INSOMNIAC: ALAN SMITH #2 (Alan Smith series) (44 page)

‘That’s right’ he said and made an intentional frown then continued. ‘I would have given him the most expensive camera in the world if he wanted to return his old one to me’

‘Well anyway the camera is destroyed’ Alan just thought he should give him this piece of information.

‘And why did he do that?’ Donovan didn’t look at all astonished.

‘Because he didn’t want you get the picture’

‘So the picture is also gone?’

‘No it’s in a pen drive. And the pen drive is with me’

‘Just what I would have done’

‘Right ...oh please continue’ said Alan sensing that they were drifting away from the main conversation. ‘So you shot him, what then?’

‘What else? His chapter got closed’ Donovan replied absent- minded.

‘Ok, and what about the abduction?’

‘Yeah? What about it?’

‘You mentioned that you kidnapped the child on Saturday but you asked for the money on next Thursday or Friday was it? Now why is that? You could have asked for the money right away without wasting so many days’

‘That’s because I wasn’t sure’ he said ‘Should I leave him, should I kill him or should I ask for money. I didn’t know what would be the best to do. Things were pretty puzzled up, and then it became more puzzling the next day i.e Sunday’

‘I see, so something happened on Sunday, I understand?’ Alan asked as if he didn’t know anything.

‘That night or was it evening? Anyway Jade called me and told me that the shit Paul Brown isn’t willing to give his camera back neither is he willing to delete the picture. He was still persisting on what he said, that he would publish the pictures and expose me, maybe he thought it would be a turning point in his career if he could get a solid story out like this one. So Jade was telling me all this and when I understood he was still on the streets that time, I told him that it might not be that safe talking over the phone like this, so I asked him to meet me in a place I will not mention now, and  in the middle of the night actually, when not much people was around’

‘And he went to you visit you then?’  Alan this time wasn’t sure what he was saying or whatever he was saying was true or not.

‘No he didn’t. That struck me as odd because Jade usually does what he says. So curiosity got the better of me. I decided to visit him myself only to check out, if he didn’t come intentionally or was there a problem that he faced .When I went there , I saw the house was dark, I wasn’t sure if I should knock the door but I decided against it. There was a freaking power cut going on that day, I gathered. After that, I fortunately noticed his car on the street. I wanted to check everything, so I went over to his car only to find his body. He was already dead, I didn’t touch the body, but I knew he was dead. Maybe he was coming over to my house but someone killed him on the way. Actually before, he could even start his car.

‘After that I didn’t waste much time thinking who might have killed him or why would he do that. I simply checked his pockets and everything and took out whatever items he had in his possession. Like phone, wallet, diary...and this kind of things. Fortunately I had most of the things he had, so I made sure that mine were new and there was nothing there by which anyone like you cops and track those things back to me , after I was satisfied I changed the things’

‘But why did you change them?’

‘I didn’t wanna leave any clue behind. Maybe he wrote his number on his diary, which could be easily traced back, to me, or my name, this kind of things. I couldn’t be sure about that. So I thought it would be the best to change all these with the brand new ones I had’

‘Interesting. I see’

‘So after this incident I wasn’t sure what to do with the boy. I abducted him just to show Jade that how easy are these kind of works, and now Jade was dead. And I was sure the cops were all alert about this and was hunting down everything. So I thought it would be better to keep quiet for some time and let the situation calm down, after that I would think about the boy’

‘Then what made you ask for the money so suddenly’ said Alan, this time in a hard voice. ‘I’m sure the situation is not so calm yet’

‘That’s another thing’ said Donovan giving a broad smile. ‘After I met you, you gave me the view of the situation outside. I understood that the situation is not calm yet, but I’ve been through this sort of situation before, so this wasn’t much compared to what I do in a daily basis. I can handle it.’ Then he paused and said ‘Hey, do you remember that line?’

‘Line?’

‘ “If you’re good at something, never do it for free’’ you heard this ?’

‘Oh sure. Joker said it in The Dark Knight. My all time favourite movie’

‘Mine too. Anyway, that’s what suddenly came to my mind. I am good at this, and of course everything have a price. And besides that I've also ordered some cool toys, so a little bit of money would have been useful’

‘A little bit of money?’ asked Alan remembering the amount they were asked to pay.

‘Yeah...’

‘But you’re so affluent, why did you need this money?’

‘That’s how you stay rich, Mr. Smith’

‘Okay’ Alan thought about the next question and by that time Donovan said ‘But the plan didn’t work that well did it?’

