INSOMNIAC: ALAN SMITH #2 (Alan Smith series)

by ARKOPAUL DAS

  He stooped to check one of the lower chambers as he pulled open another small door this time of a rectangular shape and found some papers, paperweight, a gum tube, sharpener and this kind of things. Nothing of value here too. Still he was desperate to move those things aside and push his hand inside, he was expecting another blank region but this time the tip of his fingers hit something hard and more solid inside. He moved the other things at the front and pulled out the black colour thing from inside with a little amount of difficulty.

  ‘What is it?’ asked Ryan.

  ‘A camera’ said Alan standing up.

  ‘So we got a camera?’ Kevin became a little delighted with it.

  ‘Yeah just like we should have’ said Alan. ‘But unfortunately it’s destroyed.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Yes’

  He held the camera in his hands and started checking the details as usual. It was a canon DSLR with 19mm lens attached to it already. But the camera was broken, maybe he threw it and banged it against a wall deliberately .Also the lens were smashed. The front and the main screen was full of scratches, and cracks forming over the corners. The buttons were all coming out, and most of them were damaged, and sure, it would not work even if you push it.

  ‘Looks like everything is damaged today’ said Alan and showed it to everyone.

  Alan still tried clicking the on off button but as everyone expected it didn’t work. The camera didn’t respond, it was dead as usual. The button instead became looser, and another push would have made it come out.

  ‘He destroyed it intentionally’ said Alan turning over the camera in his hands then he handed it over to Ryan who was eager to check it. ‘Paul Brown, it must be he who did this thing’

  ‘And looks like he succeeded didn’t he?’ said Alicia.

  ‘This will not be of much use’ said Alan. ‘It’s doesn’t even have any memory card in it’

  ‘But why would he do this? What good will he get by damaging his own camera?’ inquired Ryan.

  ‘Beats me’ said Kevin who was still sitting in place of Paul Brown.

  ‘Maybe our killer did this’

  ‘No, our killer was not in this room. He just shot him from another building’

  ‘Oh, right. Then he did it himself’

  ‘That’s what I’m saying’

  ‘But why on earth would he want to destroy such a nice and...expensive camera?’ asked Ryan.

  ‘Yeah that’s what I’m wondering about’ said Kevin. ‘He could have sold it to me’

  ‘You guys remember, someone threatening him for something’ said Alan gravely ‘perhaps this camera was the key. Maybe the killer wanted this camera. So Paul Brown did the thing he could. He destroyed it so that the killer would never be able to get it. Even if he gets it, it’ll be of no use.’

  ‘And when the killer understood that he’s never getting the camera, he shot our Vic down and silenced him forever’ said Alicia.

  ‘Exactly’

  ‘It’s clear now’ said Ryan to himself. ‘The explanation is probable. Hmm...so that’s what happened’

  ‘But what was in this camera that was so valuable that even the killer wanted it?’ Asked Luke.

  ‘Well we will never know that, I guess’ responded Alicia.

  ‘Yes that’s the thing. We will never know what was there in it’

  ‘But we should carry on looking for the killer’

  ‘Of course’

  ‘Hey you wanna check out the building from where the killer shot him?’ asked Luke.

  ‘Tomorrow maybe’ said Kevin. ‘It’s late today, need some rest first’

  ‘Okay no hurry. As you wish’ said Luke ‘Perhaps I can check it myself and finalize the place.’

  ‘Good, you do that’

  ‘No sir you can’t go in there right now’ they heard the security guys arguing with someone outside.

  ‘No sir...it’s a crime scene...sir?’ someone said again.

  A second later, a man burst inside.

  ‘I just heard there’s been a murder here?’ the man said panting heavily for breath.

  The man was short, with hair turning grey, but he was strongly built except a slight bulge near the stomach. . The man wore a red tie, grey shirt and a black suit. The man was sweating and his face was red hot. He stared at everyone.

  ‘Is someone dead here?’ he asked.

  ‘Yes that’s true’ said Alan quietly trying to understand who the man was.

  ‘Christ!’ he exclaimed and looked down at the floor thinking about something.

  ‘And you are?’ asked Alan coming forward.

  ‘Oh, right. I’m the manager here. Joseph Bardwin’ he said looking up breaking his thoughts.

  Then he went on ‘This is the first time ever, something like this...like a murder occurred in our hotel. Broadway Plaza was always clean about everything save some normal domestic issues. And now, this thing. Oh...I can’t believe it. A murder? Oh...who does this?’ he paused and never spoke again.

  Then he looked up at them and said ‘Who’s the damn killer?’

  ‘That’s what we’re trying to find out’ replied Alan.

  ‘But how did you know that he’s here and he’s murdered?’

  ‘We believe that this murder is related to our ongoing investigation about another murder, the victim was this man’s partner, that’s why we were searching for this man, he was an important suspect and was needed in our case. Paul Brown, he was missing for some days before we finally tracked him down, but you see he was already murdered yesterday’

  ‘Good Lord’ the man said.

