Thursday, September 25th
Trinity Police Station, 9 am
Jason, as he had done for the past two days, called the hospital to ask about Alison Lewis.
The nurse was really cheerful when she told him that Miss Lewis was much better, she was still under sedation, but the doctors were planning to wake her in the afternoon. Jason thanked her and said that he would visit her that evening to see if she was able to talk.
He was disconnecting the call, when the nurse said:
“Excuse me, Detective, one last thing. You had asked me to tell you if someone called for Miss Lewis. Am I right?”
Jason asked anxiously:
" Who called?”
He knew that Alison didn't have relatives and her mother couldn't call her.
" We received a phone call this morning. A person said she was her cousin.”
“A female voice?”
" Yes, she just asked how Alison was… ”
" Thanks. See you this afternoon!”
He immediately called Agent Hogan and he asked:
“Is there still an agent outside Miss Lewis's hospital room?”
“Yes, Jason. This morning Jeremy went to relieve Bob. Do you want me to call him?”
“Please, tell him not to let anybody into the room. Someone called the hospital this morning. A woman said she was Alison's cousin, but the secretary has no relatives.”
Hogan hurried to call. After a few moments, he came back to tell Grant:
“Jeremy is there. He told me he hasn't seen anybody, but I insisted on his being alert.”
Jason smiled and said:
“Thanks, David!”
Hogan added,
“Jason, I wanted to inform you that we have called almost all the names on the list you gave us yesterday. Nobody remembers having talked to Kilton between seven thirty and nine pm. Someone even recalls having seen him leave after the meetings...” David took a look at the sheet of paper he had in his hand, “Yes, a certain Landon and another man whose name is Bedford told us that they saw Kilton go to his car a little after seven thirty. They said that he was in a hurry.”
“Thanks, David! My puzzle is almost complete! I just need some evidence or maybe just Miss Lewis’s testimony, hoping she has seen something! The nurse has just told me that in the afternoon she will be able to speak!”
Hogan commented:
“Thank God! I have given the withdrawal documents and a sample of Brown’s and Kilton’s handwriting to our expert. I hope he will be able to give me the results tomorrow morning at the latest.”
“Good job! Let's hope that it is the end of the nightmare for Cooper and his family!”
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Trinity, diner on the lake, 12 pm
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Grace was working at the diner that morning, but she felt so agitated she was afraid of doing something wrong. Her hand trembled every time she had to write on her pad and, instinctively, she kept on looking at her watch.
The detective had not called her yet, and even if she knew it was against the diner policy for waitresses, she had kept her mobile phone in the pocket of her apron and she hadn’t turned it off. That call was too important, it didn’t matter if her boss reproached her.
It was almost noon when her phone finally vibrated in the pocket. Luckily, she had just served the last customer and she had a few minutes. She told her workmate she needed to go to the toilet, and she left the dining room. When she could answer, it had stopped ringing but she saw Detective Grant’s ID and she called him back. He answered very quickly.
“Detective, I am so glad to hear you. You remember our appointment with the lawyer, don’t you?”
“Mrs Cooper, good afternoon, I am sorry for not calling earlier but I have been rather busy. Mrs Cooper, your husband must absolutely refuse to sign any confession. I can’t explain right now, but I think I have found the real culprit. Please, tell him not to sign. He must tell the lawyer that he would rather face a trial than sign a confession for what he didn’t do!” Jason’s voice, which was usually calm, was really excited now and Mrs Cooper said immediately, “Don’t worry, Mr Grant. Today I will be there with Meg and we are going to support him. But yesterday he told me that, whatever you would suggest, he was convinced not to sign because he felt it was not fair.”
“Your husband is absolutely right, Mrs Cooper. Be patient for a few hours and I hope I will be able to exonerate him completely!”
Mrs Cooper was glad she was on the phone because she didn’t want the detective to see her crying.
With a choked voice she was just able to say, “Thanks, Detective. Thanks,” and she ended the call because the emotion was overwhelming her. Grant smiled and hoped he would really be able to solve this case soon, especially for Cooper and his family who had suffered so much in the past week.
