Cut Down To Size: A Sebastian Cork Novel

by Neal Davies

  Kate’s head flops down and then rises just as quickly. “You know I can’t because, when my sister took my place on the trips overseas, I stayed home, did my bookwork and kept to myself.” A determined look washes over Kate’s face. “Look, it might be time I called my lawyer!” Then she snaps her attention in the direction of Paul and says, “In all honesty, Paul, I really don’t give a shit whether you believe me or not. I didn’t kill either one of those sons of bitches and I didn’t have anything to do with buying that low life’s land. I feel bad about Spedding for my sister’s sake but whoever killed the mongrel that sired us deserves a big pat on the back.

  Paul curves up the corner of his mouth in frustration and says, “Come on, Kate! All the evidence points your way. Who do you think you’re..?”

  Sebastian swings his legs to the side of the chair and places his left arm over the backrest so he is looking directly at Paul and then quickly intervenes, “No, Paul. It’s possible you were right all along; she may be telling the truth. Our killer is waiting down the hall for us.”

  Paul’s eyes literally bulge from their sockets and he glares down at Sebastian with rage. “What are you talking about, Seb? If what you’re saying is true, then what the hell are we doing here?”

  “Sorry, Paul. I just wanted to be sure she was telling the truth and I am now reasonably convinced she is. I felt it necessary for you to hear what Kate had to say as you held faith in her from the beginning.”

  Kate, who has buried her face in her hands, slowly lifts her head. “Is that true, Paul? You actually believed all along that I wasn’t the killer?”

  Paul gently lifts his eyes back toward Kate. “Yes, it is. But there was a point where I was allowing my belief in you to override my police work and that’s not a good thing.”

  Sebastian rises from his seat, moves toward the door and puts his hand on Paul’s shoulder. “Come on, my friend. We have one last port of call before we throw our killer behind bars. I would like you to wait here a little longer, Kate, if you don’t mind. Would you like a coffee or something to eat?”

  “No, I’m fine. Thanks.”

  Sebastian gives her a gaze that has moved beyond any initial interest. “Thank you for your patience; hopefully you won’t be here too much longer,” he replies in a nonchalant manner.

  ++++

  Once out in the corridor, Paul’s curiosity gets the better of him. “What now, Seb?”

  Sebastian grins confidently and waves his head to follow him. “Well, let’s see where this all leads us. But before we go… how are you holding up?”

  “I’m doing okay. Seb. I think the only thing that is bothering me at the moment is my curiosity.” They move to a room further down.

  “Well, Paul, I am hoping this brings our case to a climax and puts the killer behind bars,” Sebastian says, as he holds the handle to the door that they are about to enter through. Paul stands there silently but gives Sebastian a few positive short nods and they proceed into the room. On entry, Sebastian moves forward to towards the seat at the desk in front of him, while Paul takes his position by the door and his face becomes eclipsed with confusion. Before Sebastian sits down he looks back at Paul to make sure he is okay and then directly back into the dead eyes of the culprit sitting in front of him. “I hope we haven’t kept you too long.”

  An unanimated figure sits silently with eyes that lead to nowhere yet, from time to time, slowly and deliberately swap from Sebastian to Paul in a calculating manner. Sebastian takes his seat and continues, “So, before we start our questions, perhaps I should explain why you are here and how I knew you were involved in several murders. The one thing you may not be aware of but really should know is that Kate Kensington has a twin sister.”

  Joe Devonport’s brows meet and his eyes come to life. Sebastian continues with determination, “Yes, I can see by your expression that my statement has taken you by surprise. Well, let us see if I can continue to amaze you with what I know.” Sebastian says arrogantly while watching Joe’s eyes and body movements. “Michelle, who is Kate’s identical twin, had a baby on her sixteenth birthday and the father, also a sixteen-year-old, had run away from home after finding out Michelle had fallen pregnant. She barely coped through her teenage years and when she reached adulthood, she struggled to pay her rent. So you can imagine that there was simply no way she could afford a car with a hoist for the rickety old chair that had been donated to her and her son by a local charity group.”

