The Caller

Forty-One

Detective Webb took the keys from Dr. Barnes’ hands and unlocked the front door to her two-bedroom house in Mid-City, a very diverse and densely populated neighborhood in Central Los Angeles. The white door with a decorative beveled glass window opened with a slightly eerie creak.

At the end of their interview back at the police station, Webb had told Dr. Barnes that, given the circumstances, all he could really do was take the note and the bracelet to their forensic lab so they could be tested for fingerprints.

‘No offense, Detective,’ she had said, visibly disappointed, ‘but we both know that chances are, they won’t find any prints other than my own. Who goes through this kind of trouble and forgets to wear gloves?’

‘You’d be surprised, Doctor.’

‘Can’t it be tested for DNA?’ she had pushed.

Webb had to do a double-take. ‘Why, Doctor? Do you think that the person who took the bracelet might’ve worn it for a few hours before leaving it on your car?’

He was unsure if his words had come out with a sarcastic tone or not. By the look Dr. Barnes gave him, they had.

‘No, Detective.’ Her tone had matched his. ‘But what if after it was taken from my house, he placed it in his pocket, or in a bag, or anywhere else where the bracelet could’ve come into contact with something else that contained his DNA?’

Webb had looked even more puzzled then. He sincerely doubted that Dr. Barnes had thought her words through properly.

‘You mean DNA transference? Also known as DNA contamination? That’s a defense argument, Doctor, not an incriminating one.’

Webb had been right. Dr. Barnes hadn’t thought this through at all and right then her frustration had threatened to surpass her fear, but she still had one last angle to try.

‘OK, how about my house? How about searching it for fingerprints or DNA? We’ll have a better chance of finding something there, won’t we?’

Webb had looked back at her with “sorry puppy” eyes.

‘I can’t justify putting in a request for a forensic team, Doctor, not even a forensic agent. There was no burglary. Nothing is actually missing because you have the bracelet with you, and you admitted that you haven’t noticed any signs of a break-in. My captain would never sign the request because, technically, no crime has been committed.’

Frustration didn’t surpass her fear, but it certainly equaled it. She had no idea of what to do next. She felt completely exhausted, but the thought of going back to her house alone filled her heart with dread.

Something about Dr. Barnes had struck a chord within Detective Webb. Maybe it had been her charisma. Maybe it had been the sincerity that came across in every word she spoke. He wasn’t sure what it was, but he knew he wanted to help her.

Understandably, she felt too rattled and scared to go back to her empty house. Webb had asked her if there was anywhere else she could go and stay for the night — a friend or a family member’s house, for instance.

The thought had already crossed Dr. Barnes’ mind. She had actually considered calling her sister, Erica, who lived with her boyfriend on the opposite side of town. Maybe she could stay the night, but Dr. Barnes and Erica’s boyfriend had never got along well. She had also thought about her best friend, Nancy Morgan, but in the end she’d decided against calling either of them. What she really wanted was to feel safe in her own home.

Webb could easily see her logic, so given the circumstances he did the best he could do — he offered to follow her home and carefully check her house for her.

The eerie creak that came from her front door would’ve given the dark room beyond it a very sinister feel, if not for the fact that the air inside it carried a delicate aroma of roses and summer berries.

‘The light switch is on the wall to your right,’ she said, standing on her porch just a few paces behind Webb.

For an instant, maybe to make the doctor feel a little more secure, Webb almost unholstered his weapon as he switched on the lights and stepped into Dr. Barnes’ house. His hand did actually move towards his gun, but he paused mid-movement, feeling positively silly.

Dr. Barnes’ living room was relatively spacious, and it had undoubtedly been decorated very much with a woman’s touch. There were fluffy cushions on the sofa, scented candles in candleholders, rugs that made you want to lie down and fall asleep on them, vases filled with roses and sweet alyssum, and the walls... the walls were peach.

Webb walked over to the center of the room and paused by the navy-blue armchair. Despite his skepticism, his eyes circled the room with the utmost attention.

Dr. Barnes stayed by the door.

The detective checked each and every one of the room’s six windows. All locked. He walked back to the front door and checked its lock. No sign of forced entry. Satisfied, he nodded in the direction of the hallway that took them deeper into the house.