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Lawyer Williams’s office, 2 pm
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The lawyer, Mr Williams, was expecting a call, not a pleasant call at all.
His phone vibrated and he read a text message, which was far from conciliatory.
“Remember what I have paid you for, Williams. Cooper MUST confess, no matter what you say to convince him. Otherwise, I will ruin you, believe me!”
He had never liked that man, so arrogant, so full of himself, so convinced he could control everything and everyone, but it was true that being his lawyer, he knew a lot and he had endorsed a lot of dealings that were far from legal. So he had a lot to lose if he didn’t do what that man ordered. On the other hand, he had little hope of convincing Cooper to sign, if he had not done it immediately when he was still scared and shocked by what had happened.
Williams sighed, he didn’t reply to the text and prepared himself for a battle with his ‘client’ that was more for his own interest than for the interest of the suspect he was supposed to defend.
While he was preparing to go out, a smirk formed on his face. That arrogant man could ruin him, that was true, but the lawyer knew so many things… Maybe he could use those things to his advantage, after all…
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Don Bosco High School, 3 pm
Father Mark was preparing to go to the hospital. He wanted to be present when Alison woke up after a few days of unconsciousness.
Before leaving, he called Meg:
“Meg, it’s Father Mark.”
“Hi, Father.”
" I wanted to tell you and your mum that I am constantly praying for you. Say hello to your dad for me. I am sure that I will see him soon out of prison.”
" Thanks, Father Mark. Mum told me that Detective Grant called her a few hours ago. She insisted on my dad refusing to sign that confession. He added that he hopes to be able to exonerate dad soon.”
“Don’t worry, Meg. The detective is going to the bottom of this. It will be just a matter of a few hours, I am sure!”
“This morning Miss Busati encouraged me! I promised to call her after our meeting with the lawyer. But… have you heard from Louise? I am worried about her!”
Father Mark couldn't help thinking that Meg was really a generous and affectionate girl. In the middle of her personal tragedy, she worried for her friend.
He answered:
“I called this morning, but her father answered. He said that she has a cough and a fever and she will have to stay at home for a few days. Now I am going to the hospital to visit Miss Lewis, but, before coming back, I want to go to Louise's home to see how she is.”
Meg thanked the priest once again for his support. Father Mark promised to call mother and daughter in the evening and the call ended. Mark took his rosary and his breviary and he left.
Trinity prison, 4:50 pm
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Andy Cooper received his wife and daughter with a smile and embraced Meg with tenderness. He blinked away his tears, which were partly for concern and partly for the great relief of having his family with him. They didn’t talk much while they were waiting for the lawyer. Grace told him what Detective Grant had recommended on the phone but Andy had already decided what to do.
The lawyer arrived punctually at four p.m., he was visibly nervous, and during their whole conversation he kept looking at his phone that was on the table next to him. He looked so terrified that it seemed he was afraid the cell would explode all of a sudden.
He was not pleased to see Andy’s wife and daughter with him but he knew it was useless to protest and he smiled politely. During the conversation, he looked steadily at Andy and avoided the gaze of Grace and Meg.
“Mr Cooper, I hope you have reconsidered your position and this confession,” he took out the paper with the confession from a folder he had laid on the table.
“Mr Williams,” Andy said with respect, “I know you are certainly advising me for what you think is the best and I appreciate your efforts, but I just can’t sign something that is not true. I didn’t kill Steve, I didn’t take that money, and the more I think about it, the more I think that there is a murderer who would never be caught if I declared myself guilty! Even more so after the aggression toward the secretary, Miss Lewis. I am sorry but this is my final decision!” Meg was so proud of her dad, so happy to be there for him, so glad she had a wonderful family and so hopeful everything would be all right soon! She looked at her mum who was smiling for the first time in a week!