  ‘Okay Mr. Bardwin’ said Ryan. ‘I’m detective Raglan and this is Detective Smith from the NYPD homicide squad. We would like to ask you a few questions’

  ‘Yeah yeah, anything’

  ‘Can you tell us for how long was he living here?’ asked Alicia.

  ‘No’

  ‘No?’

  ‘I mean I can’t say that. You should talk to our receptionist, she keeps track of all these data’

  ‘Call her, then’ said Alan.

  The manager soon called a security and asked him to get the receptionist. They waited a few moments before the receptionist appeared with a scared face in the room.

  ‘This is Sara, she will tell you most of the things you need to know’ said Mr. Bardwin patting her back.

  Ryan turned to her and repeated the last question quite professionally.

  They waited for her answer but she kept quiet and looked too afraid to speak anything. At last she spoke, anyway ‘Yes’ she then turned over the register that she had brought with her and continued ‘He came and booked the room last Friday’

  ‘And for how many days did he book the room?’

  ‘He was not sure at first. Then –’

  Alan interrupted. ‘He looked puzzled or in a hurry, something like that?’

  ‘Yes yes...’

  ‘Naturally’ said Alan. ‘Please continue’

  ‘So he finally booked the room for a week but he said that he might even live here for more than seven days. In that case, he would pay the extra amount in advance. So that no problem arises’

  ‘I see’ said Alan. ‘But he was murdered more than 24 hours ago. His body was in the room for 24 hours, a whole day, why did no one come in the room and discover the body?’

  ‘Why should we come in the room?’

  ‘For room service or for any reason. People at hotel usually checks on their guests, or so I think’

  ‘No we didn’t check on him’

  ‘Why not?’

  ‘Because he informed us that he will be busy. So he doesn’t want to get disturbed for anything. If he needs something he will notify us for the same’

  ‘Where did he eat then?’

  ‘He said he had foods with him by which he can survive, moreover he used to come down at the main hall for dinner and lunch, and sometimes breakfast.’

  ‘But he didn’t come down last day?’

&n
bsp; ‘No’

  ‘Hmm...’ mumbled Alan. ‘But why was he busy?’

  ‘I don’t know that’

  ‘Did anyone suspicious come in this hotel for the past few days?’ said Ryan.

  ‘Suspicious?’

  ‘Yes, anyone? Any stranger maybe who wants to visit one of your guest or something like that, out of the blue?’

  ‘I don’t think so’ replied Mr. Bardwin but the question was actually asked to Sara.

  And Sara suddenly answered with a ‘Now that you ask me, I think --yes’

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘Yes, someone, I don’t know... if you can call them suspicious or not, but someone did come here in the past few days’

  ‘Mind if I ask you to explain this a little?’ asked Alan.

  ‘Sure. Two men came to my desk and told me that they wants visit this man, Paul Brown. But as per our rules we don’t allow anyone to visit our guests without any specific notice or permission. So we didn’t allow them’

  ‘Did they say’ Ryan went on ‘the purpose of their visit?’

  ‘No they didn’t tell me much.’ Sara thought hard. ‘They just said they’ve something very urgent to talk with him’

  ‘Well?’ Alan’s voice showed that he was waiting for something more.

  ‘They still insisted ,that’s why we called Mr. Brown in the landline phone and asked him if he’s expecting someone and should we allow the men to visit him. But he strictly said ‘No’ so we had to deny them eventually’

  ‘So about these men’ continued Alan. ‘Did they give any name?’

  ‘I asked for a name, but they refused to give one’

  ‘Quite interesting’ said Alan ‘Describe them to me’

  ‘One was in his late thirties, tall, slender, stoutly built. The other one maybe in his late forties and looked a little old but he too was strongly built like the younger one’

  ‘What did they wear?’

  ‘Normal grey suits’

  ‘Okay’ Alan thought about what to ask next but failed to come up with a question. Perhaps he asked everything he needed to know, or was he missing something?

  Kevin suddenly interjected in Alan and Ryan’s interview. ‘Did they look like thugs or something?’

  This was an awkward question for sure but it was of course quite direct and quite an important one. Everyone turned to look at Kevin, and when he didn’t mind that, they all turned to Sara which made it mandatory for her to speak.

  ‘No no not really’ Sara managed to reply in a weird tone.

  ‘Then what did they look like?’

  ‘Normal gentlemen, I suppose’

  ‘Ok’ Kevin looked disappointed, he thought that Sara would say that ‘Yes they were the world’s greatest criminal’ or something like that.

  ‘Then whoever came to visit him, must be our killer’ Ryan wondered.

  ‘There were two men, Ryan. One would be our killer. Who’s the other one?’ said Alan.

  ‘An accomplice maybe?’

  ‘No, the killer shot him, himself. Why would he carry an accomplice without letting him do anything?’

  ‘Yes...’

