Dark Side of Tomorrow (Ivan Bennet of Scotland Yard Book 1)

by J. R. Martin

But, he reasoned, where did I put that keychain and key? It’s not here, I must have hidden it. But, where did I hide it. Ivan thought. I for sure didn’t want to tell the Commander the key fit my door, at least not right now. I feel like Simmons is playing another game with me and until I know how he managed to get me that key I’m saying nothing to nobody.

  Ivan opened his front door and picked up the newspaper. The headlines screamed, UNDERCOVER AGENT KILLED AT LONDON’S HOSPITAL FOR THE CRIMINALLY INSANE.

  Ivan sit down in his chair and read the story in its entirety. He still couldn’t believe that Ray Roberts had let someone slip up on him. But, then a thought occurred to Ivan, what if Garth Simmons had slipped up on Roberts, killed him, then gone back to his room? If that were true then it would be on that Nanny Cam he and Roberts had hid in Garth’s room. It was for sure Garth was evil enough to do that. He thought, I’m going in today and ask to watch that Nanny Cam with the Commander.

  When Ivan walked into headquarters all the officers on duty turned and looked at him. They all felt sorry for him. He had had more than his share of death. The Commander had said he would be off today, but they guessed Ivan had changed his mind and come on in to work.

  The Commander looked up a bit surprised to see Ivan and then he told him to come in.

  Ivan walked to the chair across from the Commander’s desk, took a seat and said,

  “Sir, I want to watch that Nanny Cam with you today. I don’t see how Garth Simmons could have gotten out of his room and killed Ray Roberts, but I want to see.” Ivan said.

  “Well, okay Detective, I was just putting it in now. Have a seat and we will watch it together.”

  Ivan leaned back in the chair and prepared to watch the video. When it stated the room appeared dark, but then a lamp was turned on, by a nurse. She walked to Garth Simmons bedside and gave him his nightly meds. It appeared this had gone on each and every night since the Granny Cam had been installed. But, the Commander insisted they watch the video in its entirety. When it was over there was absolutely nothing remarkable about any of it. Most of the time it showed Garth Simmons sleeping. The only visitors were doctors and nurses and occasionally Ray Roberts who would step in and talk to Garth. To Ivan, the entire film was totally unremarkable.

  When the film stopped, the Commander looked at Ivan and said, “well, Garth Simmons is not the murderer of Ray Roberts.”

  “Well, then Commander, who is?”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Ivan made another trip to the Coroner’s office. He needed to ask Marsha Hart a few questions about the murder of Ray Roberts.

  When he entered the Coroner’s office he noticed that it smelled of alcohol today. Like a whole lot of alcohol, like maybe a gallon or two had been spilled.

  Marsha Hart came out of one of the exam rooms and when she saw Ivan she smiled and said, “Detective, good to see you. Excuse the smell in here. We had a body that was exhumed and brought in this morning and it has really smelled up this place. Trust me, the alcohol smell is far better than what was in here. What can I do for you?”

  “Marsha, when you examined the undercover agent, Ray Roberts body, did you find anything out of the ordinary?”

  “No, the slash across the throat was done by someone who was very strong. The one slash almost decapitated him. But, there was nothing unusual about his body.” She said.

  “I was just hoping I could gain some evidence to follow.” Ivan said.

  “That’s about it, on my part.” Marsha said. “How are you feeling? All this killing has got to be hard on you and your fellow detectives.”

  “It is, but we are doing the best we can. Do you go out if someone dies at home?” Ivan asked out of the blue.

  “Yes, most definitely unless the person is under a doctor’s care and then the doctor will be the one to pronounce them dead.” Marsha said.

  “Okay,” Ivan said, “I wasn’t sure exactly how that worked.”

  “Anything else?” She asked.

  “Yeah, have any of your people checked out a city car and took it on a call?” Ivan said.

  “Yeah, we all have. Why do you ask?”

  “About six weeks ago, Ray Roberts and I were working the Asylum and someone went into Garth Simmons room. We waited thinking we could follow them, but, they got away from us and all we could get was a license number. When we looked the number up it was registered as a City vehicle.”

