Thursday, April 15th
Rosary Police Station 8:45 am
When John arrived at the Police Station, he went immediately to the first floor. He noticed excitement on the faces of his colleagues, and Neil invited him to watch the large screen on the wall of the office.
The photo of a man appeared: he was certainly younger, with longer hair and a beard, but his features were unmistakably Brian/Luke’s.
Steve said:
“Hello, John. I was just telling Neil that I have found out something more about our hero. He evidently likes changing names.” He pointed at the photo on the screen and went on: “This man’s name was Matt Philips. He disappeared twenty-three years ago, when he was twenty-five, after he had inherited a fortune from his wife. The woman, a certain Evelyn Jones, had died six months after their wedding, falling from the stairs. His father-in-law suspected him, but he had a strong alibi, because he was out with some friends at the time of the accident. He had many witnesses who confirmed his alibi. After receiving the inheritance, he disappeared. Age and times fit with what happened next, and from the photo it is clear that he is the same person.”
John was taken aback by this new discovery, and he commented:
“What kind of man is he?”
Neil sat down on a chair next to Steve, he stretched out his long legs, and he crossed his arms across his chest. After a few moments he said:
“Ok, this man marries rich women for their inheritance, the poor women have strange accidents, and they die mysteriously, leaving him wealthy and ready for a new adventure. But why didn’t the same thing happen with Mrs Murray?”
Bob intervened:
“I think it was because she discovered she was pregnant little more than a month after their wedding.”
Neil nodded, and he reflected:
“Yes, that may be the reason. Then he decided that, since neither his wife nor his father-in-law controlled his money and his movements, he could go on like this.”
Billy asked:
“But Daisy’s mother? She was not rich… Why did he marry her?”
Neil thought for a few moments, and then he said:
“I think that he really fell in love with Grace.” He looked around at the skeptical faces staring at him, and he went on: “I know that real love is not a common expression in his dictionary, but who knows? Maybe he planned to get rid of Olivia and Rachel and remain with Grace and Daisy. That is why he lived almost all the time with them. That’s where he wanted to stay… But he kept secrets from them too, because they didn’t know about his gambling habit and his bonds with men like Kolinsky…”
“And the kidnapping?” John asked.
“He owed money to the gangster, and he thought that, if they kidnapped Rachel, he could force his father-in-law to pay a ransom. They made a mistake, because of the likeness of the two girls, but he didn’t want the police to investigate, because they would have discovered his dealings…”
“Wow!” Bob said, “What an adventurous and dangerous life, always on thin ice… And then Grace died… How does that fit into our story?”
Neil stroked his chin, and he asked John:
“Was an investigation made into the death of Daisy’s mother?”
“Yes, but all the evidence indicated it was an accident. She went out for a walk, she slipped and fell into a small ravine. Unfortunately she was alone, and she was found only the following day. We thought that Luke Brown was at work during the day, but we now know that he had already been fired. Do you think he may have killed Grace? But why if she was the only woman he really loved? The medical examiner said that she had died between 6 and 9 pm, and her husband finished work at 5:30, but Daisy confirmed that he was at home during the evening. Louise had gone to her sister’s in Fredericton for a few days…”
“I have no reason to say he killed her, but I have the impression that Daisy knows something more than the real story of her own kidnapping… Maybe Grace had found out something about her husband’s life. He loved her, but I think Matt/Brian/Luke loves himself and his money more than anyone else…”
He slowly stood up from the chair, and he told John:
“I called Louise this morning. They are waiting for us at home. I am praying to God to find the right words, because it will not be easy to tell them what we have found out about that man…”
He turned to his agents, while he was putting on his jacket, and he said:
“Guys, warn all the police stations. We have to find Luke Brown or whatever his name is, as soon as possible, before anyone gets hurt. I really want to see how he can tell the story of his life… But I have to keep him far from the women he has betrayed and from his father-in-law.”
***
Daisy Brown’s home, 10:15 am
With a heavy heart, Neil and John walked to the front door of Daisy’s home. The girl came to open the door. She was pale and it was evident that she had not slept much recently.
She asked immediately:
“Have you found my father?”
Neil shook his head, he put a hand on the girl’s shoulder, and he let himself in, followed by John. Daisy led them to the living room, where they were surprised to find Anna sitting on the sofa next to a tearful Louise.
