Saturday, September 20th
Trinity, Don Bosco High School, 10:30 am
Father Mark had come back from Meg’s home the previous day more and more worried about the situation. He knew that Jason did not like to discuss his investigation especially at the beginning, but he needed to talk to him and he needed to talk to Miriam Busati too.
He picked up the phone and dialled Jason’s number. He knew it by heart as he had called the detective so many times. He had met Jason for the first time in Toronto when he lived in the Salesian Community there. Jason attended Salesian High School and he was a brilliant student and a pleasant guy, so different from the Jason Grant people in Trinity had met. But life can harden you, especially when tragedy strikes! Jason had not changed in his devotion to his job, in his commitment to people in need and in his struggle for justice. He had just moved away from the company of other people, becoming introverted and solitary. Mark knew that he was afraid of growing fond of someone, because he believed that he could put the life of his friends and dear ones in danger, as it had happened so tragically a few years before. But Mark prayed that, one day, something or someone would find a way to soothe his pain and his remorse.
As usual, Jason answered almost immediately, “Hi Mark, how are you?” He always asked immediately how the priest was because a short time before the priest had had heart problems and he had to be careful.
“I’m OK, Jason. I know you are at the beginning of an investigation and I don’t want to intrude, but I talked to Meg, Cooper’s daughter, and her mum yesterday and I am worried about them.”
“Mr Kilton told me yesterday that he has consented to send a lawyer to the prison to talk to Andy,” Jason said. “The attorney has criticized him for talking to me the night of the murder and he has asked to be present whenever I talk to him. I am worried too because, even if Andy was frightened, he told me his story and he seemed sincere to me. I tried to talk to Andy’s wife and daughter this morning but they were very reluctant to talk to me. They were clearly frightened and maybe they had been advised by the lawyer not to talk to the police.”
“Jason, is it true you have found evidence of Andy’s involvement in the irregularities in the company?” he couldn’t force himself to say the word “embezzlement” connected to Andy, whom he considered the most honest person he had ever met.
“I am sorry, Mark, but we have found two envelopes with money in the drawer of his desk in his office and some documents for the withdrawal of the money signed by him. Being the auditor of the company, he had access to bank accounts. The day before yesterday, he told me that HE had discovered irregularities and that Brown had called him and Brown’s call was confirmed by Cooper’s wife and daughter. There is something that I still don’t understand.”
“I am sure that Andy has not embezzled money and has not signed those documents. Someone is trying to frame him, but who?” The question was more to himself than to Jason. “His wife and daughter are frightened and they say that the lawyer is trying to convince him to declare himself guilty. This would be a great mistake! Jason, can’t you talk to him once more?”
“The lawyer won’t let me talk to him alone, but if you go, Mark, you will be allowed to talk to him privately and maybe you can convince him. If he is not guilty, it is a terrible mistake to confess to a murder he didn’t commit, which will make it more difficult for me to find the truth!”
“I certainly agree with you, but what worries me is that Meg came to me yesterday sure her dad was innocent but when I drove her home to talk to her mum, they were starting to believe what that lawyer was saying. I am sure that, if the lawyer is able to convince Meg and her mum, he will convince Andy more easily.”
“I know and I promise I will do everything I can to find out the truth even if he declares himself guilty. But if you have difficulty talking to Cooper’s wife and daughter, who can?”
“I want to talk to Meg’s Italian teacher. You know that we have a new Italian language teacher who arrived a few weeks ago from Padua. She has already impressed her young students and Meg asked to talk to her yesterday after she visited her dad in prison. Miss Busati is a talented teacher and she is wonderful at gaining the trust and admiration of her teenage pupils. She said she was ready to help and I want to ask her to talk to Meg and her mum. Maybe she can convince them to support their dear one’s innocence.”
“I think Cooper’s family will need support and comfort, and if this teacher is so good at talking to people and putting them at ease, ask her!”
“Thanks, Jason, see you tomorrow after the mass as usual, OK?”
“OK, see you tomorrow then!”
Trinity police station, 10:45 am
Jason saw that his detective, David Hogan, was politely waiting for him to end the phone call. He opened the door of his office and let him enter.
He had asked David to investigate the life of the victim and he was eager to learn what he had discovered:
“Hi, Jason. I can say that our victim was certainly not an angel. He spent his free time in that diner on the motorway…” he looked at his notes because he didn’t remember the name of the place, “…Trucker. It is a place for gamblers and prostitutes that our colleagues in that part of the town know very well. They have made raids, closed it down for a while, arrested some drug dealers but they always succeed in opening it up again.”
“I think I have heard of it. Was Brown a gambler? Did he owe money to someone?”
“Yes, he was always in debt and you won’t believe who one of the bad guys is who he owed money to?” Jason looked at him waiting for an answer.
“One of our old ‘acquaintances,’Bill Carlton!”
Jason looked at him disbelievingly. “You mean Bill Carlton, the one who owns a garage not far from Kilton Motor Company? But that guy is a gangster. He has been arrested… how many times I don’t remember, but he has been arrested for violence, drug dealing, riots…”
David Hogan knew Bill Carlton very well, one of his best agents had been wounded by Carlton, luckily, not seriously. Carlton had spent some time in prison and he had been released more than a year ago.
