Nathan March Investigations - Book 2: Murder, After the Fact - episode 12
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episode nine
episode ten
episode eleven
Episode Twelve
Her curves, her smell and the feel of her natural blonde hair as it was wrapped around his fingers, filled Nathan’s senses. The longing he’d felt for days now as he waited to meet her at the hotel at Atlanta’s airport was rewarded by the lady he now held in his arms.
“Oh Nathan, this was so worth the trip,” said Leslie to a smiling Nathan who let her nuzzle in his arms after an afternoon together.
Forty-Five minutes later he walked Leslie toward her airport terminal refraining from any public display other than two hands holding on to each other tightly.
“Do you know what I was doing just now,” said Nathan to a smiling Leslie.
“I hope it wasn’t illegal,” said Leslie laughing.
“No, I just pictured how beautiful you’d look several months pregnant,” said Nathan.
Leslie looked at him and suddenly her eyes brimmed with tears as she said, “Nothing you have ever said to me, means more than you sharing that thought with me. Any time you want to make us parents, just say the word Nathan,” she said.
His mouth clamped tightly on hers was Nathan’s answer, and the growing bond between them helped Leslie face her return flight and happily endure her entire shift at the hospital later that same evening. Nathan’s message waiting for her on her home telephone telling her she was the best thing in his life sent her heart in a tailspin. That sentiment was all she needed to maintain balance in their relationship, as it filled her with the hope that anything was possible as long as he was her man.
Some wealthy women work hard at making others realize how fortunate it is to be in their presence. George, accompanied by Naomi decided Estelle Pitts was one of those women, as they sat in her small office now for over twenty minutes past their set appointment time.
When she arrived the very diminutive white-haired lady was dressed in a silk pantsuit looking to model her outfit more than to discuss the difficult subject of blackmail. She seemed surprised and annoyed and her lack of an apology for keeping them waiting had Naomi, no stranger to social protocol herself, refuse to greet the middle-aged woman.
“As you can see my hand is outstretched Ms. Katz,” said Estelle Pitt, as she ignored George’s reaction completely.
“When we receive a polite apology for your tardiness, I’ll be happy to make your acquaintance Mrs. Pitt,” said Naomi tersely.
“One should expect that those in my position often can’t be a slave to time,” said Estelle.
“I realize that as a woman ages it does take time for her to become presentable, but an apology when she keeps others waiting is the accepted behavior Mrs. Pitts,” said Naomi sitting down without being asked.
George followed by taking a seat and a very shaky Estelle Pitts, sat down behind her desk aware that neither of them sought her approval whatsoever.
“Mrs. Pitts as was explained in our phone call, we are involved in the investigation into the death of Collette Dickenson and several others connected to her case,” said George.
“Your name is prominently included as a blackmail victim of Mrs. Dickenson and that fact has raised numerous questions that might hint at your own participation in her death,” said Naomi.
“How dare you,” was Estelle’s response.
Both Naomi and George stood immediately as George stated “the Atlanta Police are aware of our activities and they will be happy to send their own detectives if you wish with a lot less diplomacy and the exact same questions we were about to ask ourselves,” said George.
“Please bear in mind that we cannot be responsible for whatever tabloids, magazines or local newspapers print about the matter,” said Naomi.
“I am a woman of some influence with the local police so that I checked Mr. March’s credentials and the local police assured me that you are indeed empowered to speak with me. Since I do wish to cooperate with this investigation, please be seated and ask your questions which I trust are tasteful and brief,” said Estelle.
“There are no preconditions we will agree to, or we can leave Mrs. Pitts and report to our superiors your obvious problem with people of color, no matter what credentials they hold,” said Naomi.
“Alright” said Estelle Pitt, motioning for them to sit down.
“You’ve transferred $20,000.00 per month regularly into an account owned by Collette Dickenson for some time. Recently you’ve transferred the same amount into a different account, not yet identified. We need to know why, so that we can effectively remove you from our list of suspects in six pretty gruesome deaths,” said George.
