by Gabor Kiraly
The travel-time is around two and a half hours between Toronto and Parry Sound. The rest of the trip went smoothly, Katlin asked about everything they passed by, and Yanosh tried his best to answer. They stopped for another coffee at the Tim Horton's on the 400, just south of Parry Sound, and then soon Yanosh parked his car in front of a modest house on Railway Ave. Helped Katlin with her suitcases to the entrance, got back to his car, waited until somebody answered the door and left for home.
Knock, knock, and knock! The Herzogs did not have a bell to ring. Instead, they had a dog, which served well, much better than any ring. Actually, it was only a third of a dog, but he acted like a real sized one.
"Just a minute!" came from inside, then the door opened.
"Hello! I am Katlin Mezei! Mr. Herzog?"
"No my dear, Mr. Herzog was my father" he answered." People call me Gabby, or G. or Uncle G., whichever you like more! But don't stand there come on in. God, you look like your dad, just a newer, nicer version! Come on in!"
"How was your trip? Would you like to eat or drink something? Come! Sit down!" said Gabor
"Gabbo, you should let her take a breather, there will be enough time for all your questions." cut in Gwen, Gabor's wife for thirteen years. "Come Hun, let me show your room, and the bathroom, and when you're ready for uncle G., then come on down, and we can talk. OK? Let's go!"
Gwen and Gabor met when Gabor hardly spoke any English, but they both soon recognized in each other the need for someone. Someone who could make the other's life happy, safe and comfortable. They got married soon, and since then they lived the quiet version of happy life. Although Robert and Marika were much younger, they kept close friendship for their common Hungarian roots. Their English was good enough for Gwen not to be blocked out of the conversations. Gabor even worked at the same big department store where Marika got a job too.
It was a sad news to learn that Robert died, let alone murdered! They both felt Robert absence, and were sorry about it. Since he passed, they first let Marika mourn her husband, sensing that nothing would ease the pain. It was a tough time, which the new widow needed to come over alone, and work her way back to family, life, and reality. When they felt that enough time has passed, they tried a short visit, just to learn, that there was a young man, in his underpants, who greeted them, and neither him, nor Marika seemed that they enjoyed any part of the visit. Since then they saw them once in a grocery store, they swiftly said "hi" to each other, and walked on.
"Oh?Look at that!" said Gwen, when Katlin finally came down to the dining room, neat, fresh and smiling.
"Come on dear, sit down?" Gwen invited her.
"Thank you, I will sit momentarily though first let me say, how much I appreciate your goodness to let me stay here in your home! Not only say but also show! Here: this is for you and this is for you uncle G."
"Oh, boy" thought Gabor" those silly Hungarian visiting rules! You cannot go to visit someone's house unless you bring some gift, some present with you! For women it supposed to be chocolate or flower, for men it should be some hard liquor."
Gwen got a nice piece of milk chocolate and Gabor got a rather big bottle of plum brandy. I guess it's unnecessary to mention, that Gwen was diabetic, and Gabor abstinent, which means he chose not to drink any alcohol at all.
"Katlin, oh, how thoughtful of you, oh you shouldn't have?" said Gwen, and finally they could sit down to the table, Katlin not being hungry; they had a coffee, a cigarette, and started to talk.
Katlin first:" I will be straight and honest; however, I can't say or tell you too much yet. I'm here, for I just can't accept that the police ended the investigation. I would like to get closure, and I want to see justice served! Somebody killed my Dad, and that person must be punished for it."
"Very well, I agree!" said Gabor, "Where you want to start, what you want to do first? How can I help?"
"First I think we should see police reports, I want to look at the evidences, Court documents, and?"
"Wait Kat! I know that you finished law school, and you are the victim's daughter, I still don't think you can have access to these documents. Even if you could, we would need somebody with special language knowledge, for the language of the law! ?and you know what? I know just the right person. An old friend of mine, nowadays we build models together, and he is a trained private investigator, and I believe, he's very good at it! Joe is the gentleman's name, and I will call him for you. Hm?"
"Thanks uncle G., very nice of you, though I want to do everything I can by myself. I have to do whatever I am able, for Dad. He would like it."
