Dreamcatchers

Part 7

"So you're telling me that after twenty years, you have finally discovered the name of the man who kidnapped you?"
The police officer we were talking to was skeptical.  "Officer Jacobs," I had to interject. "I know this sounds fantastical, but I promise you that what we are telling you is completely true.  I work at IDEAS and I saw both Mr. Connor's and Mr. Cross's dreams.  Based on that, I can assure you that Dominic Cross is the person that kidnapped Mr. Connor's twenty years ago."
"I understand that the two of you are convinced that this is true, but I am going to need more evidence than the dreams you think you saw, Ms. Miles.
I released a massive sigh.  "Here is what I suggest, Officer Jacobs.  Have a sketch artist work with both Mr. Connors and myself.  Then, compare our sketches to a picture of Dominic Cross.  Hopefully you can find him in your system or through the Department of Motor Vehicles.  If the pictures match, you may have enough for a warrant to retrieve Mr. Cross's files from IDEAS.  Also, Mr. Connors is willing to let you have access to his stored dreams.  There we can see if the man in his dream matches the photograph of Dominic Cross you manage to find."  I was sure that what I was suggesting was perfectly reasonable.
"Ms. Miles, while I applaud your enthusiasm and desire to see justice done, I am not convinced there has been any crime committed."
"Sir," Matthew was the next to speak, "look me up.  Twenty years ago when I was seven years old, I was kidnapped.  I was help for two and a half years.  This happened in Northern California.  Please, I know you don't necessarily believe what we are telling you, but I need you to at least give us a chance to prove to you that we aren't liers.  Can you do what Ms. Miles suggested?  Start with the sketch artist and go from there?"
I could see Officer Jacobs mulling over our request in his mind.  He wasn't a bad person, that I could tell.  I knew he could tell that we weren't insane people.  Surely he could see that we were scared and needed some closure, of whatever sort, on the matter at hand.  Eventually, he gave in.  Picking up the receiver to the phone on his desk, he dialed a few numbers, waited a few moments, then said, "Dottie, could you send Frank do my desk?  I have a couple of people here who need to give a sketch of a suspected kidnapper to him." He paused a few moments.  "Thank you, Dottie, you're the best."
Within minutes, I had been whisked away to an interrogation room where I could give my sketch in privacy.  Matthew had stayed behind to give Officer Jacobs as much information about Dominic Cross as he could remember from his traumatic childhood.  "All right, Ms. Miles," Frank the sketch guy said, "I am going to need you to give me as much information as you can, as accurately as you can; hair color, eye color, hair length, the distance between his eyes, length of the nose, size of the forehead, etcetera.  You talk, I draw, and hopefully we can get an accurate sketch quickly.
Twenty minutes later, we had emerged from the interrogation room with what I thought was a darn near perfect recreation of Dominic Cross.  Matthew's turn to create a sketch with Frank was next and I was left alone with Officer Jacobs.  "So, Ms. Miles, you work for IDEAS?"
"Yes, sir, I do."
"What information about Dominic Cross can you give us?"
"I don't know much, and what I do know would be inadmissible in court. The information for who Matthew Connors was and where to find him is not information I naturally have access to.  I broke a few rules by hacking into the server so I could find out where he lives.  I did the same for Dominic Cross.  I didn't tell Matthew because I didn't want him doing something rash, but he is living, according to his IDEAS file, in a trailer part in the southern part of St. Charles.  However, that is information you could obtain through DMV records if you choose to go forward with the investigation.  My knowledge would not help you.  You would need a warrant to access his IDEAS file appropriately to be able to use that information in an investigation and court."
"So, you are asking me to open an investigation on the grounds that you saw Mr. Cross in Mr. Connor's dream?"  I nodded.  "And on the grounds that Mr. Cross's dream made it appear that he was in the Chicago area searching for Mr. Connors?"
