Christmas with the Franks

by Leena Clover

  “But you wanted to be heard?”

  Derry shrugged.

  “How many people knew about the proposed modernization at the plant?” I asked outright.

  “There were rumors,” Derry said softly. “All of us knew.”

  “And did people welcome this change?” Stan asked.

  “There were some rumblings. People guessed there would be job cuts.”

  “Did people hate the old man for that?”

  “Some did.”

  Derry sighed as he paused to think for a minute.

  “Most people realized it was the only way. The company wasn’t doing too good. The old setup was costing us a lot in man hours. It was either shut everything down or sacrifice a few jobs.”

  “But whose jobs?” I burst out. “I bet I wouldn’t see this logic if my job was on the line.”

  “There were some people with that kind of thinking,” Derry admitted.

  “Were you one of them?” Stan asked.

  We knew there was no way of verifying how Derry really felt.

  “I have a theory, Mr. Derry. You were afraid of losing your job. You and a band of your workers decided to confront the old man. You let your accomplices in when you were in this house. Things got out of hand and one of you shot the old man.”

  Derry’s face drained of color.

  “Where are these people now?” he demanded. “Am I still hiding them somewhere?”

  “They could have jumped out of the window,” Stan offered. “Could be long gone by now.”

  “This is fantastic!” Derry cried. “You’re trying to browbeat me into admitting some nonsense.”

  I knew the old Stan was a pro at that. Was he doing it again?

  Stan must have seen the doubt on my face. He leaned toward William Derry and said softly.

  “Why don’t you tell us what really happened?”

  Derry’s guilt was splashed all over his face. He was definitely hiding something.

  “It wasn’t like that. I just wanted to reason with the old man.”

  I tried to hide my astonishment. It looked like Stan’s shot in the dark had found a mark.

  “Tell us everything,” Stan ordered. “The truth, this time.”

  “The last six months have been tight at the plant. The Franks tried to put off the job cuts. We got reduced hours. Most of us agreed it was better than not having a job at all. But job cuts were coming in January. We all knew that.”

  “Doesn’t that happen every year?” I asked.

  “The list was longer this year,” Derry remarked. “Everyone was afraid their name was on it.”

  “At least you were safe,” I pointed out. “You are Employee of the Year.”

  “I wish that were true, Miss,” Derry sighed. “I got the good and bad news at the same time. My manager called me in to tell me about the award. He was all smiles, telling me how lucky I was. He got a call. I knew it must be the boss because a special button lights up on the phone when the Franks call. My manager started printing out some stuff.”

  “Did you see what it was?” I rushed ahead.

  “My manager laid it on thick,” Derry continued. “How I was a big asset to the company, how the bosses would be happy to host me for dinner and so on. But his heart wasn’t in it. He got called out and I peeked at the papers he printed. My name was first on the list.”

  “You are one of the people who are going to be fired next year,” I said.

  “How can you be the best at your job one day and be fired the next?” Stan mused.

  “My entire unit was going to be let go,” Derry explained. “Turns out they have plenty of inventory. The plant is going to be closed for three months while the new machinery is put in. They won’t be needing us after that anyway.”

  I could sympathize with William Derry. He must have been worried about finding a new job.

  “What did you do?” Stan asked.

  “I didn’t want to come here,” Derry said petulantly. “It all seemed like a big farce to me. I couldn’t enjoy a meal at their table under the circumstances.”

  “Then you planned your revenge?”

  “I did no such thing!” Derry cried out. “I came up with a plan. My wife helped me with it, actually. I just wanted to present it to the old man.”

  I leaned forward with interest.

  “What did you think of, Mr. Derry?”

  “Production was going to skyrocket with the new machines,” Derry spoke up, looking excited. “We are talking several times more. The company needed a bigger sales force. I knew the bosses had talked about this.”

  Stan and I nodded. We were listening alright.

