INSOMNIAC: ALAN SMITH #2 (Alan Smith series)

by ARKOPAUL DAS

  ‘Great!’ Kevin gave a hard pat on Ryan’s back, which made him flinch a little. ‘That was absolutely great. And that was all correct. Nothing more. No more confusion is needed because that’s what happened.’

  ‘Yes, that is possible’ said Alicia. ‘And we shouldn’t forget that he had some metal issues so he will not think twice before making a move’

  ‘That’s what I’m talking about’ Kevin was totally delighted that they were actually gonna solve this case now.

  But Alan was quiet and was weighing his thoughts in his own mind.It still soundsso easy.

  He didn’t want to hear any of their theories, he knows most of it would be shit. He soon felt a rush of breeze in his face and looked up at the overcast sky. Rain might come, as weather office said that there was a slight depression, and it might move in the middle of the Manhattan soon. He or everyone dearly hoped that it would rain soon.

  THIRTY EIGHT

  ‘Now will anyone please care to tell me what is going on?’ said McRae inside the interrogation and clasping his hands.

  The first thing Ryan did was to park the car beside McRae’s house and pick him up before reaching the precinct, then dumping him straight inside the four walls of the interrogation room.

  ‘What’s the matter? Why am I here again?’ asked McRae again.

  ‘As it turns out Mr. McRae that you didn’t tell everything about your life to us’ said Alicia quietly.

  ‘Why would I talk about my life?’ this question made McRae more annoyed. ‘What is this thing got to do with me?’

  ‘Everything maybe. And you should not have forgotten that you’re also one of our suspects’

  ‘Oh now I’m one of your suspects? Great!’ McRae turned his face away in disgust.

  ‘Look this is important’ said Ryan. ‘But if you had said everything to us before, then we would have suspected you a lot less’

  ‘What are you suspecting me for?’

  ‘Murder’

  ‘Did you just say Murder?’ McRae laughed. ‘Really? So now I killed someone huh?’

  ‘We don’t know that. But we need to be sure on that thing.’ said Ryan. ‘You were a mental patient, you didn’t tell us that’

  ‘Just like I said before, why should I?’

  ‘But you will have to answer us now’ said Alicia. ‘So you better answer the question’

  ‘Is this suppose to be a threat?’

  ‘Only if you’re not willing to answer’ said Ryan. ‘And also tell us why did you decide to kill five cops?’

  ‘I don’t know’ he said then added. ‘Oh yes, I do know about it. That’s because I’m a mental person’

  ‘Now there lies the problem’ said Ryan. ‘If you kill five cops because you’re a mental patient then why did you kill a common man now? I do think you’re okay now right?’

  ‘Yes, I’m cured. And I didn’t kill anyone’

  ‘This disease might even come back from time to time, under certain circumstances. We talked to your doctor so we know most of the things in this topic’

  ‘And the only thing that is left now is to ask why did you kill him?’ asked Alicia being patient.

  ‘Wait first let me get this thing clear. Are you thinking that the disease have again came back that’s why I killed someone, or are you suggesting that I killed someone intentionally and I thought that I’ll be able to cover it up with this disease excuse?’

  ‘You tell me, you will know which is the right one, right?’ said Ryan looking straight at him.

  But when he did not answer Ryan turned to Alicia and ushered her to say something.

  ‘But you need to see why we’re suspicious about this’ said Alicia in a more appropriate tone which was normally used when interrogating people here. ‘That’s because you heard Jade Carter saying, or talking to his friend and then on his phone, arguing actually, is that right?’

  ‘I don’t know. What’s your point?’

