CRYSTALLINE - 35. Another Suspect

When Thomas returned after his prison visit, he was met by Lachlan who was not only keen to hear of Dante’s welfare, but anxious about their uncompleted conversation of earlier in the day.

“He’s doing well, under the circumstances. I passed on all your good wishes and we discussed how to go about telling his mother and the grandmother in Italy”

“That’s a lot to deal with. I don’t know much about his mother, except that she is in some sort of care facility”

“That’s the problem, I have to talk to her doctors and find out how e go about telling her”

“Well, if there’s anything I can do to help, you know you only have to ask”

“Thanks Lachlan”

“But there is something I need you to explain to me. I was assuming the Patrick’s death was either accidental or maybe caused by someone we don’t know about yet”

“That’s what the police are working on”

“But you said something this morning about, how this mess started. What does that mean?”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you this before. It was something I wasn’t really sure about and hoped it would all go away naturally, but now seems to have something to do with Patrick’s death. Though exactly how, I’m not sure”

Thomas explained about his early suspicions of Dante and Yashuki, then how he had those suspicions confirmed by Yashuki. Lachlan accepted the explanation without further questions, which he considered inappropriate under the circumstances. He merely replied “Thank you for confiding in me. It will go no further”

***

On Monday morning, Connor was surprised at the response from various sources, over the weekend. The first that caught his attention was an image of four guests posing in front of a window in the dining room. The subjects of the image were not of interest, but the out of focus background image was. Although grainy, it was obviously an image of two people near the edge of the pool. He immediately called Giles to check if she could identify any of the two people.

“I don’t recognise the faces, they’re too blurred, but it is obvious one person is lying on the pool edge and the other kneeling over him...oh my god, could that be the murderer. It must be the deceased on the ground but who is the other one?” Has Fraser seen this?” asked Giles

“No, I haven’t seen him this morning”

“I’ll text him to hurry in”

<>

By the time Fraser arrived, Connor had enlarged the image for further inspection.

“Good work Connor” said Fraser “We seem to have photographic evidence of a person, with shoulder length blond hair, pushing someone, presumable the deceased Ricardi brother, into the pool. Giles get the person who did the autopsy on the phone”

“Sure Frase”

“Your report says the deceased had hit his head on the edge of the pool, is that still your assertion?”

“Yes, but it did not cause his death. The autopsy showed no signs of brain damage caused by blunt force trauma and only a minimal amount of blood loss. In all probability, in the absence of any further trauma, he would have recovered from such a blow. I can confirm from the contents of the lungs that he was still breathing when he went into the water”

“Excellent, so drowning was the cause of death?”

“Definitely, water in the lungs confirms that”

“Thank you Miriam”

When Fraser hung up, Giles asked “Who do we know with long blonde hair”

“Connor, anyone in your rogues gallery?”

“Not yet Sir, but still looking”

“Connor, when we went to the property last week, do you remember who answered the door?”

“It was a young woman, housemaid I suppose, judging by the uniform...and she had shoulder length blonde hair”

“Not only that, but do you remember who she said she was?”

“Yes Sir, the girlfriend of the deceased”

“Bingo! Giles we’ve been looking at this from the wrong angle. It’s not a brothers’ argument that went wrong...”

“It’s a lovers’ tiff that went wrong” answered Giles.

“More than a tiff, but you’re in the right game”

“Giles...

“Yes Frase” she answered as she picked up and jangled car keys in front of him.

“Connor, we’re going to make an arrest”

“Right Sir”

***

Even before Fraser and Giles returned with their suspect, a legal representative form Smidmore and Associates was waiting at the station. “Wayne Vance to see detective Fraser. He has brought in my client for questioning”

While the desk Sergeant was checking, Fraser and Giles walked to the reception desk and demanded the duty officer register the suspect and put her in an interview room.

“Right away Inspector...oh and this gentleman is the arrestee’s solicitor”

“That was quick. Just wait here and the duty officer will let you know when we’re ready for the interview”

***

At the end of the interview, Carol was sent to a cell and the detectives went back to their office to debrief.

“She’s certainly doesn’t have any alibi. Alone, reading in her bedroom is no alibi. She could have slipped out of the room unnoticed, since all the staff were either busy working the party or in their own quarters. It’s a big place, and easy to move around unobserved, especially at night” Fraser stated.

