Minions (24 page)

“So is there
any
way that I can track down David?”

“How would that help?” Devlin replied defiantly but politely. 
“Sorry, I understand
why
you’d want to track him down, but perhaps I
hadn’t made something clear.  LastGasp’ messages are only, can only, be sent
posthumously.  Whoever wrote the message, in this case this
David
, is
dead.”

Devlin fidgeted, re-reading the printed message in his
hands.  “How exactly did your brother die?  I mean there’s nothing actually in
this message.”

“Someone, a no-one, killed him.  Beat him to death one
night.”  Tania wiped away an imagined tear before they appeared for real.  “The
guy heard voices singling out my brother, apparently.  Why, I’ll never know.”

“And the Police got him?”  Devlin couldn’t help a doubtful
tone.

“Yes.  The Police quite literally followed a trail of
bloodied shoe prints once they found my brother’s body, courtesy of him having
kicked the shit out of Tim.  You know his skull was crushed?”  Tania sighed. 
“They found him, sitting kerbside, crying … and scraping pieces of brain from
the welts in his boots.  Apparently he was very remorseful.”

“When was this?”

“Doesn’t matter now anyway.  He’s dead now, the guy who
did it.  He got
his
on remand.  Eddy Stantoch.  Rest in peace, but with
stab holes you bastard!”  She drifted off and into her mug of coffee.

“Who got him, this Eddy?”

“No idea and not that it matters either.  It won’t give me
back my brother.”  Tania relaxed herself into her couch. 

Devlin was silent for a moment in recognition of Tania’s
grief.  “I don’t know what to say, other than to say that I’m sorry for your
loss.  Perhaps this David guy got you, or Tim, confused with someone else.”

“Perhaps,” Tania replied solemnly.

Devlin felt that he had reclaimed some level ground in his
meeting with Tania.  He saw that she was no longer braced for an argument and
he figured that he should move on.  “Do you mind if I take this?” he asked,
holding up the printed message from David. 

“Fine,” Tania replied.  “I guess if I need another copy I
can always print it off.”  She nodded a vague indication to her computer on her
study desk.  The Police didn’t really sound interested either, but someone is
coming to have a look anyway.”  Tania thought for a moment.  “Can you believe
that they couldn’t, or wouldn’t, give me an email address to forward the email
on to!  So I have to wait until he comes to pick it up.”  She tuned out once
more and drank some of her coffee.

“I guess they know who you are and want to show a personal
face to the Police force, for what it’s worth.  Can I add that I see a lot of
messages at LastGasp’, and before I joined I never realised the subtleties that
are hard to explain in words.  More than likely they’ll just want to ask you
more about your brother and David, and any possible relationship there could be
between them that you know of.” 

“You’re right.  I’d understand why they wouldn’t be
interested.  They have their man and they certainly don’t need any more
evidence to deal with him.”

Devlin and Tania both appreciated that their meeting had
met its natural conclusion.  He stood to say his goodbyes when there was a
knock at the door.  “That’ll be the Police now,” Tania said, making her way
casually to the door and greeting the new arrival.

“Hi Tania.  Is this the kind of personal service you
expect from the Police?”  Detective Alan Reymond entered with a smile and the
ubiquitous small-talk necessary to lighten the mood with the arrival of anyone
from his profession.  Devlin figured that it would have been one of his
standard lines, but it obviously served its’ purpose well. 

Devlin listened to Tania and the Detective’s discussion
and managed to piece together the extent of their recent history.  They clearly
had history, but most recently the Detective had not seen Tania since that
initial flurry of Police presence after the death of her brother.  He’d been
the one to first pass on the news of her brother, and thereafter he had kept in
contact with updates on the subsequent investigation, most notably the arrest
of Eddy Stantoch and his redundant confession.  He apparently also had the
dubious honour of advising Tania when justice for Eddy, of sorts, preceded any
trial.  With Eddy’s demise however, the investigation was abruptly concluded
and Detective Reymond’s obligations to maintain contact with Tania also
disappeared. 