Anna said immediately:
“Louise called me this morning. She said that you were coming, and she asked me to be here, but, if you want to talk in private, I can go to the other room…”
Neil sat down on the armchair in front of the sofa, and John took a chair. Neil turned to Anna and said:
“Anna, you can stay here, but, please, what we are going to tell Daisy and Louise must be absolutely confidential, until they decide who and what to tell…” He knew that Anna was very reserved, but he knew that their news would be unsettling… Anna nodded and took Louise’s hand.
Daisy sat down on the ottoman between the armchair and the sofa, and her hands began to tremble uncontrollably.
“What has my father done?” She asked fearfully.
“Daisy,” Neil started, “we haven’t found your father, and we have no idea where he is.” Daisy gave a sigh, and Neil couldn’t understand if it was a sigh of relief or of apprehension. He exchanged a glance with John, and he went on:
“We have investigated the life of your father, Daisy. I don’t think there is a gentle way to say what I have to tell you…” Daisy’s eyes widened, and Neil feared she was going to be sick.
“Your father is not a good person, Daisy.” He started as soothingly as he could. “We have discovered that he was fired from Electroworld three years ago,” Louise gasped, and Anna squeezed her hand tighter, “he is addicted to gambling, and he owes money to powerful men and to a gangster, but we will come to this part later, because I think it is connected to your kidnapping…”
Neil could read anxiety and fear on Daisy’s face, but not surprise… He went on to the most difficult part.
“Daisy, we have proof that your father has another family in St. John…”
Daisy began to shake her head, and a moan escaped her lips: “No, no, no… Not my father… He loves me, he loves me and my mother…” She locked eyes with Neil, and she said with anger: “Why are you telling me this? Why are you saying lies about my dad? Why? Why?” She threw herself against Neil with her fists raised, as if she wanted to beat him, but he took her hands, and he forced her in his arms. She started to sob uncontrollably, pressing her head against the Inspector’s shoulder. Anna didn’t get up from the sofa, because she was holding an arm around her friend’s waist. Louise had got pale, and she was breathing heavily.
Neil and John exchanged a glance, and Neil forced Daisy to sit on his leg, while she was still burying her face against him. John stood up and went to take water from the kitchen. He put a glass in front of Louise and a glass on the ottoman in front of Neil. Neil waited patiently, until the sobs had subsided. Daisy raised watery eyes towards him, and he wiped away tears from her cheeks.
“Daisy, you don’t know how much I hoped I wouldn’t have to come here today to tell you this. The girl who was attacked last Sunday is your father’s daughter from another wife. They didn’t know anything about you, until the girl’s grandfather hired a detective to find out where your father was when he was not with his daughter. He had told them he was a traveling salesman, but it was not true…” He decided not to tell her about the other wife he had had twenty-five years before… What he was saying was too much to accept, without adding any more details…
Louise said through the tears:
“But he was almost always here… How could he have another family?”
John answered:
“That was the problem. The other family scarcely saw him, and so they started to suspect he had something to hide…”
Anna asked:
“How is that poor girl?”
“She is better, but she is still unconscious…” John replied.
Daisy went back to sit on the ottoman and took a sip of water. She was trying hard to control her emotions.
She said in a soft voice:
“It is all my fault! If I had told the truth about the kidnapping… I am sorry, Neil…”
Neil took her hand and said:
“Nothing is your fault, Daisy.” He gently forced her to look at him, and he asked: “Why do you say it is your fault? You have done nothing wrong, neither you and your grandmother nor the other family. You have all been deceived by a man who didn’t deserve your love…”
“But I am sure he loves me… I know he loves me… He can’t have cheated me all the time…” There was still incredulity in her voice, and Neil’s heart went to this poor girl, who had doted on her father and now found out that he was dishonest to say the least.
Louise was slowly absorbing what she had been told. Now she asked:
“But what happened to that girl was an accident, wasn’t it?”
Neil shook his head slowly, and he answered:
“We are waiting for the girl to wake up and tell us what happened, but we are afraid it was not an accident, Louise…”
“Was it my father who hurt her?”
Neil said gently: “We don’t know, but if he contacts you,” he looked from Daisy to Louise, “please call us immediately, ok?”
The two women nodded. Neil took out a few photos from the pocket of his jacket. He showed them to Daisy, and he said:
“Do you recognize any of these men? Look at them carefully. One of them could be your kidnapper…”
Daisy thumbed through the photos slowly, trying to focus on the faces, even if she was still upset, and she was debating within herself whether to tell Neil and John about that conversation she had heard. While she was looking through the photos, Louise asked:
“But they wanted to kidnap the other girl, didn’t they? Is she rich?”
