Lieutenant Bartkowski shoved the disheveled man ahead of him
into the interrogation room and pulled the heavy door shut as he entered. The
metallic clang reverberated coldly against the cinder-block walls. “You and me, we’re going to sit down and have
a little conversation.” He gestured
toward a table and two chairs positioned directly below an overhanging lamp.
“I…I… I’ve got nothing to say,” said Matthew. His fear-wide eyes were set in deep dark circles.
“That’s fine. That’s fine,” said the officer. “We don’t have to talk if you don’t want to. We can sit here all night. I got nothing else planned for the evening.” Lieutenant Bartkowski pulled one of the chairs out and sat down, propped his feet up on the table and leaned backwards. “But…” he said with a calculated heaviness, “you should know that my partner is in the other room with your friend. One of you will tell us what happened. You… Him… It doesn’t matter to me, one way or the other.”
Matthew sat down in the empty chair. “Do I need a lawyer, or something?”
“Lawyer?” Bartkowski snorted. “Only need a lawyer if you’ve done somethin’ you shouldn’t have done. You haven’t done anything stupid, have you, Matthew?”
“I…I… I’ve got nothing to say,” said Matthew. His fear-wide eyes were set in deep dark circles.
“That’s fine. That’s fine,” said the officer. “We don’t have to talk if you don’t want to. We can sit here all night. I got nothing else planned for the evening.” Lieutenant Bartkowski pulled one of the chairs out and sat down, propped his feet up on the table and leaned backwards. “But…” he said with a calculated heaviness, “you should know that my partner is in the other room with your friend. One of you will tell us what happened. You… Him… It doesn’t matter to me, one way or the other.”
Matthew sat down in the empty chair. “Do I need a lawyer, or something?”
“Lawyer?” Bartkowski snorted. “Only need a lawyer if you’ve done somethin’ you shouldn’t have done. You haven’t done anything stupid, have you, Matthew?”
Matthew shook his head.
“Good. Like I said. You can tell me what happened, or your friend can tell my partner. Doesn’t matter to me.”
“What do you want to know?” asked Matthew.
Bartkowski put his feet down on the floor and pulled his chair close to the table. He leaned forward and said, “We found the body of your pal, Judas. He’s dead.” The officer raised his hand to interrupt Matthew, “No. No. You don’t need to make any denials. We know you didn’t do it. We’re looking into these things and we think that you know something about it.”
Just then there was a loud hammering on the door.
Bartkowski stood, “I’m going to step outside for a moment to see what my partner wants. You sit here. When I come back in, maybe you’ll be ready to tell me what you know.” The officer pushed his chair away and exited the interrogation room.
Bartkowski put his feet down on the floor and pulled his chair close to the table. He leaned forward and said, “We found the body of your pal, Judas. He’s dead.” The officer raised his hand to interrupt Matthew, “No. No. You don’t need to make any denials. We know you didn’t do it. We’re looking into these things and we think that you know something about it.”
Just then there was a loud hammering on the door.
Bartkowski stood, “I’m going to step outside for a moment to see what my partner wants. You sit here. When I come back in, maybe you’ll be ready to tell me what you know.” The officer pushed his chair away and exited the interrogation room.
Matthew wiped the sweat from his forehead and muttered, “Damn.
I knew we should have got our story worked out before we left Jerusalem.”
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