Murder in the Dorm (18 page)

When Charlie got to the Club the first thing he noticed was that Baynes was at the Club table. He sat next to Baynes and joined the general conversation. When both were finished with their lunches Charlie suggested going down to the bar for a brandy. Baynes quickly agreed. Once seated and served, Charlie filled Baynes in on everything he knew so far.

“So it looks like if you’re right about Sommers, you’re at the proverbial brick wall.”

“Precisely. I’m sure there’s a third party, but I’m clueless as to who it might be.”

“Any chance that reporter, Dingwall, might have learned something?”

“He hasn’t called. I suspect he’s moved on to other stuff.”

“Just how much do you think is missing?”

“I really don’t know. My rough guess, from what I’ve been told, is that it might be a couple or three million, but that’s a very rough guess.”

“Funny; that doesn’t sound like a lot these days.”

“I know, but you have to remember what it means to who has it and to who lost it.”

“Right, right. What about all the recent stuff we’ve heard about ‘transparency’? Don’t banks have to reveal a lot more these days about secret accounts?”

“I think that applies mainly to Swiss banks. My understanding is that a number of Caribbean banks still play the numbered-account game and keep quiet about it.”

“Look, you give the reporter a call and I’ll do a little digging into Sommers’ situation. I’ll call you tonight or early tomorrow. Okay?”

Charlie agreed and they finished their drinks and left the Club. Back in his office Charlie phoned Dingwall, who of course wasn’t in but would return his call, according to the receptionist who’d answered.

It wasn’t until nearly four that Dingwall returned Charlie’s call. He was neither rude nor obviously impatient, but Charlie understood that as he’d suspected the reporter had no further interest in the case. He told Charlie that he’d learned nothing new, but then had not been pursuing the matter because his editor thought it was old news.

“Doesn’t the missing money interest anyone?”

“It’s in the hands of the police’s forensic accountants now, and from past experience I can tell you it’ll be months and months before they come up with anything, if they ever do.”

Charlie thanked Dingwall and hung up, hoping that Baynes was having better luck. He next worked through some questions emailed him by students. It was while doing so that he received a response from Sommers:

“Charlie, I’m not surprised you’re still on this thing, but believe me, I don’t know any more about it. I can see your suspicious mind connecting my leaving and whatever happened with this Giacomo, but though I kept it quiet, my departure was planned months ago. I’m oddly flattered you think I could be so devious, but it’s just not on. Do let me know how things work out—if they ever do.”

Charlie wasn’t surprised and was relieved that Sommers hadn’t taken offense at his email. He closed the message and was wrapping up when the phone rang. He hoped it was Baynes, but it wasn’t; it was Dingwall.

“Professor, an odd coincidence. A while after I spoke with you my editor told me that Giacomo is going before a judge tomorrow afternoon. I don’t know if this is the slated hearing or something else, but I’m going to be there. If you’re interested, and I think you are, be at the courthouse at 2:30. I’ll see you there.”

Charlie was delighted that something was happening and waited to hear from Baynes. At a little after five he gave up and went home. Over a glass of chardonnay he told Kate what had happened. They were just trying to decide what to do about dinner when the phone rang. It was Baynes.

“Charlie. I have some reassuring news. I have a contact at Winston Tech and learned two things of some importance. First of all, apparently Janice was offered a job a year or two ago when she gave a lecture there at a computing conference. Secondly, she is there now and the arrangements began months ago. I didn’t call you earlier because I was waiting to hear from my contact about one more relevant thing. She emailed me not five minutes ago. Apparently Sommers had her new department’s help in find a small apartment. The point is she’s not living high. If she had access to major money she likely would have taken a pricey apartment near Winston. That didn’t happen. She’s a good forty minutes away by bus. I really think she’s on the level.”

Charlie thanked Baynes, told him about Giacomo’s hearing, and ended the conversation. He told Kate what Baynes had told him and they decided to celebrate Sommers’ apparent exoneration by going out to dinner. Any excuse would do.