“I knew someday I’d have to explain, so I have to face the fact that it’s time for it to come out. It doesn’t seem so long ago when I really got a kick out of Collette Dickenson. All one had to do to ensure a house full of happy guests, was to invite her to your party. My late husband and I never missed a dinner party she hosted. Jeremy felt certain that he was responsible for her notoriety, with all the press he devoted to her and her psychic abilities.
“My Jeremy was the kindest man I ever knew and he treated me like a princess for years. Then he became terminally ill. I’m not sure if it was the medications he was on, or just frustration on his part, but he became impossible to please. He was also unable to feel for anyone else and a crueler human being you couldn’t find, threatening others with the loss of their jobs or their reputations, if he felt slighted in any way.
“Perhaps I should have kept this to myself, but Collette seemed to know and I happily inundated her with my sadness over the way Jeremy and I were living at the time. She told me that when it became her time, she’d do herself in gladly, rather than suffer. Little by little she explained how easy it would be for me to over-medicate him, or withdraw medications he needed until he went into a coma and died. She made it sound so merciful and foolproof that I began listening intently,” said Estelle looking as if she‘d collapse into tears at any moment.
“Why don’t we take a break,” said Naomi grabbing her hand and rubbing it with her own compassionately, as she felt the woman’s agony.
“If I don’t finish now I never will and believe it or not, already I am feeling like I can breathe so much easier,” said Estelle.
Minutes went by as George poured her a drink and Naomi put it to Estelle’s lips, each repeating their actions several more times before Estelle’s coloring seemed to return, along with her strength.
“I reported several of his medications misplaced while we vacationed up North asking for replacements. Nothing that any pharmacist questioned, just three of his many medications, but all three of them were lethal if taken incorrectly. His doctors authorized it and within hours I had more than enough to end his life.
“For six nights, I tried to gain the courage to give a very sick Jeremy extra medication to ease him into a peaceful death, but I couldn't and then the morning of the seventh day, his nurse came to the dining room while I was having breakfast and reported that he simply slipped away before she could summon me.
“Collette’s phone calls began a month after the funeral and nothing I said to the woman would convince her that I hadn’t mercy-killed my husband. I was so vulnerable and she was so convincing about the police receiving anonymous information about the extra medication and what they would do with it. She said I’d spend the rest of my life behind bars, and I believed her once again. So I paid and I’m still paying for something I swear before God, I never did. I believe it’s the penalty I pay for wishing him dead, because that I did often each and every day for over two years,” said Estelle.
“Mr. March wanted us to assure you Mrs. Pitt that they’ll be no more payments because we are closing in on this blackmailer and when we do we‘ll let you know immediately,” said George.
“Surely you have to understand that wishing Jeremy dead wasn't anything other family caretakers, tired of seeing a loved ones die slowly haven’t thought of doing since time and memoriam, Mrs. Pitt. Had it been reversed would you blame Jeremy for wishing the same end for you?” Naomi asked.
Tears streamed down her face as she accepted the compassion and understanding from the two investigators she had initially resented so much.
“Believe me I intend to always remember what it felt like to be wrongly accused and then freed from that living nightmare by merciful strangers. I know you believed it was your color that made me so arrogant toward you both. It wasn’t I swear. It was all the energy I felt in the room when I came in that made me envy you both, your youth and your passion. With all the wealth one could wish for I do lots of charity work, but nothing compares to your passion I promise you,” said Estelle Pitts.
As he said goodbye to a smiling Estelle who only moments earlier totally infuriated him, George remembered his favorite Dali Lama quote “Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.” He was leaving now glad to have met Estelle.
Naomi placed a kiss on the tiny lady’s head and said “Forgive me for misjudging you Estelle. I’ve learned today that we all are the wounded as well as healers. It’s understanding that’s the balm needed by both,” she said, happily receiving a kiss of her own from a grateful lady she felt certain she’d see again.
There it was again, that “Nathan effect”, Naomi remembered where setting things right for those unable to do so for themselves was top priority and a feeling of deeply felt peace was the reward.
