by John Holt
“Well he would say that, wouldn’t he,” replied Kendall unconvinced. “Of course he can verify it I imagine.”
“No I’m afraid not,” said Jennings.
Kendall shook his head. “Thought not,” he replied heaving a sigh. “I’m sorry Mr. Jennings. Everything tells me that he’s guilty. I’m afraid it’s a waste of time. More importantly it’s a waste of my time. Accept it.”
“I’m truly sorry to hear that Mr. Kendall,” said Jennings. Perhaps you are right, and I am wrong. Perhaps he is guilty. Guilty as charged. But are you one hundred percent sure. Do you have no doubts whatsoever?”
Kendall shook his head slowly and heaved a sigh. “Whether I have doubts or not is irrelevant. I won’t be on the jury listening to the case. Besides I only deal in facts.”
“So do I Mr. Kendall.”
“I really can’t help you,” Kendall said. “I’ve just taken on a big important case, and really I just wouldn’t have the time. I’m sorry.”
Jennings started to smile. “I know all about Mr. Fletcher,” he said. “In fact it is partly because of him that I came to you.”
“But I thought you said that everyone else had turned you down?” said Kendall.
“That’s true Mr. Kendall,” Jennings agreed. “But equally important is your connection with Mr. Fletcher.”
Kendall looked puzzled. “You’ll have to explain that one to me I’m afraid.”
“Mr. Fletcher is one of Lowry’s major competitors,” Jennings explained. “He heads up WestCom, a telecommunications company, the second largest in America. We act for his company. We also act for Mrs. Fletcher.”
“So despite what you said earlier, it was a recommendation then,” said Kendall enthusiastically.
“Recommendation?” repeated Jennings, shaking his head. “Hardly, in fact Mrs. Fletcher advised us that you were, shall we say, a little difficult.”
“Difficult,” repeated Kendall. “Me?”
“Her exact words were that you were obstinate, and stubborn,” Jennings continued.
Kendall was not impressed. “She said that did she?” He shook his head once again. “I still can’t help you,” he said, shrugging his shoulders.
Jennings looked disappointed and was just about to speak when the office door opened and in walked Mollie.
“Ah Mollie, said Kendall. “This is Mr. Jennings. He is an attorney. I was just telling him how busy we were.” He looked at Jennings. “He was just about to leave.”
Jennings looked at Mollie and smiled. “I was actually hoping that your boss could help me.” He turned back towards Kendall. “I appreciate that you must be a very busy man, but I would certainly appreciate it if you could just give it a glance, you know while you were waiting for the other case to start.”
Kendall shook his head. “I’m sorry, I can’t help you.”
“I’m willing to pay two hundred dollars a day, plus expenses,” said Jennings. He shook his head. “But if you really don’t have the time then there’s not much more to say.”
“We’ll take it” said Mollie. “And he’s not my boss, he’s my business partner. And our fees are two hundred and fifty dollars per day, plus expenses.”
“That’s another thing Mrs. Fletcher mentioned,” said Jennings.
“What was that?” asked Kendall.
Jennings looked at Mollie and smiled. “She said that if I could actually get the ear of the young lady, then I would be alright.”
* * *
Chapter
Eighteen
“We’ll Take It”
“We’ll take it, said Kendall mockingly. “Just like that, another decision. Getting to be a bit of a habit isn’t it? So now we have the old missing husband who is just having a few days away from his nagging wife, and now the murderer who claims to be innocent, who is as guilty as they come.”
“Don’t forget the surveillance job, will you?” said Mollie.
He shook his head. “I hadn’t forgotten,” Kendall replied. “Perhaps I should just leave. Take up golf maybe. Let you run the whole thing.”
Mollie looked at him and raised her eyebrow. She smiled. “Maybe later, we’ll talk about that. In the meantime we have a lot of work to do.”
Kendall shook his head and grunted loudly. “You don’t even know what this Gardiner case is all about.”
