Wednesday, September 24th
Trinity police station, 9 am
It was like a puzzle, and Jason felt he needed some more pieces to fill the last empty spaces.
Before leaving for the police station he called the hospital. They informed him that Alison Lewis had spent a quiet night and now there were some slight signs of improvement. He was glad to hear that and he asked the nurse to call him as soon as Miss Lewis would be able to talk to him.
When he arrived at the police station, the young agent confirmed the appointment with Jill Bennet.
Jason called Hogan to his office.
“David,” he started, " I want to go to Oshawa to talk to the woman who went out with Brown, but I would also like to meet one of the organizers of last week's convention.”
" I sent an agent to check Kilton’s presence. What do you think you can discover?”
“I don't know. That man is too nervous. Someone in the company had contacts with Carlton, and I am sure it was not only Steve. And what did Miss Lewis want to tell the police? What had she seen or heard? Who knew she wanted to come here yesterday, apart from the receptionist? There are still too many questions unanswered and a man in prison, who is almost certainly innocent.”
" And a lawyer who is insisting on his signing a false confession!”
“A lawyer sent by Kilton and connected to Carlton!”
“Yes, Jason. I am starting to think that Kilton is involved. But he has an alibi for the night of Brown’s murder.”
" I intend to start with that alibi! I hope I will be able to find out something in Oshawa! David, please, send an agent to the hospital to stand guard in front of Alison's room. They must not let anyone enter, apart from us and Father Mark.”
“Do you fear for the life of the secretary?”
" The person who attacked her didn't want to scare her. They wanted to kill! And I was struck by the coldness of Kilton when I talked about her. I want to be sure nobody tries to end the job!”
“Ok, I will do it immediately.”
“Thanks, David. By the way, how is your wife? I hope she is better.”
Jason Grant was like this, he never forgot if one of his agents had a problem, that was what Detective Hogan liked about his boss. He was detached and solitary but he respected and cared for his agents and always called them by their first names. One evening, while Jason was coming out of his office he noticed Hogan still at his desk with his face in his hands and a troubled look. He had stopped, sat down next to him and asked if anything was wrong. Hogan had instinctively told him that his wife had been diagnosed with cancer and that she would be operated on soon. Jason had remained with him for a few minutes and tried to comfort and encourage him, and from that evening, he had frequently asked him how his wife was.
“Thanks, Jason. She has finished her therapy and the doctors say she will soon be able to go back to work!” he smiled, thinking of the past months of worry for his wife.
“I am happy to hear this,” Jason said with a smile.
Oshawa convention center, 11 am
While Jason was driving, he kept thinking about the case. The thing he had to clear up was the connection between Carlton and Kilton, if there was a connection.
His thoughts drifted to Miriam, to that evening when she was so sad. At the thought of that young woman, so generous and at the same time so fragile, he felt a wave of tenderness but he reproached himself for going to her. He shouldn’t have, he had to keep her at a distance no matter how much it would cost him, because he had promised himself not to get involved, not to have relationships that his job could put in danger. Better alone than sorry and remorseful, as he was feeling now, that was what he had kept repeating since Monday night, but oh, it was difficult because Miriam was really an intelligent, sensitive woman, a woman who could understand him and his feelings… and he could not deny that he often thought of her and had started to feel something for her. No, too much suffering, too much remorse! Maybe in a few months, maybe later, when that criminal, that bastard, would be finally caught.
He arrived at the site of the convention in Oshawa and he asked to talk to the organizers. They introduced him to Mr Martin.
“Hello, Detective Grant!” the man said and led him to his office where he invited him to sit down. “I have already talked to an agent who asked me whether Mr Brian Kilton was here last Thursday at the convention!”
“Yes, I know,” answered Jason, “but I wanted to know whether a person could come and go from the convention at will.”
“In other words, Mr Grant, you are asking me if I can be sure that Mr Kilton was here from the beginning of the convention at six p.m. to the closing time at around nine-thirty p.m. Am I wrong?”
“No,” said Jason smiling, “you are not wrong, that is exactly what I am asking you!”
“OK, let me see,” Mr Martin picked up a folder from his desk and consulted the program of the convention once again. “ From six to seven-thirty p.m. we had informative meetings about cars and the situation of car sales in Canada with experts and Mr Kilton was certainly present because he signed his admission into the lecture hall. After seven-thirty p.m. the car dealers just looked around the showrooms and talked to each other, and in this time lapse, it is really difficult for anyone to say whether a person went somewhere else. At closing time, after nine-fifteen p.m., Kilton was certainly here because he spoke to me while we were leaving.”