John answered:
“Yes, her family is very wealthy… We think Daisy may have been mistaken for Rachel, because she was in St. John at that time, almost in the same area where Rachel’s family lives…”
Daisy said abruptly: “Rachel! That’s the name they used for me, but I told them that my name was Daisy, and they started to make phone calls…” She took a photo and she said: “This one! This one is the guy who drove me back to the petrol station. Yes, I am sure. Six years have passed but I will never forget those eyes. He looked at me as if it was my fault if I wasn’t the girl they wanted… But why did my father want to hide the truth?” She looked at Neil, and she concluded by herself: “Because if the police had investigated, they would have found out the whole truth… Neil, maybe it’s better not to have a father… Maybe it’s better to grow up like you and Billy… Oh, I am sorry, Neil, I didn’t want…” Tears were rolling down her cheeks, and Neil said:
“I can understand your bitterness, Daisy, and I think Billy would agree with you, because unfortunately he had a father, at least until he was seven years old, and it was not much of an experience, I can assure you…” He smiled, and he didn’t explain further.
Daisy bowed her head, and she said:
“I am sorry, Neil. I didn’t want to offend you or Billy. I can only imagine what it is not to have a family, and I had no right…” Neil was shaking his head dismissively. Daisy turned to Louise and Anna: “ May I talk to Neil and John alone for a few minutes?”
Neil told John:
“Could you call the guys and tell them to call in Kolinsky this afternoon, if it is possible?”
John went out on the porch, Louise accompanied Anna to the door. Anna turned to Neil and said:
“Don’t worry, Neil. I won’t say anything about what I heard here…” Neil nodded and smiled, and Anna turned to Daisy: “Don’t worry, if you don’t feel like coming to the Trattoria today…”
Daisy shook her head and said: “If you don’t mind, I need to stay out of here. Everywhere I turn in this house reminds me of him… Can I come, Anna? I promise to concentrate on cooking…”
“Of course, Daisy.”
“We will drive her to your Trattoria, won’t we, John?” Neil asked his colleague, who had just come back in, “We could have lunch there if Anna has a table for two, couldn’t we?”
John nodded, and Anna said: “I always have a table for you… Louise, come with me. I don’t want to leave you alone here, in case Luke comes back…”
Louise didn’t need further encouragement, she went to fetch her jacket and her purse, and she left with Anna.
When the door was closed and they were alone, Neil said:
“Daisy, first of all, don’t worry about what you have just said. Billy and I were not lucky, because we would have liked to have a loving family, but I can only imagine what you are thinking now, what disillusionment, what bitterness you are feeling…”
Daisy locked eyes with him and said:
“I am sorry for my reaction. I didn’t want to beat you, it’s just…”
“Daisy, don’t worry. I didn’t expect anything less. What did you want to tell us?”
Daisy bowed her head for a moment, as if she was uncertain, but it was only for a second. She looked resolutely at the two policemen, and she said:
“I didn’t want my grandmother to hear, because she has already put up with my father for too long… And because this has to do with my mum…In the last period before she died, I had listened to some parts of discussions between my father and my mother that, at that time, I couldn’t understand, but now…” Neil exchanged a glance with John, and they waited for Daisy to collect her thoughts.
“My mother was asking him something about his job, maybe she had discovered he had been fired. Then the day before she died, I came home and I heard her crying. She was telling him that she couldn’t go on like this, that he had to leave us, that he should be ashamed of himself, that all their marriage had been a lie… I hadn’t heard the first part of the argument, so I thought he had done something wrong, or maybe it was still something connected with money…” She turned with an anguished expression from Neil to John, and she said: “How could I imagine…”
John intervened:
“When your mother died, you told me that your father was at home after work, didn’t you?”
“How many lies he forced me to tell, how many lies…” She tried hard to blink back her tears, and she said:
“The day my mother went out for a walk, he told me he would go shopping. He had just come home from work, but he said he had to buy something for the car… He went out a few minutes after my mum…” Daisy began to shake her head, and she had to take a deep breath to be able to go on:
“After a while he came back. He was agitated, he couldn’t stand still, he kept pacing back and forth here in the living room. I asked him what was wrong, if he knew where my mother was. He told me that my mother was at a friend’s, and then he sat down on the sofa, and he kept repeating: ‘I am sorry, I didn’t want to…’, but he didn’t talk to me, he was staring straight ahead. Then he went out once again. When they came to tell us about mum, I asked him, but he said he hadn’t done anything and he got angry with me, and… how could I suspect him of hurting my mum? Why? Why?”