Reymond then progressed into more human banter, commenting
on how he knew how difficult a time Tania had been through.  He saw that she
looked thinner, but her eyes no longer looked red and puffy from endless
tears.  He shared some analogy likening her grief to a tunnel and surely she
was on her way out of the tunnel.  Only then did he scan the room to notice
that Tania had company. 

Devlin raised his hand in greeting, but said nothing.  He’d
said his goodbye and the arrival of anyone did nothing to make him want to
stay.  That the new arrival was the Police just made him feel uncomfortable. 
“I’ll be off then Tania.”  He moved for the door, naïvely hopeful that Reymond
would stop him.  When Tania smiled and waved, his confidence grew. 

“Actually, I was heading to speak to you again next,” said
the Detective.  “Perhaps if you stick around, we could talk a little more over
a coffee.  There’s a little café over the road.  I’m sure that this won’t take
too long with Tania, so I’ll meet you there shortly.”

                                                                                                                                                        
Chapter - 49.
               
 

Devlin reluctantly headed to the little café.  Wiser after
yesterday’s coffee, this time he bypassed anything prepared by people who
clearly had no idea what they were doing.  He bought a can of Coke and sat at
the same table in the garden courtyard and prepared for what would hopefully
not be too long a wait. 

He found the wait for Detective Reymond difficult.  The
minutes dragged on long after he finished his drink and now the wait was
painfully slow.  He fidgeted a while before he looked for something else to
help pass the time, grabbing a newspaper and puzzle book from the adjacent
table.  He turned his attention to the newspaper, ignoring the cover story.  He
was well past the news pages and into the lifestyle section before it occurred
to Devlin that he was reading the paper differently.  Whereas previously he
focussed on the news-worthy content, now he found himself obsessed with the
people behind the stories.  Today, just like every other day, he knew that
LastGasp’ messages would be sent and he wondered what their content would
reveal and lead to.  His final thought, just as Detective Reymond arrived, was
almost surprise that he didn’t recognise any people from their stories, or
associate them with any LastGasp’ messages.

“We need to talk Devlin,” Reymond began as he sat at the
table.  He ordered a coffee by gesture to the waitress, and Devlin made no
motion to warn him against doing so.  “I was more than a little surprised to
see you there today.”

“It was a purely professional visit I can assure you,”
Devlin commented defensively.  “What’s the problem?”

“No real problem I guess, except that I’ve been police
since before you were born.  Look at it my way.  Yesterday I meet with you
following the death of one of your work colleagues.  Today, I bump into you on
the other side of town at the home of a woman who has recently lost her
brother.  It doesn’t take that to bring out the suspicion in me, to say nothing
of your exposure in the newspaper.  So let’s start with how well you know
Tania?”

“I don’t!” Devlin exclaimed.  “We met yesterday.  I
delivered a message from LastGasp’ to her, we talked for a little about her
brother and that was it.”

“What reason did you have in delivering a message to her.”

“I’m just a messenger.  I made a delivery that couldn’t be
emailed, that’s all.”

Any innocence in Devlin’s explanation was lost on
Reymond.  “In my line of work typically the title ‘
messenger
’ routinely
equates to ‘
courier
’, drugs courier more specifically.  Care to
elaborate?”

“I’ll assume you don’t know how LastGasp’ works.  We
deliver messages drafted by members to be sent after they die.  Ordinarily
these messages are simply emailed, but on occasion they need to be hand
delivered.  That’s how I met her yesterday when I delivered a message from her
brother.”

“What did it say?” Reymond asked sceptically.

“It’s a private message.  If you want, or need to know
more then you’re going to have to ask Tania.”  Devlin was curt.  He knew that
there were probably no legal grounds to prevent such disclosure, but he decided
to err on the side of caution. 

“And today?  Tania tells me that you forwarded something
of a hoax.”

“If it was a hoax, then it was not of my doing, or anyone
else from LastGasp’.” 

“She tells me that you have a copy of the message.”

“Yes.  And I’m not going to show you for the same reason
as with her brother’s message.  It’s private.”

“And apparently a hoax, purposely and deliberately
delivered to a bereaved woman who has invited Police involvement.”

“But it’s private.”

“Private possibly, but private for Tania, not you.  I
could just as easily get another printout from her.”