  “Most of us know the product well. We have worked the production line with our hands all these years. Who could sell it better than us?”

  “You wanted to switch jobs?”

  “The old man would have to invest in some sales training. They could pick and choose the best among us. This way, they got a sales force out of their own loyal employees. No need to bring in strangers.”

  “Did you propose this to Mr. Frank?” Stan asked.

  Derry nodded.

  “When and where, Mr. Derry?”

  Derry looked abashed.

  “I went to his study after dinner,” he admitted. “Look, I know I should have told you this before. I was scared. I said the first thing that came to my mind.”

  “When did you go see Mr. Frank?” Stan asked.

  “Some time before 9 PM.”

  “After dinner, you mean?”

  “Yes, it was after dinner. He was in the living room, sitting near the fire with his cat. I didn’t want to talk to him then. Not in front of all those people. He got up with that other old man and went to his study. I followed them out.”

  “My grandpa didn’t mention you came in,” I pointed out. “So you must have waited for him to leave.”

  Derry nodded.

  “I went in as soon as he left. Mr. Frank wasn’t too happy to see me. He was expecting someone else. I blurted out everything. He actually listened to me.”

  “Did he ask you to get out?” Stan asked.

  Derry might have lost his temper if the old man ridiculed him.

  “He was all for it,” Derry said in wonder. “Said I must have deserved that award after all.”

  “So he agreed to give you a sales job?” I asked. “Just like that?”

  “He agreed to meet with me after the holidays. He wanted me to give a detailed presentation. I promised I would work on it during the holidays.”

  “What happened after that?” Stan queried.

  Derry smiled proudly.

  “He told me to beat it. He had an important meeting.”

  I felt Derry was telling the truth this time. But he had lied to us once. I wasn’t sure Stan would believe him right away.

  “So you went back to the living room?” Stan asked slowly. “Think very carefully now, Mr. Derry.”

  “I needed to use the restroom,” Derry said apologetically. “I opened a few doors and found a powder room at the end of the hallway. I was there when I heard the shot.”

  “What about that drawing you handed us? When did you draw it?”

  “It was before I went out to Mr. Frank’s room,” he admitted.

  According to Derry’s account, he had been terrified when he heard the gun shot. He had stayed in the powder room, rooted to the spot. He heard a flurry of footsteps in the hall. That must have been Noah and the kids running out. He had eased out a few minutes later and joined the group in the hall.

  “For your sake, Mr. Derry,” Stan said severely, “I hope you are not lying this time.”

  “I swear on my wife and kids,” Derry pleaded. “This is exactly how it happened. I was afraid to admit I had been in the old man’s study. That’s all. You have to believe me. Please!”

  Stan dismissed Derry and scribbled on a page.

  “Where does this leave us, Meera?” he groaned.

  Chapter 27

  Stan
and I rehashed everything Noah and Ted Junior had told us. Then we went over Derry’s account.

  “Who do you think the old man was waiting for, Meera?”

  “His wife? You remember Sophia said something about it?”

  “We know for sure that Noah, Julie and Ryan were not in the living room. But they are also each other’s alibi. Noah may have had a motive but he didn’t have a chance to go in there alone. Not if we are to believe Julie and Ryan.”

  “Haven’t we talked about this already?” I sighed. “What about that list that Ted Junior gave you?”

  “I need to talk to all these people again. See where they can place him.”

  “That seems like the logical step now, Stan.”

  It was past 2 PM and I would have to leave soon.

  “I am going to do a background check on Noah once I get to the office,” Stan said. “The same goes for all these other people. Someone has to be hiding something.”

  “Unless Derry let an outsider in, it’s one of these people.”

  “Sounds simple, right? We keep forgetting there’s a dangerous person roaming around freely in this house.”

  I was glad my family would be out of there soon. Then I remembered Tony. I had almost forgotten him. He must be feeling left out.

  “I will have to leave soon, Stan,” I reminded him.