I suppressed an eye roll that so desperately wanted to escape.  "Officer Jacobs, please understand that Mr. Connors and I appreciate the job you do for this city and do not want, in any way, to make it seem like we take you and your fellow officers for granted.  However, this is a legitimate complaint and I would like it to be taken seriously.  I can take my concerns to every precinct in the Chicago area until I get someone that takes me seriously, or you could take me seriously right now and save Mr. Connors and myself a great deal of time and repetition."  I inhaled deeply and slowly before releasing my breath and continuing.  As I did, I reveled in the shocked expression on Officer Jacobs's face.  I was usually underestimated by authority figures.  "I am coming to you because my office will not release any personal information without a warrant or consent from the dreamcatcher user.  I can guarantee that with what is in Dominic Cross's past, he won't likely agree to divulge his IDEAS file.  Mr. Connors's, on the other hand, is more than willing to cooperate.  So, we can compare our sketches to Mr. Cross's DMV photo and you can call over to IDEAS and have them release Mr. Connors's dream file to you.  Then, we can watch the dream and see if the man at the end is Dominic Cross."
"Nice speech, there, Jaylyn.  I'm impressed."  Matthew and Frank had returned in the middle of my monologue to Officer Jacob's.
My cheeks flushed.  "I do apologize for my candor, officer, but there just isn't' a lot of time for beating around the bush and sparing feelings."
"No need to apologize, Ms. Miles.  Ever considered a career change?  I think you would make one heck of an interrogator."  Officer Jacobs seemed amused. Pleased I had not offended him, I turned to Frank.
"Dear Frank the sketch guy, what have you got for us?"
Frank directed his comment to Officer Jacobs.  "Jacobs, the sketches match.  Do you have a photo of the man so we can compare?"
"Yes, I looked Dominic Cross up in our system and it does seem that he has a criminal record.  Mostly drunken disorderlies, DUI's, and petty theft, but it is enough for me to believe the guy isn't a good, upstanding citizen of Chicago.  He is living in a St. Charles trailer park, and I have a picture right here."  Frank took his sketches to Officer Jacobs's side of the desk to compare what we had given him to the picture in Cross's police file.  "Well I'll be damned.  We seem to have a match here."
I breathed a sigh of relief and reached over to grab Matthew's hand.  He had taken the chair beside me.  His hands were cold and I could feel him shaking.  "Matthew, are you okay?"
He looked at me, fear in his eyes.  "I'm not sure.  I was fine when this was all in abstract, but now we have confirmation.  We have finally found who kidnapped me all those years ago and got away with it.  I'm scared that he will get to me before the police get to him.  I'm afraid that he won't get convicted.  I'm scared that he will discover your involvement and find a way to hurt you as well."  I was touched by his concern for me, but that wasn't what I needed to focus on in that moment.
"Officer, do you think you have enough for a warrant for the IDEAS information and Cross's arrest?" I asked.
"We have enough here to get a warrant for Cross's personal information and dream file from IDEAS, but not enough to arrest Cross yet.  I do, however, see that there is an outstanding parking ticket that was supposed to be paid six months ago.  I can pick him up on that and hold him twenty-four hours.  I may even be able to petition to hold him for longer since he is suspected of kidnapping.  Now, the two of you need to go home, rest, and we will be in touch, all right?"
"Thank you so much, Officer Jacobs.  I appreciate your time and your listening to our story when not many else would have."
As we exited the building and approached Matthew's car, I held my hand out for his keys.  I didn't think he was in a mentally stable enough state to drive.  Since he handed them over without protest, he must have agreed with me.
Once in the car, I turned to him and said, "Matthew, it will all be over soon.  The police will get what they need from IDEAS, arrest Cross, and he will be brought to trial.  You will be finally be free from him."
"I don't think I'll ever truly be free from him," Matthew whispered before turning away from me to look out the window.  My heart hurt because he was in so much pain.  It was impossible to think that I was this much in love with Matthew already.
Pushing those thoughts away for the time being, I put the car in drive and turned it back in the direction of Matthew's home.