She buried her face in her hands, and she started to cry softly. John said:
“Daisy, you must be strong now. Don’t say anything to your grandma about what you have just told us, ok? Now it is useless…”
Neil added:
“When we find your father, we are going to question him about your mother’s death as well. You have done the right thing telling us, but… Daisy,” he called her gently, “you have done nothing wrong, ok? You have tried to do what he told you because you were convinced that he always acted for your sake… He took advantage of your trust, and this is the most despicable thing a person can do, but you couldn’t imagine…”
“But what is going to happen now? How can I pay for my college if my father goes to prison?”
“We will find a way, ok? I am sure that Anna will do everything she can to help you…”
John added: “And Lisa and Denise are always ready to help you. You are not alone, Daisy…”
She tried to look reassured, and she went to the Trattoria with the two policemen…
***
Rosary Police Station, 3 pm
Mr. Mathias Kolinsky arrived at the police station with the air of the man, who is sure nobody will be able to arrest him. He was accompanied by his lawyer, who had a bundle of papers under his arm and the resigned expression of a man used to putting up with a powerful client.
Bob Mallon led them to the interrogation/interview room on the ground floor, and he said:
“Mr Kolinsky, thank you for coming so promptly. Inspector McKinley will be here in a minute. Would you like something to drink?”
The man had already sat down. He was a stocky short man in his late forties, bald with penetrating dark eyes and an aquiline nose. He had an angular face and an arrogant expression which inspired immediate dislike.
Now he looked at Bob with cold eyes, and he said:
“I hope the Inspector will be here really soon, because I have interrupted a business meeting to come here, and I have a lot of things to do… I am sure it will be a matter of a few moments, because I have no idea what Rosary Police may want from me… I have nothing to hide..” ‘Why the lawyer, then?’ Bob thought, but he didn’t say anything, and, while he was leaving the room, he saw Neil who was putting his gun into the locker in the corridor.
He winked at him, and he said in a low voice: “I know that this is your favorite type of person,” gesturing towards the closed door behind him, “So he is all yours…” Neil smiled at him, and he opened the door.
Kolinsky didn’t bother to stand up to introduce himself to the policeman. The lawyer looked sideways at his client, and he kept on reading the papers in front of him. Neil sat down without a word, and he opened a folder he had brought with him. He took his time to have a look at its content, and he noticed that Kolinsky was starting to show slight signs of nervousness. He exchanged a glance with his lawyer, and the solicitor said:
“My client would like to know the reason for being called today with such urgency.”
Neil looked calmly from the lawyer to the gangster, he took out a few photos from his folder, and he selected one to show the man:
“Do you know this man?”
If there was a reaction on Kolinsky’s part, it was really imperceptible. He looked at the photo without taking it into his hands, he locked eyes with the policeman, and he answered:
“Yes, he used to be one of my drivers.”
“Does it mean that he doesn’t work for you anymore?”
“Exactly. I think he left two or three years ago…”
“Then he was in your employ six years ago, wasn’t he?”
Kolinsky raised an eyebrow, and he was turning to his lawyer, but he changed his mind, and he looked straight at the policeman, without answering.
The lawyer intervened:
“Can we know the reason for these questions?”
“Yes, of course,” Neil answered with his usual apparent nonchalance and a candid smile, “Yesterday this photo was recognized by a witness in an ongoing investigation…”
“Who recognized this photo?” Kolinsky was getting more and more nervous, “And what happened six years ago that you are investigating now?”
Neil looked at the man in front of him for a few moments before answering:
“Are you sure you don’t know? Six years ago a girl was kidnapped on the outskirts of the town of St. John. After two days she was released…”
Kolinsky interrupted: “But they said she had got lost…”
Neil flashed a satisfied smile at the gangster. He had betrayed himself. The lawyer looked at his client disapprovingly, but now there was little he could do…
“Then you remember the episode I am talking about… Why are you so interested, Mr. Kolinsky? Were you involved in that kidnapping? Did you take the wrong girl?” His voice was always calm, but his blue eyes were penetrating and cold.
Kolinsky tried to recover his composure, even if he was conscious of his slip.
“Why do you mention this episode now, McKinley?”
“Because the girl has admitted to being kidnapped, that the man who took her was this man, a certain Al Jayson, and that he called her Rachel, that is not her name. So it is evident that the wrong girl had been abducted…”
“The fact that she recognized one of my drivers doesn’t mean that I have something to do with this kidnapping.”