‘Everything else is through there?’ he asked.

‘Everything but the kitchen,’ the doctor replied, indicating a door to his right.

‘I’ll have a look in the kitchen first then,’ Webb said, making his way towards it.

Dr. Barnes finally stepped into her living room and closed the door behind her.

The kitchen was compact, with no real hiding space, unless Webb considered the fridge or the cupboard under the sink. He checked them both. No one hiding anywhere.

‘OK,’ he said, ‘let’s have a look at the rest of the house.’

‘Guest bedroom is the first bedroom on the right,’ Dr. Barnes said as they crossed the living room in the direction of the corridor. ‘First door on the left is the bathroom. The door at the end of the hallway is my bedroom.’

Webb checked every room as carefully as he could, including inside wardrobes and behind shower curtains. All clear.

‘OK,’ he said, getting back on to his feet after looking under Dr. Barnes’ bed. That was the last place he had to check. ‘The house is clear, Doctor. There’s no one here.’

She finally stepped into her bedroom and looked back at him with a mixture of gratitude and embarrassment. She felt so mentally tired, she was beginning to doubt her own thoughts.

‘Thank you,’ she said, not knowing what else to say. She was sure that Detective Webb had considered all of this to be a huge waste of time, but she could tell that he was a caring and committed police officer. Back at the station, he could’ve ended their interview within five minutes, but he didn’t and she was sure she knew why.

Webb had read the fear in her eyes. He had noticed the discomfort in her movements and despite what he believed and how busy he was, he still gave her all his attention. He gave her every benefit of the doubt. In a way, he did to her what she did to all her patients — he listened to whatever problem she brought him, regardless of it sounding crazy or not, and he tried his best to help her. The fact that he had accompanied her to her house just so she could feel a little more secure was a clear indication of that.

Webb walked over to the double glass doors that opened on to her backyard. They were securely locked. He then made his way to the large window on the east wall. Also locked. He turned to face Dr. Barnes.

‘All locked, Doctor, but I’ve got to be honest with you. I don’t want to scare you or anything, but your locks aren’t great quality.’ He lifted his hands, already aiming to calm her down. ‘They are fine, please don’t get me wrong, but they can be breached.’

‘You don’t want to scare me with a statement like that?’

Webb’s hands stayed up. ‘It sounds worse than it is. All I’m trying to say is that if you really are concerned for your safety and for the safety of your house, you could consider upgrading your locks.’

‘You said that these could be breached?’ she asked, anxiously.

‘Not by just anyone.’ Webb again tried to calm Dr. Barnes down. ‘One would need the knowledge of how to and the correct tools.’

‘But somebody could’ve done it, right? Somebody could’ve opened one of my windows from the outside, or even one of the doors?’

‘Technically, yes, but then again, with the right knowledge and the correct tools, safes can be breached.’

Dr. Barnes considered Webb’s statement. He was right, she could be overreacting; nonetheless she made a decision right then to upgrade all of her locks, and maybe even get the house alarmed. She nodded back at him.

‘Could I maybe offer you a coffee?’ she asked.

Webb checked his watch. It was late. Too late. He needed to get going.

‘I’d love one, but I do need to get back to the station.’

‘Are you sure?’ she insisted. ‘It will take me just a couple of minutes. I had the coffee at your station. It tasted like it’s been filtered through a dirty diaper.’

Webb laughed. ‘That’s because it probably has. I don’t think anyone really knows who makes that coffee. I don’t think anyone really wants to know.’

Dr. Barnes smiled at him.

Webb checked his watch one more time.

‘How about if I take a rain check on that coffee?’ he asked. ‘How about tomorrow? That way I can check on you again, make sure everything is fine.’

Dr. Barnes’ smile widened as she nodded.

‘Sure. Tomorrow sounds great.’

‘Is six o’clock OK?’

The doctor had the whole day off.

‘Yep. That works for me.’

‘Great,’ Webb said, walking towards the bedroom door. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow then.’

Detective Webb exited Dr. Barnes’ house and jumped into his unmarked police car. As he turned on the engine, he smiled internally. This had been a lot easier than what he’d imagined.