Murder On The Mainline - S01 E44

Story 2 days ago

Murder On The Mainline - S01 E44

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 44

4TH THURSDAY

Mike is up at four thirty and showering. He can't sleep. He goes back and shuts off the alarm so it won't sound out later. He gets dressed and goes to his office. He pulls the files and studies them then throws them into his briefcase. Grabbing a light jacket he quietly lets himself out the side door.

He pulls in at Trudy's at seven. He raps lightly on the door. The curtain is drawn back then the door flies open. She draws him inside. A light robe is caught over her shoulders and she throws her arms around Mike. She whispers, "Come." and beckons. He follows her to her bedroom and soon they are busy in the bed.

Afterwards she gets Crystal up and makes breakfast for them all. Before they are finished the baby sitter arrives and they are on their way to POCO by eight forty.

She slides over close to him and sticks a finger in his ear. She wiggles it and says, "I like your early morning surprises."

"Can't hear you. There's something in my ear."

She laughs and kisses his ear instead. She whispers, "I think I love you, Michael Claymore. Did you hear that?"

"I hear you, my mistress."

"Don't you want to say something back to me?"

"You make a good breakfast."

"Anything else?"

"Uh, ...I can't think of anything."

"You louse!" She cuffs him on the back of his head.

They pull into POCO and around to the realty office where Ron Harrison works. They enter the outer reception area and pose as a couple seeking a new home. They say they have had a referral to seek the help of Mr. Ron Harrison. The neat gray haired lady in her forties tells them he will be in around noon. She asks if they can come back then. They say they will try and leave.

In the car Mike uses the cell phone to try the number from the matchbook cover again. On the third ring he hears the sound of the phone being answered but no one says anything. He says, "Hello. Hello, are you there?" No answer. He hears a click and the connection is broken. "Damn!"

He dials the Royal Columbian Hospital and asks for Roger. "Good morning, it's Mike. How's our girl this morning?"

"I just got in. I see a report here on my desk that Bob came here late last night in an inebriated condition and left again before there was any need to call the police. He did not get past the lobby."

"I expected..." He hears Roger talking to someone who just came into his office. "Did he say she was suffering from complications?"

"Oh, Mike, No. It's not serious. She put in a bad night and some infection has set in around her ear. They've changed her dressing and treated the infection. It looks like they caught it before any danger. She's doing well now. Are you coming in?"

"Not unless I have to. I've got other work this morning. Has she asked for me?"

Roger confers with the other man in the background. "She's asked about you, but has not specifically requested you come in."

"Well, maybe I'll try to come by sometime today. You have my cell number. Call me if you need me."

"First thing, and don't worry."

"See you later."

He punches the 'END' button and speaks to Trudy. "Do you want to meet her?"

"Can she talk?"

"She should be able to now, without too much difficulty."

"Let's go over there."

"First things first. Do you think you can handle this Mustang?"

"Of course I can. Why?"

"I want you to drop me in the alley behind Flo's house and come back in forty minutes exactly; no sooner, no later. Got it?"

"Right. What if they've found the door and it's locked?"

"I always have my lock picks."

"Let's go." She slides across behind the wheel as he gets out. He comes around to the passenger side and gets in. He's thrown back against the seat as she peals rubber pulling into the street. She laughs as she sees the expression on his face. "I'll behave." She slows and drives around to the back of Flo's. He gets out and checks his watch. She checks hers and salutes as she drives away.

Mike shakes his head and turns into the back gate. He walks briskly across the back lawn and steps up to the door into the carport. It’s either locked or stuck so he goes around and walks inside the front. He notes the car tracks are disturbed and splashes of plaster of Paris litter the floor in the area. He steps to the door and tries it with thin gloves on his hands. The knob turns and the door opens. He listens. Nothing. He slips inside and listens again. All clear.

He crosses the kitchen and peeks into the living room. Then he tiptoes to the bedroom and all is as he last saw it. He checks the bathroom and spare bedroom. No one. He goes back to the kitchen. He pulls out and goes through every drawer. Tea towels, dish clothes, cutlery, he checks it all. Grocery list pad; he takes a pencil and using a flat side of the lead carefully blackens the top page. In white he spots words forming. He does the same with the back page and sees words forming there, as well. He doesn't finish it. He drops the pad into a baggy and puts it in his pocket.