  “You’ve been a big help these last three days, Meera. Thank you for lending a hand.”

  “What a strange way to kick off Christmas, huh?”

  “You can forget about all this and focus on enjoying with your family now,” Stan said.

  Part of me wanted to solve the mystery before I left Frank House. It was just wishful thinking on my part, of course.

  “We are dealing with a smart one,” Stan said. “They haven’t given themselves away.”

  I guessed we were at an impasse. We had our suspicions but something needed to change. A sharp knock on the door startled us.

  “Come in,” Stan boomed.

  The door creaked open and Sophia Frank came in. She was dressed in another pastel suit. She was every inch the queen of the castle, with her shimmering pearls and imperious manner. Chorizo, the cat, squirmed in her arms. Sophia sat at the edge of a chair and the cat jumped up on the desk. It found its favorite spot right on top of Stan’s papers.

  “How is your investigation going?” Sophia inquired.

  “We cannot disclose that, Madam,” Stan said pompously. “This is a police investigation. We will make an arrest when we have sufficient evidence.”

  “Are you close to finding out who killed my husband?” Sophia pressed. “How close are you?”

  Stan repeated what he had said. He threw in some more highhanded stuff this time. Sophia didn’t bat an eyelid.

  “Would you say everyone is a suspect? Or have you narrowed it down to a few? At least half the people present here?”

  “We have made some progress,” Stan finally admitted reluctantly. “But I cannot reveal any details at this time.”

  “I have some information that might help you. Only…”

  She paused, looking uncertain. We waited patiently.

  “It involves one of my family members, you see. If you suspect this person, what I have to say might help your investigation. But if you have cleared this person of any involvement, I don’t want to part with my information.”

  “I don’t think you have a choice, Mrs. Frank,” Stan said seriously. “If you believe you have some pertinent information, it is your duty to come clean.”

  My mind was working furiously. Some things like family dynamics are universal across countries and cultures. A mother always protects her children, for example. If Sophia wanted to squeal on someone, I had a good idea who it would be. My pulse began beating wildly. Were we finally getting close?

  I kept my mouth shut, letting Stan go around in circles with the old woman. He finally convinced her to talk.

  Sophia stroked the cat, mulling over something with her head down.

  “I am an old woman, Officer. I have been a bit disoriented these last few days. I had a travel day and then things went downhill since I got here.”

  “Go on, Mrs. Frank,” Stan said impatiently.

  “I noticed some things.”

  She hesitated again, then leaned forward to whisper.

  “Something’s going on with Amanda and Noah. I have a feeling about it.”

  “We know that, Mrs. Frank,” Stan said slowly.

  Was that all she wanted to tell us?

  “Does anyone else know?”

  “I am not sure about your son, but many other people have mentioned it.”

  Sophia’s eyes filled up.

  “When my son fell in love with Amanda, Ted hired someone to do a background check on her. We didn’t want our son to be swindled by a gold digger.”

  The Franks didn’t think much about love, apparently.

  “She came from poor folk. We didn’t mind that as long as she loved our son. The man found something. Amanda had a reputation for playing fast and loose with college kids. Especially rich kids like Ted who came to study in Ivy League schools.”

  “She just wanted to have a good time.” I stated the obvious.

  Sophia continued. “Ted wasn’t too impressed. But Junior fell hard for her. Amanda convinced us she loved our son. That wasn’t enough for Ted though.”

  “What did he do?” I asked.

  “He made Amanda sign a contract. It was a bit harsh but Ted thought it would keep her straight. He would write her off if she ever strayed from Junior. She wouldn’t get a penny, either from Ted or from Junior. Our son would not have a say in it.”

  “And Amanda signed it?” I asked. “She must have been in love.”

  “She was marrying into the Frank fortune,” Sophia dismissed. “Of course she signed it.”

  “Is that all?” Stan asked.

  “Junior never knew about this,” Sophia added. “Ted promised he didn’t have to know as long as Amanda kept her word.”