  “In the meantime, Kate had been informed that she had a sister and searched diligently until she eventually found her. This was all the family Kate had left and she wanted to make sure her sister and nephew were well catered for, so she set her up in a unit and bought her a van with a hoist and a new wheelchair.”

  Joe finally breaks his silence with a sneer. “That’s a lovely story,” he says smugly and follows it up with, “So what’s all that crap got to do with me?”

  Sebastian is aware he has opened communication with his story and arrogant approach, so he continues, “I will let you know when I feel it’s time for you to comment but in the meantime, I would prefer if you remained silent while I continue; even though I don’t believe someone of your lesser standard deserves an answer to that ridiculous question, I will attempt to give you one anyway.”

  The whites of Joe’s eyes become apparent and he glares with rage at Sebastian as he continues. “Kate’s sister Michelle has nothing to do with you but her son’s old wheelchair does. Now we all know you have a small van and work for Kate delivering boxes of her KateEnergy to other gyms; so when the workload became tedious, Kate asked you if you could convert an old wheelchair into a type of trolley to help you unload and load the boxes from your van. She probably told you that it was her mother’s so she could keep her little secret hidden but the fact of the matter is you didn’t only convert the chair into a workable trolley for your deliveries; you also adapted it to help you with your sinister deeds. Last night it was almost impossible to recognise you at the barn, when you were dressed in a cheap copy of Kate’s clothing and a blonde wig but the one clue that would tie you to these hideous murders was that wheelchair.”

  Sebastian looks over his shoulder at Paul. “On my way in this morning, before I picked you up, I gave Charlie Betts a call and asked if he could show Michelle the chair before I arrived and see if she could identify it; apparently she had no problems at all, as she had engraved her son’s initials under one of the arms of the chair where it could not be seen. If you recall, my friend, I popped out for a short while before our meeting. I did this so I could get the confirmation first hand from Michelle. She told me she had always had a terrible fear of the chair being stolen, as she had been living in some very shady areas, so she wanted some way of identifying it, if ever it was. Now, Paul, perhaps you have a question you would like to ask Mr Devonport?” Sebastian says, in the hope that a question coming from someone who Joe was incapable of emotionally conquering, will send him over the edge.

  Paul glares across the room with fire in his eyes. “I only have one question for you…why?”

  Joe Devonport’s eyes penetrate Paul’s like a savage dog that’s about to bite and he can no longer hold back the twisted evil that reigns within. “You truly are a fool, aren’t you? Just like you, those other miserable animals needed to be taught a lesson and then put down. Kate Kensington is a goddess and should be treated that way! I was put on this earth to unite and take care of her; she needs protecting from slimy scum like you! It wasn’t hard to figure you for a cop, suddenly appearing out of the blue, right after Mike’s execution. I could have ignored your snooping around, as pigs of your kind do but when I saw Kate’s eyes light up when you were around her and the way she walked on air when she strolled up to meet you at the coffee shop that morning, I knew it could only end in disappointment for her, so I had to take care of things the way I always have. You didn’t know that, did you pig? You had no idea I was there watching your every move,” he says with a curled lip
and a chuckling tone.

  Paul’s eyes are unmoving and fearless but he is finding it almost impossible to refrain from dragging Joe across the table and throttling him. If it wasn’t for his training and Sebastian’s guidance, he may have done so but for now he stands silently with his arms crossed while his mentor scrutinises and matches wits with this psychopath.

  Sebastian is aware of the tension building in the room and immediately changes tactics. “Tell us about Nathan Spedding,” Sebastian says with meaning.

  Joe is still breathing deeply from his rant and his eyes haven’t shifted from Paul’s. He curls one side of his lip, flicks his head up at Paul and then looks directly across the desk to Sebastian. “All I know is every time he came into the shop when I was there; he made Kate feel uncomfortable with his probing questions about her family. Then one day I was about to enter her shop and I heard him screaming at her, so I hid to the side where they couldn’t see me.”

  “Did you hear what was being said?”