In the drawer he finds the instruction manual for a microwave. He looks around but there is no microwave here. Studying the plugs and the counter he searches for marks. Sure enough, at one time a microwave has rested on the counter. The slight indentations in the counter are clear. He bags the manual and puts that in his pocket.

That is all he can glean from the kitchen so he moves to her bedroom. He goes through all the drawers there. He comes up with a coin, a lira. Italian. He puts that with his other items. He goes through her jewel box and cosmetics. Nothing. In her closet he checks the pockets of all her clothes and the linings. He gets a package of book matches and a card from the "Viet Kitchen" restaurant in Vancouver. They are in a heavy winter coat inside pocket.

On the shelf above the clothes is a hat in a bag from a hat shop in Vancouver. He pockets the bag and the receipt that's in it. The receipt is dated February 14th, this year.

Next he goes to the spare room and comes up empty. He checks his watch and sees he only has a few minutes. He turns up the cushions in the couch and chair in the living room. Nothing. He heads for the back door. He stops and turns back to lift the phone. Under it is a thin small pad of yellow stick on notes. He lifts the top one and bags it then rushes to the back door. As he crosses the back lawn he pulls off his thin gloves and waves to Trudy, pulling up to the back gate.

He jumps in and says, "Take it easy, but take us out of here."

She pulls smoothly on through the alley and out onto the street. "Did you get anything worthwhile?"

"Won't know till I check it out."

"Where to?"

"Out the River Road. I'll tell you where to pull off."

They drive out along the Pitt River and Mike indicates the pull off that takes them down under the willows. "Park here anywhere."

"You sure know some neat parking spots, lover. I like this one as well as the one by the falls."

He's busy emptying his pockets. "Hand me my briefcase, please."

He pulls a legal size folder out and lays it on top of the briefcase. Next he lays the notepad on it and, using his pencil he works on the surface of the paper. Soon it is evident he has uncovered a shopping list. "Shit!" He turns the pad over and starts working on the words on the other side. This is not a shopping list. It's a note. Carefully he shades the paper and the words come up in clear white letters.

"My dearest Italian Stud, Meet me after work tonight. I crave your touch, your loving touch." It's signed, "Your songbird, Flo."

Trudy exclaims, "Do you think she wrote that the day she died? Oh wow! But how did she get it to him?"

"That wouldn't have been difficult if he had a key and stayed over with her once in a while. She could just leave it on the counter. He would drop by the Gardens during the evening, smile and say, 'See ya later.' Then wait for her after work."

"Do you think that's what happened?"

Mike shrugs his shoulders, "Don't know. It could be."

"Your thinking of Vanuetche, aren't you?"

"He's not the only Italian around, but yes, I am thinking of Tony. But why would he do it? Do you feel he might be the one?"

"I don't know. Didn't Ray say that Tony was in the Gardens that night?"

"Yes, he said he saw him talking to some of the guys early on."

"What else did you get?"

Mike puts the yellow paper on the folder. Once again he works with the flat side of his lead to shade the small page. This time he comes up with a phone number. He checks it against the one on the matchbook he had taken from his first visit. They match. He puts these items aside and pulls out the bag with the receipt. He asks Trudy, "Have you ever been into this hat shop on Robson Street in Vancouver?"

"Only to sight see. I couldn't afford a hat from there. What did it look like?"

"Fairly plain, conservative, the kind of hat she would wear. Light veil over brim on dark straw with white flecks in the crown. Looked expensive."

"Mmmmm, I wish I'd seen it."

"I can't imagine why anyone would pay $179.00 for it."

"Mmmmm, I wish I'd seen it."

"You said that once already. Can't you say anything else?"

"Mmmmm, I wish..."

"Alright, already! You would have liked to see it. Now, sometime in the winter she dines at the 'Viet Kitchen'. This card and matches were in a winter coat. Sounds more and more like Tony, doesn't it?"

"You think Tony was seeing her a lot more than he's letting on, eh?"

"It's all circumstantial to this point, but I think that might be the case. But where does that get us? So she was dating Tony for quite a while. So what? The note to meet her could have been from any time, not necessarily from the fatal night."

"Got anything else?"

"A micro wave oven instruction booklet."