  “You think Mr. Frank found out about Amanda and Noah?” I asked.

  “He must have,” Sophia nodded. “Anyone who spent time with them for a while could spot it.”

  “You think Amanda thought she could fly under the radar and fool everyone?”

  “I think she forgot about the contract,” Sophia said bluntly.

  “I don’t know, Mrs. Frank,” Stan hedged, tapping a pencil against his head. “Those are pretty high stakes.”

  “She must have forgotten,” Sophia argued. “Or she wouldn’t have risked everything by carrying on with Noah this way.”

  “Maybe she fell in love,” I supplied.

  Sophia’s expression showed me what she thought of that.

  “This agreement was signed almost thirty years ago. We never talked about it after that.”

  “Thanks for bringing this to our notice, Mrs. Frank.” Stan stood up to usher Sophia out. “We’ll take it from here.”

  Chorizo jumped down on the ground via the chair and rubbed against Sophia’s legs. She picked the cat up, looking at us hopefully.

  “Does this help your case?” she asked. “Please don’t tell my son about it. He doesn’t know.”

  Stan didn’t respond to that. He shut the door behind Sophia and collapsed in his seat. We were both stunned.

  “Well?” he raised an eyebrow. “Amanda has a motive now.”

  We painted different scenarios about what might have happened. Had the old man confronted Amanda with it? Or had Amanda suddenly remembered the agreement she had signed all those years ago?

  “Does it even exist?” I asked. “Sophia herself said it was thirty years ago. Maybe the old man destroyed it long ago. Or maybe there was some kind of time clause on it that Sophia doesn’t know about.”

  Stan wanted to go and look for the contract.

  “You think it’s lying around on his desk?” I scoffed.

  “We have to go and look. It’s all part of the investigation.”
r />   “Fine! But I need coffee first.”

  I bumped into Dad in the hallway.

  “Meera! I was coming to get you. Time to go.”

  My face fell. I had a feeling things were going to move fast here. I wanted to be on the scene.

  Tony, Motee Ba and Pappa stood in the living room, saying goodbye to Ted Junior. Amanda stood next to her husband. I had a déjà vu moment. This was exactly like the night three days ago. Now I was sure Amanda hadn’t been there to see us off.

  “Come on, girl,” Pappa roared. “We’re getting late. You don’t want to keep your mother waiting, do you?”

  Dad frowned at me.

  “Stay if you want to, Meera. But we need to get going.”

  He looked at Tony.

  “Henry is leaving now too. You kids follow us later. Ryan or Stan can give you a ride home.”

  I hugged my grandma and whispered in her ear. She nodded and kissed my cheek. I went out to see them off properly. Tony was right beside me, his arm around my shoulders. The door had closed behind us and we were all alone.

  “Have you cracked this one too, sweetie?” he grinned.

  “Not yet,” I smiled. “But I have a feeling it won’t be long now. Stay close, Tony, and be careful.”

  “I can’t wait to get home,” he said. “It’s almost Christmas Eve.”

  We went in and found Stan in the kitchen. Julie had just brought out a plate of gingerbread cookies. I didn’t find any creamer so I had to drink my coffee black.

  “Power’s back on,” Julie said happily. “I’m going up to take a shower.”

  William Derry wanted to know if he could leave. Stan asked him to stick around for a while longer.

  “We are getting close, Mr. Derry.”

  Stan walked over to old Mr. Frank’s study. Tony and I followed. Stan asked Tony to stand guard by the door.

  “Don’t let anyone in.”

  Stan wore gloves and searched the room, starting with the old man’s desk. I tried to keep my eyes away from the dark stain in the middle. I went over to the window and looked out. Then I walked around the periphery of the room. My gaze rested on the fireplace. I moved closer, drawn by a piece of half burned paper.

  “Stan!” I exclaimed.

  We had finally found something concrete. Stan took over after that.