Mollie smiled and placed a newspaper on the desk. It was all there on the front page. She looked at Kendall and nodded. “He’s innocent, you know,” she said.
Kendall shook his head and took a deep breath. “You know that for a fact do you,” he said. “I mean you know about these things. You’ve had the training, the experience.”
“He’s innocent,” she repeated.
“You’ve checked the evidence I suppose, spoken to the witnesses and …”
“He’s innocent I’m telling you,” Mollie insisted.
Kendall shook his head. “Gardiner threatened to kill Lowry, that night, at the hotel, in front of dozens of witnesses.”
Mollie looked at Kendall. “If you meant to kill someone would you make an announcement in front of everyone?” she asked.
“That’s not the point,” Kendall replied. “Gardiner threatened him, and a few days later he carried out his threat. Lowry was murdered.”
“He’s innocent,” Mollie repeated.
“How can you say that?” said Kendall becoming more and more exasperated. Before she could answer he sneezed violently. “There now see what you’ve done. You’ve brought on my allergies.”
Mollie shrugged and looked up at the ceiling. “Allergic to the truth are you,” she said, as she walked towards the kitchen. “I imagine you could manage a coffee.”
When she reached the doorway she stopped and turned. “By the way, I’ve started a file. It’s there on your desk. I’ve put in all the details we have, including details of where Lowry lived. I thought you might need that.”
Kendall shook his head and smiled.
“By the way you should try Echinacea,” Mollie called out.
Kendall looked puzzled. “Echi … what?”
“Echinacea,” Mollie repeated. “It’s a plant. It’s good for treating colds, and allergies.”
Kendall nodded. “Thanks I’ll remember that,” he said in a low voice. “Echi … whatever.”
* * *
Kendall reached across the desk and pulled the buff colored folder towards him. He looked over towards the kitchen area and shook his head.
“We’ll take it,” he said mockingly.
“Did you say something,” came a voice from the kitchen.
“I said I’ll make it, the coffee I mean,” he replied hurriedly.
Mollie walked to the doorway and looked at Kendall. “You’ll make the coffee,” she repeated. “Do you know how?” She turned and returned to the kitchen.
Kendall looked down at the desk. “Of course I know how to make coffee,” he whispered. “I’m just far too busy that’s all.”
He opened the file. “And don’t forget the …”
“I know, the chocolate cookies,” said Mollie as she placed a coffee on to the desk. “There they are.”
She picked up her coffee and walked over to her desk. “Well how’s it going then?” she asked.
“How’s what going?” Kendall asked.
“The investigation,” Mollie replied. “The file I prepared.”
“What about the file?”
Mollie shrugged. “I was just wondering if you had any thoughts yet on how to proceed.”
Kendall glanced at the file. “I should ask you the same question. You’re so good at taking on these cases. You obviously have a plan in mind. Perhaps I should just go to Mike’s for a drink and let you solve them.”
“Any excuse for a drink,” Mollie retorted. “Come on Mr. Great Detective where do we start?”
He began turning the few pages. “Well there really isn’t much to go on is there?” he replied. “Gardiner is going to be fired number one, in fact he
is fired. Then in front of witnesses he threatens to kill Lowry; a day or so later Lowry is dead. I mean what more do you need?”
“He’s innocent,” Mollie replied. “And really you need to have more of an open mind.”
Kendall picked up a cookie and chewed noisily. “So as you know so much, exactly what do you suggest?” he asked
“Well you could start with the police officer who arrested Mr. Gardiner.”
“Yes I could, I suppose, though I don’t suppose there’s any point really, after all they are obviously satisfied of his guilt. He has been charged don’t forget,” replied Kendall, wishing that he could be so busy that he wouldn’t need this Gardiner case. “I might just forget the whole thing, because he’s clearly guilty. There’s no smoke without fire.”
“Are you suggesting that the police have never made a mistake,” Mollie replied. “They have never ever arrested the wrong man.”