The lawyer looked scornfully at Andy and said, “I have already told you that any decision is up to you. I don’t have to tell you once again that you were found next to the body of Brown with a paper-knife in your hand that was the murder weapon, that some envelopes with money were found in your drawer and that you signed the withdrawal documents for that money, you were the auditor, you had access to the bank accounts. This is evidence, Mr Cooper, strong evidence in a court of justice, believe me…” the lawyer knew that all his words were useless now, that if that man wanted him to force Cooper to sign a confession he should have planted more false proof. Now it was too late, he realized that clearly.
“I am sorry, Mr Williams, I won’t take any more of your time uselessly, and if you don’t want to defend me in court, Father Mark has offered to find me another lawyer.”
“Certainly I won’t defend you in court, Mr Cooper. I certainly don’t want to ruin my reputation, defending a person who doesn’t stand any chance!” The lawyer said with a vehemence that, for a moment, took Andy, Grace and Meg aback, because they didn’t believe that a man of the law could show his irritation so plainly.
For a moment, Mr Williams glared at Andy without speaking, then he said, “That is your final word, I imagine!” he turned for the first time to Grace, “ I hoped you could talk some sense into him. You’ll see what you have to face!” turning again towards Andy he added in a scornful tone, “I wish you good luck, Mr Cooper”
But while he was storming out of the room he was sure that the person who was running out of luck was that man he had to call now and not Andy Cooper!
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Maria's home, 4:45 pm
Miriam was waiting anxiously for Meg’s phone call. She wanted to know if everything was OK, if Andy had resisted the insistence of the lawyer. Time passed and Meg had not called yet. She and her mum had certainly gone back home by that time, it was getting late. Miriam took her mobile phone and dialled Meg’s number… no answer… then she dialled the Coopers’ home phone number… no answer. What had happened? Her apprehension increased. She knew that Father Mark was at the hospital because Miss Lewis was better and he wanted to be beside her when she woke up. She decided to take a walk to calm down, then she would try again.
She tried once again to call Jason, but again he did not answer!
She couldn't stand still, so she decided to go for a walk…
The Coopers' home, 5 pm
With a shaking hand, Grace did what she was ordered. She had never liked the manager of the company where her husband worked: Kilton was an arrogant man, always ready to order, scornful and contemptuous.
But what did he want now? He had a gun in his hand. He had arrived at their home shortly after they had come back from the prison. He had said that he wanted to see how they were, but, when Grace had let him in, he had menaced them with a gun, he had forced them to sit on the sofa and he had bound their legs and hands.
He kept on talking: he insulted Andy, saying that he wanted him to sign the confession. He was so nervous and out of control that Grace was afraid he would do something reckless if they did anything that irritated him. Meg was paralyzed with fear and kept looking at her mother with a terrified expression.
Meg’s phone had vibrated in her bag, but Kilton had not even noticed, since the girl could not take it. Then the house phone had rung, but, after a while, silence had once again increased the tension.
Now Kilton gave Grace her mobile phone.
“Now I will tell you once again what I want and I want it quickly. You have to call the prison, ask to talk to your husband and tell him to write and sign a confession. You must tell him that I will kill both of you if he doesn’t. Is everything clear?”
Meg and her mum nodded desperately.
Kilton stood up from the chair and approached Grace. When he was in front of her, he bent and said, “Now, if you promise to behave and not to shout, Mrs Cooper, I unbind your hands, so that you can call, is it clear?”
Grace nodded and Kilton did as he had said. Then he handed her her phone, and said, “Now make that phone call!”
Grace said imploringly, “I don’t have the number of the prison! I have never called the prison!” Kilton seemed to lose his patience and Grace was really scared but then he looked at his mobile for a minute and then said,
“Here it is, I found it on the internet.” He let her see a phone number on his mobile phone and repeated, “Call NOW!”
Grace dialled the number she was given.
“Hello, I am Grace Cooper, Andy Cooper’s wife. I need to talk to my husband. It is urgent!”
She wondered if the person on the other end would perceive her anguish.
She listened to the answer and replied:
“I see. When can I call back?... At 6:30? … All right, thanks.”
