Lightning at 200 Durham Street

by Ron Finch

  It was a bluff that Det. LeBlanc used on a regular basis; and, in this case, he was lucky: it worked. Proctor hesitated, conferring briefly with his lawyer. The lawyer seemed to encourage him to answer.

  “Well, I haven’t had much to do with her,” he said. “I have met up with her a couple of times.”

  “Why the sudden change of heart?” said the detective.

  Proctor’s response caught Det. LeBlanc by surprise. “Bella suggested it. Do you know who Bella is?”

  Det. LeBlanc didn’t want to give anything away at this point, so he simply answered “yes” with a neutral expression and then remained silent.

  After about 30 seconds or so, Proctor continued. “I know you won’t believe it, but I wanted to know how my mother was getting along. I was mad when my mother and Louise refused to help Amos and myself after our dad’s death, but I wasn’t nearly as angry as Amos was. At that time, Amos really did need the money for his business. He doesn’t need it now. He’s got more than all of us now. He just doesn’t care about anybody. He’s cut me off, too. He says if I ever approach him about money again, two things will happen: one, he won’t give me a cent; and second, he will call in my notes for immediate payment and make sure I don’t have anything left except the clothes on my back. That’s the only reason I even thought about talking to Pierre Montage. I wish I hadn’t. If I can’t pay him, being in jail might be safer than not being in jail.”

  Det. LeBlanc thought this was worth following up. “When did you borrow the money from Mr. Montage?”

  Det. LeBlanc knew this was an important question because it could establish motive. He didn’t think Proctor would be aware of the significance of the question, and the detective was right.

  “It was a Friday night, late in April,” said Proctor.

  “The last Friday in April was the 26th,” said Det. LeBlanc. “Was it Friday, April 26?”

  “It was,” Proctor confirmed. “That’s Bella’s birthday and went out to celebrate. We had a couple of drinks and we got talking to Pierre Montage. Bella brought up the fact that I could use a loan. She told Montage I had three lumber companies and that my brother was Amos Carter. He pretty well handed me the money I needed on the spot. He said it was a simple deal. I have to pay him back two dollars for every dollar he gave me. The loan is due July 31st. If I don’t pay, he gets my lumber companies. But Bella is shrewd. I think she outfoxed Montage. When we left The Tin Cup, Bella said to me that if we put the lumber companies in her name, then Montage will have no call on them.”

  Proctor’s lawyer looked upset and astounded.

  No wonder, thought Det. LeBlanc. Either all the alcohol Proctor has been drinking has muddled his mind or Bella has him bedazzled. The words “easily misled” and “stupid” came to mind but he didn’t say anything.

  Instead, Det. LeBlanc asked Proctor: “Do you realize what is likely going to happen to you if you can’t pay your debt to Mr. Montage?”

  “I have worried about that a little bit,” Proctor admitted. “But I’ve got another seven weeks or so until the debt is due and I know Bella will figure something out.”

  Out of curiosity, and because Proctor seemed in the mood to talk, Det. LeBlanc probed a little further. “Does Bella have any other plans that may be helpful?”

  “Bella’s been very protective of me,” said Proctor. “She looks after me. She managed to convince my mother Ruth and my sister Louise to include me as one of the owners of ‘Bushland Farms’.”

  Det. LeBlanc was so amazed by what Proctor Carter had revealed in the interview that he wondered whether or not he was telling the truth. It was hard to believe that a suspect would be so candid. It made Det. LeBlanc wonder how rational Proctor was. He phoned Assistant Chief Rutherford immediately after the interview to tell him what he had found out.

  Assistant Chief Rutherford was equally incredulous. His only comment was: “You’d better be able to substantiate some of this in your interview with Bella Frankel later today or we will have to seriously consider the validity of your interview with Proctor Carter.”

  BELLA FRANKEL WAS TALL, attractive woman with an engaging smile and a friendly manner. She was in her early 50s but had maintained a youthful appearance.

  Appearances can be deceiving, Det. LeBlanc reminded himself before commencing the interview.

