Kiara glanced across the restaurant. “The kind of patronage you have built makes it feel that you’re in the business for years.”
He gave a broad smile. “This is the only place that serves authentic German food. That’s our main draw plus we maintain high standards when it comes to the customer satisfaction,” Nathan replied. Kiara knew she had massaged his ego enough to take the discussion in the direction she wanted to take it.
“Yes… that surprised me even more,” she said, “Who gave this brilliant idea of having German cuisine here? I mean, no one serves that at any of the nearby places. It’s a brilliant idea to differentiate yourselves from the competition.”
“Oh... it’s the owner… Mr. Niklas Abele’s idea. He is a German,”
“A German- American?” Kiara knowingly asked while keeping an eye on Nathan.
“No... no. He is a German citizen. He is into restaurant business. This is the first one he has opened outside of Europe.”
“Oh…is it? I would like to thank him in person and tell him that he has found a fan for his restaurant,” she said. “Can I meet him?”
“He’ll be here on Tuesday. You can meet him then,” Nathan replied while looking at a corner table where one of the waiters was having some discussion with the customer. Kiara knew she didn’t have much time with her.
“Oh... he isn’t here today?” she asked with disappointment.
“No, he had some meeting downtown. He is a busy man. He has to juggle his time between his multiple businesses,” Nathan said while still looking at the table.
Kiara thought for a moment. “I guess I’m holding you up. Thanks for the discussion and we’ll meet again soon.”
“You are welcome,” Nathan said and left.
Kiara looked around one last time and walked to the main entrance.
Kiara had two things in her mind as she drove back to her apartment: one was the words of the manager about Niklas having other businesses in New York. Second was to find the identity of the man who had confronted the manager. Though, she hadn’t met Edward Connelly, she had seen his pictures and the person who met the manager had a striking resemblance to Edward.
That reminded her it was already half past nine and Jason hadn’t called her.
She called Jason as soon as she got out of her car and walked to the elevator. Jason disconnected immediately making her furious. She called him again, but he disconnected again. Before she could have tried one more time, he sent a text – ‘Just give us ten more minutes. This is big.’
The choice of words made her even more curious. However, there was no other option but to wait. She knew Bob was not going to miss any threads and if he felt it was important; it was better not to disturb them again.
She entered the apartment and thought of giving some rest to her mind. Even if there was a big reveal, there was a chance that she was going to be removed from the case. Everything boiled down to the result of Carlson’s investigation on whether her cover was blown or not.
“Nothing here. Anything in your report?” Jake asked Ryan, who was concentrating hard on the reports given by Bob.
“This is frustrating,” he said and shook his head, “These guys have nothing in common. It’s as if they never met each other. I think this is a random act of crime.”
Jake looked at him. “It’s not a random crime. Though, they may not know each other, they all have a similar background, they were in same age group as you said and they had no family. It can’t be a coincidence. They were chosen based on these criteria.”
“But, there is nothing in Bob’s reports,” Ryan said and threw the report on the desk.
Jake smiled. “You want to solve the case within a day. Don’t you? We have just started out. This case has a seven-year-old history. Many aspects need to be covered before we find any clues. Take a break and do something else for some time. It will refresh your mind.”
“Maybe you’re right,” Ryan said half-heartedly and started staring at his phone.
“Or else, let’s do one thing. We’ll visit the victims’ houses tomorrow. Maybe the neighbors know something that our research hasn’t shown,” Jake said while knowing beforehand that driving with Ryan was going to be a painful experience. Telling Ryan about the next day’s plan in advance meant giving him another night to think of new theories.
“Yeah, that could work,” Ryan said while still looking at his phone.
“What are you doing?” Jake asked. “Is there something more interesting than this case?”
Ryan showed Jake the picture of Donald’s tool shed. He brought it closer to Jake and zoomed it in.
“What am I looking for?” Jake asked.
“You were right that the saw and other equipment looked new,” Ryan said while putting his finger on the price tag at the handle of the saw, “He hasn’t even removed the price tag yet and if you see carefully, you can make out the name of the store from where he bought it.”
“That’s great, but what are we going to achieve from that?” Jake asked in confusion.
“What if he bought it around the same time of the three murders?” Ryan asked, “Look at the crosscut tooth. Don’t they look similar to the pattern of the injuries?”
Before Jake could have said anything, Ryan opened James Reed’s case file and placed it between them. Jake looked at the injuries and then at the phone picture.
“There is some resemblance,” Jake said and paused, “Why don’t you go to this store and investigate this angle while I visit the victims’ home tomorrow? What say?”
“Really… I thought you hated my ideas,” Ryan said with surprise.
‘Not as much as your company’ Jake mumbled and gave a broad smile. “See, any idea is a good idea until it is investigated and found to be wrong. Moreover, we haven’t found anything yet. So, there’s nothing to lose. We’ll work in parallel, and that’ll save us time too.”
Ryan nodded, “Thanks.”
Jake smiled. It was a celebratory smile for dodging Ryan’s company.
