“I have placed a call to a friend of mine at the Vancouver police department, asking him to forward me anything else he might have on this case. If I can get them to reopen their files and forward me a copy of the emails they found…” Tessa picked up the Vancouver file and scrolled down the paragraphs, “look … see here, Jack … three of the victims were noted to have received emails of a nasty sort.
“Camden is a loner. He is smart. He works in gyms. He moves around a lot. He was living in Vancouver before he came here. He claims it was because of his sister’s health, but let me ask you, Jack, did his sister ever complain about her health? You had them both over for dinner one night, didn’t you?”
Jack thought back to the evening of his dinner party. He remembered asking Emma about her health, and now he remembered her reaction. “Come to think of it, Tessa, she referred to her brother to answer when I asked about her health. She actually seemed surprised that was the reason they were here.”
“When Camden was at your place the other day,” Tessa pushed forward, “I noted some severe mood changes––not outwardly, but his eyes. Wasn’t it he who told you none of the victims are registered at his gym?”
“Yes.”
“And isn’t that the only gym you personally did not go into and check out?”
Jack looked up and stared out the window. “Yes.”
“I think it’s time we paid Emma a little visit, Jack. I don’t want to let Camden know we might be on to him because I don’t want him to up and disappear. I think he is our killer. We just have to figure out why he is doing it––what’s his trigger.” Tessa gathered the papers and stuffed them into her briefcase. “Let’s go see Emma. If Camden is home, we will wait until tomorrow.”
“I think we should leave our visit to Emma until tomorrow anyway,” Jack suggested. ”It’s already after lunch, and Camden left for work early this morning. He could be home anytime, and we wouldn’t want him walking in while we are there.”
“You make sense, Jack; we’ll leave it until morning.” Tessa hesitated. “It’s a holiday––maybe we could do something relaxing, clear our minds and get a fresh start tomorrow.”
Jack smiled. He had been thinking along the same line but hadn’t known how to bring it up. “How about a nice drive to Port Dover, followed by a fish dinner and a walk on a moonlit beach after the crowds dissipate?”
“That sounds absolutely fantastic. Could we swing by my apartment so I can grab some swimming things?”
“No problem. I want to stop by my place and make sure the old kitty cat is well-fed. Toby will never forgive me if I don’t have kibbles in his dish! Maybe I’ll grab some swim trunks and a towel too.”
When they arrived at Jack’s house, he ran in through the back door, so he didn’t see the letter Andrew had left in the front door. Toby was nowhere to be seen: Jack assumed he was visiting Emma. Jack filled Toby’s dish, put his swimwear and a towel in a gym bag, then headed back to the van. On the way out of Brantford, they stopped by Tessa’s place for her things.
“This is nice,” she smiled at Jack. “Been a long time since I’ve done this.”
“Me too,” Jack returned. “Well, not since I have relaxed; I do a lot of that now I’m retired––too much actually. However, it’s been a long time since I was in the company of such a beautiful woman.”
“You flatter me, Jack.”
“Be flattered then; I mean it.”
Tessa looked out the side window. It had been a long time since she had enjoyed a man’s company. Jack seemed to be the kind of man she could get used to having around.
~
Toby watched the van come and go. He was sitting by the fence at Emma’s house, watching. Emma hadn’t come out yet to tend her plants, and he was worried. “I hope nothing has happened to her.” He paced back and forth along the fence line. Even Duke was nowhere to be seen. Toby heard footsteps coming down the sidewalk––Camden. He crouched down in the long grass so he wouldn’t be seen. He heard the front door slam when Camden went inside.
Before long, Camden appeared in the three-season room. He went straight to the castor bean plant. “He needs more seeds to make more powder because what he used today got wasted.” Toby still had no idea how he was going to reveal what he knew to Jack before it was too late for Andrew!
Emma joined her brother in the three-season room, but she took no note of what he was doing. She looked horrible. Her hair was unkempt, and her face was paler than Toby had ever seen it. There was no smile on her face and no light in her eyes. Her walk was nothing more than a staggering shuffle. Toby watched as Camden took his sister gently by the arm and directed her into the house.
~
Andrew and Jody were sitting in the restaurant when Jack and Tessa walked in. “What a surprise!” Andrew exclaimed standing and extending a hand to Jack. “Why don’t you join us?” he pointed to the two empty chairs.
Jack looked at Tessa. She nodded approval. “What brings you to Dover?” Jack inquired.
“The beautiful weather, a day off, and a lovely girl!” Andrew grinned. “How about you?”
“The same.” Jack blushed, and then everyone laughed.
“Would you guys like a drink?” Andrew asked as he waved down the waitress.
“I’ll just have a ginger ale,” Jack replied.
“I’ll have ice water with lemon,” Tessa added.
The couples ordered their meals and while they were waiting for the food to arrive Andrew thought to ask Jack about the letter he’d left at his front door. “Did you see what I left at your front door this morning, Jack?”
“I actually didn’t use the front door since I left early; what did you leave me?”
“I received an interesting email––a threatening one. It was addressed ‘you are you listening to me’…”
“Let me guess, the signature was ‘666,’ ” intervened Tessa.
