by Ron Finch
Judge Bernard then read the names of each of the accused. He paused briefly after each name and then indicated whether they had accepted the suspended sentence or whether they had decided to go to trial.
All eight of the accused accepted the suspended sentence.
The next day, when Chief Petrovic explained Johnnie Smith’s situation, we understood why it was such a difficult decision for Johnnie.
Saturday, December 16th
IT WAS GETTING CLOSE to Christmas and I was starting to feel the pressure. Georgie had already been out buying gifts, so I went out to the bush near Jay’s Uncle Herbert’s place on Saturday and picked out a tree.
When I brought it home, Georgie said, “That’s just about perfect. Except the top has broken off and the poor tree looks undernourished.” She added, “We’ll have you cleaned up in no time. And once you have your fancy new decorations on, you will look wonderful.” Though whether she was talking about me or the tree at that point, I couldn’t be certain.
It was only a little over a week until Christmas and I still didn’t have Georgie’s gift. I thought it would be a good time to stop by her parents’ place and talk to her mom for a few minutes. I was sure she would give me some ideas. After that, I’d go to my parents’ grocery store and do some shopping. Georgie asked if I would do the shopping today, since she’s going to be spending most of the day making Christmas decorations.
When I got to the door, I stopped and looked at what Georgie had already accomplished. “We already have a lot of decorations,” I said.
Georgie looked over at me, smiling. “I want the house to look festive for Aunt Muriel’s visit,” she said.
Trying not to show any sign of panic, I asked, “Er, when is she coming?” I assumed she’d be dropping in for a cup of tea with Georgie on her way to Georgie’s parents’ home.
“That’s the best part of all,” said Georgie brightly. “She’s arriving next Saturday, on December 23, and she’s staying with us until Wednesday, December 27. Isn’t that wonderful? We’re going to have a guest.”
“That’s great,” I said, clumsily concealing my lack of enthusiasm.
On my way to the grocery store I stopped at Georgie’s parents’ home. Georgie’s mom Ethel met me at the door.
“I’ve been expecting you for the past week, Joel,” she said. “But now’s as good a time as any. Georgie said you’d be by to ask me what you should get her for Christmas.
“Here’s the list. Don’t worry, these things aren’t that expensive. I’ve put down beside each item the name of the store where they can be purchased.”
I took the list and Ethel gave me a hug, adding, “I’m sorry, you’ll have to be on your way. I’m busy making shortbreads.” Then she winked at me and said, “My sister promised to come for a visit one day over Christmas, while she’s staying at your house.”
When I entered Franklin’s grocery store, my mom and dad and four customers were gathered together reading a newspaper.
“What are you reading?” I asked.
My dad looked up at me and said, “We’re reading a story in the Toronto Star about the capture of that crazed killer from that sensational murder case from a few weeks ago.”
One of dad’s customers looked at me and said, “You really don’t know about the story, do you, Joel?”
My mom came over and hugged me. “Your name’s in the story, Joel, as one of the key policemen responsible for the capture of the killer.”
Another customer said, “Listen to this: ‘Chaseford Police Constable Joel Franklin helped Toronto Police Detective William Fredericks capture Thessalus Redd, the vicious killer of boarding house owner Ethel Waters, who was murdered in Toronto on November 21. Toronto Police Chief Bill Gatsby said, “We wouldn’t have made the arrest this quickly without Constable Franklin’s help.”’”
I didn’t know what to say. The story caught me off guard. “I did help out, and it was very exciting,” I mustered.
A customer said, “If that’s bragging, you’re doing a very poor job of it, Joel.”
There were a few laughs at that, a lot of pats on the back, and some very sincere compliments. It all made me feel pretty good.
Some Loose Ends
THE CHRISTMAS SEASON of 1933 was the best Christmas people had enjoyed in Chaseford since the start of the depression.