‘Nope, the plan backfired, actually’

‘I see, so how’s the boy? I told my men not to be harsh on him. He seemed to be obeying orders anyway’

‘Oh, that’s so kind of you’ said Alan. ‘Yes he’s ok’

‘That’s nice to hear for sure’ he continued ‘Well, Is there anything more left to say? I guess I covered up everything’

‘Yes you did. And why am I surprised that you said all these hard facts so frankly and brilliantly’

‘Ok, so tell me something’ he said with a witty smile and still had that cold voice. ‘As I have told you everything now, what do you wish to do?’

‘And you mean?’

In answer Donovan paced the lawn beside the pool and he only replied when he came back to face Alan again. ‘You must have found a way to prove all these, I reckon’

‘Now that you mention it, yes I did’ said Alan trying to sound less happy about it. ‘But I should give you all the credit for that by the way’

‘I’m glad to hear that. But I, of course would not mind a little elaboration’

‘Had you not said anything to me, I could never have succeeded in proving the facts’

‘I see?’

‘Ok, here it is’ said Alan and took out a mobile from his pocket and held it in front of him.

‘I phone 6 huh? It still is an old model’ he said.

‘I fear I’m not showing you the model of my mobile phone, Mr. Donovan. I’m trying to tell you something else. As you see it, whatever you said all this time, is now recorded in this device. I have all the evidences I need to prove that you’re guilty’

‘I see’ replied Donovan trying to think of some new ideas. ‘I can see the trick. But what if I snatch away the phone and throw it in the pool?’

‘This is waterproof’

‘Then you better hope that it’s also bulletproof’

‘The second idea of yours would have worked, I’m sure about that. But it will not, now’

‘Why not?’

‘I won’t let you do that’ said Alan. ‘That’s because I would like to introduce you to some of my friends, first. What do you say?’

‘Go ahead, I can’t wait to meet them’ Donovan knew what was going to happen. But –

‘Hey guys, someone wants to meet you. Why don’t you come in here!’ Alan yelled in a controlled voice looking at the door.

One by one Alicia, Kevin and Ryan appeared. Ryan and Kevin wore an official NYPD vest over their shirts while Alicia was in her civil dress wearing that beige blazer.

All three of them took a few cautious steps inside, and all of them had their gun in their hands pointed straight at Donovan. While Donovan was exploring their faces with utmost urgency.

‘So you bought a party here’ he said without making any effort to escape. ‘Why did you keep your friend outside for so long in this heat? You could have bought them with you right away; I had some cold coffee already arranged.’

They all took their positions ignoring Donovan’s silly comments. Donovan now without saying anything moved his hand inside is left pocket, which made others more cautious, then just like Ryan, Alicia and others had feared, Donovan took out his gun , but without shooting anyone, he just tossed it over to them in the floor. It landed near Alicia’s feet.

Donovan wasn’t bothered to put his hands in the air, nor were they asking him to do so.

Donovan remained quiet waiting for them to make their move when Alan said ‘Would you still answer a question now if I ask you?’

‘Anytime, as always’ he replied swiftly.

‘This boy who was kept in the Grand Central Station, can you tell me why you chose to keep him in a station?’

‘Because it would have been easy to escape from the city if you ever find yourself in some kind of a situation.  If I ever saw a problem, I would have ordered my men to take the kid away from New York’

‘That was a nice plan’ said Alan. ‘Do we need to cuff you?’

‘If you must’

Alan didn’t want to take any risk. He signalled Kevin to cuff him and Kevin came over pulled his hands behind his back and made him wear a metallic handcuff, which was tight on him. But Donovan still had that cruel melancholic smile on his face.

THIRTY SIX

Donovan sat in the interrogation room quietly, only one or two times did he look around. But there was not much to explore. He looked relaxed and calm; he sat resting his hands on the table clasping them together.

Alan stood outside and stared at him through the mirror. Alicia was also there with him sipping coffee while Ryan and Kevin just entered the room to ask him questions.

Henderson also came and stood beside Alan looking at the most wanted criminal of New York now sitting in the interrogation and battling the questions that both the detectives were throwing to him.

Donovan spoke frankly, he had no problem in saying everything he said over, and over again, the things he just said an hour before. He was cool and composed, his voice had that signature coldness in it and it was unusually soft unless he decided to shout on someone. You could find no negativity on him.

Even Alan felt awkward having to hear everything, the same kind of questions and the same answers over and over again. They were asking the same things again, to record it publicly this time which would be used in the court against him. They just wanted to confirm the facts and Donovan really did not intend to deny them.

Henderson stroked him chin and said ‘So that was a hell of a work, Alan’

‘That was easy’

‘Oh, don’t say that’ Henderson laughed. ‘Confronting the most dangerous criminal of NY won’t be that easy for sure’

‘Trust me, it was’

‘So tell me how did you do all this?’

