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

Chapter 36: The Interrogation (Fragment 10)

INTERROGATOR: Take your time, Tessa. There's no rush.

HART: Oh God, I'm so stupid.

INTERROGATOR: You and Mr. Duncan were alone in the house at that point. Is that correct?

HART: Yeah. He took off his sweatshirt. I went to hang it up in the closet, and I took his bag too. He had that awful cologne all over his sweatshirt. I guess he must've put it on because of what I said last night, about remembering the way he smelled. He must have put it on to mask the smell. But he didn't put it on his bag. It reeked. I caught a whiff of it when I went to put it down. And then I think I knew on some level at that point, but I still didn't-it took me a minute. I wasn't totally sure. I waited until he had his back to me, and then I went and peeked inside the bag, and I saw all the cameras and everything. That's when I knew.

INTERROGATOR: What happened then?

HART: I don't know. He was standing behind me, watching me. He saw that I saw inside the bag. I guess I must have started screaming. He looked like he was going to grab me, but then he stopped. He kind of froze. And then he turned and ran out the back door, and there were a bunch of policemen coming in the front door.

INTERROGATOR: You think he fled when he became aware of the police?

HART: I guess so. I didn't even hear the sirens, but he must have.

INTERROGATOR: You're very lucky that the officers arrived on the scene when they did.

HART: Oh my God. I can't believe this happened. I've been talking to him for months!

INTERROGATOR: No, Tessa.

HART: Months and months!

INTERRGATOR: The individual you've been talking to on Twitter was not the suspect.

HART: Yes, it was! I'm sure now. I'm sure it was him!

INTERROGATOR: Oh, I don't doubt that Blair Duncan was the man who stalked you in New Orleans. We found several thousand pictures of you on his cell phone camera roll. We've got him dead-to-rights. He should be going to prison for a long time.

HART: But you just said-

INTERROGATOR TWO: I don't think she knows who she was talking to, Chuck.

INTERROGATOR: She didn't see him at the scene?

INTERROGATOR TWO: I believe the responding officers already had Ms. Hart in the squad car when he arrived. He followed them back to the station in his own vehicle.

HART: No, no. He came with us in Nev's car. He didn't have a vehicle.

INTERROGATOR TWO: No, Tessa, I'm not referring to Blair Duncan. He was arrested at the scene.

HART:  Wait. Then who are you talking about?

INTERROGATOR: Tessa, the person you've been chatting with on Twitter was not Blair Duncan. We believe that Mr. Duncan began following your Twitter account at some point between February and March of last year, during the time that he was stalkling you. He was still following you when you changed your username from @TessaHart to @TessaHeartsEric. But he was not the owner of the @EricThornSucks account.

HART: But he knew everything we talked about. He knew so many details.

INTERROGATOR: We believe he became aware of your private messages with @EricThornSucks in September. If you recall, you tweeted publicly on September 19, 2013 at 11:51 PM, and I quote: "@EricThornSucks thanks for ruining my life."

HART: I meant because Scott had just broken up with me.

INTERROGATOR: Anyone following your account would have been able to see that tweet, as well as the tweet to which you were responding.

HART: I forget. What did it say?

INTERROGATOR: On September 19 at 11:45 PM, @EricThornSucks tweeted publicly, and I quote: "@TessaHeartsEric I can't sleep. I miss talking to you." You then exchanged a few more public tweets, culminating with another tweet from @EricThornSucks at 11:54 PM. He tweeted, and I quote: "@TessaHeartsEric what happened? Follow me back so we can DM."

HART: And then I followed him.

INTERROGATOR: Right. That public exchange apparently alerted Mr. Duncan to your ongoing private correspondence with @EricThornSucks. He was then able to hack into the @EricThornSucks account.

HART: But wait. Then why-why didn't he just hack my account to begin with?

INTERROGATOR: He was able to guess the password on the @EricThornSucks account. You know, you should really have a talk with your boyfriend there about cyber-security. You would think someone in his position would know better-

HART: What are you talking about? What boyfriend? Do you mean Scott?

INTERROGATOR: I apologize. He described your relationship as romantic in nature.

HART: Who? Blair? He's delusional!

INTERROGATOR: No, I'm sorry. I meant-

HART: I'm so confused. You're telling me there's actually a Taylor. A real Taylor? And you've actually talked to him?

INTERROGATOR: He's here in the station.Who do you think alerted the authorities tonight?

HART: I don't know. I thought they just showed up.

INTERROGATOR: OK, Tessa. I apologize. Let me backtrack for a moment.  It's all a bit convoluted, but I believe we've been able to piece together the true chain of events at this point. If you recall, this evening at 6:05 PM, you received a DM from the @EricThornSucks account stating, and I quote: "Tessa, this is stupid. Way too crowded here. Pull over and pick me up."

HART: Right. I told Nev to pull over, and that's when we saw him. We saw Blair, I mean. He was walking down the shoulder of the road.

INTERROGATOR: We believe that message was, in fact, sent to you by Blair Duncan, and that it was the first time he'd actively used the account to message you. Before that, he had only eavesdropped on your correspondence.

HART: So then how-I'm so confused.

INTERROGATOR: Bear with me. At approximately 6:20 PM, the actual account holder saw the spurious messages and realized his account had been compromised. He then rushed to the scene in his own vehicle. He also called 911 and reported a break-in in progress at your home address.

HART: So that's why the police came.

INTERROGATOR: Correct. The police beat him to the scene. Do I have that right, Terry?

INTERROGATOR TWO: Right. He apparently encountered Blair Duncan fleeing on foot about a block away from Ms. Hart's house. He then exited his vehicle and tackled the suspect to the ground. He was able to hold the suspect long enough for our officers to make the arrest.

HART: Whoa.

INTERROGATOR: Well, at least he managed to do one thing right.

HART: And he's still here? Right now? He's here in the station?

INTERROGATOR: Yes. He gave us a lengthy statement. He's anxious to speak with you.

HART: Is his name really Taylor?

INTERROGATOR: No.

INTERROGATOR TWO: Chuck, go easy. She's had a long day already.

INTERROGATOR: Well, this should be interesting.

HART: What? What should be interesting?

INTERROGATOR: Tessa, would you like us to bring him in here to meet you?

HART: Yes!

INTERROGATOR: OK. I'll go get him. But Tessa, I think you'd better sit down.

~~END OF TRANSCRIPT~~

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