Over dinner they talked about the case and Kate summed things up in what Charlie found a rather depressing way.

“Okay, so where we’re at is that Kelsey and McDermott are dead, Berger isn’t the third party, Sommers isn’t the third party, the money is missing, and we don’t even know how much. Aside from the hearing tomorrow, you’ve got zip by way of prospects.”

“Beautifully put.”

“I take it you are going to the hearing tomorrow?”

“Definitely. Whatever else I’ve got on I’ll adjust. This is my last shot.”

“Don’t expect too much, Charlie. I doubt you’ll hear anything new. It’ll probably just be Giacomo admitting to what he did to get as much leniency as he can. Even the public defender he’s got now would press him to accept the deal the other lawyer made.”

“Oh, I don’t see him suddenly pleading his innocence. I’m just curious to hear what he does say, especially if they moved it up and this is his allocution.”

“As long as you’re not setting yourself up for a big disappointment.”

Charlie and Kate dropped the case and turned to their respective books. That night Charlie slept surprisingly well.

Chapter 31

The Fifteenth Wednesday

Charlie woke early on Wednesday, glad he had no class that day. He had breakfast, showered, shaved, and went back to the kitchen for another coffee. Kate was still asleep. He mused a bit about that afternoon. If the hearing was going to be the scheduled one, the main thing would be Giacomo’s allocution. His previous lawyer had obviously cut a deal: Giacomo would admit to the killing of McDermott and expect lenience because of his admission and the circumstances. The public defender now handling Giacomo’s case would have no reason to change the arrangement. He had apparently cautioned Giacomo against doing so because Giacomo had no idea of the identity of the person who told him about McDermott and offered to pay for his lawyer and his sons’ tuitions.

At his office, Charlie dealt with his email and then tried to work up interest in working on his new paper. He ended up staring out the window until he went to lunch.

Conversation at the Club table was somewhat distracting, but Charlie kept looking at his watch and anticipating the afternoon’s main event. Eventually it was time to go to the courthouse. Charlie was early, but that was good because he ran into Dingwall at the entrance and was led to the right courtroom. He was surprised at the sparse attendance. Aside from a group of some eight or ten seniors who no doubt spent a lot of time listening to trials and hearings, there were only three or four people there. Dingwall went to sit with one of them, so Charlie assumed she was a reporter, too. He took a seat a little ahead of Dingwall, wanting to be sure he didn’t miss anything. Promptly at two-thirty an officer of the court entered and announced the judge’s entry.

The judge turned out to be a woman in her early sixties who looked like she was strictly business. As soon as everyone was seated, Giacomo was brought in and sat next to his public defender, a man that looked to Charlie to be barely twenty years old. The court officer went through the routine procedure and finally Giacomo was asked by the judge to stand.

“Mr. Giacomo, this hearing has been advanced at your request. You seemed rather desperate to have it sooner than the scheduled date and I’m wondering why. Your attorney doesn’t seem to know either. Would you explain?”

“Your honor, I wanted to have the hearing sooner because of some information I am now willing to give to the police. I did not discuss this with my previous attorney, but did with my present one and he felt I needed to inform the court prior to my allocution.”

“I see. You do realize that you may be worsening your situation?”

“I don’t think I am, and I think you’ll agree when you hear what I have to say that the information will be of use to the police.”

“All right, but before we get into whatever you have to say, we need to be straight about your allocution to the killing of Mr. Lawrence McDermott. I am aware of the circumstances that prompted your action and the alleged fact that you have no knowledge of the identity of the person who informed you about Mr. McDermott’s actions and where Mr. McDermott could be located. You then claim you attempted to frighten Mr. McDermott without intending to hurt him but shot Mr. McDermott in anger. Will any of those factors be changed by what you have to say?”

“No, your Honor; none of that will change.”

“Fine, then. Proceed.”