  “Give me a date and I’ll look it up.” Marsha said.

  Going through his notes Ivan finally said, “It was May 12, of this year.”

  “Let me see what was going on May 12.” Marsha said.

  She thumbed through several papers, then she went to the filing cabinets and then she said, “On May 12, I went out to the Insane Asylum to do a prelim and declare a patient dead. The patient was on the fifth floor. Room 510, A Raymond Sinclair. He died of natural causes.” Marsha shared.

  “Maybe you guys saw me leaving that floor and thought I was there visiting Garth Simmons. Truth is I don’t even know who he is. I’ve heard his name mentioned hundreds of times, but I, personally have never met him.” She continued.

  “Then that had to be you.” Ivan said. All the films we looked at had nothing on them, so naturally no one went into Garth’s room except Ray. Another dead end.” Ivan said.

  “Geez, I’m sorry detective. I wish I could help you. Say, did you ever find who the key chain and key belonged too?”

  Ivan shook his head and said, “No, we haven’t yet. Still looking.”

  “Well, if you need me for anything you know all you have to do is ask.” Marsha said and wiped her hands on her lab apron.

  “Yeah, I know. Thank you.” Ivan said. The he turned and walked out of the Coroner’s office. Marsha was still standing at the front desk. Her hands were on her hips and she was looking after Ivan like there were a lot of things she wished he could answer.

  Ivan got in the Scotland Yard car and turned it toward Cynthia Bots home. Since the coroner wasn’t called out when her mother died he would find the doctor’s name and talk with him about her mother’s death.

  When he pulled up Cynthia was seated on the front porch steps. When she recognized Ivan she threw up her hands and waved at him. He waved back and then preceded her side.

  Ivan stepped on the graying wood of the front porch and stuck out his hand to shake hands with Cynthia. She accepted his hand and then said,

  “Have a seat Detective. What brings you back out here?”

  “I need to know the name of the doctor who declared your mother dead. I know he had to because the Coroner couldn’t if she already was under the care of a doctor. So, I need his name please.” Ivan said.

  “Detective, why are you digging all this up? My mother was a Godly woman. She never did anything wrong in her life except put up with my father.” Cynthia said.

  “I suspect that’s true, but I’ve got to talk to the doctor to see if he can add anything to what we know about her death. That’s important Cynthia because your father was murdered and that’s a cold case, one that we have never solved. Your fiancé was killed about that time and it’s a cold case. There are just too many unanswered questions.” Ivan said.

  “I understand, the doctor’s name is Smith. Dr. David Smith. He has privileges at the London General Hospital. I’m sure he will be glad to be helpful if that’s possible.” Cynthia said.

  “Thank you Ms. Bosts. I know none of this is easy for you.” Ivan said with compassion.

  He walked back to his car and waved goodbye to Cynthia Bost. On the drive, back to the city Ivan thought over all the cases that he personally was involved in at this very moment.

  There were so many it was mind blowing; His wife Eve, his partner, Walt Graham, the undercover agent, Ray Roberts and the two cold cases of Gregg Simmons and Edgar Bost. His mind spun with all the possibilities and then there was the key. That damn key that fit his door. Where had that come from?”

  ****

  He walked into Dr. David Smit
h’s office, laid his card on the receptionist desk and told her he needed to speak with the doctor, personally. He assured her he could and would wait. She looked irritated, but took his card back to the doctor.

  To Ivan’s surprise the doctor called him in himself in about fifteen minutes.

  “What’s this all about?” he asked.

  “Doctor, I want keep you long, but I’m working on a cold case that involves Edgar Bost’s murder. I need to ask you if you knew him and any of the circumstances that involved his death?”

  The doctor looked at Ivan for a long moment of silence and then he said, “You suspect his wife or his daughter of killing him, don’t you?”

  “They are indeed, prime suspects.” Ivan answered.

  “Well, I have a patient doctor relationship with Cynthia Bost. So, I can’t tell you anything about her, but her mother I knew and treated and she’s dead now. I can talk about her.”

  “Well, please do, doctor.” Ivan said.

