“What do you mean I have to take a polygraph?” Megan said, to Peter on the phone first thing the next morning. “That’s outrageous.”
“It’s not a big deal. Routine business,” Peter said.
“It’s not routine to me!” Megan exclaimed. Should I be calling a lawyer?”
“Come on now, Megan,” Peter said softly. “If I thought you were in trouble, I’d tell you, wouldn’t I?”
“A polygraph sounds like trouble to me.” Megan felt deeply insulted. Were they suspecting her in Kyle’s disappearance? “What do they think, that I’ve done Kyle in, am having a torrid love affair? With who, exactly?”
“Don’t talk like that. It’s a final step to clear you completely, so the police can turn their attention elsewhere.”
“Let them turn their attention elsewhere now!” Megan said swiftly. “I’ve been an outstanding wife and mother. Everyone knows that.”
“I do, too” said Peter calmly. “That’s why I’m coming over to drive you to the police station myself. It’ll only take a short while. You’ll be cleared and everyone will be able to move on.”
“What about me?” Megan said. “Will I won’t be able to ever move on?” Doubtful, she thought, answering her own question.
“I’m on my way over now,” Peter said and hung up the phone.
Megan put in a call to Angela immediately.
“You have to do it,” Angela said slowly. “There’s nothing to worry about, it’s routine.”
“Nothing is routine anymore,” Megan said. “All my routines have been thrown to the wind.”
“Peter’s a good friend,” Angela said quietly then. “He’s looking after you. He’s coming in person to help you with this.”
Megan had forgotten what a good friend both Peter and his wife Eva had been for the past four years or so. Even though Peter had been closer to Kyle growing up, once they were both married, the four of them had spent many evenings together, having dinner, going to the movies, walking down at the lake. When Peter’s wife Eva became ill, Megan had taken their son, Alan, to her home day after day to play with Mallory. Peter had been very grateful to her. He’d mentioned it several times. The fact that Peter was a detective on the case now, acting in an official capacity, had caused Megan to put all that on the back burner and look at him in a different way.
Edward hadn’t gone home yet, he could stay and care for Mallory while Megan was gone, and her parents could take over in the afternoon.
Megan went to the bathroom, showered and dressed quickly in a lovely, blue linen dress, with very light makeup, to look formal and official. She wore her best sandals and once again, tied her hair together tightly at the nape of her neck.
Mallory came to the bathroom door and watched Megan get ready.
“You look different, mommy,” she said.
Megan bent over and hugged her. “I’m not different, sweetheart,” she said. “I’ll always be the mother you know. I’ll always be here with you.”
Mallory’s eyes filled with tears. “And what about daddy? Is he coming home soon?”
Megan said nothing, just stroked her light blonde hair. Mallory was a copy of Kyle, looked exactly like him, with the same dimples and rosy complexion.
“We’re all hoping he will,” Megan replied.
Mallory started crying. “But you don’t know. You’re not sure?”
Megan held her tighter. She couldn’t tell her daughter that she wasn’t sure of anything. Mallory was only six years old. How do you tell a child that she has to live in a space between worlds where there are no answers?
“Sure, not sure, sure, not sure,” Megan whispered, as if playing a game.
“What does that mean?” Mallory perked up and asked.
Megan tried to laugh, “sure, not sure, not sure, sure,” she said again, as if she were singing a strange, foreboding nursery rhyme.
*
When Peter arrived, she was ready. He looked admiringly at Megan, but she simply averted her gaze. She was annoyed with him for insisting on this, although she knew he was simply acting on orders.
“The plot thickens,” Megan said as she climbed into Peter’s familiar car.
“It’s just a matter of routine,” he repeated blandly. “It wouldn’t have been wise for you to refuse. That could have created suspicion, made them wonder why you were afraid?”
“I’m not afraid,” Megan said staunchly, biting her bottom lip, “I’m hurt, insulted, outraged that they could suspect me.”
“It’s a matter of policy,” Peter said again blandly. “They have to eliminate -.”
“I know,” Megan interrupted him. “I’ve heard it a thousand times, just like I’ve heard the same questions over and over. They have to eliminate the nearest of kin. But what brought this on suddenly now? What’s the urgency? Is it the fact that you guys found out that Kyle received an inheritance from his brother?”
“That didn’t help things,” Peter said quietly.
“You think I wanted his money?” Megan was shocked.
“I wouldn’t say that,” said Peter. “I’d just say that information leads to possible motive. We couldn’t find the money, Megan. We couldn’t find any bank accounts where it was held.”