‘Do what?’

‘Bring him to precinct’

‘He came himself, I hardly had to work for that. And he told everything himself too. You see he’s not even annoyed having to repeat everything again. I don’t know how many criminal would do this’

‘And you’re sure whatever he said is all true?’

‘Yeah, they got to be true’

‘So does this complete everything?’

‘Define ‘everything’?’

‘I mean, so the case is complete right?’

‘I’m afraid not.’ Said Alan still looking seriously at Donovan who couldn’t see him. ‘There’s still something left, and that’s what I’m thinking about’

This also made Henderson curious and serious. ‘What’s that?’

‘We still don’t know who -- ’

Ryan suddenly came out with a happy face just like Henderson’s was.

‘He was quite frank and he said everything’ said Ryan. ‘This is now onto the records and we will have no more problems putting him to justice’

‘That’s great Ryan’ said Henderson coming back to his original mood.

Ryan quickly called a uniform, handed the files over to him and looked at him. ‘Are you new here?’

‘Yes, sir’

‘Anyway’ Ryan told him to keep the files in a specific chamber and he went away nodding.

Alan was still quiet and Donovan was still inside the room smiling to himself.

Seeing Alan quiet, Alicia had to ask at last ‘What’s up?’

‘No, nothing’

‘You don’t look happy’

‘I’m not’

‘Why not?’

‘Because there’s nothing to be happy’

‘We’re on the verge of putting him behind the bars. Isn’t that enough reason to chill?’

‘Yeah, whatever’

‘Tell me if you have a problem’

‘Look I’ve a weird feeling’

‘Okay?’

‘This is all going too easy and is going too predictable. You see, we thought a lot, about how we’re going to do this, it was supposed to be a hard job. But now we got Donovan. Am I the only person who thinks that we've achieved this target too simply?’

‘Yeah it has been done. So what?’

‘I believe in a saying’

‘What saying?’

‘That, a case is like a mathematical equation, the more it seems easy, more the wrong way you are going in’

‘We’re not going in the wrong way’ said Henderson. ‘You can be assured about that’

‘Ok’

‘Yes’

Kevin also now came out of the room, looking cool, while Donovan started adjusting his tie.

‘Okay, he said everything and his story fits in nicely’ said Kevin. ‘Ryan must have told you that. But he isn’t talking about one thing. Jade Carter’s murder’

Ryan had also forgotten about this. Now he remembered and nodded.

‘What is he saying then?’ asked Henderson because he didn’t follow what he was saying from the speakers.

‘He says Jade Carter was already murdered when he came and he just changed the things that were with him. Now I can’t say if I should believe that’

‘What did he say to you Alan?’ Henderson turned to him.

‘This same thing’ he replied quietly.

‘Then what do you all think about his theory?’ Henderson looked at everyone.

‘I don’t know’ replied Alicia.

‘He’s telling the truth’ said Alan.

‘How can you be sure about that?’ asked Henderson.

‘Yes, what makes you so confident about it?’ repeated Ryan.

‘Why not?’ Alan started ‘Donovan talked about all the others murders and crimes he committed quite frankly. He knows that he’s going to prison anyway, so telling he also killed Jade Carter doesn’t make much difference? Does it? If he really killed him he would also have said that he did’

‘That’s a good point. He would have said it himself if he really killed Jade Carter’ said Ryan.

‘Good, your theory is rational’ Henderson pointed out. ‘I will go with it, but if he didn’t kill Jade Carter then we will have to ask the same question over and over again, who killed him?’

‘That was what I was thinking about’ said Alan. ‘That’s why I told you that the case is not yet solved’

‘So that remains a mystery till now’ said Kevin miserably.

‘You got to find that out now’

‘Yeah...’

‘Guys I think you’re forgetting something here’ said Alicia as they all looked at her with questioning faces. ‘What about the things Trevor said last night? Anyone thought about that?’

‘Oh, right’ said Ryan. ‘Alan, you wanted me to check the records’

‘Yes?’ said Alan.

‘And I did’ said Ryan happily. ‘Yes I did. I took a printout and kept it somewhere in some files...okay you all wait here, I will find it out’

Ryan left.

‘What report are we talking about here?’ asked Henderson, as he didn’t know about this.

‘Trevor gave us some information about McRae last night, so I told Ryan to re-check it and make sure it’s right or not’ Alan answered.

‘So were they right?’

‘Wait, only Ryan can say that’

‘So what do we do about Donovan now?’ asked Kevin who was waiting for orders.

‘Show him his cell, why are we waiting?’ said Alan more casually than usual.