  “Ms. Bosts died of pneumonia, Detective.” The doctor said. “But, I can tell you she caught pneumonia by walking the streets of London on the cold and rainy night Bost was killed. I asked her straight out if she murdered her husband. Her answer was, whether I did or didn’t matters not, now. He will never harm me or any of the children again. And if I thought for a moment he wasn’t really dead and might come back, I’d burn his body before the devil had a chance to take him to hell. He’s evil. He deserves to die.”

  The doctor dropped his head and looked at his hands. Then he said, “That was as close as she ever came to a confession. Do I think she killed him? Yes, I do. And I think she killed Gregg Simmons as well. The reason for her murdering him was she didn’t want Cynthia to have to endure anything she had endured. She knew Garth was insane, so she figured Gregg probably was too. I don’t have proof of that, she never talked to me about Gregg.”

  “Oh, my, so it’s possible she’s responsible for both murders.” Ivan said. “That would certainly clear up those cold cases. But, why would she have put Gregg Simmons body in Mr. Éclair’s pig pen. He was a friend to her and her family.”

  “I believe that’s why she did it. I think she thought the pigs would destroy the evidence and that Mr. Éclair would never turn her in if he knew she killed Mr. Bost. Éclair hated him.” The doctor said.

  “So you think Éclair had nothing to do with either murder?” Ivan asked.

  “I don’t think so, Éclair’s been around here a long time. He’s been a good neighbor to both Cynthia Bost and Grace Simmons. Now, he hates Garth, but he loves Grace. So, I don’t think he killed either man, I think he just didn’t tell anyone his suspecisions about Cynthia’s mother. You can’t arrest a man for that, Detective.”

  On the drive back to headquarters, Ivan ran all the things Dr. Smith had told him, through his mind. He had to agree that the murderer of Edgar Bost, was his wife and it made sense that she would have also killed Gregg Simmons, too, if she thought she was saving her daughter from marrying a mad man. Poor Ms. Bost had been subjected to more than her mind could bear. She lost her mind and killed both Bost and Simmons. Ivan concluded.

  Well, that didn’t’ take long after I got on the case full time. Ivan thought.

  He walked into headquarters and was delighted to see the Commander was in. He walked to his door, knocked gently and then walked in.

  Looking up the Commander made a motion for him to come on in and have a seat.

  “Well, Detective, what did you find out at Ms. Bosts.” The Commander asked.

  “I found out she is the killer of her husband. Or that’s what the man that used to be her doctor thinks. He believes that she killed both Edgar Bosts and Gregg Simmons.” Ivan said talking fast in order to get it all said.

  The Commander looked at Ivan intently and then he said, “Do you feel strongly enough about this case to declare her the murderer and close it?”

  “Thinking before he answered he said,

  “Yes, sir. I do. I believe that she killed both men.” Ivan replied.

  “I don’t know how Cynthia will take to us declaring her dead mother her father’s killer, but I think she already knows it to be true. The one that will both stun and perhaps hurt her deeply, is when she’s told her mother also killed her lover, Gregg Simmons.” Ivan declared.

  “I guess then the sooner you get that taken care of the better it will be. That at least will cut us some slack from the news media. They’ve been all over us for the two cold murders and the murders going on in the White Chapel District. Perhaps these will appease the news hounds for a little while.” The Commander said.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Ivan and the Commander together, were going to break the news to Cynthia Bost. Ivan was thrilled the Commander was going with him. Oh, it was true, he had broken bad news before to people, death, dying, all a part of his job, but in this instance he was pleased he had the Commander to go with him. He also thought of Mr. Éclair, the old man had helped them so much. His efforts might not have been so forth coming if he had known his friend, Kate Bost was a killer.

  Still Ivan knew the old man would be happy to know who put Gregg’s Simmons body in his pig pen. Maybe he could rest now.

  When they arrived at Cynthia Bost home, they got out of the car and walked up the front walk. Ivan knocked on the door. As they waited for Cynthia to answer, Ivan looked around the beautiful yard that Cynthia worked in all the time. So much beauty now, he thought. I’m so happy that Cynthia can at last put all her questions to rest.

  When Cynthia answered, she looked puzzled as to why he was back and this time had the Commander with him. She said, “Come in detectives.”