"Agree! Enough said here is his number?mm?just a second. Gweeen? Honeeey! Where is Joe's phone number?"
"Oh, Gabbo?What would you do without me?? I gave it already to Katlin, and she's calling him now."
Chapter 6.
On his way home Joe Bryan stopped at Mac's Mart, bought a puzzle magazine for the boring evenings ahead. He lived in the 4-storey Beaucrest apartment building, on the safe and warm third floor, all by himself.
Safe, for nobody can climb in thru the balcony, and warm because the heated apartments all around him kept his home warm. It actually was a warm home. Joe had quite a good taste, and it showed in the furnishing and home-decoration. He had a sizeable library, bookshelves and books on most available wall surfaces, occasional paintings and artworks made small islands in the sea of books. The wall's color in all rooms was a very light warm brown, with old school, age-tanned solid-wood furniture. A fake, yet stylish fireplace, shiny hardwood floor, with darkish colored carpet, and local lighting anywhere, were he could sink deep into his thoughts. A wooden office desk, with a laptop computer, the small but modern kitchen, and the large balcony made the impression complete. The apartment had enough closet space, plus a walk-in-closet, which was small, though big enough for Joe to use it as a small shop for his lifelong hobby, scale model building. In the apartment, you could see small gems, his collection of tanks and other vehicles from the WW II era, to the Soviet Red Army.
Overall, although a bachelor lived here, it was a homey place, with always a small light left on, when he expected himself to come home late at night. An empty and dark place suggests loneliness; same place with a dim light by the bookshelf radiates warmth and friendliness. The place was clean and in order, thanks to an older lady who came twice a week save Joe from the ever threatening chaos and mess. Right now it was sparkling clean, Mrs. Pears, the housekeeper just left, leaving a sticky-note on the inside of the apartment door:
Joe stepped out of his shoes, hanged his coat, and went to the living room. Sat down by the desk, and turned on his laptop, when the phone rang.
"Hallo?"
"Mm? Hi! May I talk to Mr. Bryan?" "Hm! She really sounds like a young women," thought Joe.
"Speaking!" he said.
"Hello Mr. Bryan, how are you?" she asked.
"Very well, thank you! How are you?"
"I'm good. Very sorry to bother you, but Gabor, Gabor Herzog if you know him said that I should talk to you?"
"Yes, of course I know Gabor well, yes! What can I do for you?" asked Joe.
"Today is already too late, but would you please meet me tomorrow, and then we will have enough time to talk it over?"
"Let me see?Yes, we can meet tomorrow, miss?"
"Oh. I'm sorry, my name is Katlin Mezei"
"?Ms. Mezei. How about at Tim's on Bowes street at 10 in the morning?"
"Does Mr. Herzog know where this place is?"
"What? The Tim's on Bowes? That's one thing everybody knows!"
"Perfect, thank you Mr. Bryan, see you?"
"Ms. Mezei can you give me any information what is this about?"
"Yes, sir! I have a job for you!" she said.
"A job? What kind of a ?" but she already hanged up.
Joe lit up a cigarette, and tried to wake the hamster in his head, started thinking, re-playing the conversation in his memory.
First, the Herzogs came to mind. Joe knew
the family very well. Gabor worked several times for him when they were younger and Joe took on many good-paying roofing jobs. Since then actually he counted them as friends. A good willing, hardworking family of two, Gwen, the wife Canadian, Gabor, the husband a first generation immigrant from Hungary, with a heavy, but very enjoyable accent.
"Hungarian! Of course!" thought Joe, thinking of the young woman caller's pronunciation. "OK, I got it?"he told his cat Sermy, who in the meantime snuck up onto his lap, purring as if it was a serious purring competition. "She's probably family, or could be just a friend, with the same roots" Joe went on in his mind?"and she has a job for me. "Hm?interesting...I wonder what kind of a job?"
Joe was just 15 when his family moved up here from the St. Jacobs farming area, about 35 years ago. Since then Joe was known for being a handyman, practicing different trades and had businesses. He was a good carpenter, especially good with stairs and framing, then he had a roofing business, he did siding and he serviced wood- and oil-burners for home heating.
