Ingrid sat at a small table inside the precinct. Alfred was not able to accompany her since the A_______Restaurant is busy for an event and they needed him as the head waiter.
She tried to calm her nerves. She untied the collar on her peach-colored dress and exhaled a couple of times to release her body tension.
Lyca and Jorge went inside the room to interview her. Jorge sat directly in front of her while Lyca stood nearby just enough for her to hear them.
"Hi, Ingrid. I am Jorge, the officer in charge of this precinct."
"Hello," she replied nervously.
"Ingrid, Uhm, let's talk a bit about the day at the restaurant."
Lyca lit up a cigarette and blew the smoke in the open window. She had not seen or heard from Miles but she expected him to report back at the office this afternoon.
"Okay, just be gentle please." Then she laughed nervously.
"This won't be long Ingrid. There are some stories we are trying to connect and perhaps you can shed light on it ."
"Yes, I can help."
"Can you recall the day a man in a suit came inside the restaurant? It was the thirteenth."
Ingrid looked at the ceiling trying to remember the exact date.
"There are few customers on that day so I do remember some of them. There's a man in Cuban attire with a black bag on hand that came to sit in the restaurant and ordered a cup of coffee. Later, he went inside the comfort room and came back out talking on the phone. I can hear him asking about the money in exchange for some ID and stuff. Then a man came in and join him at a table. I can hear them talk a bit. I asked them if they wanted to order but they said they will call me if they are ready."
"Can you describe the two men?"
"I can't recall exactly their faces but they seem respectable. One in the black suit wears a fedora hat and he carries with him a black bag. The other guy wore Cuban attire with two pockets in front. I do recall the man in the fedora entrusted his bag to the other man because he went inside the comfort room. When I looked back the man in Cuban attire sitting in front of me was already gone. Then the other one with the fedora hat came out of the comfort room carrying another black bag. I'm confused."
"You believe there is an exchange of a bag that happened between the two men?"
Ingrid was fidgety. "It looks that way."
Jorge wrote the details in his notebook.
"Now about the hard drive, Ingrid. Tell me."
Ingrid tried to recall her alibi.
"That night someone called me. I thought it was Gerald. He convinced me that I need to get it for him and bring it to the train station."
"That call was with your cell phone?"
"No. He called me at the restaurant."
"What time?"
"Around 6 in the evening. Gerald left early."
Jorge took a deep breath. He accustomed himself to his seat trying to make sense of what Ingrid is doing.
"Okay, Ingrid. We already checked the phone records going to the restaurant. No call was coursed through that time."
Ingrid just stared at the ceiling away from Jorge's eyes.
"And Gerald did not leave the restaurant until 8 in the evening."
Ingrid fell silent. She looked at Lyca and she can sense her dismay. From the way Ingrid explained things, she doesn't know how to tell a convincing lie that can make this all go away.
Someone barged inside the room. It was one of Jorge's staff.
" Jorge, Dr. Molina is on the line. He said it's very important."
Jorge stood up and went with the assistant.
Inside his office, Jorge answered the emergency call.
"Hello, Jorge. This is Dr. Molina.."
"Yes, Dr. Molina, what can I do for you?"
" I have a problem here in my office. Can you come? "
"What happened?"
"Yesterday, a group of men took every file I have in my office. It's got something to do with your boss, Colonel Riva. I inquired at headquarters but the headquarters denied they sent men to do that. I'm confused. Can you come and check?"
"Yeah, that seems to be a problem, Dr. Molina. We will be there in a minute."
Lyca was left to interrogate Ingrid. She went near Ingrid and buzzed behind her ear.
"Just tell the truth, Ingrid."
But Ingrid was mum and her persistence to not tell the truth showed in her bodily gestures.
Jorge came back in. "Lyca you need to come with me. We can reschedule this some other time. Ingrid sorry, but we will call you back."
Ingrid was left alone in the room. She felt relieved. For now, she was off the hook. She looked around then quietly went outside. She saw Jorge and Lyca getting into the police car and went off fast.
Ingrid sat in front of the precinct and called Alfred on her cellphone. She cried when she heard Alfred's voice.
"It didn't work. I guess I have to tell them the truth."
"Where are you?"
"Still here. But they left for some emergency. I guess they wanted me back some other time."
"I will pick you up. Wait for me."
Moments later Alfred arrived at the precinct driving an old second-hand automobile. He waved at Ingrid.
"Hop in. We are going somewhere." Ingrid looked surprised seeing him inside the car. She climbed on the seat in front.
"Where? " She examined the inside of the car in awe of what's happening.
"Bought this cheap if you are wondering."
"Oh!" Ingrid replied.
"We will pick up Dad at the clinic. "Alfred said.
"How did his treatment go?"
"The doctor texted me and Dad was doing okay."
"That's good to hear."
"Hope he completes the treatment with all the money we've got."
Ingrid nodded her head. "Yes."
Then she asked, "Alfred, did you ever wonder?"
"What?"
"Why would someone pay that much for the hard drive? What is so valuable in the hard drive? Except maybe for some recording of our customer. Why would they exchange it for a watch and lots of money?"
"Frankly, I have been thinking about that too."
Ingrid cupped her mouth with both her palm. "Who are those people? What if we are in danger after we told the authorities about everything?"
Alfred just shrugged it off. "Ah. Let's not talk about danger, Ingrid. I consider this as God's blessing."
Ingrid took a deep breath. "Ah, alright, Alfred. I believe you. The police are maybe on our heels. But 'que sera sera'. There's always tomorrow."
"Yes, I agree. There's always tomorrow. For now, let's just visit Dad."
"Yes, Alfred. "