The Ferris Wheel Fatality, Part 3

“So, Mr…” she glanced down at the file in front of her. “Roger Barnes.  Care to explain why you were lurking around the scene of a murder in the middle of the night?”

Roger glanced nervously at the camera pointed at him from the corner of the room. “I, uh…could we talk privately? Without the camera on?”

Nicole leaned back in her chair. “Any reason you think I should agree to that?”

He started jiggling his leg. “Listen, I’ll give you everything I know if you just shut the camera off. I’ll explain why once we’re completely alone.”

The detective considered it for a moment, then nodded toward her own reflection. The little red light on the camera switched off.

“Thank you.” Roger leaned forward and lowered his voice. Nicole was forced to lean in as well to hear him. “I was there because I was supposed to meet that guy, Parker. He was gonna give me some documents, something about the computer software on a new communications satellite NASA’s making.”

“And why would a NASA computer engineer give you these documents?” Nicole asked, neglecting to lower her voice.

“Keep your voice down!” he hissed. “One person is already dead because of this, and I’d rather not join him.”

“Alright, alright,” she sighed, dropping to a whisper. “Again, why would he give them to you?”

“I’m a journalist. He said he had information that the world needed to know about; I couldn’t pass up on this opportunity. It could put my name right up there with Woodward and Bernstein in the history books, I figured.”

“Uh huh. And you decided this historical meet-up should take place at a carnival?”

Roger sighed. “It was his idea; I didn’t like it, but he insisted.”

“Do you have these documents, then?”

“No, we were supposed to make the exchange on the Ferris wheel. But by the time I got there, it was already a crime scene.”

Nicole sat back and crossed her arms. “Your story sounds a bit far-fetched, you know,” she said at a normal volume. “You expect me to believe there’s some sort of government conspiracy here? And without any sort of evidence? There were no documents of any kind found at the scene, or anything else that supports your story.”

Roger tugged at his hair, frustrated. “That’s why I need your help,” he pleaded. “I know they’ll trace his phone records back to me, figure out that I was meeting him there. I’ll be the prime suspect, yeah? You gotta help me clear my name. Please. I’m desperate.”

Nicole sighed and left the room.