Lately he did not work anymore, thanks to his life-style, he saved a lot in his active years, plus when the "rich,-actually very rich- uncle" of him died, Joe, being the only relative still alive, inherited a nice sum, which allowed him to either not do nothing, or do anything, whichever pleased him. He mostly travelled, built his models, or read. He also gave regularly to charities.
He had one more, rather serious pastime: he lowed puzzles, he was a fast thinker, and so, he didn't stop until he got his licence, as a private investigator. Very few people knew about this, one of those were the Herzogs. Joe learned the trade thru a correspondence school, and he loved it. He solved smaller cases as practice, for his own entertainment. Sometimes he even got paid, if there was a reward, like in some stimulating "crime-stopper" cases.
"Well," he said out loud, "we will know more tomorrow. And let's hope that I won't need you for a while!" Whit that, he put down the puzzle magazine, and went to feed Sermy.
Chapter 7.
Marika was almost done with cooking, when her daughter Alexa came out to the kitchen: "Is it ready yet Mom? I'm very hungry!"
"Yes honey, it's done, go and help George to make the table?I'm coming in a minute!" told her, when George stepped into the kitchen:
"You know whom I saw yesterday?" asked her "You won't find out ever!" teased her.
George Ferber moved in with Marika, shortly after her husband died. George was known by another name too: "macho" Ferber, for his everlasting luck with women, and the rumor had it that he wasn't afraid of his own shadow, didn't run away from a good fight ever. He was the typical "Bad Boy" which is so liked by many of the ladies. He was roma or as others known gipsy, which gave him a hint of Latino look. Originally, from Hungary he and Robert grew up in the same roma community, but he only met Marika the first time here, in Canada.
"Who did you see?" asked Marika.
"I saw Rob's daughter," he said. Marika automatically looked at her own daughter, so George told her "Not this one, Braniac, Rob's other daughter!"
"What? God! What is she doing here?"
"I never asked?"
"Are you sure it was her? You could be mistaken!"
"Hey!" he said, "I'm not the dumb in this house! It was her! Now bring the supper, and it is better be goddamned good?!"
Marika sank into her thoughts: She was positive that no one here in Canada knew about Robert's other daughter. Not like it was a secret, but she lived with her mother somewhere in France, and they -Marika and Katlin- never had a good relationship, so they did not talk about her at home with Rob at all. Marika was actually angry with Katlin, and even Rob, when she learned that Robert had a pretty fair life insurance policy and Katlin was named as beneficiary?.And now she is here! Why is she here? What else does she want?
"Hallooo! Where the hell is my supper?!And bring some beer with you!"
"Shut up already! It's coming!"
Chapter 8.
The next morning, as they agreed Joe Bryan sat at a corner-window at Tim Horton's. He came a little earlier, to make sure they can have a non-occupied table, which is not that easy, for the place being regularly very busy. He read his Toronto Star, to pass the time until his guest would arrive. He liked the Star, especially the Saturday editions. He slowly sipped his second coffee of the day, and wished, that he could lite up a cigarette.
In a couple of minutes Gabor Herzog's car showed up, and after parking the car almost in front of Joe's window, they got out , and walked in. The young woman with Gabor was a beauty, full with the energy of the youth. Whatever she was wearing looked new or at the least, well maintained. She wore earth or fall colors in the warm shades of brown and green, nicely color-coordinated. She had a slightly tanned skin, and deep, black eyes!
"Wow!" he thought.
They walked up to his table; Gabor took them thru the introduction process, and asked Katlin what she will going to have. She asked for a hot chocolate, and sat down.
Joe didn't want to be rude and ask right away what she wants from him, though he hardly could wait. Gabor came back with the hot chocolate, and said:" OK, everything seems to be in order, so I will leave you two, just let me know when I can come to pick up Katlin."
"Thanks G, bat that won't be necessary, I know where you live, and I can take the young lady home, when we're done."
"Well, its fine with me! Then I will just leave you to it! Thanks Joe, see you after!"
"Take care!" said Joe and Katlin at the same time, and then finally they were left alone.