“Yes, that Bill Carlton. I have already sent for him but his workmate at the garage said he will come back next Monday morning as he is out of town ‘on business.’. I have already asked him when he left and he said that he left last night, so he was in Trinity on the night of the murder.”
“Be sure to pick him up at the garage and bring him in for questioning first thing on Monday morning. I want to hear what he has to say…”
Jason was convinced that, if Brown had associated with people like Carlton, the investigation would be much more complicated than he had thought.
He decided that it was time for him to go to the Trucker and talk to a few people there.
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Trinity, Alison Lewis's home, 2 pm
Alison Lewis should have enjoyed her Saturday as usual. She was not at the office and the previous night, after a day dealing with her boss, Mr Kilton, the police and with the phone calls from many people who wanted to know about the murder — journalists, customers and suppliers — she was really tired.
But she was restless and anxious today and she couldn’t concentrate on her usual weekend chores: the shopping, the hairdresser, the cleaning and a relaxing walk on the lake, which was a thing she longed for.
When she learned that the policemen had taken those envelopes from Cooper’s drawer she wanted to say something but then she reflected that she didn’t know anything for sure. Mr Kilton had already been angry with her for talking to the detective and she didn’t want to lose her job. She couldn’t afford to lose her job because she had to pay for the nursing home where her mum was forced to live after the bad stroke she had suffered.
But she was tormented because it’s one thing to say you don’t want to be involved and another to convince yourself that this is the best thing to do, the thing that will allow you to live in peace with your conscience.
She was sure she had seen Steve Brown put those envelopes into Cooper’s drawer and she was sure she had seen Brown in the company parking lot discussing with that disreputable guy, the mechanic, she thought she had heard him call him Bill. Was there any connection between the money, the guy and the envelopes? Should she talk to that Detective who seemed so cold and professional?
Finally, she made up her mind. Next Monday she would talk to Kilton and ask for his opinion about this matter. If Kilton had consented to send Cooper a lawyer so promptly when she had suggested it, it meant that he wanted to help him so he would be interested in her information, wouldn’t he?
Now that she had made a decision, she felt relieved and she could relax and enjoy her walk on the lake and her night at home watching her favourite program on TV.
Trinity, Father Mark’s study, 6:30 pm
Father Mark had tried to call Miriam several times, but she hadn't answered.
After the evening mass, he went back to his study to review some papers. As soon as he closed the door, his phone rang.
“Father Mark, I am so sorry I missed your call. I was at Mrs Driscoll’s, I thought I told you I would meet her today. She gave me precious advice and information about my lessons.” Mrs Driscoll had been the Italian language teacher for almost twenty years at Don Bosco High School and she had just retired. When Miriam had arrived in Canada, she was on a cruise in the Caribbean with her husband, but as soon as she had come back, Father Mark had put her in touch with Miriam and they had agreed to meet today. He was glad Miriam had been able to meet Mrs Driscoll; they were so different but they shared a love for their job and their students and he was sure the old teacher could be a great help to Miriam.
“I am glad you have met. I had forgotten about your visit to Mrs Driscoll. Miriam, I have to talk to you about Meg and her mum and the difficult time they are going through. I am really worried for them.”
Miriam immediately abandoned her enthusiasm for her meeting with the old teacher and for the pleasant afternoon they had spent together, and focused on her young student who was visibly suffering.
“I know that you met Meg’s mum at their home yesterday. How are they? Meg is so attached to her dad and she is such an affectionate young girl, I can only imagine what she is going through.”
“Meg and her mum are very confused. I know that having a lawyer is important when you are accused of a crime, but I believe that that lawyer is not giving them the right advice and he is a little too fast in drawing conclusions, maybe because he doesn’t know Andy Cooper.” Miriam could feel all the anxiety of the priest in his voice which was usually cheerful. Now he spoke fast and nervously, trying to express his emotions and his concern.
“Tell me what I can do for them. Meg’s mum doesn’t know me yet and I don’t want to intrude, but Meg has shown great interest in my lessons, she always stops me to ask questions. I had even promised that I would bring some photos of my hometown and my hikes in the Alps to show her. Maybe I could try to talk to them and understand what worries them. I wouldn’t like them to start believing Meg’s dad is really guilty.”
“That is exactly my fear, Miriam. I talked before lunch with the detective, Jason Grant, and he asked me to go to talk to Andy in prison and try to learn exactly what the lawyer is planning to do. I have called the prison and they have granted me a visit for tomorrow morning, before mass. Jason went to talk to Meg and her mum but they clammed up and were reluctant to talk to him. Jason is very professional and he may seem cold if you don’t know him as I do, so I was thinking, would you mind stopping by after mass tomorrow to talk about this situation,. after I have visited Andy? Then we can decide what is best to do, OK?”
