She thought for a second. “It all depends.”
“On what?”
“If I was paying much attention to them. People just say which office they came to and I direct them. That’s it.”
“Did you notice anything suspicious today? Did anyone at all stand out?” Nick probed.
“Nope. Just like I told the other officers. Everyone seemed level-headed to me.”
“Do you keep a log?”
“Sure.”
“So, you’ve surrendered it to detectives already?”
She looked at all three men as if they were insane. “No, I haven’t. No one asked for it. In fact, they didn’t ask if I even had a log.”
Nick glanced at the Commissioner who seemed embarrassed.
“May I have the log book please?” Nick asked.
Anne looked at Fox as if requesting his approval.
“Please hand over the log,” Fox said.
She reached over for it and handed it to Nick. It was already open to that date.
Nick viewed the list and Steve and the Commissioner leaned in as well.
Nick’s eyes soon met Anne’s again. “Thank you. You’ve been a great help. We’ll return this as soon as we can.” He closed the log book.
Fox led the way down the western side of the corridor which seemed to get eerily quiet the farther down they went. They soon made a sharp right turn, then instantly came upon a single glass door that was locked from the inside. Fox turned the silver latch and they entered a narrow space, about four feet wide and twenty feet in length. There, before them was a bronze gate with built-in tempered glass which stretched across the entire length of the space, preventing access to the balcony. The gate stopped only inches from the ceiling as well, which literally made it impossible for anyone to climb over. Nick proceeded to the other end of the space and there, he noticed something.
He pulled onto the gate. “This looks like a door, although quite a narrow one.”
Fox gave it a pull as well. “There are no hinges for it to be a door,” he said. “No one can get through there. It’s impossible!”
“I’d have to agree with the Chief,” Steve said, giving it a pull as well.
“Do you know what kind of weapon was used?” Nick asked Fox.
“We’ll have to wait for confirmation, but from the look of the wound, I’d be willing to bet it was a shotgun.”
“Wouldn’t have been easy to bring a shotgun up here in the middle of the day — passing the security out front and the receptionist,” Steve indicated. “This couldn’t have been where the shots were fired off, as there’s clearly no hole anywhere in the glass.”
As they were leaving the floor, Nick gave Anne a farewell nod. Their next stop was Police Headquarters where Nick would begin examining the evidence that had come in.
FOURTEEN
Jackson Cunningham’s death sent shock waves far and wide to other nations around the world, and news stations promptly sent down reporters for on-site coverage.
The people of Haston were still coming to grips with the terrible tragedy which occurred only four days earlier. Talk shows and social media were inundated with comments about the possibility that some foreign entity had something to do with the murder, to mafia involvement. Some people, mainly those who boldly supported the CPP pointed fingers directly at Shalo “Nineteen coffs” Alba and his men. They brought up how Jackson’s government had prevented him from getting a license to open his bank. Many accusations flew around and Nick Myers took note of all of them. He was given a small office at headquarters equipped with a computer where he was able to research sensitive information. He and Fox sat together and Nick presented him with a list of duties his officers absolutely must cover, leaving nothing undone. The modern investigative techniques recently learned were to be utilized to their fullest capacity, and leaving no stone unturned, they would find out who was responsible for executing the nation’s leader.
In the meanwhile, employing his profiling expertise – something he’d learned during a special training course four years earlier at FBI Headquarters – Nick set out to create a profile of the killer.
Steve was told he would work alongside Nick on the investigation, but Nick wasn’t sure it was such a good idea, although he didn’t initially express that. In his mind, Steve would have to be eliminated as a suspect because he knew firsthand the man’s strong dislike of the slain Prime Minister, and he wasn’t with him at the time of the murder to be Steve’s alibi.
“How’s it going?” Steve walked into the office.
Nick swung the chair around, facing the big, tall detective. “Have a seat. Just wanted to talk to you about something,” he said.
Steve sat down.
“I have to ask you a question. It may seem strange, but I have to know.”
“Uh huh?” Steve was quite curious.
“Was anyone with you around the time the Prime Minister was killed?”
“With me? Why?”
“Just answer the question please.”
“No, I was alone. I went straight home after we left the beach. Why?”
“Look, Steve, I’m gonna be real with you. You and I gotta work together, according to your bosses. And if I’m gonna work with you, I gotta know if I can trust you.”
“What you mean if you can trust me, man?” Steve was obviously offended. “I thought we were better than this.”
Nick raised his hand in defense. “It’s not the way you think. If we’re going to solve this case, I have to have proof that you had nothing to do with Mister Cunningham’s death.”
“Me?” Steve stood up abruptly. “What the hell are you saying?”
“Sit down, Detective,” Nick said as calmly as he could. Steve might have been bigger and taller, but he was not going to allow him to fly in his face.
Sighing heavily, Steve reluctantly sat down again.
“I’m trying to tell you, Steve, that I want you to take a polygraph test to clear your name. From what I see, you don’t have an alibi.”
