“No, I don’t,” Tim answered as he stepped closer to Dick. “And I don’t suppose one of you idiots checked his ID?” Dick and Shirley shook their heads. “And did either of you get a name, a business card maybe, a view of this contractor’s vehicle… anything to ID this guy?” Dick and Shirley continued to shake their heads.
“Should we bring him in for questioning, sir?” Shirley asked.
Tim started pacing the room, throwing his arms up into the air. He turned and pointed at the two detectives. “This is unbelievable! You should’ve arrested him. He’s the kidnapper.” Everyone remained silent for a few minutes as Tim continued to pace the room talking to himself. “I’m surrounded by idiots. Only two years, three months and seventeen days until I can retire with full pension.”
Finally, Ralph interrupted, “I may have something, sir.” He opened a folder full of papers. “I checked all the perp’s financial records, credit card transactions, tax records, e-mails for the last seven years and telephone logs.”
“When did you do all that?” Dick asked.
“This morning while I was on my break,” Ralph answered. “Anyway, guess who Hugh called several times?”
“Who?” Tim asked.
“The perp, Watt.”
Barnaby shook his head. “He called himself?”
“Negative, no,” Jones answered. “He called Mary Smyth, and she called him – several times.”
Tim was in shook. “…You mean to say Mrs. Smyth and the perp… knew each other before the kidnapping?”
“Apparently so,” Ralph answered. “But there’s more,” He continued. “Look at this ransom note. I think there was another sentence. See how the bottom is torn of?”
Barnaby pointed a finger at Dick. “Bring them in for questioning. Bring that little bitch, Karen too. Ralph, get me a picture of the perp. I want the ransom note too.”
Shirley started to correct Tim but on second thought decided not to. Once outside Tim’s hearing, she turned to Dick and Ralph. “I’ve never seen the Captain so mad. We had better catch this guy.”
“Who?” Dick asked.
“Affirmative,” Ralph answered. “You guys go bring in this dysfunctional family. I’ll try to have something for you by the time you get back.”
After a couple of hours, Shirley and Dick brought the Smyths to headquarters and placed them into an interview room for questioning while they waited for the Captain in the adjacent room. Is that a new mirror?” Shirley asked as she pointed to the large mirror and adjusted her hair.
“Yeah. It was all renovated last week. Everything’s new.”
After a few minutes, Tim opened the door and looked in. “What are you doing here? Where are the Smiths?”
Shirley decided to stop correcting the Captain. “We put them into the interview room next door.”
Tim shook his head. “You boneheads. This is the interview room. The room next door is the observation room. Didn’t the one-way mirror tip you off? Come on.”
As Tim lead the way, Shirley whispered to Dick, “Didn’t we make love in this room a couple of days ago?”
Dick slapped his forehead. “I thought I heard someone clapping.”
Once the Smyths were finally seated in the proper interview room, Tim and Shirley sat down opposite the Smyths while Dick sat down next to them.
Tim shook his head. “Over here, Dick-head. Sit with us on this side. That’s how this works. Now, Mr. Smyth. Our lab tech says there was more to this ransom note.” Tim placed the note in front of Bill. “Do you want to talk about it?”
Bill sat back and crossed his arms. “No.”
Tim leaned forward. “Let me rephrase the question. Tell me what happened to the rest of the note.”
Bill sighed. “Yes, there was more. The next sentence said pay five million right away or Kaitlin dies, followed with a Swiss bank account number.”
“And what did you do?” Dick asked.
“I paid the money to the account. I had it wired. What could I do? I wanted Kaitlin back in one piece.”
“Yeah, right,” Kaitlin said. “You won’t increase my allowance, but you pay this nut case five million?”
Tim raised his voice, “Please be quiet, Kaitlin.” He turned back to Bill. “So, you paid the ransom before you called 911?”
“Yes. I thought the kidnapper might hurt her.”
“What?” Kaitlin yelled. “You mean I didn’t escape? He just let me go?”
“It appears so,” Shirley answered. “Mr. Smyth, if you paid the ransom, why’d you called 911?”
“Well, I called my accountant, and he said I could report the payment as a theft and claim it as a loss on my tax return.”