When she gave the phone back to Kilton, he said angrily:
“Why at 6:30? Couldn't you insist?”
“He told me that there is a time for visits and phone calls. If I insisted, maybe he understood there was something wrong…”
Grace’s explanation seemed to placate Kilton, who bound the hands of the woman and went to sit on a chair.
Trinity hospital, 5 pm
Alison was gradually waking up and she found herself in a hospital bed. She had a strong headache and she felt confused, but gradually, she started to recall what had happened: the last thing she remembered was that dark figure, a man, who attacked her in her home. Now she looked around her and she saw a priest with a smiling face who was sitting on the chair next to the bed and a doctor and a nurse, watching her from the other side.
The doctor touched her gently on the shoulder and said, “Hello, Miss Lewis! How are you feeling?” He held her wrist to check her pulse for a few seconds.
She realized she had difficulty speaking and she had a heavy bandage around her head.
“I have a headache… But where am I? How long have I been here? Oh, my God, I have to visit my mum and pay…” her voice trailed off because she was starting to feel anxiety and apprehension.
The priest took her hand and caressed it soothingly, he put his breviary on the bedside table and said, looking at her with a comforting smile, “Hello, Alison! I am Father Mark the director of Don Bosco High School and the Catholic Parish Priest here in Trinity. Don’t worry, now you have to recover and then you will think of everything else.” Now she remembered Father Mark but it had been such a long time since she had been to the Sunday mass – The priest went on: “ You have been here since last Monday night but the detective called the nursing home where your mum is staying and he told them what had happened…” he didn’t know that Jason had paid the fee.
Alison looked around once more, trying to focus on what had happened, and at that moment, Jason Grant entered the room, he smiled at Father Mark and he approached the bed. Alison remembered the detective that had spoken to her the day after the murder. Now she was starting to put all her thoughts in order and focus…
The doctor looked at Jason and said, “Just a few minutes. Miss Lewis is still weak and needs to rest!” and he went out of the room, followed by the nurse.
Jason took a chair, sat down between the bed and Father Mark and said kindly, “Miss Lewis, I am glad you are recovering. You were badly hurt last Monday night. I don’t want to disturb you now but I need to know if you remember anything…”
Alison said with an anguished voice, “My God, what day is it today? I had to pay for my mom’s assistance. What can I do now?”
Jason was forced to admit, even if he didn’t want to, “Miss Lewis, don’t worry, I saw the bill at your home and I advanced the money.” Father Mark smiled. This was Jason, this was the Jason he was so fond of, always ready to help, always sympathizing with the people who were suffering.
Jason went on, “I called the nursing home and your mum doesn’t know anything about your attack. Now relax, and when you feel up to it, you will call and talk to your mum to reassure her, OK?” He saw that Alison was visibly comforted by what he was saying.
“Detective, you shouldn’t have paid. I will give you the money back as soon as I can,” she said as tears of gratitude were coming to her eyes.
Jason was deeply moved by this woman, whose first and only thought was her mum and he took her hand.
“Miss Lewis, can you tell me what you remember? Then we will let you rest for a while, OK?”… Miss Lewis tried to concentrate on her last day before her aggression and spoke slowly because she still had difficulties collecting her thoughts. Her account was interrupted by frequent pauses and it was painful to see the effort it cost her to talk.
“On Monday morning I remember talking to Mr Kilton… I told him that I had seen Brown put the two envelopes full of money into the drawer of Andy’s desk… I think it was the day before the murder… He, Mr Kilton, I mean,… he seemed indifferent and he told me that it meant nothing but that, if I wanted to go to the police, I could certainly do so… During lunch break he asked me to prepare some important documents… so I had to stay in the office and I couldn’t go to the police station… I decided to go the following day… In the evening I arrived home… did the same things as usual. I was watching TV when my doorbell rang… instinctively I opened it a bit to see who it was…” her expression reflected the terror she had experienced. “A man seized my arm and jerked the door open… I tried to escape but he hit me…” here she stopped still trembling with fear at the remembrance of the aggression.