Reggie Dickenson couldn’t help but notice that her contractor didn’t seem to fight as much with her suggestions, now that he doubled as her architect concentrating on the mansion‘s restoration. It seemed to Reggie that he finally understood that maintaining its original structural integrity and historical ambiance meant a lot to her. She also was aware that as well as being all male, he also filled out jeans better than any man she’d ever known.
David Crowley with his dark blonde hair and deep blue eyes, at age forty-three had never made room for anyone permanently in his life. He liked the ladies, loved the ladies as best as he could, but he left the ladies anxious and confused in between infrequent phone calls. His business was going well, with three crews at three different sites, and this new job utilizing his Master’s degree in Architecture would keep them going for at least nine months. However this new boss of his was definitely messing with his head, due to the fact that she was the not just fabulous to look at, but smart, focused, and she didn’t mind getting dirty.
Nathan couldn’t miss David Crowley’s high testosterone levels as he shook the young man’s hand. After being introduced to him, Nathan smiled knowingly at both he and Reggie. As for Reggie, Nathan wanted to warn her that wearing clothes that tight was dangerous but David’s attention seemed to be very important to her, and by gosh she did have it. If she weren’t careful she might just postpone her world cruise, with a little encouragement, thought Nathan.
It was later when Emmett Doucette asked and got permission to enter Nathan’s room.
“Please excuse me Nathan I knew you’d want me to give you this information immediately. I was down at the courthouse as usual and I learned something that may save your investigators some time checking out Adam Rose, or “Thorn” as you know him,” said Emmett.
Before he could explain, Mickey arrived and sat down to hear Emmett’s information about Adam Rose.
“It seems Adam Rose has been a very busy boy. Rose’s stables have prospered and then gone bust more times than Lady Gaga changes wigs. So it seems Mr. Rose found a way to infuse a little operating money into the business, by having some fairly valuable horseflesh fall victim to strange deaths, and then collecting their insurance. Not such a unique activity, but turning state’s evidence on others doing the same thing, now that’s unique to me.
“What I especially checked out is the date the feds started their protection of Mr. Rose and what I was told by person or persons to be unknown to you, puts Adam Rose squarely out of the running for any recent human murders. The man’s been in protective custody for some time of that you can be sure. The feds are funny about anyone leaving protection before testifying for them,” said Emmett.
“Don’t you find the feds getting charges against Mr. Rose in the first place slightly suspicious, especially since he got away with his crimes for years without being caught,” stated Nathan.
“But he wouldn't be able to make payments in protective custody so Collette wouldn't snitch,” said Mickey to Nathan.
“Once she was murdered, I bet Mr. Rose decided no more payments period. Since Rose was known to be a man of his word and the word was no money was forthcoming, the new blackmailer anonymously assisted the feds to catch this very large fish. Now Adam Rose has to testify or go to prison,” said Emmett.
“Yeah that scenario certainly fits,” said Mickey.
“I’ve got to tell you Nathan, as a lawyer I have never fully appreciated the kind of work you do, even though I’ve hired many private detectives. After this case I have come to the conclusion we’ve got some real nut cases walking free out there,” said Emmett shaking his head.
“It took me awhile to understand that and ever since I’ve been trying to make a difference by putting more pluses on the board, than minuses,” said Nathan, making his excuses and then with Reggie and Mickey in tow, heading toward a very important appointment.
High on an ocean bluff located just before reaching the South Carolina state line, with the roar of the Atlantic below and the late sunlit afternoon for a backdrop, a very timid Lena Phelps spoke the words “I do” as Martin Dickenson followed in kind, with his new wife feeling as if she would burst from happiness.
The whole reason for the rushed wedding was the fact that the ticket for a world tour by ocean in an over-sized cabin, which Reggie had purchased and paid for and then decided she no longer was interested in, had only five days left before departure. This meant she’d lose the large sum paid if she couldn’t talk her Dad and Lena into a quickie wedding and a year-long cruise around the world, as her wedding gift to them.