“You called your accountant before you called 911?” an outraged Kaitlin asked. “Are you an idiot?”
The End of Part Seven
“Should we bring him in for questioning, sir?” Shirley asked.
Tim started pacing the room, throwing his arms up into the air. He turned and pointed at the two detectives. “This is unbelievable! You should’ve arrested him. He’s the kidnapper.” Everyone remained silent for a few minutes as Tim continued to pace the room talking to himself. “I’m surrounded by idiots. Only two years, three months and seventeen days until I can retire with full pension.”
Finally, Ralph interrupted, “I may have something, sir.” He opened a folder full of papers. “I checked all the perp’s financial records, credit card transactions, tax records, e-mails for the last seven years and telephone logs.”
“When did you do all that?” Dick asked.
“This morning while I was on my break,” Ralph answered. “Anyway, guess who Hugh called several times?”
“Who?” Tim asked.
“The perp, Watt.”
Barnaby shook his head. “He called himself?”
“Negative, no,” Jones answered. “He called Mary Smyth, and she called him – several times.”
Tim was in shook. “…You mean to say Mrs. Smyth and the perp… knew each other before the kidnapping?”
“Apparently so,” Ralph answered. “But there’s more,” He continued. “Look at this ransom note. I think there was another sentence. See how the bottom is torn of?”
Barnaby pointed a finger at Dick. “Bring them in for questioning. Bring that little bitch, Karen too. Ralph, get me a picture of the perp. I want the ransom note too.”
Shirley started to correct Tim but on second thought decided not to. Once outside Tim’s hearing, she turned to Dick and Ralph. “I’ve never seen the Captain so mad. We had better catch this guy.”
“Who?” Dick asked.
“Affirmative,” Ralph answered. “You guys go bring in this dysfunctional family. I’ll try to have something for you by the time you get back.”
After a couple of hours, Shirley and Dick brought the Smyths to headquarters and placed them into an interview room for questioning while they waited for the Captain in the adjacent room. Is that a new mirror?” Shirley asked as she pointed to the large mirror and adjusted her hair.
“Yeah. It was all renovated last week. Everything’s new.”
After a few minutes, Tim opened the door and looked in. “What are you doing here? Where are the Smiths?”
Shirley decided to stop correcting the Captain. “We put them into the interview room next door.”
Tim shook his head. “You boneheads. This is the interview room. The room next door is the observation room. Didn’t the one-way mirror tip you off? Come on.”
As Tim lead the way, Shirley whispered to Dick, “Didn’t we make love in this room a couple of days ago?”
Dick slapped his forehead. “I thought I heard someone clapping.”
Once the Smyths were finally seated in the proper interview room, Tim and Shirley sat down opposite the Smyths while Dick sat down next to them.
Tim shook his head. “Over here, Dick-head. Sit with us on this side. That’s how this works. Now, Mr. Smyth. Our lab tech says there was more to this ransom note.” Tim placed the note in front of Bill. “Do you want to talk about it?”
Bill sat back and crossed his arms. “No.”
Tim leaned forward. “Let me rephrase the question. Tell me what happened to the rest of the note.”
Bill sighed. “Yes, there was more. The next sentence said pay five million right away or Kaitlin dies, followed with a Swiss bank account number.”
“And what did you do?” Dick asked.
“I paid the money to the account. I had it wired. What could I do? I wanted Kaitlin back in one piece.”
“Yeah, right,” Kaitlin said. “You won’t increase my allowance, but you pay this nut case five million?”
Tim raised his voice, “Please be quiet, Kaitlin.” He turned back to Bill. “So, you paid the ransom before you called 911?”
“Yes. I thought the kidnapper might hurt her.”
“What?” Kaitlin yelled. “You mean I didn’t escape? He just let me go?”
“It appears so,” Shirley answered. “Mr. Smyth, if you paid the ransom, why’d you called 911?”
“Well, I called my accountant, and he said I could report the payment as a theft and claim it as a loss on my tax return.”
“You called your accountant before you called 911?” an outraged Kaitlin asked. “Are you an idiot?”
The End of Part Seven
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