Megan swiveled around in the car and stared at him.
“You think I have it? You think he kept it all in cash?”
“I’m not saying I think you have it. Either he banked it secretly, maybe off shore, or he stashed it somewhere as cash. He might have had dealings you knew nothing about.”
Megan felt the blood drain from her face. “What kind of dealings?”
“Once we have an answer to that question,” Peter said quietly, “we’ll know where he is and what happened to him.”
“The famous money trail -” Megan breathed.
“They’re going to ask you questions about it,” Peter added.
“Let them ask me anything they want,” Megan suddenly felt stoic. “I’ll tell them what I know. I’m not a liar.”
“No one said you are. No one even thinks that.”
Peter pulled up to the police station, parked the car and Megan opened the door and let herself out. Then she banged the door shut roughly. It wasn’t like her, and Peter glanced over at her nervously.
“The calmer you are, the better,” he called out.
Megan leaned back inside the car window.
“Not so easy to be calm after hearing that your husband stashed money away ,” she said, “and that the police are wondering if you’ve got it.”
“I had to tell you up front,” Peter said. “It’s better than hearing it and being jostled now, then shocked in the middle of the test. The most important thing is to stay calm.”
Megan quieted down. Obviously Peter was trying to help her, in every way he could.
“Take a breath before you go in,” he said. “Let me get you ready.”
Megan got back into the car.
“Okay, get me ready. Tell me what’s going to happen?”
It was early morning and the sun was just coming up. It shone full square on Peter’s face as he leaned back against the seat, trying to prepare her.
“Being calm and steady is most important,” he repeated. “They’re going give you a pre-test interview, to get some information which they’ll use for the control questions. Then a stim test will be conducted. You’ll be asked to deliberately lie. Then the tester will report that he was able to detect this lie. As you do it, they check your baselines, take your heartbeat, respiratory rate, pulse. Then the actual test starts. Some of the questions asked will be irrelevant, like is your name Barbara? Others are probable-lie control questions.”
“What’s that?” Megan asked.
“Those are questions that most people lie about - like have you ever told a lie? The rest are the “relevant questions that the tester is really interested in. He’s going to alternate different types of questions and record your responses to them. You pass if your responses during the lie control questions are higher than the response during the relevant ones.”
“That’s it?”
“Sometimes, they do a guilty knowledge test. It’s to prevent possible mistakes that can come from the questioning style. That test is usually conducted by a tester with no knowledge of what happened at all. The person tests you on your knowledge of the crime, things that would not be known to an innocent person. For example, was the crime committed with a double barrel gun or rope? The questions are in multiple choice and you’re rated on how you react to the correct answer. If you react strongly to the guilty information, they think it’s likely you know facts relevant to the case.”
Megan suddenly felt weak in the knees.
“It’s going to be fine, you’re perfect,” he said, and reached his arm out now towards her for support.
“I’m nervous though,” Megan said.
“That’s okay. How you are in the beginning is your basic control value. Just be friendly, be calm, be yourself.”
Megan nodded, “I will,” she said, not knowing exactly who herself was anymore.
*
When Megan and Peter walked into the police station. Officer Doting sat in the middle of a long wooden table, in the police station, surrounded by a group of other policemen. Two guys in plain suits were also seated at the edge of the table. They were probably the ones who were going to administer the test.
Officer Doting stood up as Megan walked in.
“Thanks for coming so promptly,” he said. “We appreciate your cooperation.”
Megan couldn’t smile at him or say You’re Welcome. She was still nervous and pissed.
“This is Mr. Rorward who will be administering the test and asking questions.”
Megan nodded abruptly at him.
“Do you have anything you want to say before we begin?”
“I want to say that there’s no need for this. I’ve been a good wife, I’ve been a fine mother,” the words again, poured out by themselves. “I’m the victim here, not the culprit.”
Officer Doting nodded. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I know this can be upsetting. It’s routine business. We have no choice.”
His words struck Megan hard. Did anyone have choice about anything, she wondered. Did events just happen and sweep you away? Was there some kind of anchor you could grab in the storm?
“You’ll go into the next room,” Officer Doting said, “where we’re going to get you ready.”
Megan’s heart pounded as she glanced at Peter, to see if he could accompany her. He sat down next to Officer Doting and looked down at the floor. She was on her own with this, all the way.