Neil took the other photos in the folder, and he placed them one next to the other in front of Kolinsky. Now the gangster really had difficulties concealing his nervousness.
“As you can see, you have a strong connection to the man in these photos. The man is Luke Brown or Brian Murray… He is the father of the girl who was kidnapped and of another girl that, incidentally, is called Rachel. The difference is that Rachel is the granddaughter of a manager, and Daisy, the other girl, is not so rich....”
“I keep on wondering what these two girls and their father have to do with me, McKinley. I have dealings with many people in my business, and I can’t remember all the faces…”
“The fact is, Kolinsky, that the rich girl was attacked a few days ago and left unconscious on the road from St. John to Rosary… And that the father of the two girls has been missing for some days now… So my question is: ‘Do you know anything about this? Have you seen Murray in the last few days? We know that he owes you a lot of money…”
The lawyer put a hand on the gangster’s arm, and he said:
“Are you accusing my client of …what? Aggression? Kidnapping? Because they are serious accusations, and I hope you have evidence… Otherwise…” He started to stand up, but Kolinsky forced him to remain seated.
Neil answered:
“I am not accusing your client of anything for the time being, but I am asking questions. In these pictures there are many people, people who wouldn’t like to be photographed with your client, some businessmen, some politicians… I could start calling them and asking them what their dealings with a person like him are,” he pointed at Kolinsky, while he was speaking, “ but I think it is much easier for him”, he grinned at the gangster, “to answer some questions than to risk having trouble with people who can damage his business…” Neil knew that he had an enormous advantage on Kolinsky, thanks to Gatti’s meticulous work.
Kolinsky thought for a few minutes, and Neil pressed him:
“It is up to you. You can explain what happened to the girls, or I can start investigating your business to find the connection with all these people.” He pointed to the photos.
“Ok, I have nothing to hide, because I didn't do anything to that girl. Six years ago Murray had a lot of debts with me, and he didn't know how to pay. He suggested the idea of the kidnapping, because he was sure his father-in-law would pay to have his granddaughter back. He gave us a list of the places where we could find the girl, but he told us to avoid the villa, because there were security cameras everywhere. My men went to the park, they saw a girl who looked like Rachel Murray, and, when they realized the mix up, they let her go. Nobody was hurt, and the only one who was damaged was me because I didn't get the money back.”
Neil was inclined to believe him, since that was the only explanation for what had happened. But now he had to ask:
“And what about the aggression towards Rachel Murray a few days ago? Was it a mistake as well?”
“Oh no… we had nothing to do with this. Murray suggested forcing Vincent Clancy to pay for his debts, but I refused to kidnap the girl… I don't know what happened, but you can't pin that on me or my men…”
Neil reflected that it was useless to insist because they didn't have anything against Kolinsky, and Rachel would talk to them in a few days.
“Ok, for the time being, you can go. When the girl wakes up, she will tell us what happened…” While he was talking he watched Kolinsky attentively, in order to perceive any sign of nervousness, but he didn't see anything. He was sure that the gangster had nothing to do with what had happened to Rachel.
The lawyer was gathering his papers, when Neil said:
“One more thing, Kolinsky. Have you seen or contacted Murray recently?”
“To tell you the truth, I have tried to call him a few times, but he doesn't answer the phone…”
Neil wasn't sure he could count on Kolinsky’s cooperation, but he asked:
“Could you call me if Murray contacts you?”
The gangster merely nodded without conviction, and he left.
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While Neil was going back upstairs, his phone vibrated in his pocket.
“Hi, Anna, how are you?”
“I am fine, Neil. I just wanted to tell you that Louise and Daisy have decided to stay at my home until you find that man. We have just gone back to their home to pick up some clothes and toiletries, and now we are here in my apartment. I wanted to tell you in case you need to contact them.”
“Thanks, you are very kind, and I think it is better for them not to stay at their home for the time being. How are Louise and Daisy doing?”
“They are very brave, and they are trying to move forward, but it is very very hard, Neil. I still can't believe what they have just learnt.”
“Yes, it is really unbelievable… Thanks for telling me, Anna, and thanks for your invitation for Easter Sunday. I asked Billy, and we will both be there. Bob and Steve are leaving tomorrow evening to spend Easter with their families, so it will be just the two of us.”
“It will be a pleasure to have you, Neil…”
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and then Add to home screen.