“Thanks, Mr Martin, you were very precise. So, no one can say that Kilton was here between seven-thirty p.m., and let’s say, around nine-fifteen p.m., am I right?”
“Yes, that’s right. I am sorry but the agent just asked me if Mr Kilton was at the convention and not if we can be sure he was here from the beginning to the end.”
“Don’t worry,” said Jason, “thanks for your help, Mr Martin, I will need a list of the participants in the convention.”
“I will print it out for you if you wait a minute.” He went to the computer on his desk, and after a few minutes, the printer on the little table in the corner started to work. Mr Martin took four sheets of paper and handed them to Jason.
“Thanks, Mr Martin. Have a nice day!”
With these words, Jason left. One piece of the puzzle had been found and fit perfectly in the pattern.
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Oshawa, Jill Bennet’s home, 12:30 pm
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Jill Bennet was decidedly agitated that morning at work in the hairdresser salon, even if she tried not to show her nervousness to her clients or her boss. She looked forward to meeting that Detective, she didn’t remember the name the agent on the phone had told her, but at the same time, she was afraid. Wouldn’t it have been better for her to just say she didn’t know Steve so well and leave it at that?
But Steve was a good man, he had been so kind to her, he really wanted to make her happy, and since the police had found her number (she didn’t know how or where!), she just had to say what she knew. Maybe the investigators had already found out what she was going to tell them, maybe it was not so important, but she simply felt she had to talk to someone.
At noon she went to the bar opposite the salon to eat something, even if she was not hungry at all. Then she went back home to wait for the detective.
Detective Grant was famous for his punctuality and he arrived at precisely twelve-thirty p.m. He rang the bell and the young woman let him in. His aspect of seeming like a severe policeman didn’t at first help to make her feel at ease, but then she reflected that she had nothing to hide, hadn’t done anything wrong, had just fallen in love, or just been attracted to a man who was so courteous and kind, but unfortunately, was weak and hadn’t been able, despite all his promises, to change his life and his habits.
When they were sitting in the tiny living room, Jason began, “Thanks, Miss Bennet, for agreeing to talk to me,” he said in a kind tone because he perceived that the young woman was nervous. “How long had you known Mr Brown?”
The woman’s eyes filled with tears at the name of Steve, but she recovered before answering in a firm voice, which, nevertheless, betrayed her emotion, “We had been seeing each other for a few months. We met for the first time last May. Then he contacted me after a few days and we started to go out together. We just went to the cinema or to walk at the lake, and once or twice, we went to Toronto. He started to talk about himself and I noticed that he had some habits I didn’t like. He received phone calls that left him upset, once, I even overheard some menacing calls. I started to be afraid and I asked him to stop meeting that kind of people. I even threatened to leave him if he didn’t change his life. Once, I even went to that Trucker diner, that horrible place, to stop him before he entered because I knew that that was the place where he lost a lot of money, but he didn’t listen to me, or maybe he didn’t want me to stay with those people, he wanted to protect me.”
“Did he mention any name in particular? Did he say anything about who was threatening him?” Jason asked.
“He was afraid of someone. I can’t remember his name.”
“Was the name Bill Carlton , by any chance?”
“That was one of the names of the people who called him, but one day, he was really frightened and also sad because his boss had asked him to do something he didn’t want to do. Something that involved that workmate of his, he introduced me to him… Andy, the man you arrested!”
“Was the boss a man named Kilton?”
“Yes, that’s the name. He was more afraid of him than of the other bad guys who used to call him. Maybe because he was his boss and he had done something wrong, I don’t know. But that colleague, Andy, was such a good person, I can’t believe he could be mixed up in anything dishonest. Oh, I am sorry but I can’t tell you anything more. I was trying to convince him to change his way of living, but I believe that it was too difficult. Oh, I am so sorry for Steve because, you see, he was a good man, he just had met the wrong people and he didn’t know how to make things right…” her voice trailed off while she tried to look away so as not to show the detective that tears were coming to her eyes.
Jason said calmly and gently, “Miss Bennet, what happened was not your fault, I can assure you. You were very kind to talk to me today and you have helped me a lot, you know! I am sorry you lost your boyfriend, but, believe me, you did everything you could to save him.”
He stood up and put a hand on Jill’s shoulder. “Thanks again, Miss Bennet, we hope to be able to arrest the murderer soon!”