Nathan’s close personal ties to a friendly physician sped up the necessary blood tests. He also needed and obtained a friendly female judge to formerly wave the waiting period required, and then he charmed the town clerk into staying passed closing on a Friday night to issue a wedding license. Everything finally came together to make the marriage of Lena and Martin Dickenson a reality.
Nathan’s Piper twelve-passenger aircraft, now loaded the wedding party, including the judge herself, for the short return flight back to Atlanta and a wonderful wedding dinner at the country club arranged by Reggie, as second part of a two-part wedding gift to her two favorite people in the world.
Early the next morning Lena and Martin Dickenson took a flight to New York, to meet their vessel for a year’s vacation. From the deck of their vessel their video message to everyone most especially to Nathan, made everyone realize what a perfect time in both their lives for an extended honeymoon that would serve to give them both a fresh start.
Reggie couldn’t stop crying. She had listened first to Lena express her love for her new step-daughter, and next her father Martin, expressed his respect for his daughter’s efforts to restore his family’s property to its former glory.
After making a touching tribute to the couple by return video, John, George, Sam and Naomi realized that most likely they’d been back to their separate homes and their own lives before the Dickenson’s had covered a tenth of their year-long honeymoon.
As Nathan knew it would, the Dickenson marriage now served to fire up each member of his team to return to the case with enough added energy, to end this nightmare for Reggie and Detective Peter Ryan.
The subject matter of an incoming fax seemed to disturb Detective Peter Ryan as he read it and then reached for a phone. Within the hour he grabbed his jacket, and headed out to the Dickenson Estate. Events were moving so fast he felt certain they were close to solving this convoluted case at last.
Nathan took Peter’s call and sat shocked at the news Peter gave him during their phone conversation. He immediately called a reluctant Mickey to come away from observing Sam’s computer search and join him.
“Boss Sam’s onto something and I was hoping I could be there when it comes in,” said Mickey.
“Okay Mickey, I‘m on my way down and I‘ll find you,” said Nathan.
Nathan knew he’d find Mickey sitting in a chair at Sam’s elbow. “I need to stretch my legs so come with me and you can tell me your news and then I’ll tell you mine,” said Nathan.
Two security officers deposited their lunch materials into the trash bin and noticing a familiar face they began waving to Detective Ryan who had just arrived on scene. Peter’s stride was slow as he joined Mickey and Nathan for a walk around the grounds.
“Did you tell him yet,” asked Peter.
“No I was waiting until you got here,” said Nathan. Then turning to Mickey he stated, “It’s about Violet Watkins.”
“Oh I know boss, I’ll get around to questioning her, I swear,” said Mickey.
“Don’t bother Mickey, she’s no longer among the living so even if she were guilty we couldn't prosecute her. The lady was killed in a plane crash about ninety minutes ago. It seems she was heading to a Watkins Women’s sales conference in Buffalo when her private plane clipped a tree and crashed. There were no survivors.
On a whim I called Watkins Women’s Headquarters and asked about Violet’s schedule for the week of Collette’s murder. They confirmed she was in Dayton, Ohio followed by Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania two days later so no way she could have done it,” said Peter.
“Peter, anyone can hire someone to kill someone else,” said Mickey.
“If I’m being blackmailed by someone I totally trusted with some intimate secrets about myself, I’m not likely to put someone else in the same position, able to blackmail me, this time over murder for hire. Nope that’s a situation that requires that you handle things for yourself,” said Peter.
“I agree totally, so Colin Darcy, Adam Rose and Virginia Watkins are removed as suspects due to absolute proof that they were somewhere else, when Collette Dickenson was murdered. It’s time we brought everyone together to share that input, and any new ideas,” said Nathan.
“I’d like my people to hear it all too,” said Peter.
“How about meeting at Police Headquarters at 3:00 o’clock?” asked Nathan.
“I can get our staff together for that,” said Mickey.
“Call it done,” said Peter as he walked back to his car already talking to Laurie Gibbs on his cell phone
“I must admit I’m still curious as to why Violet Watkins was being blackmailed I mean $30,000 per month is a lot of money so it had to be one hell of a secret she wanted kept,” said Mickey
“A lady you and I have come to adore on this case filled me in on Violet’s faux pas and asked that her name never be spoken in connection with the story I’m about to tell you.