“We should get going,” he said while looking at the watch.
Both turned off their computers and walked to the main entrance. As they were about to step out, Ryan turned to Jake. “What if James Reed was right?”
“About what?” Jake asked with raised brow.
“Remember, he said that they will come back,”
“He was delusional. Besides, he is dead. So, it’ll be a futile visit if they came back.”
“But, Donald is alive,” Ryan said as they walked to the parking area, “What if Donald was an experiment? Whosoever attacked him just wanted to check if their experiment was going to work or not? It failed, and that’s why they took seven years to work on it and now they’re back and much more successful than before.”
“You think they will visit Donald seeking revenge?”
“It’s a possibility. Maybe, they left some life in James just to deliver that message,” Ryan said.
“But, doesn’t it negate your theory about Donald using the saws to murder the three recent victims?” Jake asked.
“I’m trying to think of all the angles,” Ryan replied sheepishly.
“Yeah, you are,” Jake said while shaking his head. “You need to make up your mind– whether Donald is a victim, or he is the one behind the attacks?”
Ryan knew he had put himself on a spot with his contradicting theories.
“I guess, I’ll go with the first one,” he said reluctantly.
“You think too much, man. You not only confuse yourself, but you’re confusing me too.”
Ryan didn’t respond and walked to his motorcycle. Jake too got inside his car. He kept looking at Ryan until he left the parking lot. Though, Ryan was developing random theories, his theory about James Reed’s words reminded him how Donald was shaken when he had told him about James’s last words.
He dialed Carlson’s number.
“Yes,” Carlson said tersely.
“Sir, this is about the alien abduction ca
se,” Jake forced himself to say the name of the case. “I need someone to keep a watch on Donald Coleman.”
“Why?” Carlson asked. “You got some lead?”
“Not yet, sir. But, I suspect that he may get attacked again. James Reed – one of the victims, told that the people who abducted him had warned that they’ll come back again.”
“That could mean a lot of things,”
“And, one of those things could be attacking the only person who survived the abduction,” Jake explained. “Sir, he is our only lead. We can’t afford to lose him.”
A momentary silence ensued. “We are short on staff right now. How long do you want to keep someone on his tail?”
“A week at max,” Jake replied at once.
“Okay,” Carlson agreed, “I’ll make the arrangement.”
“Thanks, Sir,” Jake said and disconnected. He looked at the phone screen one last time and turned on the ignition.
While Jake was trying to cover all the bases, Kiara was still waiting for Jason’s call. Jason had piqued her interest by telling her that he and Bob were working on some big reveal, and that was making her even more anxious.
After ten minutes of restlessness, she sent a text to him. However, this time, he called back immediately. She picked the call at once.
“I haven’t worked so hard in my entire life,” he said in an exhausted voice. “I need a compensatory off.”
“We’ll have plenty of time to fight over that,” Kiara replied angrily. “What did you find about Edward Connelly?”
“About that… this guy is a strange fellow,” Jason replied. “He had a massive heart attack a few years back. After two bypass surgeries, he was able to live, but he is confined to his bed since then. No one has seen him in public for the last five years. No one knows what he looks like after the surgery. Anyhow, that isn’t the most interesting part. The interesting part is that once he recovered, he sold off all his business. He created a charitable trust from that money – Connelly Foundation, citing that his newfound life had taught him a lesson, and he wanted to help the society with his money. But, his sudden change of heart has given us some clues.”
“What clues?” Kiara asked.
“Some of the branches of this foundation are outside the U.S. Many organizations have tied up with them and they are helping Connelly foundation with financial aid. And, you know who the major contributors are?”
“Berkley Holding?” Kiara asked.
“Nope. And, that’s why this is big,” Jason replied, “The fund comes from most of the high profile people with whom Jannik dines and wines.”
“Wow! You think this charitable organization is a front for money laundering?”
“At first, we were also of the same opinion. But, again, there is nothing to prove it. All the money given by these people is listed on Connelly foundation’s website. Everything is being made to look legal.”
“Are there any bigt contributors from the US?” Kiara asked.
“Not yet. The US division is funded by Edward’s money and some small contribution from the citizens,” Jason replied.
“Maybe, that’s why Jannik has opened the restaurant here,” Kiara mumbled.
“What?” Jake inquired.
“Nothing,” she replied, “Again, thanks for getting the information.”
“A compensatory off would sound better,” Jason said unashamedly.
“We’ll talk about that tomorrow when we meet,” Kiara said tersely.
“But…” Jason protested but Kiara cut him short.
“Good Night, Jason,” she said and ended the conversation.
With that, she started to think about all the possible links between Connelly Foundation and its international funding.
As expected, Carlson called Kiara to his office the next morning. She thought of meeting him in private and didn’t inform Jason.
As she was about to knock, she noticed the two agents assigned to her case were in discussion with Carlson. Carlson gestured her to wait outside for some time. She tried to decipher Carlson’s body language, but the two agents got up in a few seconds and blocked her view. She took out her phone and started reading old messages to spend the time.