  ‘Maybe you also heard what they were talking about. He discussed things with someone right in the middle of the street about abducting someone. That is Jake. Perhaps you heard that and you felt the gush of anger in your body and you suddenly felt that you must kill this man, or he might be a threat to your son’s life. But the things –’

  McRae didn’t wait for Alicia to finish her sentence. He interrupted in the middle. ‘Look I don’t have the habit of prying or listening to anyone’s conversation. And why would I? Why would I try to listen to a stranger who is talking to another stranger on the street? So you got it all wrong. Totally wrong’

  ‘I wasn’t saying that’

  ‘Of course you were’

  ‘I’m not saying that you deliberately tried to listen to his conversation.’ Alicia tried to reason with him trying to make him understand the logic in it. ‘But you were on the opposite side, and before that you were looking at the streets at the evening from your window which gives a great view of that particular area and you were quite near to them. And not to forget that the men were yelling at each other, so maybe you didn’t try to listen to them but the words just came to your ear itself’

  ‘No that’s not what happened. And I can’t hear what people are talking in the streets, not even if they are yelling at each other. My house is not that close. I can only see people. So you get my point? And of course you’re welcome to my house to check it out anytime you want to’

  ‘No I don’t wanna intrude in someone’s house without any definite reason behind it’ said Alicia. ‘And if I do then I will certainly bring a warrant with me’

  ‘And maybe we’re looking at this in a completely opposite way’ said Ryan.

  ‘What do you mean?’ asked McRae.

  ‘Maybe you were not even in your house at that time. You said that you saw them from your house but there was no more proof of that if we exclude your word. But what if you were in the street for some reason, maybe you were coming home after shopping or something. And in the street you pass by a man who is talking to his phone plotting an abduction and you happen to hear it. After you heard that, you knew you had to kill this man’

  ‘I told you I was in my house at that time, and that’s what I’ll stick with’ said McRae trying to make them believe him. ‘And it’s not possible to hear what people are talking about when I’m in the house. And I live in the second floor so you see. So clearly I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about’

  Ryan leaned back in his chair and looked at the ceiling. He had faith in his own theory and he liked to stick with it. Then he looked at McRae again and said ‘You have any proof to back up your theory?’

  ‘That’s not a theory’ McRae made a surprised face. ‘That’s fact!’

  ‘Ok so you can prove this...fact?’ Ryan said the last word in a mocking tone.

  ‘Why do I need to prove a true thing?’

  ‘Hold on, we don’t know if it’s true or false so you better tell us something more which would convince us that it is true’

  McRae thought again sitting back after hearing this. It seemed like he didn’t thought that he would had to face this questioning session ever, so he wasn’t prepared for this.

  Ryan and Alicia stared at him directly so that it would be real difficult for him to make something up.

  ‘Ok, you tell me, what I can do to make you believe that whatever I am saying is true?’ he said at last finding no other option.

  ‘You can do nothing unless you wanna tell us everything, I mean all the true facts and ...anything you would like to say’ said Alicia.

  ‘So tell me what do you wanna know?’

  ‘The main question that was going on all this time is you killed Jade Carter or not?’

  ‘I didn’t’

  ‘That’s all?’

  ‘Yeah...’

  ‘Fair enough. But that still doesn’t prove so’ said Ryan and paused. ‘You are gonna be here for sometime then’

  ‘Why do want to keep me here for things I didn’t do?’

  ‘There i
s the problem. We will check out if you did this things or not’

  ‘But my answers are not gonna change’

  ‘So will our questions’ said Alicia firmly.

  They both went out and joined Alan, Kevin and Henderson.

  Their faces were all anxious and disappointed. Ryan just noted the fact that ‘you heard everything. Nothing positive till now’

  ‘Yeah I heard it’ Henderson nodded.

  ‘Look, I’m still not sure if we picked up the right guy’ said Kevin. ‘Because he looks a lot innocent to me’

  ‘All the criminals look innocent. You can’t judge them by their looks’ said Alicia.

  Alan thought that maybe not all the criminals look innocent, but this was true that some criminals does. Just like Donovan, who was nothing more than a perfect gentleman. Someone walking down the streets would never be able to guess if he was the biggest criminal boss of New York City or not. And yes, looks can be deceptive, you can’t judge a person by that.

  ‘Anyway’ Alicia continued. ‘He’s not telling us anything, so what should be our next step?’

  ‘There are no more steps left. We’re at the end of the staircase we will just have to enter the floor now’ said Alan as everyone looked at him.