“Are you kidding? You know how that’s gonna make me look in this Department? They’re all gonna look at me like I’m a suspect.” He sucked his teeth. “I guess confiding in you was my biggest mistake.”
“It might’ve been if you’re guilty,” Nick replied. “Are you?”
“Of course not!” He frowned.
“Listen, I don’t intend for the polygraph test to be public knowledge. I’ve arranged for an expert from the FBI to fly in and conduct it in the privacy of my hotel room. No one will know. They’re doing this as a special favor to me because I’m not trying to expose you. But at least for me, it’ll clear your name and we can tackle this all-important case together.”
“And if I don’t take it?”
“Then I can’t work with you. I’ll have to ask the Commissioner to remove you from the team…”
“And then it’s expected that he’ll ask why…” Steve said.
Nick was quiet.
Sighing again, Steve got up. “You drive a hard bargain, bro, but I see your point and I now understand why this is important. It shows how serious you are about your work... and strange to say, I admire that.”
“So you’ll take it?”
Steve nodded. “Yeah. When?”
“The polygraph expert will fly in tonight. Meet me in my room at 6:00 a.m. tomorrow and we’ll get it over with. And that way, he can catch the 10:00 flight back home,” Nick explained.
“Won’t we need him for our investigations?” Steve asked.
“Not him. They’re sending over someone else for that. He’ll be here as long as necessary.”
“I see.”
* * * *
The following morning, Steve arrived at Nick’s hotel room at 5:45. When Nick opened the door, Steve’s eyes immediately beheld the polygraph device set up on a table against the eastern side of the wall.
Nick could tell he was nervous — even noticed little pebbles of sweat on his forehead.
“A
re you all right, buddy?” Nick asked.
Steve wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. “Yeah. I’m fine.”
“This is David Schmidt. A highly regarded expert in his field.” David was standing nearby.
“Nice to meet you, Detective,” he extended his hand. “I hope you don’t find this process intimidating.”
David was a small man in both weight and stature, clean-shaven with black hair and a huge balding spot which started near his forehead and extended all the way back, stopping just two to three inches above his neck.
“No, not intimidating at all.” Steve grinned nervously, returning the handshake.
“Well, let’s get started then.”
Steve followed him over to the desk and after being prepared for the polygraph, he looked Nick’s way. “So, whatever this test says, that’s it, huh? Whether it shows I’m guilty or innocent?”
Nick was surprised by the second part of the question, but answered, “Whatever the results are, they’re good enough for me.”
Steve nodded.
“I hope I won’t have to take you out of here in handcuffs.” Nick smiled.
Steve wasn’t sure if Nick was joking or serious about that remark, but he tried to block it out of his mind.
Immediately, Nick wished he hadn’t told him that. The man was obviously already nervous enough as it was.
Before commencing the test, David allowed Steve some time to collect himself, although the detective unsuccessfully pretended that he wasn’t nervous at all.
FIFTEEN
“Tell the truth. You thought sure I was gonna fail that polygraph test, didn’t you?” Steve asked, as the two men walked toward the main entrance at Headquarters.
“No, I didn’t.” Nick grimaced.
“I think you did.”
“That’s on you, buddy. I just needed that evidence since it really didn’t matter much what I thought.”
At the office, they both slumped onto their chairs.
“Got something to show you.” Nick slid a sheet of paper out of a top file folder. Stacks of files lay beneath it.
Steve took a look. “Between forty and fifty years of age…” he muttered; “in a committed relationship, strong political views, local resident, most likely a religious man…” He looked at Nick. “This is our guy?”
“I won’t say it’s one hundred percent accurate; age could be off. But I think it’s fairly close to describing our perpetrator.”
Eddie Palmer peeped in. “Your guest has arrived, guys.”
Nick and Steve promptly got up and headed out the door. Eddie returned to his desk several feet away from Nick’s office. He’d been a detective for five years.
“I’m sure it’ll be an interesting interview,” Steve said, hurrying down the corridor.
Nick straightened his coat. “I’m sure it will.”
They arrived a few doors down at one of the interrogation rooms.
“Nineteen coffs. Thanks for coming in.” Steve slid a chair out at the table where Shalo was relaxing with his arms folded and his legs crossed.
“Detective, what can I do for you?” He calmly asked.
Nick immediately recognized that face. It was the same guy he’d seen at the hotel the day he arrived in town. He pulled out a chair and sat down as well.
“This is Detective Nick Myers. He’s visiting with us.” Steve thought the introduction fitting.
“I know who he is,” Shalo replied, without bothering to look Nick’s way.
Steve was a tad surprised.
“Let’s cut to the chase, huh?” Shalo was clearly bored.
“Mister Alba, we need to know your whereabouts on the afternoon of August 3rd, 2010 at approximately 12:30 p.m.,” Steve said.
“I was at home.”
“Alone?” Nick asked.
Shalo finally made eye contact with him. “I was slamming dominoes with the guys. You can ask them; they can verify.”
There were a few moments of silence.