She resumed after a few moments, “I am sorry but I didn’t see who it was, a man certainly, but I had not switched on the light in the foyer and it was dark.”
Jason tried not to show his disillusionment at the impossibility of identifying the aggressor, but smiled at the sweet lady who was visibly still confused and said, “Now you have to rest, Miss Lewis, I will come to visit you again tomorrow.”
Father Mark stood up and said gently, “I will come too if it gives you comfort, Alison.”
She answered heartily, “Thanks, Detective Grant for your kindness. Thanks, Father. Yes, I have no relatives and I would like to see you again. Father, I would like you to visit my mum if you can. I don’t go to church but she is very religious and I think hearing what has happened to me from a priest would be more comforting. I am afraid I won’t be able to visit her for some time!”
Father Mark promised to go there the next morning and he left with Jason.
In front of the Coopers' home, 5:30
When she had come back after a short walk, which had not contributed to soothing her growing apprehension, Miriam had waited and waited. She had tried again to call Meg and her mum but she had got no answer.
On an impulse, she decided to go to Meg’s home and reassure herself that they were alright.
She took her car and drove to the Coopers’. In front of the house there was the car she had seen when she had visited mum and daughter the previous Sunday, but there was another dark car, much more expensive than the Coopers'. While she was parking, her phone rang. It was Louise’s number. She answered immediately, “Hi, Louise!”
The voice on the other end was anguished and extremely nervous and she had difficulty at first understanding what she was saying, because what she was hearing was a stream of incoherent words.
“Miss Busati, I am Katie, Louise’s housekeeper, Mr and Mrs Kilton have gone mad. I don’t know what to do. I have tried to call the school, Father Mark and Louise’s uncle but nobody answers… Meg doesn’t answer the phone… She is in danger. Call the detective, please.”
“Miss Katie, please, I can’t understand anything. Try to calm down and explain what is happening. I am in front of Meg’s home. What’s up?”
“Oh, my God! Mrs Kilton has gone to the hospital to kill the secretary, Mr Kilton has gone to do something, I don’t know what, to Meg and her mum because he wants Meg’s dad to sign a confession. Louise is here with me and I am afraid because she is trembling violently, she is in a state of panic, and she says she wants to talk to the police because she has seen everything. Miss Busati, she says she knows who killed Brown… what can I do?”
Miriam said, “Does Mr Kilton have a dark car?”
Katie answered, “Yes, don’t tell me he is there. Oh my God…”
Miriam said, “Stay there with Louise, I will get in touch with the detective or the police. I will let you know…”
Miriam frantically dialled Jason’s number but he didn’t answer.
In front of Trinity hospital, 5:40 pm
Mark heard Jason's mobile phone vibrated in his hand, while they were going along the corridor to the hospital exit. Jason looked at the caller ID and refused the call.
After a few seconds, the priest’s mobile rang.
“Miriam, are you OK? Have you heard from Meg?”
“Mark, I have just heard from Louise’s housekeeper. She is at home with Louise. She said Louise knows who killed Brown. She told me that Mrs Kilton is going to the hospital to kill Miss Lewis and that Mr Kilton wants to force Meg’s dad to sign the confession. He is here at the Coopers’ because his car is parked here. I have tried to talk to Jason but he doesn’t answer. Can you reach him, please?” her voice was upset and she hoped she had explained everything clearly enough. Father Mark looked for a moment at Jason disapprovingly. While Miriam was talking he had put her on speaker and Jason had listened to what she had said. Now Jason said,
“I am here with Mark, Miriam, I am sorry. Where are you now?”
“I am in front of the Coopers’. There is a dark car parked…” the phone call was abruptly interrupted.
Jason called the agent who was in front of Miss Lewis’s room and he said that Kilton’s wife had asked to see Miss Lewis and he had let her in. He ordered him to enter the room immediately. A few moments later, the agent told him that he had arrested Kilton’s wife because she was standing next to the bed with a syringe in her hand.