“Thank you, your Honor. What I want to add is that I did take Mr. McDermott’s computer. I’d been instructed to do so in an email I deleted. I was also warned that if any of the data on it later emerged it would be worth my life. I did not mention this to the police because I assumed I would be charged with destroying evidence. I am admitting it now because after discussion with my new attorney, we decided that the value to the police of not trying to find the computer outweighed the risk of a further charge against me. My attorney also pointed out that since I neither tried to access, nor probably could access anything on the computer, I didn’t know it was in fact evidence. In any case, I destroyed the laptop thoroughly.”

“I see. I will consider your admission with respect to sentencing. Proceed with your allocution.”

Giacomo was then given a sheet of paper by his lawyer and he proceeded to read his allocution. The judge heard him out, wrote something down, and then looked at him.

“All right, Mr. Giacomo, as I said, I have to consider your admission. I do admit that this information will likely be of use to the police. I will inform your attorney when we will meet for sentencing.”

The court officer called the next case, Giacomo was led out of the courtroom, and Charlie hurried out, catching up with Dingwall. When he did, Dingwall had his cell out and motioned to Charlie to give him a minute. Charlie waited and heard Dingwall give his editor or whoever was on the line the gist of what had happened in court. After listening a moment and agreeing with something, Dingwall closed his phone and turned to Charlie.

“That was a surprise, but I don’t think it’s as big a deal as Giacomo thinks. All it does is let the cops stop searching for McDermott’s laptop. I know you’ve got something of an ‘in’ with DeVries, so here’s what we’ll do. If either of us learns anything more about this development, we share the info. Okay?”

“Certainly. Let’s hope we do.”

Dingwall went off to his car and Charlie stood on the courthouse steps for a minute or two wondering what to do. He decided he’d go back to his office and call DeVries. As it turned out, that was the right thing to do because she hadn’t yet heard about the destruction of the computer. She thanked Charlie and promised that if anything came up, she’d let him know. Charlie went home and told Kate what had happened. He opened a bottle of a hard-to-get but excellent pinot grigio from a tiny California boutique winery and they sat down to talk.

“What I don’t get, Charlie, is why the third party, and that’s who it had to be, didn’t want McDermott’s computer. After all, there might have been something interesting on it. And from what you’ve told me, Kelsey’s computer is still missing.”

“Well, McDermott may have taken Kelsey’s and destroyed it, too. I suspect the third party knew he or she wouldn’t be able to get into McDermott’s computer and believed she or he knew everything that was on it of importance. A major reason was not risking even indirect contact with Giacomo to get the laptop. But the really important thing is that the third party’s lack of interest in McDermott’s computer means the third party has the money or knows where it is. At this point, that’s the only truly important information that could have been on the computer.”

“That’s right; so Kelsey and McDermott must have been channeling the money to this third party. That also makes better sense of those files showing the different amounts. They had to keep track of their cuts because they didn’t have the money.”

“I think that’s right, but you realize this makes finding the third party that much more difficult? He or she won’t be caught red-handed with McDermott’s computer. In fact, I don’t see that there’s anything the police could use to charge, much less convict the third party unless they track down how the money was moved around. Giacomo is useless as a witness to the murder-for-hire part because he never saw or even talked to the third party. No, whoever it is planned well. Even to the computer; better to have it destroyed than to risk picking it up.”

After a bit neither had more to say and they went to bed.

Chapter 33

The Fifteenth Thursday

Charlie woke early. Over coffee and some surprisingly good muffins from the local supermarket he tried to organize his thinking about the third party. McDermott and Kelsey, or perhaps only one of them, had to have had fairly regular contact with the third party. The third party’s lack of interest in McDermott’s computer implied he or she knew about and didn’t need what was on it. Also, knowing McDermott’s expertise, she or he likely had no illusions about being able to access the files on the laptop even if it were obtained. McDermott roping in Berger was probably more a time saving move than a crucial component of the scam. The money was key, now. The third party had it.