  ‘What?’ asked Alicia.

  ‘Oh...nothing’

  ‘Okay so if he doesn’t say anything then we will just have to leave him’ said Henderson.

  ‘Leave him?’

  ‘Yes, because we don’t have enough evidence with us to prove him the killer’ he said with a grin. ‘And we just can’t push anyone like that’

  ‘Yeah you’re right’ said Alan and agreed with Henderson. ‘If we really need to prove that he’s the killer...no we can’t, we have nothing to back that up. We’re going nowhere actually’

  ‘And you will have to leave him after twenty four hours’

  ‘That’s correct’ said Ryan.

  ‘What if we try searching for something more in this twenty four hours?’ asked Kevin.

  ‘Very well, where do ya’ wanna start?’ Henderson turned at him.

  ‘No idea’

  ‘That what I thought you would say’

  ‘Ok, let me try him. I think I can make him talk’

  ‘I’ll come along, what you say?’ said Ryan.

  ‘You’re welcome’

  Ryan and Kevin both entered the room again as McRae stared at them with a little bit of tiredness in his face. He was quiet and he was totally irritated.

  ‘Mr. McRae’ said Kevin standing behind the chair and resting his hands on it, he was not at all bothered to sit down now. ‘It seems like you’re not cooperating with us’

  ‘What? I thought I was the victim here’ said McRae promptly. ‘And you all are mocking me and asking me things I never heard of’

  ‘At least you aren’t denying that you lived in a mental hospital for two years or so, are you?’

  ‘No I never denied that, what I’m denying is the murder part’

  ‘The murder part?’ said Kevin. ‘So you’re telling me that you didn’t kill Jade Carter?’

  ‘Surely not’

  ‘Who did you think killed him?’

  ‘How do I know? That’s for you all to find out’

  ‘Look at all the chances, motives and all possibilities of a murder. If you watch everything carefully, you will be able to see that all this points to you as a murderer. We know that you got chance, your motive may not be that clear but there was a motive too, so it’s highly probable that you killed him. That’s it’ said Kevin and walked around the front side of the room.

  ‘You are actually trying to frame the murder on me. You are forcing me to say I did kill the man, right?’

  ‘That’s how you defend yourself?’

  ‘I’m not defending myself, and if I am, then that’s because everyone is against me’

  ‘I wonder why’

  ‘You think the reason is the murder?’

  ‘You misunderstand me. Actually everyone here thinks so.’

  ‘Well I’m afraid I’ll still have to disagree’

  ‘Of course you can. But let me tell you that that’s not gonna work. We’re never letting you go unless you explain everything in minute detail’

  ‘I already told you everything. There isn’t much left to say’

  ‘Do you remember the time you killed those cops?’

  ‘I do, a little vague, but yes’

  ‘Why did you do that?’

  ‘I don’t know why. And I don’t remember it properly. I got a gun and I just did’

  ‘Right the same goes for this time. Maybe you are again affected by this disease, so you know you killed someone, but you don’t know why you did so. Right?’

  ‘For the thousandth time I will say that I didn’t kill anyone. You should have understood this simple word by now’ McRae raised his voice a little.

  ‘Hold on’ said Ryan. ‘Don’t strain yourself yet. Tell us what you didn’t do’

  ‘What I didn’t do?’

  ‘Yes’ said Ryan. ‘You said you didn’t kill anyone right. So besides the murder what did you do?’

  McRae without understanding what Ryan actually meant, he said ‘I did nothing’

  ‘People seldom visits this room if they does nothing’

  ‘I can’t say about the people, but I’m pretty sure that I didn’t do this. And by the way I feel fine, so I don’t think my mental problems are back yet’

  ‘That’s what every mental patients say actually’ said Ryan. ‘It’s getting real hard for us to believe what you say’

  ‘Then you can go to hell’

  ‘Oh so that’s how you behave with a cop?’ Kevin came forward and stopped.

  ‘And this is how you behave with an innocent citizen?’