In the meantime, Jason had called the police station to ask for reinforcements to be sent to the Coopers’ home telling them to check the situation. He tried to call Miriam back but she didn’t answer.
Father Mark gave him Louise’s phone number and Jason called her. Katie answered and repeated what she had told Miriam.
“Katie”, Jason said, " Do you have a car?”
“Yes.”
" Do you know where the Coopers live?”
“Certainly, I have gone there many times to pick up Louise.”
" Drive Louise there, please, and don't worry. Everything will be alright.”
Father Mark went back to his parish and Jason promised to call him as soon as he had news.
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The Coopers' home, 5:45 pm
Miriam was so intent on her conversation on the phone that she had not noticed a man approaching her car with a gun. While she was talking, she saw a gun pointed at her through the car window. She was so scared she didn’t find the energy to cry for help and she just hung up. The man opened the car door and said sarcastically,
“Well, well, here is the famous Italian teacher my daughter loves so much! Come with me and give me that phone.”
Miriam had no other choice but to give him her mobile and get out of the car. The man took her by the arm and led her to the home. When they entered, she saw Meg and her mum sitting on the sofa with their hands and feet bound with a rope. They looked petrified with terror. Miriam was led by this man to sit on the other sofa next to them but the man didn’t bind her. He had a sneer on his face. He turned off Miriam’s phone and threw it on the coffee table. He sat down on a chair he had taken from the kitchen and looked at them for a few moments.
“Now I didn’t want visits, but maybe the teacher will serve my purposes as well.” He looked at her with a dirty look as if he was judging her appearance from head to toe. “Not bad,” he said in the end, “a great improvement from that old teacher Louise had.”
Miriam exchanged a glance with mother and daughter. She would have liked to encourage them, but she had to admit that she was afraid as well.
Kilton said:
“If you had engagements, teacher, I am sorry but we will stay here until Mrs Cooper convinces her husband to sign that damn confession.”
He looked at his watch and added:
“Nobody will be hurt if, in little more than half an hour, Cooper does what I want him to.”
Miriam hoped the police would arrive soon. He smiled at Meg and Grace, hoping to let them know the police were on their way.
In front of the Coopers' home, 6:10 pm
Kilton was so intent on his plan that he didn't realize that some cars had silently gathered around the home. The police officers, instructed by Grant, had kept at a distance from the dining room window.
Armed agents had surrounded the building. Everything was still and there were no sounds coming from inside.
When Grant arrived, they gave him a loudspeaker, but the detective had another plan.
A blue car arrived and Hogan announced:
“Here are Katie and Louise.”
Jason approached the car, opened the passenger door and saw Louise, pale and trembling on the verge of a breakdown. She sobbed uncontrollably.
Katie remained behind the wheel and turned to the detective:
“I am really worried. I am afraid she will have a heart attack.”
Jason bent forward to release Louise’s seatbelt, he squatted down and he said soothingly:
“Louise, take a deep breath. We are here with you, relax, everything will be alright, ok?”
An anguished voice, which seemed to come from afar said, “It’s all my fault! It’s all my fault! I should have gone to the police immediately…” Louise’s voice was broken.
Katie said:
“She keeps on repeating this!”
Jason took her hands, “Louise, it’s not your fault, nothing is your fault, OK? We have already arrested your mum at the hospital! Look at me, Louise!”
WhenLouise slowly raised her eyes, Jason saw a hematoma on her cheek and a swollen eye.
“Who did this?” he asked, even if he already knew the answer.
“Promise me you won’t allow my dad to beat me or even come near me!”
Hogan and Grant exchanged a glance. A father who beat his daughter?
“Louise”, Jason said calmly, " tell me what you know. And remember, nothing is your fault, ok?”
Louise looked at him and took out of her sweatshirt pocket a mobile phone. She gave it to the detective.