  “I only arrived at the end of it all and he said ‘the both of you can get fucked, you won’t be seeing me again’. I waited awhile and then walked in to see Kate wiping away tears. I asked if she was okay and she just asked me to give her some time alone. That Mister High and Mighty Spedding wasn’t walking away so easily; in fact, he didn’t walk away at all. Isn’t it amazing how an attitude can change when a superior takes control? At least, he met his maker humbly and not with the same contempt he showed when he was talking down to her!”

  “We also know Owen Coleman came to grief in the same way; I gather this is your handy work as well?”

  Joe pulls against the cuffs as he opens his hands and a large smile eclipses his face. “Well, what can I say? You’ve either got it or you haven’t.”

  Sebastian keeps a straight face. “Sometimes it’s easy for someone to brag about other people’s achievements, and who knows…perhaps you are just a copycat killer who admired someone else’s good work?”

  The smile immediately leaves Joe’s face and his eyes become lifeless and haunting. “I copy no man and no man will ever copy me! He was just another pathetic mortal who played a game with Kate’s emotions and ended up the loser. The filthy pig was married and it broke her heart when she found out. She broke down and cried on my shoulder while telling me about this despicable cretin. He not only had to pay for what he did to my Kate but also what he did to his wife as well. I didn’t have to copy anyone and once your men are done searching my home – which I’m sure they will be doing as we speak – they will come across a letter of apology to both Kate and his wife. He was only too happy to write it when he saw the blade closing in on his precious legs. I guess he thought I would release him once it was signed but people like him only go back to their indecent nature, so I showed him that this world has no tolerance or place for that sort of behaviour,” he boasts with lurid details.

  Sebastian sighs deeply as he shuts his eyes and his brow folds. “Just one more question, Joe?” he says enquiringly.

  Joe looks up as if he’s someone of importance answering questions for enquiring minds. “Sure go ahead! Why not?”

  Sebastian leans forward. “Do you know anything about Kate’s father’s death? I’m assuming it was an accident as it’s unlike anything you have done so far.”

  Joe pulls a tight-lipped smile, gives an icy stare and then gives out an immensely sinister chuckle. “Maybe I do or maybe I don’t or maybe you need to find out for yourself. Either way, I’ve said enough, so go fuck yourself!”

  Sebastian waves his head from side to side in disgust, which brings a broad smile to the maniac’s face. Sebastian knows he has to find a flaw in Joe’s cold calculating manner and his goal is to question, probe and antagonise him until he finds the Achille’s heel that will open the lock to the unanswered questions that lie within this psychopath’s inner sanctum; so he rises from his chair, turns and looks at Paul. “Can I have a word with you outside please, Paul?”

  Paul blankly stares back at Sebastian in a way that says ‘what for?’ but knows better than to question his partner. “Uh, yes; okay, Seb.”

  Sebastian turns back to face Joe with calculating eyes and comments in his most clinical voice, “We won’t be a moment.”

  Joe glares back with a sarcastic childlike sneer on his face and replies, “Take your time. I’m not going anywhere,” and then begins laughing at his own little joke.

  Once outside, Paul and Sebastian peer back through the observation window at Joe and he sits there revelling in his solitude while smugly smiling. His eyes reveal that all humanity has perished from the depths of his soul and a more sinister identity now inhabits the void. Paul turns his head toward Sebastian and keenly asks, “What’s going on, Seb?”

  As Sebastian glances back, the all-knowing and confident face that he normally wears has faded into a thoughtful and doubtful expression. “I know this is unlike me but I have a hunch that he may have had something to do with Kate’s father’s death as well. I would like to use her as a psychological trigger to get him to admit his guilt, if it’s okay with you?”

  Paul, surprised by Sebastian’s candour, responds, “Sure, Seb. Sure.”

  So they return back into the interview room and Joe begins waving his head from side to side with his eyes pointing to the ceiling. “What took you fools so long; I was getting lonely,” he smirks and is highly amused by his own comments.