“Yep.”
Jack took a sip of his ginger ale. “The killer sends a second one out before he does anything. I want to know as soon as you receive it.”
Tessa spoke up. “There is no guarantee there will be another email. This killer is escalating. We also don’t know when the poison is administered to the victims as they seem to die pretty soon after the second email.” She paused, thoughtfully. “Wait, you said the headline was ‘are you listening to me’?
“Yeah,” replied Andrew, a puzzled look on his face.
“That is the second email the killer sends; there might not be another one!”
Jack and Tessa filled Andrew in on some of the details of the case. They were careful not to mention specifics because matters were still under investigation. Andrew understood and said he would let Jack know if and when he received another email. Tessa reiterated it would be doubtful if he did. She didn’t think the killer was going to waste any more time. Andrew promised to be careful.
When their meals arrived, they ate mostly in silence, with just the odd bit of general conversation about the demise of the world. They hadn’t realized how late it was, so they forfeited their swim after the food. However, there was still time for a walk along the beach, which had almost cleared off, save for a few locals. The sunset was beautiful—bold and red––a sailor’s delight, so goes the legend. About eight o’clock, Jack mentioned he would like to start heading back. Tessa agreed. Andrew and Jody were going to stay a tad longer; the night was still young for them.
~
Camden was worried. Emma hadn’t looked like this for a long time, not since the rape. She was the last person in the world he wanted to hurt, but he had no choice now. He knew it would only be a matter of time before he was caught if he stayed in Brantford much longer. He couldn’t understand why she didn’t seem to believe his boss was sending him to Nova Scotia. She didn’t understand why he just hadn’t said no. Camden was also worried he wouldn’t be able to finish what he had started. What if Andrew didn’t come back to the gym tomorrow? He knew
he had received the email.
On his way home from work Camden saw a piece of paper sticking out of Jack’s front door. He walked up to the door and took the paper out, and when he saw it was his email, he stuffed it in his pocket. He was still agitated about the fact that his final victim was a friend of the only person who had been nice to him since he came to Brantford.
Camden decided, since he hadn’t been able to finish the job today, he needed to send another email, still not realizing he was sending a duplicate of the second email. Emma hadn’t packed any boxes so he spent the evening packing what they would be taking with them. She just sat on the couch and watched, tears in her eyes. Duke didn’t leave her side.
After Camden sent the email to Andrew, he tilted back in his chair and muttered: “This is the last one, Emma––I swear––the last one.” Then he shut off his light, crawled under his covers, curled into the fetal position, put his thumb in his mouth, and went to sleep.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
E
mma was tired. She hadn’t slept well since Camden told her they were definitely moving. She sat in the middle of the living room looking around at the boxes her brother had packed. She had half a mind to unpack them all to prolong the impending move. She stood and headed out to the three-season room. Duke followed close on her heels.
“You want to go outside, boy? You’re getting tired of all these moves too, aren’t you? We finally had a nice big yard for you.” She opened the back door so Duke could take a run. The dog looked up at her and hesitated. “It’s okay, boy. I’ll be okay. I always am.”
Duke started barking as two people came around the corner of the house. Emma recognized Jack, but not the woman with him. “Your gate was open,” Jack pointed out; “so we thought you might be back here. How are you, Emma? You don’t look well.”
Emma grabbed hold of Duke’s collar, pulling him back into the sunroom. “I’m fine, just a bit tired,” she replied as she stepped out into the yard and closed the door on Duke. “To what do I owe your visit, Jack? Who is your friend?” Emma was puzzled as to why Jack had come over to the house, something he had never done before.
“Actually we are here on business. This is Officer Tessa Bannister. She and I are working on a case, and we want to ask you a few questions about Camden. Could we come in?” Jack pointed to the house.
“I’d rather you not. The house is quite a mess; I’ve been unwell for a few days, but I feel better today and am going to clean up later.” Emma pointed to an old patio set. “We can sit here if you like.”
Tessa was disappointed. She wanted to see the inside of the house. She got right to the point. “Has Camden always worked at a gym?”
Emma knew instantly she was going to have to be careful. Camden didn’t like sharing too much information about their lives with strangers. “Not always,” she replied, even though she couldn’t remember a time when he hadn’t.
“Oh, where else did he work?” Tessa pushed on.
“I think he worked in some group homes and even some retirement homes before he landed his first job at a gym.”
“Where was that? The first one … at a gym?”
“I really can’t remember. Why are you asking me these questions? Why don’t you just ask Camden? He is better at remembering details than I am.” Emma looked away nervously, knowing her brother was not going to be happy if he heard about this visit.
Tessa was not ready to give up. “You move around quite a bit, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Jack tells me that you and your brother moved to Brantford because of your health––to be able to see a specialist? Is that correct?”
“Also because he got a job here,” Emma informed, ignoring the question about her health.
“Which was it Emma? A doctor for you, or a job for Camden? I need to know the main reason.
Emma stood. Tears encroached the corners of her eyes: she was confused as to why Jack was letting this woman ask her so many questions.