“But what is her motive?” asked Giles

“I don’t know yet, but given how incestuous the relationships are in that household, probably some love triangle. Give me time I’ll get it out of her”

“Are you going to release our other suspect?”

“Not yet, he’s already on court ordered remand and we can hold this one for twenty-four hours while we make further enquiries”

***

Jonathan was absolutely furious and demanded Smidmore take charge of the situation. “They just can’t go locking up half our staff with no hard evidence. Get off your arse and sort this Smidmore”

“I’ll talk to my people and see what I can do. They are all top notch solicitors, so I’m sure they are doing all they can within the law”

“Then do something outside the law if you have to”

“Price!” Smidmore yelled “...calm down. You know I always do my best for you and those who work for you. Let me sort it”

“Then get on to it without delay and get back to me as soon as you have any news”

***

Cook’s attitude was not much different to Jonathan’s, but she didn’t have the power of Jonathan so, took out her anger on the kitchen equipment and Mia, until she walked out of the kitchen, into Thomas’ office and resigned on the spot.

“Just take a few days off Mia. You’ll be on full pay and it will give you a chance to calm down and for Cook to deal with her feelings. She is very close to Carol, almost like a second mother or big sister and I’m sure whatever she said to you was not meant to be personal, she’s just over reacting to the arrest of a very dear friend and colleague. On her behalf I will apologise to you and I’m sure when she calms down she will also apologise”

Mia thought for a few moments then said “Ok, I’d like to take a few days off, but I don’t want to stay here near that mad woman”

“That’s a good idea” Thomas rustled through a drawer, then said “Here’s a taxi voucher on our account. Use this to go home”

“But I don’t have a home, that’s why I’m here”

“Of course, I’m not thinking straight either, with all that’s happened. Just go back and rest in your room while I see what I can arrange”

<>

Thomas explained the situation to Virginia, who was happy to take in Mia for a few days.

“Try to keep her busy and can you and be a kindly mother figure, she needs that at the moment”

“Are you suggesting I would be otherwise, I’m shocked you would even suggest such a thing, Thomas”

“I didn’t mean it like that. I was really referring to the way Cook seems to have treated her”

“Apology accepted”

“Thank you Virginia. I’ll send her over in a cab and ring you when she leaves here”

“With regards to keeping her busy, I might take her to the meal centre and she can volunteer on the other side of the counter. It will be good for some of the others to meet a success story”

“Especially one of their own” suggested Thomas

<>

Connor was in the office long before Fraser and Giles.

When he checked his phone, upon waking, he had a notification of a posting to his Krimes website. It was a video clip that he partly viewed on his phone, but was anxious to get to the office and watch it on a bigger screen.

While watching the clip, Connor went through a range of emotions from excitement to horror. Along the way he also passed through curiosity and pride. Between repeated viewings he went for coffee and was constantly checking the door to see if his boss was arriving.

Finally he could wait no longer and texted Fraser. As he pressed send he heard a phone beep behind him, looked around and heard “No need to text me Connor, I’m right here” Then Fraser laughed.

“Yes Boss”

“What’s so important that you need to see me even before I’ve reached the coffee machine?”

“This” he replied as he pointed to his screen showing a paused image, “But why don’t you get your coffee first and then settle in for some interesting viewing”

Connor reset the video to the start and waited with his finger on the mouse and the cursor on play.

“Ok, Hitchcock, show me what you’ve got”

Connor looked puzzled but said nothing, assuming it was some reference to a time long long ago that he could not possibly be expected to understand and instead pressed play.

“Is he trying to strangle someone?” asked Fraser

“Looks that way”

“Is this some new crime you’ve unearthed?”

“No, this is footage from the resort on the night of the death in the pool. It looks like a group of guests pretending to murder each other”

“Ah, see what you mean... now this clown is pretending to stab his mate with a table knife and what’s that one doing with the wine glass”

“Wait till his friend takes a sip”

Fraser laughed, then said “That’s the worst dying acting I’ve ever seen. This is all quite amusing Connor, but what has is to do with the real crime?”

“Look through the window beside them, there’s a view of the pool”

Connor froze the image and asked “What do you see?”