  As the men entered, she motioned for them to have a seat in the parlor which they did. Then Cynthia asked if she could bring them something to drink. Both men declined and then the Commander said, “We have to tell you some things, Ms. Bost that are going to be both surprising and sad to you. But, nevertheless, you’ve got to know.”

  The Commander cleared his throat and then continued, “Ms. Bost, we believe your mother killed your father and your fiancé.”

  “My father and Gregg? Surely not Gregg!” She all but pleaded.

  “I’m afraid so, ma’am. I’m so sorry.”

  “Ivan talked to Dr. Smith and Dr. Smith believes, as we do, that she killed your father and then killed Gregg Simmons. He said she all but confessed to killing your father, and stopped just before she admitted killing Gregg. But, he did relay that she did say she was afraid that Gregg might turn out like Garth and she thought he needed killing before he could harm you. “

  “Oh, Gregg would never have done that,” Cynthia said. “but, poor Momma, she’d been beaten down for so long she welcomed dying I think. But, after she killed daddy, I think that gave her a lift. I think she thought she finally took a stand to protect herself and her children.”

  “Ms. Bost, we are going to name her as the killer for both cold cases. The news media will eat that up. Of course that in no way solves the White Chapel District murders, but it will solve two cold cases. Thank you for your candid answers and your cooperation in this affair.” The Commander said. “Ms. Bost, if Scotland Yard can be of help to you, ever, just give us a call.” The Commander said as he stepped off the porch and walked back to their car.

  Detective Bennet shook Cynthia’s hand and said, “Thank you for helping me.”

  She smiled and with tear filled eyes, said, “You’re welcome”

  ****

  While the detectives were out that way they went ahead to Mr. Simon Eclair’s farm to tell him that Kate Bost had killed Gregg Simmons and dumped his body in Mr. Eclair’s pig pen in hopes the pigs would have done away with the evidence.

  When they pulled into the farm drive Mr. Éclair was sitting on the front porch and he threw up his arm in a wave when he recognized them. They both waved back and then got out of the car.

  A nice summer breeze was blowing through the tall willows that surrounded Mr. Éclair’s hou
se. It made a whistling sound which was very melodic to the ears. It gave a sense of peace.

  When Ivan got out of the car he couldn’t help but look the direction of the pig pen and he thought how sad it was that a very handsome young man had lost his life, and then been thrown to the pigs. That caused a shiver go down Ivan’s spine. He straightened himself up and walked close behind the Commander. When they reached the front steps Mr. Éclair stood up and offered his outstretched hand.

  Both men took turns shaking hands and then all sit down on the porch. Mr. Éclair offered a soda pop or maybe some ice water to which both detectives politely declined. The Commander started the conversation out by saying,

  “Mr. Éclair I want to thank you for helping us and offering suggestions and all the things you’ve done to benefit Scotland Yard. We have come to tell you we know who killed Gregg Simmons and we also know who killed Edgar Bost.”

  The old man said nothing, but sits very still and listened. Then the Commander said, “Mr. Éclair, Kate Bost killed her husband and Gregg Simmons.”

  The old man sit silent for a long time and then he said, “I can’t blame her for that. Edgar Bost needed killing, but Gregg was a good man. I hate that she killed him. I’m not surprised, but I do hate it.”

  “Yes, sir.” Ivan said. “She was afraid he was going to turn out like Garth and so she killed them both, to protect her children and especially, Cynthia.”

  “Poor little thing. She never had much in this life. Maybe she can rest now that she’s gone. I do feel sorry for Cynthia though. She’s such a sweet thing, like her Momma. Maybe she will find love again. I so hope so.” Mr. Éclair smiled.

  “Yes, sir, that’s what we all hope. I just wanted you to know before he broke out in the newspapers.” The Commander said.

  “Thank you.” Mr. Éclair said, “thank you for that.” Then the old man turned and walked into his home.

  The drive back into London was relatively quiet between the two Detectives. Finally, the Commander said, “Two down and a bunch to go. I hope we can wind up these White Chapel murders soon. Do you still suspect Garth Simmons some way has something to do with them?”