“I found this in my dad’s car, under the passenger seat, a few days after the murder…” she had to pause because what she was going to say next would change her life completely. She sighed and added, “The night of the murder I was coming home from the gym, that is behind my father’s company, and I saw him come out of his company garage, wait in his car at the corner until Meg’s dad’s car arrived, wait for a few minutes and then make a phone call. Then he drove away. He didn’t see me but I stopped to watch him because he should have been in Oshawa. The following days I tried to talk to him because I thought maybe there was an explanation, but he got angry, he kept me at home from school and he even beat me… I turned on the mobile phone and there were voice messages full of menaces and threats. I hid the phone. My dad was nervous because he couldn't find it. A couple of days ago, I talked to Meg on the phone and I told her that her dad shouldn't sign the confession. My dad heard me, he got angry and he beat me. He didn't let me go to school…”
She hid her face in her hands and she started to sob.
Jason took her hands in his, he lifted her face and he told her:
“Your father is there,” he pointed at the Coopers' home, " with Meg, her mother and your Italian teacher.”
Meg was starting to cry once again, but Jason told her:
“Now you are the only one who can save the life of your friend…” but Louise was shaking her head and still trembling, even if the warmth of the detective’s hands that were holding hers was beginning to calm her down.
“But what can I do? My dad doesn’t love me, now I know for certain, and he doesn’t want to go to prison, he would do anything to avoid arrest!”
" Do you have your mobile phone?”
Louise took it out of her pocket.
“ I would like you to try to speak to your dad. Would you do that for your friend? For your teacher? You should just divert his attention, so that we can go to rescue Meg, her mum and your teacher.”
Louise's expression became suddenly resolute. She took her mobile phone and said:
" You must promise that, when you arrest him, you won't let him come near me!”
“I promise, he won’t hurt you. I won’t let him do it. And he will pay for what he did to you! You have my word, Louise!”
The Coopers' home, 6:28 pm
That half hour seemed an eternity to Kilton. He knew he was doing something desperate, he was not thinking clearly but one thing was perfectly clear in his mind; he didn’t want to go to prison, he didn’t want to lose all the money and the privileges he had accumulated, in part, honestly, but mostly, dishonestly. When had everything started to go wrong? That Brown, he was the weak link, he should have been thrown out of the company long before, but he was useful, he owed him so much money that he had to do what he was ordered. And that model of honesty, that Cooper… Why do such honest and irreproachable people exist? Why couldn’t he be bought with money? But now it was too late, he had to stay out of prison.
His phone rang just a few minutes before the end of that half-hour. He looked at the ID: his daughter, Louise.
Instinctively he answered, at least he wanted to be sure she had not talked to anyone.
“Louise, what’s the matter now?” he had never really gotten attached to that daughter, always asking for his attention, always so hardworking at school, almost too perfect.
On the other end of the line, a seemingly calm voice answered, “Dad, I want to talk to you. And now you have to listen to me, for the first time in my life!” there was something different in his daughter’s voice, she seemed to have immediately become an adult, there was something compelling, an almost authoritarian tone in her voice that he had never heard. But then he had seldom listened to her. If he had heard the usual childish voice pleading with him to listen to her, he would have hung up, but this time it was different and he didn’t, he couldn’t for some reason.
His daughter continued, “I know you have never loved me, I know you have maybe not wanted me from the first, I have always irritated, angered and disappointed you. And the only thing I really wanted was the love of a family. Mum is in prison now and you are pointing a gun at my best friend. But even if you do something terrible once again, I want you to know that I am here with the police, I have told them everything I know and I have given them the mobile phone I found in your car.” He had searched for that mobile phone for days. Kilton now was really starting to lose his self-confidence.
“I have tried to talk to you many times in the last few days, I had hoped against hope that you would explain and would come clean from this situation, but now I just want you to know that I am ashamed of you, I never want to talk to you again, I am sorry you are my father. So you see, you have no way out. So why kill other people, innocent people like Brown and Mrs Lewis?”
Louise wondered if he was still listening. It was the longest speech she had ever made to her dad without interruptions. She was also surprised by her composure. What she was saying was what she really meant, her longing for the love of her parents was turning into hate.