"What about it?"

"She didn't have a micro wave."

"Oh. So?"

"There are marks on her counter where a micro wave has sat. She had one but it's not there. I don't know if it means anything or not. I found it curious."

"Mike, lend me your pencil."

He gives her the pencil and she starts shading the yellow slip some more. Very faintly she uncovers another telephone number that must have been a page higher in the pad. Mike studies it and says, "That number looks familiar."

"It's not Tony's number, by any chance. No, I know it's not. I looked them up for you, didn't I?"

"Yeah, ...but I know that number. Let me think."

"Check your cell phone. You've got a lot of numbers in the memory. Over a hundred, eh?"

"Never thought of that. I'll try it."

He busies himself checking numbers and when he comes to it, changes over to the alphanumeric readout. "It's POCO RCMP. She must have called them about something or meant to call them. Stranger and stranger. I don't know what to make of it."

"That's everything, eh?"

"That's it. I'll itemize and do a report on each piece tonight. Let me just jot down a few notes here."

"Are we going for lunch soon?"

"Yeah. Then we'll drop in on Mr. Harrison."

"Can you do those notes while I drive? I'll find us a restaurant. Will the White Spot do?"

"That'll be fine. Go ahead."

"It seems such a waste to leave this beautiful spot untouched, and I don't mean the spot is untouched, I mean me."

Mike grins as he writes and mumbles, "I know what you mean."

After lunch they return to the real estate firm. They are shown into Mr. Harrison's office. He is out for a moment doing some photocopying. He comes in and greets them, "Hello, folks." He comes forward with his hand stuck out and a big smile on his face. "You've come to the right place at the right time. Now, just what are you looking for?"

Mike grabs his proffered hand and says, "We have been looking for you. We're with a major movie producer, we can't divulge the company at this time, and we are interested in access to the house where the young lady was living who was murdered recently. We'd also like to get your take on the murder itself. We understand you yourself are one of the suspects the police are investigating. Would you like to comment?"

Ron drops Mike's hand and steps back with a frown. "Your Mike Claymore, aren't you? My wife told me you visited our place with a short blonde. What do you want?"

"Some answers, old boy. Flo had you in her black book for a reason. You balling her on the side and your hoity toity wife catch on? If you and Scanlon are such buddies, you ain’t no social butterfly. Tell me what went wrong between you and the prosty?"

"I don't know what you’re talking about. My relationship with Flo is none of your business. Our relationship is also none of your business. Now, you can get out of here."

Trudy steps forward and takes over, "One minute, please. My partner has been rather rough on you. I'm sorry but he is anxious to solve this case. Can't we humor him a bit? I think Flo was murdered by some sex pervert but the list of suspects held by the police does not include any. We would like to eliminate the names on the list and clear them so the police can start looking elsewhere."

"That sounds reasonable. How can we clear my name?"

"You could start by telling us where you were the night Flo was killed."

"I was playing cards with a friend all night. We went over there to Tony's about nine thirty and we never got home until seven the next morning. I'm sure he will vouch for me."

"Did you tell the police that's where you were?"

"They sent an idiot to speak with us and we told him we were socially engaged. I think Tony's name came up. I can't remember for sure."

"They list you as not having an effective alibi. I, on the other hand, know about that night and the Harrison Motel at Harrison Hot Springs. Room 24, I believe."

Ron stands dumbfounded. He wrings his hands and says, "Who else knows about that?"

"Just Mike and I, oh, and our informant."

"How unfortunate if word of this were leaked to the press. The Minister could lose his seat, likely would be banished back to his home riding for good. And she would end up facing at least a divorce and all the ensuing mess. She certainly would lose her position in Victoria. How terrible. But what has this to do with Florence?"

"It means you are covering for Tony Vanuetche. You weren't playing cards at his place if you were in Harrison, were you? Now do you see?"

"But I wasn't in Harrison, my wife was. She was with the judge, His Right Honorable Judge Grant Forester. I was playing cards with Tony and the judge's wife was with me. We had swapped that night, you see. It was all quite above board and legal. The other couple that joined my wife and the judge are the ones that can be hurt most if this becomes public knowledge."

A slow smile creeps across Trudy's face and she says, "You guys really do swing, don't you?"

