Murder On The Mainline - S01 E10

Story

5 hours ago

Murder On The Mainline - S01 E10

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 10

Mike goes over to a comfortable looking chair and finds out it isn't as he reads a magazine from those available on a low coffee table. He glances up frequently and catches the girl watching him. He smiles and she quickly looks back at her computer screen. Finally he gets up and approaching the desk again, says, "This isn't fair. You now have my name and I don't know yours. How about it?"

She turns to face him abruptly and blurts out "Jenny. I'm Jenny McLeod and I haven't been here very long so I didn't know you when you came in. I'm sorry sir."

"Jenny, what did Norm tell you about me?"

She colors visibly and mumbles something about it’s not important. She studies her nails as if waiting for him to say something. Mike tries to think what Norm might have said to make her act like this; then he tries a feeler, "What time you get off work tonight, Jenny?"

Now she's visibly agitated and says he can go in for his visit. She watches him as he goes to one of the doors in the round reception room. Mike raps and hears a door lock thud in the door. He opens it and steps into an antechamber with a guard. The guard ensures the door behind Mike is closed before he punches a button opening the door into a large visiting area with tables. Mike spots Ray and nods as he enters.

"Did you bring any beer?" Ray's slow grin greets Mike as he comes forward to the table and sits across from him.

"I had to stop by and let you know that a lot of us are not convinced you had anything to do with the crime. In fact, if you can answer a few questions for me, I may be able to help you get clear of this crap. How about it? Are you willing to be grilled?" He grins and Ray shakes his head in the affirmative.

Mike pulls out a small notepad and pen. "First, was that you that I saw leaving the parking lot on Thursday night at about twelve twenty?"

"I guess. I was tired and never noticed which truck came in as I was leaving, but on thinking about it, it must have been your Kenworth. I know it was a big cabover but I didn't know who at the time."

"Okay. So what did you do on Thursday night?"

"I went drinking after supper at the local pub, you know, The Gardens. I guess I hung around there until after ten; then felt I should clean the truck up for the next day's work. I like to drive a clean truck. I drove over to work and pulled the truck up into the wash rack. After I washed it down, I vacuumed it out and put it back in the lineup. Then I went home and went to bed."

"Give me more detail. Did anyone see you washing the truck?"

"I suppose the yard spotter must have seen me pull the truck around to the wash rack and there was a shift working in the warehouse. Some of them might have seen me from the docks."

"Was anyone around while you were at the wash rack?"

"No, I don't think so."

"Did you have your radio on? Did you hear dispatch talking to the spotter, telling him which door to put which trailer at and such?"

"Nope. I don't think I had it on... or if I did I never noticed."

"Do you know who the spotter was that night?"

"Probably Hughey."

"You don't know for sure, eh?"

"No."

"Were you drunk? Tell me if you were but think about it before you answer."

"I felt okay to drive so I guess I wasn't drunk. If I had been stopped and my blood/alcohol level had been checked I probably wouldn't have passed, but I wasn't incapable of safely driving."

"You were tired on top of that. Hmmmm. Okay, what about earlier, when you were at the Gardens. Did you talk with Florence Hanson?"

"Yeah, I remember trying to get her to go out with me. She turned me down."

"Did you tell the police that?"

"Yeah. Shouldn't I have?"

"You know the drill. Let me ask the questions. I'm following a complicated formula of questioning in my mind and when you ask me a question it throws off my concentration. Can you do it my way, Ray, and trust me?"

"Yeah, Okay. Go ahead and ask away."

"Did you know Flo was a prostitute?"

"I'd heard that but I don't believe it? She was always a proper young lady around me. I thought she was rather nice and I felt sorry for her after what her old man put her through."

"When you were trying to get her to go out with you, where did you plan to take her?"

"To the stage production of 'Cats' at the Queen Elizabeth Theater in Vancouver. It was on for three weeks and I wanted her to go the next night... Friday night. She told me she had other plans."

"Did she say what those plans were or who they were with?"

"I don't remember. I was disappointed when she said no and didn't pay much attention to why, I guess."

"Now think, Ray. Did she mention what she was going to do after work that night? Any hint or suggestion that she might be going out with someone?"

"None that I noticed. I did see her talking to Tony a while before I left but Tony left before I did. She was still serving drinks when I left and waved to me as I left. I felt real sick when I heard what happened. Who would do such a thing, Mike?"

"I don't know, Ray, but I'm going to try and find out. Now the police found some porn tapes at your place. Were they yours?"

"Yeah, I get them from one of the deep sea tug crewmen who picks them up in California when they're down there. I suppose I'll lose them?"

"You'll probably get charged with possessing them. Most are on the prohibited list in Canada. Your buddy will get charged for importing them, as well. That's peanuts though compared to murder. The other fact the police are using to put you into the shoes of the killer is that you often used prostitutes. Well?"