  The detective thought he might move the interview along a little faster if he told her up front that he had already talked to Pierre Montage and interviewed Proctor Carter. Being aware of this, Bella would not be certain what information Det. LeBlanc already possessed. She wouldn’t want to be caught in a lie if she was to maintain any credibility. Bella didn’t know that Det. LeBlanc was already fairly certain that she was manipulative, untrustworthy, and a stranger to the truth. With these preconceptions in place, Det. LeBlanc started his interview.

  He started with an easy question. “You work for Mrs. Ruth Carter?”

  Bella nodded in agreement.

  “Describe your relationship with Mrs. Carter,” said Det. LeBlanc.

  “I’ve worked for her for about four years,” said Bella. “She’s a wonderful woman. She’s kind and doesn’t make unreasonable demands. She’s a patient woman and I respect her a great deal.”

  “What was your relationship like with Louise Carter?” said Det. LeBlanc.

  “I liked Louise, but she could be difficult at times,” said Bella. “Once she decided something, you couldn’t change her mind. But we got along well.”

  Det. LeBlanc thought he would slip in a surprise question. “How often did Proctor Carter visit his mother?”

  There was a pause. Det. LeBlanc could almost see Bella trying to determine how much he knew.

  “He hadn’t been to see his mother until I started working for her,” she replied. “I encouraged him to come and visit her. Mrs. Carter had recovered somewhat from her stroke. I thought it would be good for both of them. It took me a couple of years to convince him. He has visited her three times in total this past year. Proctor also visited with Louise. We had to promise Proctor that Amos would not hear about these visits.”

  “Would it be fair to say that you and Proctor Carter are very good friends?” said the detective.

  After a significant pause Bella reluctantly nodded.

  “I need you to answer the question,” said the detective. “I cannot accept a nod as an answer.”

  “Yes,” said Bella.

  “Bella, can you confirm that Proctor Carter is now one of the owners of Bushland Farms?”

  Bella was obviously surprised.

  “Do you want me to repeat the question?” said Det. LeBlanc.

  “No, I’m okay,” said Bella. “Yes, Proctor is now one of the owners of Bushland Farms.”

  “Bella, before I ask this next question, I’m going to tell you that I can easily confirm whether your answer is truthful or not, so please answer honestly: Does Mrs. Carter know about Proctor’s financial predicament?”

  Bella’s eyes flashed. “Mrs. Carter has no idea,” she replied. “She thinks everything is fine.”

  After the interview was completed, Det. LeBlanc immediately phoned Assistant Chief Rutherford and gave him the details.

  “Congratulations, Det. LeBlanc,” Assistant Chief Rutherford said. “Your interview skills are excellent. Of course, the information you obtained from Proctor Carter was very advantageous in your interview with Bella Frankel. I have a lot of relevant information here now that I can pass on to Chief Petrovic.

  “Today’s interviews lead me to believe that we now have one or two serious suspects in this murder investigation. I think the next step is to fingerprint both Bella Frankel and Proctor Carter and to get those prints to London for comparison to the ones they’ve already taken from the cups and whisky bottle that Det. O’Neill found.”

  Det. LeBlanc agreed.

  Friday, June 15

  CHIEF PETROVIC AND Det. O’Neill sat at the table in the chief’s office. Chief Petrovic had arrived at about 8:30 AM f
rom London. Their meeting with the two constables was scheduled for nine. Det. O’Neill’s early arrival had allowed the chief to bring him up to date on what he had learned from Assistant Chief Rutherford about the Ottawa part of the investigation. The chief was smiling as he talked. He seemed to be in a better mood than the last time they’d met. As the chief’s story unfolded, Det. O’Neill understood why the chief was a little more upbeat. It sounded like they might have a serious suspect or two for the murder.

  Cst. Herman and Cst. Smith came in and took their spots at the table promptly at 9:00 AM.

  “To start with, gentleman,” opened the chief, “I’m going to give you a detailed report on the interviews that took place in Ottawa. That part of the investigation is now being conducted by Det. Jean LeBlanc. From everything I’ve heard from Assistant Chief Rutherford, and from information we received from the interviews that LeBlanc has conducted, I’m impressed and pleased that we have such a competent colleague working alongside us on this investigation.”