Miriam immediately agreed and promised to be at the ten-thirty mass, also because she had missed the vigil mass that she usually attended. Father Mark asked her how Mrs Driscoll was and he was happy to hear that they had spent an enjoyable afternoon together. He ended his phone call and reflected that Miriam had really soothing qualities, not only on her students but also on a person like him, who had spent the whole day worrying and thinking. How was it that now he felt more serene and peaceful? That young lady was going to be a great help to him, he knew, for sure.
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Motorway between Trinity and Oshawa, the Trucker, 6:45 pm
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Jason drove to the Trucker in the late afternoon. The parking lot in front of the diner was not yet packed with cars as it would be in a few hours. Saturday night was always busy for places like the Trucker. People came to play cards, meet women and discuss their business. People who were certainly not to Jason’s or Father Mark’s liking, but rather, people who lived with activities bordering on the illegal or even overstepping those borders quite often.
Jason had arrived early because he wanted to talk to the owner. He parked his unmarked car and went into the diner. There were just a few people at the bar drinking beer and some people sitting at a table. He went to the bar and a man behind the counter came to him to take his order, but seeing the badge attached to his belt, he retreated immediately. The police were not welcome in places like this.
Jason called him back with a gesture, and reluctantly, the man came nearer.
“Hi, my name is Grant, I am a detective with the police. Are you the manager here?”
“No, if you wait a minute, I will call him for you.”
“Thank you.” Jason said simply.
The man went to the back of the diner, and a few minutes later, a big, burly man came out and approached the policeman. He had dark eyes and long, dark, greasy hair gathered in a short ponytail.
“Hello, my name is Smithson, Carl Smithson, what do you want here?” His tone was far from conciliatory and kind, but Jason was used to this type of person and he didn’t expect a different reaction.
“Hi, I just want to ask you if you have ever seen this man,” he showed him a photo of Brown on his mobile phone.
“Yes, he was a regular customer for some time. I heard he was killed a few days ago! I haven’t seen him for some time now but he was normally here on Friday night with his friends.”
“Can you give me the names of his ‘friends’? Were they always the same?”
“Yes, they usually go to the other room to play cards or billiards and they stay all night until closing time on Friday and Saturday.”
“How many people belong to Brown’s circle of friends?”
“There are four, sometimes five, plus Brown, of course!”
Jason wanted to ask for the names of the people in Brown’s company but he decided to wait until he had spoken to Carlton. Instead, he asked,
“Did you ever see Brown with a woman? Did he have any female friends?”
The man thought for a moment, “No, I don’t think… But wait, a few weeks ago, Brown came in with a beautiful girl, not a girl that we normally see around here, if you understand what I mean!”
“Certainly, how often did you see him with that girl?”
“Only once, but they were arguing and she tried to convince him to leave. Finally, she got angry and left. At first, he looked as if he wanted to follow her, but then he stayed and went to play cards and talk to the other guys as usual.”
“If she left and he stayed, it means they had not come together, I presume.”
“Now that you make me think of it, you are right. They entered together but they were already arguing. Maybe they met in the parking lot.”
“Didn’t you hear a name?”
“No, I didn’t.” Jason thanked him and left. He went to his car and drove back to town.
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Trinity prison, 7 pm
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Andy was led back to his cell after the lawyer had left. He had a sheet of paper in his hands and he looked ten years older than three days before.
When he was back in the cell he looked disbelievingly at the paper. The lawyer had left him a draft of a confession to sign and he had said he would be back next Monday to check it once again before presenting it to the District Attorney.
From what the lawyer had said, there was no possibility of his innocence being proven, because all the evidence was against him. He had been found near the victim with the paper-knife in his hands, two envelopes with money — exactly the amount that was missing in the account books — had been found in his drawer and the withdrawal documents had been signed by him.
The lawyer had insisted that one thing was ‘positive’; there was absolutely no premeditation so the charge would be ‘second-degree murder’ and he could have a relatively light sentence if he declared guilt. This would spare him a trial and his family would not spend months attending long hearings in court. The attorney had particularly stressed the predicament his family would go through if he didn’t admit his guilt. He was so confused, so desperate, so lonely.
But… There was something inside him that wouldn’t accept the idea of declaring himself guilty of a crime he hadn’t committed, not only the murder, but he had never signed those withdrawal documents and he didn’t know anything about the money in those envelopes. There had to be someone who believed in his innocence, there had to be another way! That detective, Jason Grant, seemed to believe him but the lawyer had gotten so angry when he heard that he had talked to him and now he wanted to be present whenever he spoke to him!
The sense of rebellion that was lingering in his mind began to grow but then he saw his wife and daughter terrified and anguished at seeing him in prison, frightened and worried for him. ‘Oh,’ he thought, ‘what shall I do? What is the best way?’ At that moment he started to pray, “God, I have always tried to be a good Christian, help me. You know that I am innocent, you read my conscience and my heart, help me to do what is best for me and my family. Send me someone who can really help me, because I think that only a person who believes I am innocent, can really support me!” The prayer gave him a little comfort, and as exhausted and desperate as he was, he fell asleep.
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and then Add to home screen.