worn two days before. Her hair was matted and pulled back into a ponytail, and her makeup had faded away, making it hardly visible. Dark circles lay beneath her sunken eyes - the consequence of spending more time drinking than sleeping. Serena could hear her mom gasp under her breath, and could sense her father straightening his back as she walked in.

Jilliana stood awkwardly by the door, keeping her eyes down. “I’ll bring in a fourth chair,” the officer said, leaving the room quietly. There was a tense silence as the four of them waited for the officer - a silence that broke only when he returned with a metal chair. “Agent Keene will be here shortly,” he said, placing the chair beside their mother, “thank you for your patience.”

Serena stared at her sister, who kept her gaze on the floor and nervously tucked her hands into her pockets. She couldn’t imagine what Jilliana was doing there - she knew it wasn’t because their parents had guilted her into coming, or because she genuinely wanted to be a part of the meeting. Serena took a breath to speak, but her mother’s uneven, stern voice erupted from the silence.

“You could have showered, Jilliana. Or at least changed clothes,” she pushed back the empty chair beside her, “just take a seat. Agent Keene will be here soon.”

Jilliana, without acknowledging her mother, slowly lifted her head and stared straight at Serena.

The instant Serena’s eyes met her sister’s, she felt a heavy, sinking feeling from deep within her chest. Her sister looked at her in a way she never had before - instead of anger or resentment, there was an expression of genuine empathy in her eyes that made Serena pause, push herself back from the table, and speak.

“You look fine, Jills,” Serena stood up and moved her chair next to the empty one, “come sit next to me. Please?” She sat down beside her mother, leaving the empty chair to her right. Jilliana smiled slightly, walked forward, and sat down. Though taken aback at first by her sister’s strong stench of cigarettes and sweat, Serena took Jilliana’s hand and smiled back at her in a way she hadn’t in years. There was a moment of stillness. Then the door clicked open.

“Hello, everyone, thank you for your patience.” Agent Nancy Keene looked exactly how Serena remembered her, except for the glasses and strands of grey in her hair. She was just as thin, maybe even thinner now, and wore the same boring, monotone-colored pantsuit. Serena straightened her spine, hoping to establish an impression of confidence and maturity. Although her mother would never stop treating her like a child, Serena wanted to ensure that Keene saw her as the adult she had become since they’d last met.

Agent Keene sat down across from them, placed a folder before her, and leaned on the table. “Thank you all for coming in today. I didn’t expect to see the whole Moore family this afternoon.” She glanced over at Jilliana.

“Well,” their mother cut in, “we felt it was important - as a family - that we were all involved.”

“I’m really just here for Serena,” Jilliana said, squeezing Serena’s hand, “for support.”

“Well,” the agent cleared her throat and opened the folder, “we have a lot to discuss. So I’m just going to lay out as much as I can for you. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask them at any time.”

The Moores nodded silently. Serena could feel her breath accelerate and sweat accumulate on her forehead, despite the room’s cool temperature. She felt Jilliana’s grip tighten.

“The person who has come forward,” Keene continued, “has given us the name of the man who, she states, was the man who abducted Serena. From our investigations, every statement she’s presented has proven to be a viable possibility.”

“And who is this man?” Serena’s father spoke sternly, “Do we have a picture? A name?”

“Yes, but naturally Mr. Moore, I cannot release that information to you. We do, however,” the agent pulled several papers from the folder and looked directly at Serena, “have some pictures we’d like you to look at.” She placed six pictures before Serena. “Do you recognize any of these men?”

Serena looked quickly away from the pictures. Yes, she was petrified of seeing his face but was equally as scared that his picture wouldn’t be there. She remembered reviewing rows and rows of pictures 15 years ago and sensing everyone’s disappointment when she didn’t recognize a single one. Serena kept her gaze down, away from the table, feeling four anxious sets of eyes surrounding her.

She then felt Jilliana’s whisper in her right ear, “Don’t worry...the men in these pictures don’t look half as horrifying as I do right now.”

Serena let out a small chuckle. She looked up at her sister, waited for her breath and heart rate to slow, then turned toward the table.

It was him. The man in the picture, placed second to the end of the row on her right, was her abductor. He had the same round face and dark hair as the other photographed men, but it was the dark, oval-shaped mole on his right jaw bone, and the uneven shape of his left eyebrow, that made Serena certain. She looked up at Agent Nancy Keene and said, with confidence, “Yes. Yes, this is him. I’m sure of it.”

Keene took the photo back, paused, and looked at Serena. “You answered pretty quickly, Serena,” she said, with an air of skepticism, “are you sure you don’t want to take some more time? I don’t want you to feel pressure but…” she leaned forward and spoke with heaviness in her voice, “there is a lot riding on this.”

Serena let go of Jilliana’s hand and clasped her hands in front of her on the table, leaning forward to meet the agent’s eyes, “With all due respect, Agent Keene, I, more than anyone, know just how much is riding on this. I know the face of the man who kidnapped, abused, and threatened to kill me. And that man,” she pointed to the picture in Keene’s hands, “is the man in that photograph.”

The room went silent. Agent Keene glanced up at the camera in the far-right corner, then back to her folder. “Excuse me,” she pushed herself from the table and stood up, holding the picture in one hand and her folder in the other. She walked briskly to the door and clicked it closed without saying a word.