"Yeah, I often go down to Davies Street on the weekends and pick up a hooker. What the hell? I'm not married and no one gets hurt. I'm happy and she's happy, so who gets hurt?"

"Know any of those girls personally who could vouch for your peaceful and loving nature?" Mike grins.

Ray grins as well and says, "Naw, none of them would go to court for me. You weren't serious, were you?" They both laugh.

"One last question, Ray. Did you notice what Flo was wearing on Thursday night? Was she dolled up with jewelry or just in slacks?"

"She looked really nice in a button up dress with a lot of cleavage showing and she had a matching set of earrings and necklace."

Boiiing - the thought hit Mike out of the blue. The necklace! In the photos her necklace was missing but the earrings were the same set she had worn for the shot in her file. He could see the crime photos in his mind and knew that was what had been bugging him earlier.

"What's wrong, Mike, did I say something wrong?"

"No, you just gave me another piece of the puzzle, Ray. I've still got a long way to go, though. I want you to be patient and cooperate with your attorney. I'll keep working on this and keep in touch with you. Oh, one other thing. What route did you take to go home?"

"Straight from the yard down to my place on Diamond Blvd. It's not a five minute drive and I was probably in bed before you headed home to Abbotsford."

"Thanks Ray. I'll be seeing you." Mike gets up and goes to the door. The guard punches the button again and the door is released. Mike opens it and steps into the antechamber. The guard checks the door he came out of and comments, "How can you believe anything that sex pervert says?" He watches Mike and then pushes the button for the outside door. As Mike leaves he turns steely eyes upon the other man and says, "The man is innocent until proven guilty and don't you forget it!"

He crosses the foyer and clasps hands with Norm Bailey. "God, it must be a year since I've seen you. How are Charlene and the girls?" They go off towards the coffee room and talk of old times when Norm was with the federal system. He and Mike had worked together and their wives had chummed around together.

Later as he is leaving he says, "Wait until I tell Marlene I saw you and she will be bugging me to bring her over. Don't be surprised if we drop in on you one of these days, old buddy. And thanks for your help tonight there, Jenny McLeod. I'll be seeing you." He grins at Norm and they laugh together as Jenny pretends she doesn't hear them.

He goes out to the car and checks the time. It's around eight thirty. He can make it back to Abbotsford by nine thirty so he will go check out the lighting in the parking lot at the airport.

By nine oh five he's in Mission and by nine forty five he's out at the Abbotsford International Airport. He parks by the hanger from which the car was stolen and gets out. The parking lot is fairly well lit and all cars parked there are in plain sight. He sees some employees in a coffee room so goes to join them.

"Hi guys. Is Larry Powell here? Is that any of you guys?"

One young fellow in coveralls gets up from a table and says, "I'm Larry. What do you want?"

"I'm working for ICBC (Insurance Corporation of British Columbia) and we're checking out your claim. Could I ask you a few questions?"

"Oh sure. I didn't realize they sent people out to check our claims. I never made a claim before."

"Just routine. Could you show me where the car was parked the night it was stolen?"

"Sure. Come on."

He shows Mike an occupied spot near the hanger almost under the light on the hanger wall. Mike says, "You state it was locked. Your sure about that?"

He only hesitates a moment before stammering, "I always locked it. With that new stereo of mine I wouldn't leave it unlocked for two minutes.

"Ah, that was the other thing I had to check. Do you still have your receipts for the stereo."

"No. I never think to keep receipts. I told them that on the claim where it asks for receipts. I included the price from the dealer where I bought it."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I must have missed that. Now, do you know any of the young guys they caught?"

He stares at Mike and stammers, "They caught them? It wasn't my idea, you know. They said they've done it many times before and didn't get caught. Oh shit! What will they do to me?"

"Of course, you'll have to give the police your statement, but it will be your word against theirs. They did the actual act, didn't they? You should give your statement as soon as you can, in case they aren't talking yet. How be if I have a friend of mine who's with Matsqui Police come over and take your statement? Then they'll know your cooperating."

"Yeah, that might be a good idea. Thanks."

Mike dials the police on his cell phone and asks for Ken Drydon. In a moment he's connected and gives a brief summary of his conversation with young Larry Powell. Ken catches on to the ruse immediately and says he'll be right out. He knows no one has been caught for stealing the car but he will go along with the fiction in order to get a statement. It won't hold water in court but it will save ICBC from making the payout and it will lead to the arrest of the young hoodlums who have been stealing and burning cars lately.

Mike keeps young Powell occupied with conversation until Ken arrives then bids them a good night. He drives home well satisfied that the case has been taken care of so easily. Just the paperwork and it'll be done. He won't tell Marlene. He may need an excuse to get out of the house on the weekend.