“Evidently Violet Watkins was the only client of Collette’s whose secret our lady friend Lena, did come to know. Arriving early one morning, she overheard a nasty phone call Collette received from Victoria who was obviously furious about being betrayed.
“It seems Watkins Women owed its original fame and glory to a cleansing cream and facial rinse whose formula cost Victoria only one $500.00 payment to a shampoo girl from Nairobi, who worked her way through college while working for Victoria’s favorite beauty salon.
“A few months after trying the formula herself she knew she had a goldmine and with a signed contract, she put a payment plan in place. The shampoo girl sent home the money with a promise to continue to send more based on Victoria’s promised to pay for her grandmother’s successful beauty elixirs.
“Of course in no time Victoria’s lawyers saw to it that all rights to the formula belonged to her, and squeezed the native girl out of the profits entirely, making a fortune out of her family’s only chance to escape poverty. The result was that the young and trusting Nairobi student, died at age 41 drug-addicted and penniless, as well as shunned by her family,” said Nathan.
“The poor thing came here to America to gain a future, only to have her future wiped away by someone’s greed. Personally I can’t believe a powerful businesswoman like Mrs. Watkins would ever entrust such damning information about herself to Collette,” said Mickey.
“Most of us need to make a confession every once in a while, to keep from drowning in our misdeeds,” said Nathan.
“A secret that shameful could do some mighty big damage inside someone that’s for sure,” said Mickey trying to process it at all.
“What about your news Mickey?” asked Nathan as they both sat at the picnic bench.
.”My news doesn’t seem so important anymore but here goes. You remember Amanda Newman, the law student, who was Mayhill’s intern. She’s also the lady who pulled Morty the fence Schulman’s name off of Mayhill’s archived computer files, to help her sometime lover, Armand Oulette, make a score by stealing and selling Collette‘s assets,” said Mickey.
“A lady of many talents as I recall,” said Nathan with a grin.
“Bottom line is for a contribution to her bail fund, our crooked little Amanda directed me to an envelope in her top draw at Mayhill’s office. The envelope held a bill for a cell phone belonging to Brenda Mayhill. Amanda claims she found it, but no doubt it was on Mayhill’s desk and she lifted it just in case it became of some value later.
“I gave the bill to Sam and he found out that the majority of the calls were to an International Property Management and Procurement Corporation based out of New York, with a branch in Atlanta, Georgia. The calls made were made to a Ms. Constance Roth an employee living out of Macon. Most firms store a copy of each employee’s photo I.D. badge, so Sam’s trying to get an electric copy of it now,” said Mickey.
“Sounds promising at last we may get a look at Brenda Mayhill’s Connie Roth. Right at the moment however I’d like to get some lunch and get ready for the meeting at 3:00PM at Police Headquarters. Let’s include Reggie as our guest,” said Nathan.
“You’ve got it boss,” said Mickey but beforehand can I ask a question I've meant to ask for a few days,” said Mickey.
“Of course,” said Nathan.
“According to Lena, there were one hundred and seventy names on her copy of the cross-referenced master list that she kept hidden before it was stolen. What do you make of the fact that so far no one but the original six appears to have been contacted by the new blackmailer? What I mean is surely by now any new victims would be contacting Reggie or Martin to curse them out thinking they were the blackmailers, don’t you think?” asked Mickey.
“Okay let’s say I’m the blackmailer. I have in my possession Collette’s master client list cross-referenced with the client’s real names and contact information. I also have her stolen laptop filled with details of each client meeting and finally I have audio proof of deeds they wish they could totally forget, told in their own voices, and stored safely for future use.
“I’d set up an offshore account, and request that the six clients already being blackmailed continue sending their payments to a new account warning them that failure to pay would mean putting their secrets before the public.