Megan sat down at a small table, in a room without windows. Mr. Rorward came in with her. He wore a buttoned up suit, had a dull face, and didn’t so much as give her a glance as he got up and hooked her up.
Megan took a few deep breaths. She had nothing to worry about, she kept telling herself. There was nothing she knew, no reason to lie.
“Okay,” he said, “a few questions just to start. The polygraph can detect lies and it’s important to answer everything truthfully. Do you understand?”
“Yes, I do,” said Megan.
“What is your name, age, state you reside in?”
“Megan Denton,” she said, “thirty four, live in Wisconsin, born in June, during a thunderstorm.”
“Okay, now I’m going to do a “stim” test, ask you to deliberately lie, so I can establish a base value for that.”
A million thoughts ran through Megan’s mind.
“Give me a lie,” he said.
“I’m a single mother,” Megan responded.
The tester paused. “You don’t understand, I need a deliberate lie. Something you know is definitely untrue. At the moment, your husband is gone. You are a single mother.”
Megan paused and took a deep breath. I’m not a single mother, she wanted to object violently. Kyle is still alive.
“Okay, now give me a lie,” Mr. Rorward repeated.
“Right now I’m sitting in a room in China,” Megan said.
“Good,” he said. “Give me another lie.”
“I’m an Olympic swimming champion,” said Megan.
He smiled wanly. “Okay, fine. A lie was detected. Now we can start.”
Megan felt ready.
“Is your name Wendy?” the tester asked.
“No.”
“When did you last tell a lie?”
“I can’t remember.”
“Do you lie often?”
“Very seldom.”
“Was your husband unfaithful to you?”
“No. Not that I know of.”
“Did you suspect he was?”
“No, I didn’t. Not ever.”
“Have you been unfaithful to him?”
“Of course not. Why would I?” Megan looked up. Her eyes met his. They had a completely blank look.
“Do you enjoy tennis?” he continued.
“Not really.”
“What’s your favorite sport?”
“Hiking.”
“Did and your husband have trouble paying the bills?”
“No, we didn’t. Kyle did well.”
“Was money an issue in your relationship?”
“Never.”
“Why do you work?”
“I love it.”
“Where is Kyle now?”
“I have no idea.”
“Did you love your husband?”
“Naturally.”
“Were you happy together?”
“We were contented.”
“Did you hope for more in your marriage?”
“No, I did not.” Megan felt the response line wavering. It was a half truth, half lie. There were truths, weren’t there, that stayed hidden even from the person themselves.
“Did your husband want more from the marriage?”
“I have no idea,” Megan said. It was a safe answer, and also it was true. She had never thought much about that, never wondered if Kyle had been really satisfied. Now she wondered why she hadn’t, if she looked like a fool.
The questions went on and on for what seemed like forever. A fan hanging from the ceiling whirred softly around. The sound it made was oddly soothing though, relaxing Megan more and more. Why shouldn’t she relax? Why should she give them the pleasure of her being anxious and distraught? There was nothing to this test, really, beyond the humiliation of having her entire life exposed.
“Are you involved in your husband’s disappearance in any way at all?”
The zingers came after the softer questions. “I am not,” said Megan definitively.
“Did you have any idea why your husband wanted to leave?”
“He did not want to leave,” said Megan. “Not that I know of.”
“Do you believe he was taken?”
“I don’t know.”
“Is he still alive?”
“Of that I’m sure.” Megan was tired and exasperated.
“Where is he now?”
“I have no idea.”
After another ten minutes of questions, both the fan and the questions quieted down. Finally, he paused.
“Thank you Mrs. Denton,” he said after a period of deliberation. “We appreciate your cooperation.”
He got up, unhooked Megan and she rose from the chair stared at him, wanted to know the outcome.
“Chief of Police Burns will give you the result in a few moments.” he said.
“Thank you,” Megan said, eager to be out of here. She suddenly felt strangled and suffocated by these questions and longed for the outdoors.
Once out in the main room, Peter came over to her quickly.
“Perfect test. You passed with flying colors,” he said, smiling. He definitely looked relieved.
Megan swiftly took back her power and dignity.
“What’s next?” she said. “Where does the investigation go from here?”
“We’ll keep you informed of everything,” Peter said.
That wasn’t enough. Now it was her turn to ask the questions.
“What’s your next step?” Megan was persistent.
“I’ll drive you home,” he said calmly and we’ll talk more about it in the car.”
Megan was grateful to be going home. She walked out of the police station with Peter, hoping never to go back in there again.