She stood up and her fear of the detective had partially disappeared now, she felt she had done the right thing by talking to the police and she felt relieved.
“Thanks, Detective, you have been very kind.”
Jason left and drove back to Trinity. Another piece of the puzzle but still many questions to answer.
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Trinity, Don Bosco High School, 3:30 pm
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Miriam was happy when she noticed that Meg was present at her lesson, even if she still saw concern and strain on her face. It was apparent that she was doing her best to follow her teacher’s explanation, but when she distractedly looked out of the window, Miriam could feel she was thinking of her dad. Meg was lucky because her schoolmates were very kind-hearted and certainly they were trying to support her. In fact, this was Miriam’s best class, both for the results and for the atmosphere, which made lessons so pleasant and profitable. It was a pleasure to teach these young teenagers who were so eager to learn and so interested in the Italian language and culture.
On the other hand, Miriam was dismayed when she saw that Louise was not in class. She had asked to talk to her after the lesson. What could have happened to her? She was Kilton’s daughter, Miriam reflected, and she imagined the stress she had gone through in the last few days, with a murder, an aggression in her dad’s company, and further, her best friend’s father in prison.
When the lesson finished, Meg approached her. Her face was still very pale but she was doing her best to smile.
“Meg, how are you and your mum?” Miriam asked while she was putting her books in her bag.
“We are fine, Miss Busati, but now I am worried about Louise too. She told me yesterday that she would be in class today. When I saw she was not at the Maths lesson, I called her. She sounded really strange. She told me she was not feeling well and that she would not come for a few days. I sensed she wanted to tell me something more but she abruptly stopped and ended the call. I thought we had been disconnected for some reason because she has never ended a call like that. I tried to call her back but she has not answered so far.” There was anguish in Meg’s voice, and for a moment, Miriam thought that Louise’s behaviour was selfish or at least incomprehensible, considering that Meg needed support and comfort, especially from her best friend.
“Meg, let’s go somewhere where we can talk without being disturbed.” Miriam led Meg to the smallest meeting room on the ground floor used for conversations with parents. Miriam closed the door and sat on a chair, while Meg put down her bag and sat next to her teacher.
“Meg, Louise asked me last Sunday if she could talk to me after the lesson on Monday. She looked worried but I thought it was about you and your situation. Maybe she was worried about the whole situation since her dad is the manager of the company where the murder took place. On Monday she was not in class, but today? Why not come to school? And why end your call that way? There is something wrong. I want to try to call her, but before doing it, how is your dad?" She didn’t want to say that she had talked to Jason, so she lied, “Father Mark has told me that he has not signed his confession yet. That is a good thing, isn’t it?”
Meg sighed and Miriam could see that, even if the girl was trying to be courageous and support her family, she was really tired and she would have needed a little relief from her constant concerns.
“Yes, my dad has not signed but tomorrow the lawyer will be back, and…” her eyes filled with tears, “what shall we do? The detective told my mum that he would call us before tomorrow afternoon and to trust him, but we haven’t heard from him yet and we are getting worried.”
“If the detective promised to call you, he will surely do so, don’t worry. Maybe he is reaching the conclusion of his investigation and he is waiting to call you so that he can give you good news. Unfortunately, in the meantime, the secretary of your dad’s company has been attacked and this must have complicated things. Now, let’s try to call Louise, OK?”
Meg gave Miriam Louise’s mobile phone number and Miriam dialled it after saving it in her contacts. After a few rings, a voice that was more of a whisper answered, “Who’s speaking?”
“Louise, it’s Miss Busati, your Italian teacher. I am here with Meg and we are worried. Can I help you?”
The line was abruptly disconnected. Now Miriam was really worried because something was definitely wrong with Louise.
She immediately dialled Jason’s number, but, after a few rings, it went to voicemail. She preferred not to leave a message.
“Meg, now go home and don’t worry. I will try to call Detective Grant later and I am going to talk to Father Mark before going home. When is the lawyer’s appointment with your dad tomorrow?”
“It is at four p.m. My mum and I will be there so that we can be present and support him.”
“I am sure that before that time you will receive news from the detective, OK? Come on, just a little more patience and everything will be cleared, I am certain!” She tried to sound encouraging, but she was really anxious.
Meg left, and Miriam knocked on the door of Father Mark’s study. He did not answer, and Mrs Dawson told Miriam that he had gone to the hospital to visit Miss Lewis.