The suspended sentences handed down to the eight young men involved in the furniture thefts were appreciated by everyone. Almost overnight, the local people’s attitude toward the furniture factory owners shifted. The final step in the reconciliation occurred when the furniture companies got together and held a large Christmas party for everyone in the community. The kids were the focus, and the highlight was Santa, jingling down Main Street in a sleigh pulled by horses dressed to look like reindeer.
The criminals from London were not so fortunate. Most of them had records from prior criminal acts. Big Lenny Hutchinson, the London thug who was the key person in organizing the thefts and recruiting the men from Chaseford, had resisted arrest and as a result had also been charged with threatening an assault on a police officer. Lenny ended up with a ten-year sentence, which meant Johnnie Smith could breathe easily for a while.
IT WAS SEVERAL MONTHS before the trial of Thessalus Redd was completed. There was a lot of evidence and testimony to be presented. There were five women murdered in five different cities across Canada: Calgary, Regina, Winnipeg, Fort William, and Toronto.
It quickly became evident that Thessalus had fixated on women’s names starting with E and W. As of yet, no one has come up with an explanation for this, and Thessalus has not supplied one.
Thessalus was not cross-examined in court. Prominent Canadian psychiatrist Dr. Alfred Khryscoff assessed Mr. Redd and determined that he was not psychologically fit to present relevant information at that time. Dr. Khryscoff told the court it would take several years of treatment, at least, before Mr. Redd would escape his delusions and understand current society.
Dr. Khryscoff and I have speculated, after listening to Thessalus, that, at some point, he must have seen the play Medea, by Euripides. That play seemed to form an integral part of his delusion. Somehow, he juxtaposed what went on in that play with his life because his mother’s name was Medea. Dr. Khryscoff is still not certain, after all this time, what triggered Thessalus to start murdering the women, or why he believed that human sacrifices were necessary to atone for his mother’s sins. He is still seeing Thessalus at least once a week, but he told me he couldn’t say for certain how long it would be before Thessalus would be integrated once more into reality.
There are still a lot of questions that Dr. Khryscoff would like answers to. Why did Thessalus choose those five cities? What is special about the letters E and W? How did Thessalus get from Vancouver to Calgary? Why did he want to go to Greece? Unfortunately, we may never know.
I HAD A VERY GOOD CHRISTMAS. I was famous in Chaseford for two or three weeks thanks to the story in the Toronto Star. When Aunt Muriel arrived, she brought a special Christmas gift for me and told me that she could tell from the very first moment she met me that I was an outstanding young man and that Georgie was a very lucky young woman.
Georgie was really pleased with her Christmas presents. She told me I was an excellent shopper ... as long as I had a list.
Donnie Funston dropped off a bottle of his special coffee as a Christmas present for me, which I shared with the chief and the other three constables at our next meeting. Chief Petrovic, in accordance with tradition, had brought a pie from Mabel’s.
So long for now.
About the Author
Many years ago, when I was three, my mother took me to the library. She was delighted that I loved to read. My father was not so happy. He knew books would cut into chore time.
He was right.
I read and I read and I read and I read. Even today I’m reading. And recently I decided to write.
Lightning at 200 Durham Street, Where's the Rest of the Body?
and Terror on the Way are the first three books in the Joel Franklin Mystery series, but there are many more on the way.
Stay tuned.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Books by Ron Finch
Important Quotes
Main Characters
Tuesday, October 17, 1933
Friday, October 20th
Tuesday, October 24th
Friday, October 27th
Friday, November 3rd
Wednesday, November 8th
Monday, November 13th
Tuesday, November 14th
Wednesday, November 15th
Thursday, November 16th
Friday, November 17th
Saturday, November 18th
Monday, November 20th
Tuesday, November 21st
Wednesday, November 22nd
Thursday, November 23rd
Friday, November 24th
Saturday, November 25th
Sunday, November 26th
Monday, November 27th
Thessalus
Monday, November 27th - Night
Tuesday, November 28th
Wednesday, November 29
Friday, December 1st
Monday, December 4th
Saturday, December 16th
Some Loose Ends
About the Author