Chapter 22:

„Señora Tejar – what a pleasure to finally meet you."

Beth didn't make a single sound and there was no sign of any reaction, any emotion on her face. But it didn't take much of any imagination to understand what she was feeling. However she wouldn't give in – she wouldn't show any feelings to these murderers she was facing right now.

The man was arrogant, though he was as polite as Beth had described him, at the very same time. But still – addressing her openly like this, which clearly told them not only had he known about her investigation, but had been hiding from her. His polite greeting let them know that he didn't seem to feel like he had done anything wrong, although Elizabeth had come up with tons of evidence which proved him wrong.

„I assume you knew about Miss Tejar's assignment to find you and bring you back to your homecountry?"

Jack started his questioning. But the Chilean seemed to feel comfortable and not like he was in danger of being accused with any crime. He was self-confident and that was his very grave mistake. He did – obviously – not know about Elizabeth's evidence, otherwise he would've reacted to her presence in another way – in a less memorizing way.

„Yes, I have been informed about it."

„You don't seem too nervous."

A smile appeared on the older man's face – a reaction which couldn't have stated any more clearly that this man didn't care about their questioning. He felt safe – believing that there was no way for them to get to him.

„Because there is nothing to worry about. With all due respect to Mrs. Tejar and meaning no offence to her – but her accuse is ridiculous. There has never been any such crime commited by any of us."

The audacity that sprung from his words was sheer overwhelming. Everyone present in this room knew that he was lying, but he didn't even seem to have a problem with that, he wasn't even nervous. Elizabeth however had a much harder time to stay calm. There she was, sitting opposite of the murderer she had been searching for, for the past two and a half years and he had the nerve to openly lie to her, wearing a goddamn smile on his face while she had tons of proof for his crimes

She would show him, that he very well was a criminal and very well was in danger of finally beign sentenced. She skipped through her file, searching for the copy of a certain document, the protocol of an interrogation on a young Chilean politician of the opposite party – describing rather detailed how they had tried to gather information. A document being signed by Cristobal Adamén.

She put it down on the table, pushing it to the elder Chilean and tapping to the signature on the piece of paper.

„Isn't that your signature?"

„It seems like it is."

He still was not even close to losing his composure. She had just vehemently tried to get him into a defensive position and he still was smiling at her innocently. This guy would've made a damn good poker player. And he even managed to have Elizabeth move her temper on him.

„What is this document saying?"

„This document tells about the interrogation of a young Chilean male, it tells about how he has been brutally tortured for the gathering of information, how he had to suffer for days, how he pleaded for mercy and beseeching to finally be allowed to die. That's what it says – and you signed it."

„No, I did not."

„How do you explain your signature on that piece of paper then?"

„I cannot, but I assure you, I never signed any such document."

The interview started to get out of hand – the Chilean male had managed to keep control and at the very same time had managed to agitate Beth with only a few words. They were in need to win back the upper hand on this conversation and find some evidence, some question this guy couldn't denie. Some way to get to him that would finally cause some other reaction than the calm smile on his face.

"Mr. Adamén, where have you been for the weekend?"

"I'm sorry. What's that got to do with Mrs. Tejar's previous question?"

This man knew how to handle an interrogation, he was not intimidated by the sudden change of theme, he even tried to still keep the turn of it under control. But Jack wasn't willing to let this happen, he would not have himself tricked into explaining, wasting precious time. Time, which gave Cristobal Adamén the chance to find an excuse, a lie to answer the question.

"Nothing. Would you just answer the question?"

"Of course. I have been with Mr. de Vierra."

"For the whole weekend?"

"For the whole weekend, yes."

"What did you do?"

"Pardon me?"

"It's a simple question – what have you two been doing? It's just two days ago, you might remember."

"Nothing in particular."

Elizabeth reacted without any warning and without giving Jack any chance to prevent her from doing it.

"What about torturing people to death? Hasn't that been part of your weekend activity?"

If they had been alone he would have cursed at her now. She was dedicated – that was out of question – but she had no interrogation skills after all. She had just openly accused this man of a crime they had no proof about – not even the slightest evidence – that he had actually commited it.

Of course all the people inside this room knew perfectly that Adamén and de Vierra were responsible for Danny's condition and that Adamén was lying to them, but they simply couldn't prove it. Not as long as Danny was in a state where he wouldn't be able to testify against them. Beth couldn't just come up with an accuse like that, not for now.

"How dare you even ask me such a question! This isn't ridiculous any more, it's insane. You are insane, Mrs. Tejar! I am a respectable man, a man of honor – I don't walk around killing people. I never in my life killed anyone. I never in my life hurt anyone. I never even lay a hand on anyone. I have no idea what you are talking about, I haven't done anything wrong. You have no right to accuse me like that, no right after all."

Unfortunatelly he was right – with both his statements. They had neither a right to accuse him, nor had he ever killed or hurt anyone – not physically. He had always been the power behind these torments and killings, but he never had gotten his own hands dirty, he was too smart for that. He hadn't even been lying with his words.

Elizabeth had taken this one step too far and now there was no longer a basis for a futile questioning. But still there was a glimpse of light in the darkness. Elizabeth had the evidence, it was indenieable and there would be a trial. The Chileans would be held accounted for and brought to justice for what had happened twenty years ago.

Just that there was no way of punishing them for the crime they had commited that very weekend, the crime which had left Danny in a hospital, fighting for his life right now – in a desperate fight as Dr. Collins had clearly put it. It was frustrating, but for the moment they had no other chance but to wait for a change of situation, a change to the better – when they would actually have some proof. A situation in which Danny would have survived his injuries – willing and able to testify.

„I'm sorry, Mr. Adamén, would you excuse us for a minute?"

„Of course."

Elizabeth seemed deeply unwilling to leave the room, leave the two assailants to themselves, but she knew this wasn't her turf and she had to play by the rules and that rules meant for her to do what she was told. She also knew she had messed this up, she had lost her temper and had not been able to control her emotions.

She knew this whole situation – Jack's reaction – was about her attack on Adamén. She was willing to defend herself for the way she had reacted, for she hadn't been wrong. She had been emotional, but she perfectly knew the man was responsible... The two of them left the investigation room and she was immediately confronted with what she had said just minutes ago.

„If you were one of my agents we would be having a very serious problem right now! What the hell were you thinking you were doing right there? Why did you ask him that?"

„I'm not going to apologize."

„You messed this up, Elizabeth. He won't tell us anything and apart from that – due to your emotional outburst – he is also informed about what we know. That was wrong."

„It was right!"

„It was stupid – that's all it was. You have absolutely no proof for what you just accused him with. I know you were right, we both know and he knows, too. But we can't ban this on him as long as we have no proof - and we don't."

Fighting with her wouldn't help it – they were both too fixed on their points of view to find a common basis and handle their difficulties. He tried to calm down, searching for a less aggressive way to explain to her why he was angry with her. He hadn't meant to blame her – he simply wanted her to understand.

„You have a good heart and good intentions, Elizabeth, but that alone isn't enough. You shouldn't have attacked him like that – he's too clever to give in to something like that."

„This isn't right."

„I know this. But there will be a trial – on basis of your evidence. They can't get away this time, they will be sentenced – maybe not for this crime, but for the one's you have been investigating. There will be justice."

„I hope so, I really do."