Jack noticed the turmoil on Emma’s face, and he put his hand on Tessa’s arm. “I think we should come another time, Tessa; maybe, as Emma mentioned, when Camden is home. We can ask him these questions.” Jack winked at Tessa. “Emma is right––he’s the one we should be talking to.”
Tessa got the message and stood. She put a reassuring hand on Emma’s shoulder. Emma flinched. “I’m sorry if I have upset you, honey, but we are investigating a series…”
Jack screamed out and slapped his arm. “Damn wasp! I think it bit me! Shall we go, Tessa?”
“I’ll see you to the gate,” Emma said. She stood for a few minutes watching the two police officers walk down the sidewalk to Jack’s house, and then she closed and secured the gate lock. “I wonder who unfastened the gate anyway,” Emma mumbled as she returned to the house. She opened the back door and Duke bounded out into the yard.
Toby, who had been hiding in the grass, headed home. He was upset with Tessa for making Emma cry. But then again, maybe that meant Tessa and Jack were suspecting Camden, which was a good thing. When Toby arrived home, Jack and Tessa were sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee.
“She’s covering for him, Jack. It was obvious.” Tessa opened the conversation.
“She’s fragile, Tessa, and not the one we are thinking is guilty here. He is her twin brother, and he’s been looking after her for years. It’s my understanding she went through some traumatic events in her life. Maybe the doctor she’s supposed to be seeing here is a psychologist, and they just don’t want people knowing such personal information. You were rough on her.”
“I had to be. That’s the only way to get the information I need sometimes. It’s a tough world out there. I have the feeling her brother doesn’t really make her life easy. I don’t think she likes moving around, but she is dependent on him so has no choice. He is a controller. Most likely, because of their unique bond of twinship, she is the only person he has been able to control. Hell, I don’t think he can even control himself most times.” Tessa took a sip of her coffee. “This is good, Jack; what kind is it? Something really different is in it.”
“Just the Nabob Morning Blend, with a touch of cardamom.”
Toby meowed and looked accusingly at Jack, and then at his dish. Jack stood. “Sorry, old boy, been kind of busy lately.”
“You have no idea what ‘busy’ is! You should walk a day on my paws!” Toby dug into his kibble, still keeping an ear on the conversation going on at the table. He was worried about Andrew, and Toby hoped he hadn’t missed Andrew’s trip to the gym today. He had been torn about whether to sit on the roof lookout or check on Emma when he saw Jack and Tessa headed her way that morning. Emma had won out. Toby had also been wracking his brain all night as to how to stop Andrew from drinking the poisonous smoothie that he knew Camden was going to try and get to him sooner or later. He hoped his decision to watch Emma hadn’t made him too late to save Jack’s friend.
~
Andrew was called into work early on Thursday morning. The phone rang at six o’clock: it was his supervisor. One of the guys had called in sick, and he couldn’t get hold of anyone else.
“Yeah, they probably all know better than to answer their phones this early in the morning,” Andrew grumbled into the receiver. His supervisor laughed.
Andrew packed his gym clothes and threw them in the car just in case he made it to the gym after work. He was enjoying his workouts and didn’t want to get lazy like he had a few times before, especially after his conversation with Jody yesterday. He felt there was the real possibility of a long-term relationship blooming. Unfortunately he was asked to work overtime and didn’t make it to the gym on Thursday night. He came home bushed, turned his computer on and checked his emails.
Bear pushed his head at Andrew’s hand. “Okay, boy; I just need to check something out.” Andrew scrolled through his inbox and noticed a subject that said: ‘ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME’ … he clicked
on it … “Dear Andrew: you are still being very, very naughty. I told you what happens to very naughty people. Did you think about it? Did you ridiculed someone today … ignore someone just because … blame someone wrongfully? Were you nice to someone … really nice? Did you help someone today, just because … really help? I doubt you even gave my message a second thought. Oh, believe it … you are so pathetically naughty that I can’t stand it! You might still be able to turn this around and do something about it. I am being generous giving you another warning … but it is still up to you to seek reconciliation. If you don’t, retribution will come your way … and don’t forget all those selfish, naughty friends of yours who are just like you. Pass this on to them so they can get help too … for every friend you try to save the retribution on yourself might be lessened … you know the drill … six to ten, maybe you won’t die … one to five, you will … signed: 666.”
Andrew pressed print and then picked up the phone and called Jack.
“Hello.”
“Hey there, Jack … did you read the letter I left in your front door; I just…”
“Oh crap! I forgot to even look; hang on a sec Andrew; I’m sure it’ll still be there.” Jack set the phone down and went to the front door. He looked around and couldn’t see a letter anywhere. He returned to the phone. “Nothing there, Andrew.”
“Hmm, that’s strange, I thought I stuck it good in the screen door. Oh well, I’ve run another copy will bring it over to you. It’s the same as the first one! Would you like it tonight?”
Jack looked at his watch. “No need to bring it tonight, tomorrow morning is good.”
“No problem then, see you in the morning.” Andrew was relieved he didn’t have to go out, he hadn’t really wanted to. “Well Bear, how say we curl up and watch a movie?” Bear jumped up on the couch and wagged his tail.
Are You Listening to Me? : A Detective Toby Mystery (9781927899403) Page 20