“I never said that,” Kendall replied. “But this is so clear cut. The guy’s guilty.”
“He’s innocent,” said Mollie.
“He’s guilty I tell you,” said Kendall.
“Innocent,” Mollie repeated, as she glared at Kendall.
Kendall looked away and reached for the newspapers lying at the side of his desk. As he did so he was mumbling to himself. “He’s guilty.”
* * *
Kendall had finished scanning the papers an hour or so ago There had been nothing of any interest. More and more allegations of hacking and more doom and gloom about the Country’s economy.
Over the past few week there had been endless news items regarding phone hacking. What some newspapers would do for a story, Kendall thought. It had been mainly so called celebrities. Kendall didn’t have a problem with that. Oh sure he knew that it was illegal, but the A-listers could handle that. They could take care of themselves. If the worst came to the worst they could just sue the paper, and make a nice little sum. But just lately it was becoming obvious that the hacking hadn’t stopped at celebrities. Now, more and more, members of the general public were becoming involved, as long as it was newsworthy. People who could not afford to hit back.
* * *
Kendall was lying on the sofa, his eyes closed. Mollie was busy reading her magazine, “Celebrity Lives.” She looked up. “What do you know about this phone hacking business?” she asked.
Kendall opened his eyes and looked at her. “Well, I know that it’s illegal for a start,” he said.
“Yes,” said Mollie. “What else?”
“A small device is fitted into the telephone handset so that a person’s conversation can be overheard, and recorded.”
“Phone hacking I said,” replied Mollie. “Not phone tapping.”
“Hacking?” he replied shaking his head. “Something to do with computers I think.”
“Hacking is the illegal obtaining of information electronically from a person’s cell phone,” Mollie explained.
Kendall was suitably impressed. “How do you know that?” he asked.
Mollie looked up from the magazine she was reading and smiled. “It says so right here in this magazine.”
Kendall sighed and a frown spread across his forehead. “What kind of information?” he asked.
“Information such as messages sent or received,” Mollie started to read once again. “Text messages, or verbal; contact details, phone numbers, possibly even passwords.”
Kendall nodded. “Interesting, up to a point,” he said. “But why tell me?”
“So now Troy Donahue says that his phone has been hacked.”
Kendall looked at her. “Pardon me?”
“I said Troy Donahue has had his phone hacked,” Mollie explained. “Yesterday it was his girl friend Cindy Lawson, today it’s him.”
Kendall looked puzzled. What on earth was she talking about? It sounded like a foreign language. “Who, or what, exactly is Troy whatshisname and Cindy Lou?”
“Lawson,” Mollie corrected. “It’s Cindy Lawson.”
“All right, so it’s Lawson,” said Kendall. “Who are they?”
Mollie shook her head and sighed. “They are only the hottest property in Hollywood at the present time. He is in line for an Oscar for Times Lost, and she is to play the lead in the …..”
“So what’s all this about them having their phones hacked?” Kendall interrupted.
Mollie nodded her head. “Everyone and anyone is being targeted. Movie stars, sports personalities, business men, politicians, It says so right here, and recently a young boy. Peter Jobson.” She paused for a moment, puzzled. “Whoever he is?”
“Was,” said Kendall almost in a whisper. “Peter Jobson was a young teenager in Buffalo.” He paused for a moment staring at the far wall. “He disappeared, six months ago. He was found dead a week or two back.”
Mollie looked up and shook her head. “Why would anyone want to hack into somebody’s phone like that?” she asked.
Kendall shook his head. “Who knows, gossip, sensation, whatever the reason it’s just plain sick.” He took a deep breath. “People like that should just be locked away and forgotten.”
“It seems that our Mr. Lowry was up to his eyes in it,” Mollie continued. “Most of the newspapers were doing it, but the main culprit was the Virginia Sentinel. According to this article Lowry blamed Gardiner. He said that it was all his idea.”
“Gardiner,” repeated Kendall. He thought for a few moments. “Perhaps there’s the motive, the reason for killing Lowry.”
