Chapter 27

Jake gave Meryl Drake a call. She wanted to be present for the search. As they waited outside her building for her to arrive, Louie turned to Jake.

“I’m glad it wasn’t at Chloe’s,” Louie said.

“I am too.”

Meryl pulled up to the curb.

Jake explained the scope of the warrant when she walked up to them and explained what they were looking for. He also introduced her to the team. Though not happy, Meryl cooperated.

“If I took the diary, Lieutenant, I wouldn’t be stupid enough to leave it here.”

“People leave incriminating stuff lying around all the time,” Jake stated.

“I do have a request though.” She looked away. “If you do find it, can I have it after the case is tried?”

“Meryl, her parents are her heirs. You’d have to ask them.”

“Oh.”

Jake, along with Louie, searched the bedroom. Officer Jones searched in the kitchen, Officer Burrows searched in the second bedroom, which was being used as an office. Officer Sherman searched the basement storage bin assigned to Meryl Drake.

Meryl stayed in the bedroom while they foraged through her most intimate things. Jake understood the anger he saw in her eyes.

He noticed the pictures lined up on Meryl’s dresser of Shanna and her at different stages in their lives.

Jake asked, “You don’t keep a diary?”

“No, it’s too much work.”

“Why did Shanna?”

“Her mother gave us each one for our sixth birthdays. Shanna had nice things to write in hers, I didn’t. My parents are alcoholics—abusive. I didn’t want it to get out. I thought if someone read it, they’d take me away from Shanna. My mother always threatened if I told anyone, I’d be worse off.”

It was the most she’d ever said about herself and he found himself feeling sorry for her. It explained a lot about Meryl’s personality. He’d seen it often on the job—the abused child—and it still generated sympathy for the adult the child became.

“I’m sorry, Meryl. Is that why you always hung out at the Wagners?”

“Yes. They even called social services once. SS thought the Wagners exaggerated the situation. So they recommended no action be taken—left me with my parents to fend for myself. I could’ve sued when I reached legal age. Turns out the SS agent was a friend of my mother.”

“Sometimes the system doesn’t work, Meryl. Why didn’t you sue the state?”

“Because by failing to do her job, the woman gave me the one thing I wanted—to be near Shanna. Nothing else mattered to me.” She wiped the tears from her eyes. Jake watched her eyes become unfocused and wondered where her mind took her. When she came back to the present, she abruptly turned away and walked out of the room.

He and Louie spoke with the other officers when they finished their search. They also found nothing. Jake thanked Meryl for her time and apologized for the mess they left behind. There wasn’t a neat way to search an entire apartment. He asked her to tell no one.

“Who am I going to tell, Lieutenant?”

“I don’t know, Meryl. For now, keep it to yourself. We have others we need to search today, so I repeat, please don’t talk to anyone.”