Ron grins as well. "Maybe you and Mike would like to join us some evening, my dear. You certainly have the attractions to be of interest and my wife seems to already have her eyes on Mike."

Mike speaks up, "Let's get back on topic here. If what your saying is true, we can eliminate both you and Tony as suspects. But I don't think that's the case. Tony's your supplier of the drug of your choice. I think your covering for him to safeguard your supplier."

Ron turns hard eyes on Mike. "You grate on my nerves, little man. Stay out of things you know nothing of, I warn you. I think you both better leave now." He gets up and opens the door, steps outside and wait’s for them.

Trudy goes out the door and as Mike passes Ron he says, "Flo threatened your supply as well, didn't she. Is that why she's dead?"

For an answer Ron turns on his heels, re-enters his office and slams the door.

Trudy looks up at Mike and whispers, "Smooth move! Do you have to practice much to be that abrasive?"

"Shut up and let's go."

They return to the car and discuss Ron's statements. Mike says, "I don't know yet if we've gotten the truth out of them. It certainly is confusing."

"I think it’s time we visited Tony again."

"He's working today. He won't be home until this evening. Let's go over to New West and see Marie."

"Can I drive?"

"You just stay where you are. I'll drive. You'd probably detour by way of the River Road, if I know you."

"Your no fun. Your getting pretty good at mind reading, too, you know." They laugh together as Mike heads for the freeway and the Municipality of New Westminster on the other side. Within half an hour they are at the hospital. Mike gets nods as they go in and up on the elevator. Marie has become quite a hospital celebrity and Mike is gaining fringe benefits from it. They go right to the secure ward.

Mike raps on the office door. The guard peeks out at him and opens the door. Mike introduces him to Trudy and he asks about Marie.

"She was sleeping after lunch but I think she's awake now. The nurse was just in checking on her."

"All okay?"

"Right as rain."

"Good, come on Trudy."

They go into the room that contains two beds. Marie is still and Mike says her name. She responds immediately, "I thought I heard your voice."

"So, have you been a good girl and done as the doctors tell you?"

"Crank my bed up a bit so I can see the room. I'll tell you if you move it too high."

Mike cranks the bed slowly and her eyes come up where she can see them. She says, "Who's your friend and tell her I don't mind her wincing when she sees my face. Oh! That's far enough." She sighs as he winds it back a bit. "Thank you, Mike."

"Hi. I'm Trudy." She whispers, "I'm his mistress."

"Marie, this is Trudy. She's my assistant in the investigation. Often a woman can illicit cooperation from an individual where a man can't. She's a great help to me, although her weird sense of humor often troubles me. Are you up to answering some more questions for me today?"

"I feel much better today. I want to thank you for saving my life. Don't look so modest. Not many people would have broken into our house to find me. I don't know why you were in our neighborhood, but I think you're a guardian angel."

"I only did what I could. I wish I'd come sooner. I wish many things but that's neither here nor there. You told me that Robert returned home the night that Flo died at about six thirty in the morning. Do you remember telling me that?"

"No. But it's true. He was very drunk. I think he was too drunk to harm anyone. He was falling down drunk."

"That may be, but he would have got off work at midnight and he wouldn't have been that drunk at one or two, when the crime took place."

Trudy says to Marie, "Would you mind if I asked you a question or two?"

"No. What can I tell you?"

"Has Robert given you any jewelry since that night? I'm thinking specifically of a necklace."

"No. He brought me flowers the next day but got drunk that weekend and threatened to kill me if I didn't say he came home early the night his ex died. I got scared and took off on Sunday to stay with a friend. I thought maybe he did kill her. But now I don't think he did. He got so scared when he hit me."

"I don't remember things too well but I do remember him trying to wash the blood off me in the bathroom. I can see him sort of blurry and I now know I was coming and going in and out of consciousness. He was crying. That I remember."

"Do you know if Robert ever worked at CPX? Maybe in the warehouse?"

"I think he worked there for a few month's a few years ago but I'm not sure."

"That would be when he was still with Flo?"

"I guess. It seems to me he talked with a guy in the mall one time about working there in the warehouse. For some reason I thought he was only referring to a short period of time working for them."

Trudy starts chatting with Marie and she seems to have run out of questions. Mike listens for a while but goes into the office when Roger comes along.