“Maybe,” said Mollie unconvinced. “But there are numerous other possibilities. Remember what Mr. Jennings said.”
“About enemies you mean?” said Kendall.
“That’s right, I imagine Lowry had a lot of enemies,” said Mollie. “Maybe it was something to do with all of this hacking.”
Kendall looked at her. “Are you seriously suggesting that hacking could be a motive for murder?” he asked.
Mollie shook her head. “No, I’m not suggesting that at all.”
“Well what then?” said Kendall.
“I think he was murdered because he found something out, and was blackmailing someone.”
“I guess that’s possible,” agreed Kendall.
She smiled at him and then looked back at the magazine. “Oh by the way it also says that our friend thinks that his phone has been hacked.”
“Our friend?” repeated Kendall puzzled.
“Tony Fletcher,” Mollie replied.
“Really,” replied Kendall. “Does it give any details?”
“Not really,” explained Mollie. “But it seems that there was something about some share dealings that he was alleged to be involved in.”
“So what about it?” asked Kendall.
“Well it seems that it wasn’t entirely legal,” Mollie continued.
“Anything else?” asked Kendall.
“Not about Fletcher,” Mollie replied. “But have you seen this in the Gazette?”
She reached for the newspaper and passed it to Kendall. There across the top was the headline “George Walker Arrested.” Kendall started to read “Mr. Walker, political correspondent on The Sentinel was arrested this afternoon over phone hacking and making illegal payments to police and questioned for nine hours. Dean Mitchell, the Assistant Editor has also been arrested on suspicion of making illegal payments to police.”
“So,” said Mollie
“So what?” asked Kendall. “They’ll get away with it, don’t worry about that. These newspapers have excellent legal teams.”
“I’m not talking about the phone hacking,” Mollie explained. “I’m talking about the investigation.”
“Oh that,” said Kendall. “Well I thought I’d start with the police officer who had arrested Gardiner.”
“What a good idea,” said Mollie. “Wish I’d thought of that.”
“Yes I thought so, glad I thought of it,” said Kendall, picking up another chocolate cookie. “These are really good.”
“And after
seeing the police,” Kendall continued. “I think I might pay a visit to West-com.”
* * *
Chapter Nineteen
Detective Sergeant Evans
So the decision had been made. He would speak to the police officer who had actually arrested Gardiner. Although exactly why, and what he expected to achieve, Kendall wasn’t entirely sure. Maybe it was just to get confirmation that Gardiner was, indeed, guilty, and that he had been right in turning the case down in the first place. Some re-assurance that he wasn’t alone in thinking Gardiner was guilty. Maybe he was looking for something, anything, to convince Mollie, and then he would be able to forget all about the case, and to tell Jennings, and thingy to go elsewhere, because he just wasn’t interested. Whatever the reason it would certainly provide a golden opportunity to see at firsthand what evidence there was. At least it would be a start, and he had to start somewhere.
Of course there was no guarantee that the police would co-operate anyway. A polite refusal, or indeed an impolite one, would not have been totally unexpected. On the other hand he did have authority to investigate from Jennings Son and Ash. They certainly should be offered every opportunity to examine the evidence against their client.
So the call was made. Initially the response was less than enthusiastic. In fact it was almost hostile. There was no need for such a meeting. What purpose would be served? Gardiner had a motive, he had the opportunity, and he had been placed at the scene of the crime. What more was necessary? His rights had been read to him and he had been charged in the correct manner. Jennings Son and Ash had already seen the evidence, and had been given copies of relevant documentation. There was nothing to add. Besides the officer concerned was an extremely busy man.
It was made very clear to Kendall that no one had any great desire to speak to him. “The Lowry case,” said one officer. “That’s closed, all done and dusted. We have the murderer in custody.”
Kendall had agreed that yes the case was, as they had said, done and dusted, there were, however, a few loose ends that he had been asked to clear up.
“What loose ends?” the officer asked.