  The chief then related what new information had arisen from the formal interviews of Proctor Carter and Bella Frankel. The chief also reported the information that Det. LeBlanc had obtained in his conversation with Pierre Montage.

  The chief sat back. “Does anyone have any comments?” he asked.

  Cst. Smith stirred and said: “I can’t believe how quickly Proctor Carter provided so much ammunition that could be used against him. He is a suspect, but I’m not entirely sure what his motivation would be for murdering his sister.”

  “Remember that with the death of his sister, Louise, there are only two owners of Bushland Farms,” said Det. O’Neill. “I’m not sure what value that bush has. Would it be enough to cover the debt Proctor Carter has with Pierre Montage? We need to find out. Depending on the value of the bush it could be the motive Proctor needed to commit the crime.”

  “Keep in mind this is pure speculation,” said Chief Petrovic. “It would certainly clinch things if the fingerprints on the whisky bottle turned out to be Proctor’s, or even Bella’s. I’m expecting the results of the fingerprint comparison sometime on Monday.

  “I’ve had Cst. Herman locating and talking to as many people as he could with regard to the cabin,” he continued. “So far, he’s interviewed nine people who have admitted going to the cabin. In most cases, they went there to have a drink. It seems that cabin was a regular party spot on Friday evenings. Cst. Herman also found out that, with permission from Louise Carter, the cabin could be used as a convenient rendezvous for couples who didn’t want their relationship known to anyone else. Cst. Herman’s interview list included a couple of the neighbouring farmers.”

  “Don’t feel bad,” Det. O’Neill said to the chief. “It’s not the only hideaway or speakeasy that operated in Southwest Ontario during prohibition. We pulled a lot of loose threads and unraveled a few things. There are probably still some loose strands out there.”

  “There’s one thread that’s been nagging at me ever since our last interview with Emeline and Herbert Derrigan,” said the chief. “Do you remember when Emeline was talking about Louise and mentioned that she could be mean? I think Emeline said: ‘You should ask Alice’. We haven’t done that yet. I think we should set up an interview with Alice on Monday, Det. O’Neill.

  “There is one other matter I would like to discuss,” the chief said, turning to the others. “I’ve had a request from the parents of Joel Franklin and Jay Jarvis. As you know, those boys acted in a very mature fashion when they discovered the body. It wasn’t an easy thing for them. Finding a body is never easy for any of us. Joel’s dad, Arthur, is acting as the spokesperson for their families. He came to my office on Tuesday just before lunch and said he’d like to speak to me about a request that Joel and Jay had made. I was busy at the time and asked him if he could come back about 4:00. He said 4:30 would be better because his son Joel would be at the grocery store by then. He could look after things while we were talking. So we met at 4:30 on Tuesday. At that meeting he told me the families had gotten together last weekend. The two boys had told them at the family meeting that they were struggling with the memory of finding that body in the cabin. The boys suggested that if they could go on a picnic there maybe those memories of finding the body would be replaced by good memories of a happy picnic. My initial reaction was that I didn’t want anybody near the place. But I didn’t say anything to Mr. Franklin. My wife has told me on several occasions that if I stop and think about things for a day I’ll see them from a different point of view. So I listened to my wife. I’ve learned by experience that her suggestion is a good one. After two days I’m beginning to think it’s not an unreasonable request.”

  “I don’t think they’re going to hurt the scene,” said Det. O’Neill. “I think we’ve found everything we’re likely to find there. It’s been almost four weeks since we started the investigation.”

  “I think you’re okay to be in agreement with the request, sir,” added Cst. Herman. “I just think it has to be done quietly. We don’t want every Tom, Dick, and Harriet out there. I suggest, sir, that if you give them the go-ahead, that they must keep this excursion to themselves.”

  “They’re talking about going out on the July 1st holiday,” said Chief Petrovic. “That might help, because there are lots of other activities going on that day and I think most people will be involved in them. What do you think? Should I give them permission?”

  The chief looked around the table and everyone nodded in agreement.