“True,” said Devlin, confident he’d created a stalemate.

“
Thanks Malcolm
,” Reymond mumbled.

“Did you say ‘Malcolm’?”

“It’s nothing.  For a moment you reminded me of someone I
met recently.  He too was annoyingly in tune with legal matters where it suited
his purpose,” Detective Reymond revealed a childishly smug smile. 

“Malcolm
Venn
?”  Devlin’s interest was now well
aroused.

“He’s a friend of yours?” 

“No, but I’d like to meet him.”

“Well let’s just complete our little chat, co-operate a
little, and then perhaps we might be able to arrange a meeting.”  The Detective
folded open his notebook and clicked his pen in anticipation.

“What would you like to know?”

“Can we start with what you know about him?”

“Until this morning I’d never heard of the guy, but…”  Devlin
was reluctant to say too much too soon.

“And now?”

“And now … I have no idea.”

“What’s the problem?”

“Are we talking or are you interviewing?” Devlin asked
suspiciously. 

“Does that matter?  I was planning to talk to you about
David Yeardley and your employer later today, but I was more than a little
surprised to bump into you at Tania’s home.”

“
That
, I have explained.”

“Yes, you have explained it, but not the fact that when
you dialled the number for the ‘David’ on Tania’s email, the number was
replaced with a name.  Tania noticed it, but not the name.  She also mentioned you
didn’t say anything about it, as if you didn’t want her to know.  I’m guessing
that if I was to check the number you dialled on your phone it would tell me
that you dialled David Yeardley.  Tell me if I’m wrong somewhere?”

Devlin didn’t waste his time challenging the Detective. 
“So does this mean that this is turning into an interview?”

“Your call.  At this point I’d say that I know as much as
you, but not the same things.  So perhaps we could help each other.  What can
you tell me?”

“You first,” Devlin replied coyly.

“This isn’t poker.  I’m a patient man, but one who’s more
than capable of turning this formal if necessary or if you’d prefer.”

“Alright then, let’s keep it to a chat.”  Devlin took a
deep breath.  “Until this morning I had never heard of Malcolm Venn.  I met a
guy called Whitely Mason, who’s an ex-LastGasp’ employee that Glen, my boss,
suggested I meet.  Whitely ultimately suggested that if I want to understand
anything I need to find ‘Malcolm Venn’”

“What’s to understand?”

“I guess I’m having difficulty coming to terms with my new
role.  I trust you know who I am and my recent past.  I’ve got no friends, no
family and no future, and then from out of the blue I land a well-paying job
that a semi-literate monkey could do.  My boss may, or may not, be a little odd
and I’d be lying if I understand what seems to be happening around me.  One
colleague topped himself yesterday, and apparently there have been others, though
the one past employee I’ve met, this Whitely, was coy with the details.  I
don’t rightly know whether I should be concerned, or happy and just keep my
mouth shut.”

“And?”

“David wasn’t the first LastGasp’ employee to die.”

“People die everyday.” 

“From their job?”

“
From
their job or
on
the job?  It’s one
thing to blame an employer for a suicide, but it might be a stretch to imply
criminality.”

“What if I said that I’m being warned not to follow suit?”

“Warned by who, whom?”

“God knows.  I’ve been getting phone text messages from
someone about it.”

“I could look into it if you like?  If you’re genuinely
concerned.  It is what Police do, you know.”

“I doubt that would help.  I had my phone nicked a few
days ago, and the messages are being sent from that number.  It was only a
cheap pre-paid thing anyway.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” commented Reymond.

Devlin shrugged, wholly expecting that any such
investigation would amount to nothing.  “
Quid pro quo
, Detective.  What
would
help is telling me about Malcolm.”

“I’ll tell you what I know,” Reymond began, “and then if
you’re interested I’ll tell you what I think.”

“Both would be good.”

“I met Malcolm a few days ago in a psych ward.  He’d been
in there for a few days.  It wouldn’t have rated a mention, and certainly
wouldn’t have attracted any enforced stay, particularly with hospital beds at a
premium as they are, except for the fact that he was covered in blood on
admission.”