“Next I would wait until payments from each of the six arrived without drawing attention or causing a problem of any kind. To be absolutely sure I wasn’t setting off any alarms anywhere, I’d wait an additional month or even two and then I’d feel confident enough to select more of Collette Dickenson’s clients, who had big secrets to hide.
“Then as blackmailer to the newly added victims, I would establish our future relationship after playing a portion of the audio from one of their office visits to Collette. I would further explain their need to immediately pay a certain amount and then give each the account number to transfer it into, once each and every month,” said Nathan.
“Nathan you said all that with a smile on your face,” said Mickey.
“Proof that I too can think like a criminal when I’m this hungry,” said Nathan heading to the main house, in perfect stride with Mickey.
Expecting the meeting she was to attend at Police Headquarters the next morning, to resemble a 1950 film noir where a crowded smoke-filled room full of police personnel drinking black coffee in shirtsleeves, was the norm during any high-profile murder investigation scene, Reggie realized quickly how wrong she was.
The air conditioned conference room where she presently sat beside Mickey, while filled with over three dozen people seated at a large conference table, was free of smoke, and inhabited by suit-wearing, water-drinking police personnel of both genders, staring at their lap top computers.
“Let’s cut to the chase and maybe we can be finished here far better informed and experiencing fewer distractions,” said Detective Peter Ryan.
“When we began nearly seven weeks ago, we had identified six suspects, however there were seven. Although not initially on our list Mr. Vincent Bertrillo removed himself as a suspect when came to me and explained successfully why he couldn’t afford not to pay Collette to keep his secret. Of the remaining six suspects, one was more than forthright in providing intimate details of the reasons why Collette Dickenson felt she could blackmail him for huge sums of money and get away with it. Because he did, Mr. Madhav Swaartha is no long under investigation.
“Two more suspects were cleared just this week by virtue of the fact that they were elsewhere when Collette Dickenson was murdered. The first is Mr. Adam Rose who is being held in protective custody by the FBI, and Mrs. Violet Watkins, who deceased today as the result of a plane crash.
“Now as the documents in front of you indicate, the remaining three suspects have also been cleared after an exhaustive background checks and several lengthy interrogations proved to our satisfaction that Colin Darcy, Adam Fisher, and Estelle Pitts, had totally accepted the facts that made them Collette’s successful blackmail victims. They each opted to pay for her continued silence, instead of murdering Mrs. Dickenson,” said Detective Ryan while indicating to Nathan that it was his turn.
“It’s good to see you all. For those I haven’t met before, I’ll reintroduce myself. I’m Nathan March and my staff and I have been involved in working with some of you, on this extraordinary case. At this time I’ll be addressing the efforts we all put forward to build profiles on the victims themselves, in the hope of weeding out some other individuals who might have slipped the net that we deliberately threw out.
“Of the seven homicides we believe that six were committed by the same person. The six included Collette Dickenson herself, and Douglas Mayhill, who did not deserve the fate he got as he was a man of great integrity and a wonderful attorney. Unfortunately, Collette manipulated him until he learned the truth about her.
“The other five however, down to the last one of them, hoped in some way to profit from Collette’s death. They were, Armand Oulette, Troy Holden, Jenny and Pamela Hart, and Morty Schulman. Besides knowing Collette, all six others had some things in common. For instance, they knew their killer and without knowing it they not only actively provided their murderer with a motive to kill each of them, they presented the perfect opportunity, to successfully murder them or have them murdered.
“A mistake I made from the beginning of this case was to believe there were two assailants involved in murdering Collette. That was not true. It was a ruse in the truest sense of the word, and it worked perfectly to send all of us in a few misguided directions.
“Mrs. Dickenson’s near decapitation should have immediately pointed to the fact that the reason for the lack of hesitation strokes was the result of the murderer knowing the victim was already dead. I apologize for not catching that sooner,” said Nathan.
“Mr. March we all saw those photographs and not one of us picked up on that, but I promise you we all will remember this case,” said Laurie Gibbs.
“Believe me Laurie, so will I. Now let’s see what the other homicides in this case have shown us. I believe Attorney Douglas Mayhill was murdered by someone who convinced him they were no threat to him. Meeting with him or her, Doug believed would bring Collette’s blackmailing to a halt, permanently.