"So?"started Joe" what can I do for you Ms. Mezei, it is Mezei isn't it?"
"Yes Mr. Bryan, that's correct! However, would you please call me Katlin, or Kat? I'm not used to the Ms."
"Yes, Happily. However, I don't want to hear "Mr. Bryan" again either! It's Joe, or big bad Joe! Deal?" When Katlin agreed with a smile, he asked again:
"Katlin! I'm really anxious to know, what can I do for you? Yesterday you mentioned that you have a "job" for me. Can you please tell me more?"
"All right, I will not make you wait any longer! Here: I don't know if you are familiar with this case or not, probably you remember, that about almost two years ago a man got murdered in Parry Sound. He was shot!"
"The Mezei murder! Yesss" said Joe "Mezei! That's why your name sounded familiar, I just couldn't remember where I heard it! Yes, I remember! So, you are saying that you are?"
"Robert Mezei's daughter."
"But I remember that Mr. Mezei's daughter was very young, and she can't be older than? like seven or eight years?"
"Actually she is five, and I'm my father's other daughter from another mother. Alexa is my half-sister."
"I see. I understand now. You know here in Parry Sound no one knew that he had another child. I can guess why. The police notified the Hungarian embassy of the facts that he was killed and there is an investigation, than let the Hungarian authorities do the legwork, and notify the family. In the meantime, here, no one mentioned you, for being irrelevant to the case?Hm. Interesting."
"Probably that's what happened, because not long after the murder took place, the French police was knocking on my door. Sorry, I did not tell you, that I live in France. "She said, "Anyhow, they told me what happened "
"I can imagine how you felt in that moment. I'm sorry for your loss!"
"Thank you Joe, but it's already two years, and I learned to accept the fact?"
"Right." He said "It must have been hard. But don't let me steer away from your story! You didn't come here for my condolences?"
"Thanks Joe. So, the French police. They also told me that there is an ongoing investigation by the Canadian police. I asked them for more information, so they gave me the phone number for the Hungarian embassy in Ottawa, saying that it would be probably better if I asked them. I did and got the answer that the investigation hasn't been concluded yet, and they will be happy to provide me with more details, when they'll get any."
"I see. Please go on" Joe encouraged her.
"I waited and waited. Finally, I called again, and they told me that the police ended the investigation, with no results, no suspect, and no arrest. In the meantime I finished my forth year at the law school, I have the money from my father's life insurance, and I was free to go and do something. I came here to see this town to myself hoping that I can do something in my father's case. I didn't really know what, but I thought that since they had not found a suspect, then the work not has been done, maybe I see something, what the police missed.," she told Joe. "Now I need a cigarette, but I guess you can't even smoke in a coffeehouse?Let's go to a bar or pub and we can carry on. Come on! My treat."
"Yep, I can tell, you are a foreigner. This is Canada! Here you can't smoke inside and drink booze outside? Not even in a bar or pub can you smoke."
"Well, I can't see why not? It's was almost the same in Europe, but there the politicians learned that even smokers vote, so they dissed all these prohibiting laws. Instead, they made a law that wherever there is smoking at a public place there should be sufficient air filtering, to keep the non-smokers happy. So what can we do right now?"
Chapter 9.
"We can go outside, have our smoke in the cold, and come back, or, if you don't mind, I can offer you my little apartment, there we can smoke, have a coffee and talk at the same time. Shall we?"
"First good idea I've heard today! Let's go!" then:
"Are you the type of guy my mother warned against, Big Bad Joe?" she asked jokingly. There was at least 20 years age difference between them?
"Yes!" he answered, while, with his aching back, tried to get off the seat "Yes, I am!"
"OK, then! Let's go" said her with a wide smile.
They left Tim Horton's, and got into his car.
"Katlin, did Gabor show you the town yet?"
'No, I just got here yesterday, tired and hungry, with jet leg. You know there is 6 hours' time difference between here and Hungary?"
"Sooo?mmm?er?"
"It means that it is around 6 in the morning, and I would be sleeping several more hours! Remember, it's Saturday!"
"The main thing is that you're awake, and I will show you around! But this time you get the short version, then we'll go right back to your story"