Kilton couldn’t believe that his daughter was disobeying his orders. But what was she talking about? Love? What could he do? For a moment, he stared in front of him towards the window and turned his back to his three hostages. Miriam saw that he was not looking at them and saw the silhouette of a man, a policeman certainly, in the glass front door. She took the courage to move quickly to the door to open it. When he recovered from his trance, Kilton saw Miriam opening the door, and on a last desperate impulse, he shot in her direction. Miriam felt herself being pushed aside by strong arms and the bullet missed her. Those strong arms belonged to Jason who had approached the house while Louise was talking on the phone. Grant ordered Kilton to raise his arms immediately. Now it was really over. He threw his gun to the floor and an agent, who had entered behind Jason, picked it up and put handcuffs on Kilton, leading him away. Another agent, a woman, came in and went to the sofa to unbind Meg and her mum and to take care of them.
Jason put his gun back in the holster attached to his belt and turned to look at Miriam. She was still in the corner where he had pushed her, terrified. He had saved her life. He put an arm around her shoulders and led her to the sofa next to the one where Meg and her mum were lost in an embrace of love and relief. She sat down and he bent in front of her. He told the female officer to go get a glass of water for her and he took her hands in his.
“Miriam,” he said, not caring if Meg and her mum heard that he called her by her first name, “ I have behaved like a fool and I am really sorry. Are you OK?”
Miriam knew what he was talking about, but she said simply, “You don’t have to apologize, you have just saved my life, Jason, thanks!” What was that strange impulse she was feeling and she was resisting embracing him? “I am alright… just a bit shaken, I think!”
She embraced Meg and Grace and Jason left them for some minutes. The policemen wanted to call a doctor but the three women said they were OK. Then, when Jason was sure they had all recovered from the shock, he offered to drive Miriam home but she said she had her car and she was feeling better now. Jason didn’t insist because he was afraid his emotions would have the upper hand and would make him do or say something he would later regret. Nevertheless, he ordered an officer to drive Miriam home in her car.
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After she had talked to her father, Louise felt a strange sense of relief. She had finally been able to say what had weighed on her heart for a long time.
Jason had been next to her and then he had approached the front door of the Coopers’ home, and after a few minutes and one gunshot, she had seen her father come out handcuffed. She had not felt any sympathy for him, she had just watched him as he got into a police car.
Someone behind her, someone she knew very well, called her name, “Louise!” She turned and saw her Uncle Joseph and his wife, Isabel, next to Father Mark who was smiling at her. She ran into her uncle’s arms and she knew, from that moment, her life would change completely. She didn’t look back, she just wanted to go with her uncle and aunt who had always loved her as their daughter.
She looked gratefully at Father Mark. When he had arrived at the Parish he could not remain calm, he couldn’t even pray. He had looked for the number of Joseph Kilton and he had called him. Joseph had just arrived from Vancouver and the priest had waited for him in front of the church and had guided him to the Coopers’.
For some minutes Louise just enjoyed the embrace and the affection of her aunt and uncle, then she said with a voice choked with emotion, “Uncle Joseph, I am so happy you are here! I am sorry but I had to tell the police what I saw. I know he is your brother…” her voice trailed off. Her uncle embraced her and said, “You have done the right thing, Louise! Now come home with us!” Jason had reached them and said, shaking Uncle Joseph’s hand,
“You can be very proud of your niece, Mr Kilton! She contributed to saving the lives of her friend, Meg, her mum and her Italian teacher.”
Louise asked for permission to say hello to her friend and Jason allowed her to go into the home with her uncle. Miriam was still there too.
While Louise was with Miriam, Meg and her mum, Father Mark took the chance to tell Jason, “We’ll have to talk one of these days, Jason. Why didn’t you answer when Miriam called? Was it the first time? Jason, you could have put her life in great danger by not answering, you know that, don’t you?”
Jason cast his eyes down and said in a low voice, “You are right, Mark. The fact is that…” he stopped and added quickly, “I promise I’ll come to you as soon as I have concluded this investigation. Then you can tell me off as much as you like. I deserve it, I know,” he added with a smile.
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