“As a matter-of-fact,” he continued, “I’m sure a couple of ‘em are in one of the other rooms being questioned by your colleagues. I doubt it’d be a far walk to find out the answer to your question.”
Shalo didn’t have a remotely naive bone in his body, especially since he was streetwise from the tender age of five and had been brought into interrogation rooms countless times in his hometown of Italy, and even a couple of times while a resident of Haston. No one was ever clever enough to catch him off guard and no accusation ever stuck. He didn’t consider for a moment that this time would be any different.
“Tell us the names of the guys you played Dominoes with that day.” Steve leaned in.
Shalo riddled off a few names and Nick jotted them down on his yellow legal pad. The name Carlos Frank was among them.
Steve knew that Carlos and others – just as Shalo had suggested – were currently being questioned by other detectives. The Department decided to do a sweep of Shalo and his men, particularly since they felt it was highly plausible that he, directly or indirectly, could have had something to do with the murder of Jackson Cunningham.
“Did you have anything to do with the murder of Prime Minister Jackson Cunningham?” Steve asked, boldly.
Shalo scoffed. “That guy wouldn’t have been worth the bullet from my gun. Pond scum he was. Nonetheless, the answer is no. I didn’t off him and neither did anyone who works for me. We are upstanding and respectable citizens, Detective. None of us is that stupid.”
“Why not? Word is he stopped you from opening your bank.” Steve’s stare was intense.
“Who cares about opening a bank here? I can open up a bank anywhere – where I’m bound to make a lot more money. Think about it. The U.S. for instance, is comprised of millions of people, and this country what… we’re at about a couple hundred thousand? With that in mind, how silly do you think it would be for me to cry over spilled milk for not being able to open a bank here?”
“What’s stopping you from operating in the States?” Nick chimed in.
“Nothin’. Nothin’ at all. I’m working on it. Got my contacts over there.”
“Contacts?” Nick arched a brow.
“Yeah… contacts. For me to know and for you to find out if you’re that interested.”
“Would you agree to take a polygraph test, sir?” Nick asked.
“Polygraph?” Shalo laughed at the idea. “Please don’t insult my intelligence, Detective. Regardless of what you think, I know I’m innocent and you can’t prove any different.” He cleared his throat. “Look gentlemen, I really must get going. When your boss asked me to come in, he said this would only take a few minutes. Enough of my time has been wasted with questioning over a guy I couldn’t give a rat’s ass about, to put it mildly.”
Steve glanced at Nick, then tapped his fingers on the desk. “You’re free to go.”
Shalo stood up and straightened his neck tie. “Well, it was nice while it lasted. The room looks familiar; I’ll see myself out.”
Steve shook his head as Shalo left the room.
“Quite a character, isn’t he?” Nick remarked.
“Yeah. You think he had anything to do with it?” Steve asked.
“It’s obvious he hated the PM, but I’m not sure he’s connected to the murder.”
“I think he might’ve gotten one of his guys to handle it; he hardly ever gets his hands dirty.”
“You think the license thing was motivation enough?”
“Uh huh. All anyone can do is assume they know what this guy is really about,” Steve said. “He runs a few gambling shops around town that rake in the dough and, as you can tell, he’s Italian. The talk is he’s also tied to the mob, but we’ve never had any proof of that. My point is, I’m sure he knows Cunningham’s government denied his license not primarily because of the assumed mafia connection, but because of his affiliation with the NDP - plain and simple. That might’ve been motivation enough for him to cross the line.”
“You ma
y have a point there,” Nick replied.
“What do you make of his refusal to take a polygraph test?”
“I’ve seen his type a thousand times. They don’t get into that. They know their rights plain as day and we, the cops, don’t frighten them, especially when they know we don’t have diddly-squat on them.”
The detectives headed out to the corridor and further down, they saw Shalo walking proudly out of the front door with a few of his men. They were laughing and spewing mild insults at some of the officers.
Steve shook his head. With Shalo out of the way for now, he knew there were thousands of people out there who shared the same views about Jackson Cunningham as Shalo did, and quite frankly, as he did also. He shared the same sentiment that the Commissioner did – that he and his colleagues had an exhausting road ahead of them.
SIXTEEN
As outlined by the Constitution, in the event that the Prime Minister was not capable of performing in his capacity, it was the Deputy Prime Minister’s duty to step in as the new Prime Minister of Haston.
After Jackson Cunningham was pronounced dead, Thaddeus Sherman was driven to the house of the Governor-general and sworn in as the new Prime Minister. The short ceremony lasted for several minutes and was televised. Kevin Clarke was there with Thaddeus and clearly shaken by the tragedy. He now realized he was working for the nation’s Chief, who in his mind, was a much nicer person than Jackson proved himself to be.
Watching the ceremony at home, Sheri caught sight of her husband as one of the attendees and she again, was very proud of him. When Kevin arrived home that evening, she immediately got up from the couch and they held each other, both saddened by the tragic events.
* * * *
Dangerous & Deadly- The Nick Myers Series Page 23