“Wow, well spotted, you’re right, that’s brilliant Connor”

By now, Giles was standing behind the men who were huddled so close to the screen that her view was obstructed, so she said “I’m sure there’s a policy in some police manual that prohibits the viewing of porn on departmental equipment”

“How long have you been there?” Fraser asked

“Long enough to catch you too delinquents”

“That’s where you’d be wrong Giles. I would expect a detective with your years of experience, under my tutelage I might add, to check the evidence before making an accusation of guilt”

“Ok boys, step aside and let the woman see what’s got your attention” Giles demanded.

As they all viewed the clip again Connor cropped the image so that the persons near the pool could be enlarged.

“This looks like the same image as the still we had previously” stated Giles “But this time we can see the body being rolled into the pool, but there’s something different boys”

“What’s different?” asked Fraser

“That’s not a woman with blonde hair, that’s a man with long grey hair, look at the way he moves”

“Or a very butch woman” added Fraser.

“Either way, neither of those descriptions fit the suspect we have locked away downstairs”

“Hate to admit it Giles...but you’re right”

“Nor is it the brother on remand”

“But who is it? We don’t have any suspects with long grey hair”

Fraser studied the image for a few minutes, then said “Giles I think we need to release our only suspects”

“I’ll attend to the woman” offered Giles “But the prisoner on remand will take a bit longer”

“Let me do that, I’ll need to go before the magistrate and withdraw the charges, before his release”

Connor then asked “While you’re doing that, is it ok if I send this image to a friend who works as a video editor at Moore Park Film Studios?”

“A private company, outside the force?” asked Fraser

“Yes and I know it’s not protocol to send police evidence to a private company, but they have state of the art video editing and special effects software that may be able to enhance the image”

“I don’t see a problem in this instance as the image is in the public domain anyway. Go for it Connor”

“Thanks Boss”

Fraser’s desk phone then rang. It was the duty officer on the reception desk. “Inspector, there’s a very irate legal rep out here demanding to see you regarding the release of his clients”

“I’ll be right out constable”

“Good Sir, I’ll try to calm him down in the meantime”

“No, don’t do that, just let him boil a bit longer. I like a well done solicitor”

“As you say Sir, you’re the boss”

“Indeed I am”

“Who was that?” asked Giles

“It seems we have a grumpy legal rep, making demands at the counter. Let’s have a coffee, then go and see him...when he’s fully cooked”

“You’re going to enjoy this aren’t you Frase?”

“Are you making the coffee?” he asked

***

“I’m Inspector Fraser, how can I help you....?”

“Smidmore of Smidmore and Associates. You may have already met some of my colleagues who are representing clients you are holding on false charges”

As he spoke, Smidmore’s voice grew louder. This amused Fraser so he let him rant for five minutes, but by the time Smidmore’s face turned a dark shade of red, Fraser thought it was time to release the valve before the man exploded.

“Eloquently presented argument Mr Smidmore. So much so that I will now release the female detainee and set the wheels in motion for release of the male suspect. Does that satisfy your needs?”

“Excellent decision, my good man and about time too, I might add. Glad your saw some reason finally. Had I not come here, who knows how long you would have detained my clients without just cause”

“Oh your visit was quite unnecessary. New evidence has cleared your clients and I was just on my way to the court, when you started your demands of my desk officer. Furthermore, if you ever do that again in my station, I will not hesitate to have you arrested and charged with verbal assault and harassment. Have I made myself clear?”

Before Smidmore could answer, he saw Carol coming down the corridor and asked her “Are you ok my girl, have you been treated properly and with the dignity you deserve. Do I need to lodge a complaint on your behalf?”

“I’m ok now Mr Smidmore”

“I’m glad you raised the issue of treatment Sir, my desk officer has a form for the young lady to complete regarding the high quality of service she was provided while our overnight guest”

“I shall have to read it first” stated Smidmore.

“I wouldn’t expect anything less...my good man”

***

When Fraser returned from the courthouse, he called a meeting at his evidence board. The first thing he did was move Dante’s and Carol’s photos from ‘Suspects’ to ‘Persons of interest’, then turned to his colleagues and asked “What’s wrong with this board?”

“Your little bit of string from the poolside image isn’t connected to anything?” replied Connor.

“Right and why is that Giles?”

“We haven’t identified our new suspect”

“So why are you both standing there gawping at the board. Identify the suspect and next time we meet at this board I want a picture in this great gaping hole” he stated as he tapped the space below ‘Suspects’.

*****