Free And Never See Her Again by Patricia Springer Page B

arguments?" Keefer asked.
    'We argue, but I don't hit her," Franks said quickly without looking at Keefer. "I'll just leave or go out in the backyard and stay until I calm down."
    The investigators then approached the subject of the black Mercury Cougar that Franks had been driving when apprehended by the Special Crimes Unit. Franks stated he and Judy had bought the car sometime the previous year. He claimed he drove the car occasionally, but Judy most frequently drove the vehicle.
    "Ricky, I need to talk to you about your statement. You said you had Opal Jennings in your car on March 26, 1999," McCormick said.
    "No," Franks quickly responded, denying that he had made any statements. "I wasn't telling the truth when I made that statement."
    McCormick reminded Franks that he was the person who took his statement and read it to him again. His head dropping slightly, Franks finally admitted what he had previously stated wasn't true, that he had been confused. He hadn't let Opal in his car. He even denied being in Saginaw until after he had seen the reports of the kidnapping on the news. Franks then claimed that he and Judy had driven to Saginaw, just to see where Opal lived.

    Frustrated but determined to get a clear picture of Franks's knowledge of Opal's disappearance, McCormick again read Franks the statement he had made to Eric Holden.
    "What parts are true and what parts are false?" McCormick questioned.
    "I don't even know my way around Saginaw," Franks claimed. "I haven't been in Saginaw for years, other than to travel through on my way to Indian Creek, where Rodney lives."
    But when pressed by McCormick and Keefer, Franks again admitted to being in Saginaw on March 26, 1999. He claimed to have been looking for a man named Ray, who occasionally employed him for odd jobs. He couldn't recall Ray's last name.
    'What job did you do for Ray that day?" Keefer questioned.
    Franks couldn't remember if Ray had been home, so he wasn't sure if he did any work or not. He continued to deny seeing Opal, but he did admit that he probably went to North Hampshire Street, but only to visit his brother Danny, who also lived on North Hampshire.
    "Ricky, Danny moved off of North Hampshire in December 1998," McCormick stated.
    Franks was unresponsive but appeared anxious, lighting another cigarette and tapping his thumb against the table.
    McCormick pressed on by asking Franks about the possibility that he had been seen talking to Opal. Squirming in his chair, Franks finally admitted that he had seen Opal and two smaller children playing. He claimed Opal had waved at him and asked him to stop. He acknowledged that he did stop and alleged Opal asked him to take her to the store.

    "I knew I would get in trouble because I was on probation. I told Opal that I had to get to my brother's house and that I couldn't take her to the store," Franks stated.
    He asserted that while he was talking to Opal, the other kids were yelling for her to go back in the yard and play with them. He said they were playing with some type of ball.
    "I told her that she needed to get back to playing with the other kids," Franks stated. "Then she started begging me to take her to the store. I think the car door was open while I was talking to Opal. She shook my hand and gave me a hug. Finally I agreed to take her to the store to get her a Coke."
    Franks reported Opal went around to the passenger side of his car and got in.
    "What car were you driving?" McCormick asked.
    "I was driving Judy's black Cougar," Franks responded.
    "What happened next?" McCormick asked, encouraging Franks to go on.
    "I drove her to the store beside the motel on Main Street, I can't remember the name of the store because it's had several different names," Franks began. "I told Opal that she had to hurry because I didn't have time to be waiting around while she was in the store. I waited in the car while Opal got out and went in the store and got a Coke. When she got back in the car, I took her back