  “I’ll pursue this then,” said the chief. “I’ll pass their request on to Mrs. Carter early next week. She’s the landowner. They’ll need her permission.”

  The chief concluded the meeting.

  Monday, June 18

  ON MONDAY MORNING, June 18th, the chief of police’s secretary, Sherry Simpson, knocked on his door.

  “Chief Petrovic, Alice Chalmers is here for her 2 o’clock interview,” she said.

  Alice Chalmers entered the chief’s office and took a chair at the table across from Chief Petrovic and Det. O’Neill. She looked quite nervous.

  “Alice, we just have a couple of additional questions we would like to ask you,” said Chief Petrovic. “We know that Louise’s death has is been difficult for you. I think you are aware, because of the town rumour mill, that since our previous talk with you, we know a great deal more about the cabin in the bush.”

  They could see Alice’s face take on a reddish tinge. The chief continued.

  “We have interviewed many local people over the past few weeks as part of our investigation into the murder of Louise Carter,” he said. “It may be surprising to you to learn that in almost every interview we gain some small piece of information that leads us to other questions. The questions take us to new interviews or back to people we’ve interviewed previously. Again, we get more information. That is how a case is built. That is how eventually the crime is solved and the guilty prosecuted.”

  Alice looked very concerned.

  “We have asked you to come here today, Alice, so you can answer one such question that has arisen in our minds from a prior interview,” the chief concluded, turning the questioning over to Det. O’Neill.

  “In a prior interview,” said the detective, “someone said that in the past Louise Carter had treated you unfairly. Why would they have said that?”

  “I don’t know,” Alice blurted out. “I don’t remember.”

  “I want you to calm down, Alice,” said Chief Petrovic. “I want you to think about the last time you had a disagreement with Louise. I know that everyone has disagreements. Sometimes with their best friends or wives or husbands. Ninety-nine percent of the time those disputes are resolved and put aside in a short period of time. Your disagreement with Louise may have been years ago. I suspect that, since someone was aware of your disagreement, that either you’ve told this person about your disagreement or that they were there when it happened.” Chief Petrovic could see that Alice was agitated. “I think it’
s time for a short break,” he said. “I’ll have my secretary, Sherry, bring in some tea and cookies.”

  A few minutes later, they resumed the interview. Alice Chalmers had calmed down quite a bit.

  “This is embarrassing,” she said. “I can remember the occasion that I think the other person was referring to, and I’ll tell you about it, but please don’t get upset with me, Chief. It happened at that cabin about four years ago.”

  “Are you telling us it happened when the cabin was a speakeasy?” said Det. O’Neill.

  Alice coloured up again. She quietly responded “yes.”

  “Tell us the story,” said Chief Petrovic gently.

  “The cabin was open for business every Friday evening, from six until midnight,” said Alice. “It was only open if weather permitted. There wasn’t room for that many people inside the cabin, so most of us arranged ourselves on wooden benches or on picnic blankets close to the cabin. Louise had lots of lanterns. She enjoyed the atmosphere and would be there when she could. She was usually there once a month. She ran it like a business. My husband and I got into the habit of going to the cabin once a month, too. It was often the last Friday of every month. Louise had hired a couple of the local farmers to maintain law and order. They were imposing men and rarely challenged.

  “My husband and I didn’t drink much. It was an informal place to talk with people without anybody being judgmental. It was surprising for us to see ‘important townspeople’ there. Occasionally, someone would have a little too much to drink and there would be a minor dispute that was quickly resolved. My husband has quite a sense of humour. He doesn’t use his humour pick on people. If he makes fun of anyone it’s himself. The evening in question he was being quite funny. Everyone was enjoying his comedy with the exception of one other gentleman. Somehow this other man got it in his head that my husband was making fun of him. That wasn’t the case, but he got quite angry. He grabbed hold of my husband and threatened him, with his fist up, ready to punch him. The two helpers stepped in and separated the men. With everyone quiet and watching, Louise then informed both of them that they were to leave immediately. I was so angered by the apparent lack of fairness that I got angry with Louise. I spoke loudly to her. As a result, I was told to leave as well.