In a minute, the agents came out. “Why can’t you do your job properly just like everyone?” One of the agents asked in a complaining tone.
“What happened?” she asked.
“He is waiting for you,” the other agent said and patted on the shoulder of the first one. “We need to get going.”
“Yeah,” he said and stared at Kiara one last time before leaving. Kiara was taken aback by their strange behavior. One thing was sure, though – she was in a big trouble. Niklas knew about her after-all.
She took a deep breath and walked inside Carlson’s office. Unlike the two agents, Carlson didn’t show any signs of anger. She just hoped that it was not the calmness before the storm.
“I hope you know those were the agents who filled in for you yesterday,” he said. “They went to the hotel where you saw Niklas Abele the last time.”
“Is it?” Kiara replied. She didn’t want to give any indication of her near-encounter with them at the hotel the previous day.
“They checked with some of the hotel staff anonymously and have concluded that there is a great chance that Niklas doesn’t know you were on his tail for the last two weeks.”
“Great chance?” Kiara asked with confusion.
Carlson took off his glasses and kept them on the table. He took a moment to gather his thoughts.
“See, he may not have noticed your presence, but you’ve to agree on one thing that there was a slip-up from your end,” he said in a measured tone. “As per the security guard, Niklas got a call at the same moment his car arrived, and that’s why he went back in a hurry. You followed the car, but he wasn’t inside that from the start itself. Still, you should’ve been more careful.”
“But, Sir, it’s just a coincidence. It can happen to anyone,” she reasoned, “Yes, I made a mistake, and the mistake was to give Jason the car keys. Had I been driving, this wouldn’t have happened. But, it’s a good thing that Niklas is still not aware of my existence. I can start from where I had left.”
Carlson took some time to respond, but Kiara took the hint. “You are dropping me from the case. Aren’t you?”
“Well… given the circumstances, it will be better that someone else takes over from you,” Carlson replied. “Anyways, you haven’t made much progress, and it’s already two weeks. So, maybe a fresh approach will help us make up for the lost time.”
A streak of anger ran across Kiara’s body, but it wasn’t the right time to show her emotions.
“I’m really close to crack this case, Sir,” she said and was about to say something when Carlson raised his hands in the air.
“Don’t try this on me. You haven’t updated me even once and besides it’s my authority to decide who will work on which case,” Carlson said firmly, “They’re going to work on this case from now on, and that’s final.”
“Sir, just hear me out. Please,” Kiara tried one more time, “I really have made great progress. Please give me a chance to explain.”
“Okay. You’ve only two minutes,” Carlson agreed reluctantly.
“That’s enough for me,” Kiara said.
‘Edward Connelly, who is partnering with Niklas Abele on his restaurant business, sold all his assets a few year back and put all the money into a charity organization. This organization is in its nascent stage in the U.S. but it’s already growing in the Europe and some parts of Asia. We did a background check on all the people who have made the majority of donations to the European branch of the foundation and all of them are linked to Jannik, who is funding Niklas’s business. All these people either are in the government or have an influence on the government. We suspect that opening a restaurant business is just a front to reach out to similarly influential people in the U.S. They want to build a rapport with these influential people, so that
they can execute their plans without any government interference. The only thing needed to expose them is to find out what their plan is, and I need just a few days to do that … only a few days.”
“Why didn’t you tell me this earlier?” Carlson asked.
“I… I came to know about this yesterday. Bob helped me…”
“Yesterday? I told you to stay away from the case until I decided whether you have to continue to work on this case or not. My orders don’t mean anything to you. Have you ever listened to me?” Carlson roared.
“But, Sir, I made a great progress,” Kiara reasoned.
“That’s what you think? If you have found everything, then you must have found why the local government hasn’t taken any action on these transactions yet?”
“They are all documented transactions…,” Kiara said, but Carlson interjected
“Or, in other words, all of them are legal dealings. Aren’t they?” Carlson asked and looked at his watch. “Your two minutes are up. I know you better than anyone else does. If you have made up your mind, then no one can stop you. But, this time I’m putting my foot down. You’re out of this case, and that’s final.”
“Sir, are you under some pressure to keep me out of this case?” Kiara asked at once before realizing that she had crossed the line in the heat of the moment.
Carlson’s face turned red in anger, “I’ve told you what I had to say. I’ll call you when a new case comes. This meeting is over.”
“I am sorry, sir,” she said, but Carlson didn’t respond. She looked at him one last time and stepped out of his office.
CHAPTER 4
Kiara wasn’t able to believe that Carlson had suspected her work ethics and that too when his doubts were unfounded. She was the one who was punished when there was only one person responsible for everything – Jason.
She looked around the office floor for Jason and found him having coffee with the two agents that had taken over the case from her. He was laughing at every word coming out of their mouths, and that angered Kiara further. She kept staring at him, and as his eyes met Kiara’s, the smile evaporated. One of the agents patted on his shoulder while the other smiled looking at Kiara. Jason thought for a moment and walked to her.
Davenport Mysteries 04-Loose Ends Page 6