  ‘Seriously, you call yourself innocent? I don’t think so. Neither will anyone here’

  ‘I have nothing more to say. You can continue questioning me, but you’ll hardly get any new answers other than what I have already told you all’ McRae sat back again, hands crossed.

  ‘Very well’ said Ryan. ‘Then one last question maybe?’

  ‘Just get it over with’

  ‘Where were you between 3 to 4 am Sunday night?’

  McRae became alert this time, this was a new question for sure, and his eyes darted to the both sides, after a minute or so, he replied. ‘I don’t quite remember’

  ‘Last chance’ Ryan said again.

  Again McRae took a minute to answer. But when he said the answer was short and more or less the same ‘No’

  ‘So you missed the last option which could have proved you not guilty’ said Ryan standing up.

  ‘I would like to see my lawyer now’ said McRae looking at the floor.

  ‘You sure do’ said Ryan and signalled Kevin to follow him out of the room.

  THIRTY NINE

  ‘So that’s how it ended, huh?’ said Henderson, as he sat on the bench beside Alan sipping the coffee. It was still hot outside, coffee was always refreshing in any kind of climate.

  In the front, Alicia was clearing the white board, as the investigation was over and there was no need to keep the pictures and the writings now. They needed to keep the board clear, because they would have to write everything again when they gets a new case. Alicia took a duster kind of thing and rubbed away all the description, clues and everything she wrote. Then she also tore away the pictures gently and kept it on the table for the time being with a paperweight on it.

  ‘Yes but I’m glad that we found the killer at last’ said Alicia as Alan was quiet and he was not willing to answer. He kept his eyes fixed on a newspaper. ‘It was a tough time for us, this few days’.

  ‘Yes that’s right’ said Henderson and gave a yawn. ‘You guys can relax for some time now. Take a few days off’

  ‘Right, I thought about that’

  ‘So where are Ryan and Kevin?’

  ‘Not sure. Went somewhere’

  ‘Did they tell you
where they’re going?’

  ‘They said they need to check on something they got’ said Alicia as she finished clearing the board. The board again looked more or less like a new one.

  ‘So what are you gonna do now Mr. Henderson?’ said Alicia. ‘You also look tired to me’

  ‘Head home probably’ said Henderson and ushered Alicia to ask something to Alan.

  ‘And what about you Alan?’ she asked.

  Alan looked up with a dull face and asked. ‘What?’

  ‘Now that the case is done, what are you gonna do now?’

  ‘Just what I’m doing. Finish reading the paper’

  ‘Will you not take a day off or something?’

  ‘No’

  ‘Okay’ Alicia thought it would be better not to disturb him anymore.

  Dr. Taylor also entered the room with a bag and sat down between Henderson and Alan.

  ‘Would you mind bringing me a cup of coffee Alicia?’ he asked.

  ‘Sure’ Alicia went out.

  ‘Seems like you also had a tough day’ said Alan.

  ‘Yeah, good guess. Finished with the two stiffs that were left. Then handed the rest of the work to a junior. I am done for today’

  ‘That sounds good’

  ‘Who is doing the night shift today?’ asked Henderson for some reason.

  ‘Stephen, he will handle the rest. Maybe he will keep up the night too. I was sure I couldn’t have handled the night shift today. I’m beyond tired .But I also don’t trust Stephen completely. His work is mostly pathetic’

  ‘That’s sound pathetic too’

  ‘I know I know. That’s how life is. Pathetic’ said Dr. Taylor and he remembered something to say. ‘So tell me how’s the case going on?’ he asked to Alan.

  ‘Well it’s finished actually’ answered Alan without any excitement.

  ‘Done?’

  ‘Yeah’

  ‘So you got the killer, huh?’

  Henderson finished the last drop of coffee as Alicia came with the coffee cup that was for Dr. Taylor.

  ‘Yes’ said Alicia this time. ‘Turns out the killer is a mental patient, suffering from schizophrenia’

  ‘A mental patient. I see’ said Dr. Taylor. ‘Yes, I know this disease. It can cause serious harm to their body who is suffering from it, both mentally and physically’