“Instead, after shooting him, the murderer of Douglas Mayhill took back documents and numerous Micro SD Cards which had lured him to his death in the first place. Because the assailant was familiar with the Sheridan Estate, he or she got in and later blended in, despite all the police presence after Doug’s body was found.
“Troy Holden was killed for something he had that the killer wanted. He was bludgeoned to death with great speed, so that five swift hits kept him from regaining his footing. This indicated to me that his assailant was probably smaller making the assailant desperate not to allow Troy to get up to his full height and overpower him or her.
“Mr. March before you continue I suspect that in all three cases neither size nor strength was absolutely necessary, so that being the case we could be looking for a very shrewd and calculating woman,” stated officer Jack Riley.
“Let’s let my associate Mickey continue and see if your suspicion holds water,” said Nathan realizing this meeting was a very good idea.
“As our list of victims continues to grow, we next have Jennifer and Pamela Hart. These two very ambitious sisters stumbled onto information Jenny’s boyfriend Troy left behind in the apartment where Jenny and he lived. Because of their inexperience the sisters blackmailed someone who could have made them disappear with no problem. Realizing that the two sisters were slightly ditzy they were given phony money in payment for an SD Card, taking the party being blackmailed, totally out of the equation.
“Their possession of a couple more SD Cards full of information made them victims four and five. According to autopsy reports both were unconscious prior to the fire that consumed them, most likely due to the large amounts of chloroform they inhaled,” said Mickey.
“Again a guy knocks you both on the head and then sets your place a blaze. A man wouldn’t use chloroform,” said Laurie Gibbs.
“Maybe he or she needed the time to search for the information they believed Troy Holden had stashed somewhere,” said George Lopez.
“You don’t crush someone’s skull if you want them to appear to have died in a fire,” said John Barry knowing his subject matter.
“Yeah, point taken,” said Laurie Gibbs.
“Nathan, care to continue,” said Mickey.
“Oddly no illegal actions that Armand Oulette took included blackmail. Because of his overactive libido, he lived under the constant pressure of being exposed as a cheat to Collette and his only concern was continuing in the lifestyle he’d become accustom to. So Armand and a fence by the name of Morty Schulman introduced to them by Doug Mayhill’s law intern Amanda Newman, had come up with a deal to steal her more valuable antiques while Collette was out of town. The idea of storing them all in the attic space above was pretty ingenious because the space was more than adequate to house it.
“The genius of the false wall in the main house’s attic had it been constructed better, was that they had time to add as much as they wished for as long as they wished. The booty was set to be moved out right under the nose of everyone at the estate. Instead Collette’s death got Armand tossed out of the estate so that even if they had another way of getting in and out without being noticed, a truck being loaded anywhere on the property would have alerted the added security teams who’d certainly do more than question it. Instead, I stumbled onto the wall or under it, exposing the theft and the next thing we learn is those two men are murdered.
“First Armand Oulette is found in his car with a head and heart shot. On the same day Morty Schulman is placed in a barrel which like him, was well-ventilated so it would sink. For some reason the assailant became fearful of being caught and the barrel was left on a local pier. The motive we accepted was that the mob was approached by Schulman with a great opportunity to pay $500,000 for 2.3 million worth of goods. They came up with a $100,000.00 down payment and when the goods couldn’t be delivered as promised, the mob killed both Oulette and Schulman and took the loss.
“That scenario’s false. Both killings were contracted out by the assailant. I believe, that the contracted hit man most likely took residence of a shallow grave of his own not too long afterwards,” said Nathan.
When Detective Peter Ryan’s cell phone vibrated he ignored it once but on the third vibe he took it off his belt and looked at the number then answered it immediately.
Whatever was going on, Nathan could tell that it simultaneously had Peter totally thrilled and terrified at the same time. Detective Ryan asked for a ten minute break while he, Nathan March, Naomi and the PTA huddled around Mickey’s laptop.