  Sebastian isn’t, and suppresses his temptation of showing his rage. He feels it’s time to turn the tables and put a stop to Joe’s cocky frivolity. “To be honest, I don’t think there is anything else we need from you, Joe. We have enough to send you away for a long time. Are you ready, Paul? We need to get back and wrap up the case against Kate.”

  Immediately after Sebastian’s comments a squint of mistrust appears in Joe’s eyes; then his eyes race past Sebastian to Paul who is about to open the door and then back to Sebastian who disengages from the interview. Sebastian stands, turns and begins to walk toward the doorway but before he gets far, a half grinning and extremely nervous Joe with a folded brow responds with a new sharpness in his voice, “Hold on a minute, what are you talking about? What’s going on with Kate?”

  Sebastian turns side on and glances back over his shoulder in a nonchalant manner. “I really don’t have time for this but if you have to know, Paul and I are about to head into the interview room next door and charge Kate with the murder of her father. We know she bought the property after he was killed, probably as some sort of trophy and once she had no more use for it, she sold it off to Mike Cohen. I’m sure if we exhume her father’s body, we will find the cause of his death wasn’t due to a fall which knocked him unconscious prior to burning to death as initially suspected but it is more likely he was given a concoction that would have rendered him unconscious. With the equipment the Coroner has these days it shouldn’t be too hard to find traces of whatever drug was used, still in his remains, “Sebastian explains persuasively.

  Joe’s eyes burn like hot needles into Sebastian’s as he sharply raises his attention to his remarks; the lack of interest has turned to an uneasy arousal and the sneering smile he was wearing has now parted from his face as he continues to cast his venomous glare in Sebastian’s direction. Sebastian remains standing silently with a wry, baiting grin set like cement on his face and his eyes confidently focus back at Joe’s. There is no doubt in Sebastian’s mind he has found Joe’s Achille’s heel as he can see he can’t contain his rage any longer. Joe rises to his feet, clenches his fists, slams them on the table and loses his intent to hold back. “You dirty fucking low life, you fucking scum! I’ll fucking kill you before you hurt her in any way! Fuck you!”

  Paul steps forward to protect his partner. “Sit down, Joe, or do I have to shackle you?”

  Joe sees the seriousness in Paul’s eyes and immediately takes a seat. “Fuck you!” he says while staring daggers at Paul.

  At this point, Sebastian’s confidence glows sarcastically on hi
s face and Joe’s bold tirades only lead to fuelling Sebastian’s fire further. “You won’t be killing anyone where you’re going and you certainly won’t be able to stop us sending her to prison as well. I outsmarted you and I’ve outsmarted her as well!”

  Joe’s confident face becomes filled with annoyance, he slams his fists on the table again and then glares across the room at Sebastian so intensely, his eyes bulge a convex white from their sockets. His intent to withhold information becomes impossible for him and he becomes angrily garrulous. “Oh yes, you’re the man! You’re so fucking clever… you couldn’t even work out that she didn’t buy the property; I bought it in her name.”

  Sebastian places his hands on the back of his empty seat and he smirks, “Who signed the original papers then?”

  “Me, of course; I’ve made enough deliveries to her shop to be able to forge her signature with my eyes shut but before I did that, I took out an additional loan on my own home to pay for it. Real estate agents don’t really care who is representing their buyers, as long as the cash is on the table; so once I took the mortgage away to be signed and then brought it back with her signature and my money, it was a done deal. Anyway, she deserved everything he had, and I made sure she got it but I couldn’t turn the property over to her until I knew her life was on track and that no one would ever hurt her again. So I built a shrine to her and if anyone were ever to cross her, they would pay the price.”

  Sebastian sits back down in his chair, swings slightly around so his body is extremely square to Joe’s and replies in a serious manner, “Come on, Joe! You’re rambling like a madman. If what you’re saying is true, it would make no sense in the world to sell the property to Mike Cohen. Honestly, Joe, I told you before, you have given me nothing and I have better things to do than waste my time with your ravings.” Sebastian sways his head in disgust and then swings his legs to the side of the chair.