Miriam went home and tried to concentrate on the correction of her students’ homework but her mind and her heart were with those two young girls who were certainly going through a predicament that was maybe beyond their strength and endurance.
She tried once more to call Jason, but without success. Had she gone too far when she had shown him her sadness? She suspected that he didn’t answer because he wanted to discourage her from contacting him because the first time he had immediately answered.
She waited anxiously for the return of Father Mark from the hospital so that she could call him. She was feeling that she had to do something for Meg and Louise.
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Trinity police station, 4 pm
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Jason went back from Oshawa to his office at the police station. He immediately summoned Detective Hogan and gave him the list Mr Martin had handed him.
“Please, David, check the people on this list. They are the participants of the convention in Oshawa where Kilton was last Thursday. Ask everyone if they remember having talked to Kilton between seven-thirty and nine-fifteen p.m. and if they remember the time of the conversation.”
“Is there anything new in the case, Jason?”
“There are two things I am sure about. Cooper is not the murderer and can’t have attacked Miss Lewis, Bill Carlton is not responsible for the attack, because he was being shadowed. But…” he added after a pause, “I am discovering something about Kilton that I definitely don’t like. It’s still early to point a finger at him, but let’s investigate that side of the matter, OK? I would also like to find out if there is any connection between Carlton and Kilton. Do you still have those withdrawal documents with Cooper’s signature?”
“Yes, Jason.”
“I would like the signature to be examined by a handwriting expert. I would like you to take a sample of Brown’s and Kilton’s handwriting and have the expert compare them.”
“OK, Jason. This should not be difficult. We have some papers written by Brown that were in his desk drawer and on a few of them there is Kilton’s signature. I will do what you have asked immediately. By the way, Carlton is still being shadowed, but so far, he has just been in his garage all day!”
“Now I want to go back to Kilton’s company. I have some questions for the receptionist who seemed quite cooperative yesterday!”
Jason stood up and left. Detective Hogan looked at him going away, and before closing the door of Grant’s office, he looked at the beautiful smiling girl in the frame on Jason’s desk. He knew who she was and what had happened to her but he had never dared to say anything to Jason because he had noticed that the detective frequently looked at the picture with sweetness and sadness in his eyes. ‘How can a person survive a similar tragedy?’ David thought while he was closing the door.
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Kilton Motor Company, 5 pm
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Jason parked his unmarked car in the customer car park of Kilton Company. He knew that Brian Kilton usually left his office at about five p.m. When he saw the dark car with Kilton on board turning around the corner from the garage, he got out of his car and entered the building. Luckily, the receptionist was still there and immediately smiled at him.
“Detective, I am sorry but Mr Kilton has just left,” she said kindly.
“Actually, I wanted to talk to you. Have you got a moment for me?”
The receptionist looked around to see if somebody needed her assistance but it was a quiet moment in the showroom, so she opened the door of the back office where she had talked to Jason the day before and she let him enter before closing the door. She was not nervous; maybe the absence of Kilton put all the employees more at ease.
Detective Grant took out his mobile phone and showed her a photo of Bill Carlton . “Have you ever seen this man?”
“Yes, sir, he came here more than once, but he never went up to the offices. He waited here in the showroom and he generally talked to Brown.”
“Just to Brown?” the detective asked.
“No, of course, he often spoke to Kilton too.” She noticed the surprised reaction of the detective and quickly added, “I thought he was a customer or a supplier but I often wondered why he didn’t go upstairs to the office, even if I sometimes invited him to do so.”
Jason put the phone back into his pocket and simply said with a smile, “Thanks, Miss Stevenson. You were very kind.”
And he left.. One more piece of the puzzle, one he had been looking for!
While he was driving back to the office his phone rang. He had also missed a call from earlier while he was arriving at the Kilton Motor Company. It was Miriam. ‘No,’ he told himself, ‘it is better to stay away from her… maybe later… maybe later.’ He let the phone ring without answering.
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Miriam's home, 6:30 pm
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Miriam called Father Mark later in the evening. He immediately answered and told her that Miss Lewis was slowly recovering and the doctors were optimistic. He listened with apprehension to Miriam’s account of the events of the afternoon. He said that he would call Louise first thing the next morning but Miriam could feel that he was really worried. She didn’t mention her useless attempts to call Jason and he didn’t mention the detective.
After a few minutes, they ended the call, both feeling that the following day would be crucial for the destiny of the people involved in the case.
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and then Add to home screen.