Kevin soon called two more officers and asked them to wait outside. He went in, told Donovan to come out, and Donovan did follow him out nicely without giving him any trouble.

Kevin turned to the officers and said ‘Take him to the 24, I think that’s clear for now. I will see if I can transfer him somewhere later’

Kevin again made him wear the handcuff as he said ‘Is this really necessary?’

‘Maybe not Mr. Donovan’ said Kevin firmly. ‘But it is a part of our rules, and now would you be kind enough to follow this gentlemen who’d you take you to your room’

Kevin signalled the men to take him away as they both came from the both sides, gripped him by his shoulders and started to push him away.

‘Wait a minute’ Alan said suddenly and came near Donovan as the men stopped pushing him. Alan deliberately reduced the gap between them and faced Donovan with a tough face. Donovan still had no reaction whatsoever.

‘I just wanted tell you a last thing’ said Alan softly. ‘The next time you send some men to kill me make sure they are not some rookie.’

Donovan remained calm without showing any anger or emotion to this. He just gave him another half-hearted smile and said ‘Thanks for the advice Mr. Smith. I will’

Both of them stared directly in their eyes trying to make out the thoughts of each other before Alan went back and asked the men to take him away. The two officers again took him by his shoulders and walked him away.

Kevin turned to Alan. ‘He’s really calm isn’t he?’

‘Yes, the criminals are calm sometimes’ Henderson added.

‘He’s calm because he thinks too highly of himself’ said Alicia. ‘Or maybe he’s kind of a sociopath’

‘Both are possible’ agreed Kevin.

‘Who gives a damn if he’s a sociopath or not’ said Henderson. ‘At last we got him arrested and that’s all it matters’

‘Yes, you’re right boss’ said Kevin as he and Henderson laughed and gave a high five. Alicia also joined the fun this time, although most of the time she also remains serious about her case.

Then suddenly the land phone in Henderson’s table buzzed as Henderson picked it up and talked for a few seconds, hung up and said ‘Man, now the media is gonna make a queue outside soon’

‘What’s the matter?’ asked Alicia.

‘Someone leaked the news about Donovan getting arrested to the press, and now the media is going berserk over it’

‘What do they want?’

‘They want a press conference with everyone related to this case’

‘Or else?’

‘Or else, they want an exclusive interview with the one who is leading the case. And they know about you Alan’ Henderson turned to Alan.

But before Alan could say ‘Shit’ Kevin laughed. ‘Who cares, we will be on TV, man!’

Everyone was excited and when Ryan came back with the files, he looked at them awkwardly and said ‘What did I miss?’

‘We just got Donovan behind the bars, we should celebrate this?’ said Henderson.

‘You’re right boss, you can never get another reason for celebrating than this’

‘Yes that’s true’ Ryan also joined them. ‘This is our pride’

‘Yup! Where do you wanna start this celebration?’ asked Kevin looking at everyone.

‘Can I give a suggestion?’ said Alan.

‘Oh sure, you’re the leader, you tell us!’ Henderson again turned to him.

‘Why don’t we start with the files that Ryan bought?’

Everyone became quiet again understanding what Alan meant.

‘You bought the files Ryan?’ Alan said.

‘Right, yes’ Ryan opened the page and went on. ‘Should I say that his records are not as clean as you would have expected.’

‘I didn’t expect it to be clean’ clarified Alan.

‘So what’s in it?’ asked Alicia.

‘Here it is’ Ryan said this more to himself. ‘Allegedly shot four uniforms and a patrol officer’

‘McRae did this?’ asked Henderson who also understood that this was important than the celebration.

‘Yes these are the criminal records’

‘So he did this?’

‘Yes’

‘Trevor was right then’ said Kevin. ‘He is a lunatic.’

‘So that’s true he’s a lunatic?’ Alicia asked Ryan.

‘Yup!’

‘He certainly doesn’t look like one’ said Henderson.

‘Anyway’ Alan interrupted Henderson and Kevin as they were steering the conversation in another way. ‘What more is there?’

‘He was arrested and was taken to 28
th
precinct’

‘And he was not put to trial?’

‘No he wasn’t’ said Ryan and looked at the file more carefully. ‘Before that, his behaviour was said to be more violent so was his physical condition, he looked pathetic, that’s why he was transferred to a rehabilitation centre for the time being’

‘So he was suffering from some mental disease or something?’ asked Kevin.

‘Yes that’s right’ said Ryan and went on. ‘Okay let me tell you the whole thing in brief. When he was arrested, his condition deteriorated so he was transferred to a rehabilitation centre. But still there was no real improvement so he was transferred to a asylum...well not a asylum it’s more of a hospital. That’s when he was diagnosed with acute schizophrenia’