  ‘Maybe it is a criminal group we are persuading without knowing about them’

  ‘My god!’ exclaimed Mr. Bardwin. ‘Criminals in my hotel....oh how fortunate were we they didn’t decide to take over the whole hotel’

  Sara was also as terrified as Mr. Bardwin after hearing all this. ‘I can’t believe I talked to some serial killers...a group of killers...Oh my god!’

  Alan and his group, everyone felt irritated by their reactions. Criminals, gangsters or killers were nothing. They deal with all this more or less every day. So it doesn’t really matter to them other than chasing them or catching the killers.

  ‘Relax; we are just speculating the matters’ said Alicia as she came forward and held Sara’s back. Sara looked like she might faint anytime. That was why Alicia thought about providing some extra protection at the moment.

  ‘Anyway, yes’ Alan went back to their conversation. ‘They wanted to visit him so that they could finish him in his room itself. But when they understood that the security is too tight and there is no way they could enter, they took the alternative route. They placed a sniper in the opposite building to take him out. And the stiff was just the outcome’

  ‘Who’re these guys and why would they wanna kill this man?’ asked Mr. Bardwin.

  ‘We think that this man Paul Brown have something valuable with him that the killer wants, but he refused to give it. That’s why the killer had to murder him’

  ‘But what if they wants to kill me too just because I gave you all the information? They seem like a maniac to me’ said Sara now nearly sobbing.

  ‘No no, don’t worry they will not’ Alicia held her tightly to soothe her. ‘They killed the man they wanted to kill, and their job is done. They will not risk killing you again or anyone else. And moreover they’re not here so they don’t know that you’re telling us about them’

  Sara still looked unconvinced with Alicia’s theory, and she may panic, Alan thought.

  ‘Mr. Bardwin’ Alan said with an all business voice ‘I think we’re done with our questioning. Why don’t you take Sara out, she looks terribly exhausted.’

  Mr. Bardwin understood what Alan was implying as he stared at him, nodded and said ‘Yeah sure sure, we must be disturbing your crime scene’

  As they both departed Alan turned his attention back to the camera. He threw it back inside the top chamber of the wardrobe as it was of no more use.

  ‘Huh, we had our killer so close, still they managed to escape’ said Kevin regretting it.

  ‘They didn’t just escape, they escaped among all this tight security’ Ryan corrected him.

  ‘I hope someone at least saw the shooter and can identify him’ said Alicia.

  ‘Look’ Ryan turned to the street outside which was full of cars and people. ‘There’re a hundreds of people out there, so do you think it is possible to ask each one of them about the shooter?’

  ‘And that will be really unprofessional’ added Kevin.

  ‘Sure it will be’

  Alan walked up to the dressing table ignoring their conversation and reopened the first drawer.

  ‘We will have to find it’ muttered Alan.

  ‘What?’

  ‘Don’t ask what’ said Alan. ‘They wanted something badly, so there must be something with him that we’re missing out. We will have to find that thing first’

  ‘But there’s nothing here’ said Kevin.

  ‘And it was the camera they were looking for and it’s destroyed. So there’s nothing left to find out’ informed Alicia.

  ‘No I don’t believe that’ said Alan and continued his search. ‘I don’t think he would just destroy something so valuable that someone can even kill him for’

  ‘True, but what is there to find now?’

  ‘There is’ said Alan as he hurried through the items in the drawers.

  ‘What?’

  ‘Tell me something’ said Alan.

  ‘What, you got anything?’

  ‘Did he use to smoke?’

  ‘Who?’ asked Kevin.

  ‘Paul Brown, our vic of course’

  ‘Um...I don’t think so. Why?' Said Ryan surprised with the question.

  ‘Then what is this lighter for?’ he held the pink coloured rectangular thing between his fingers which he just found out.

  ‘A lighter?’ everyone looked surprised.

  ‘Yes, and that’s what I’m asking. What for?’

  ‘But I’m quite sure that he didn’t smoke’ said Kevin.

  ‘Maybe this lighter is for something else’ Ryan was always bad with suggestions.

  ‘Let me see if it works or is it also damaged like everything else’ said Alan, and pressed the red coloured part of the lighter at the top left. Everyone waited for the flame to come out, but it was something else that came out swiftly. It was a square shaped metal with a hollow in
between that came out.

  ‘What’s that?’ everyone was getting more astonished by every minute.

  ‘It isn’t a lighter , Ryan’ said Alan now smiling as he continued flipping it open and close, all the time the same metal came out and then went inside. ‘It’s a pen drive.’

  ‘Ohh...’ Ryan nearly gasped. ‘So that’s what we are looking for...’

  ‘Not for this, but maybe for something that’s stored in it’ said Alan broadening his smile.

  TWENTY FIVE

  It was a long day and they were all pretty exhausted after a whole day of hard work. They knew that there was more tough days to come with more hard work stored in them so it’s better to take some rest than to fall sick in the middle. They called the day off as it was dark and went straight to their respective homes.

  Ryan and Kevin wanted to drop both Alicia and Alan in their apartments but they refused and went out alone. Alan said he needed a walk and some fresh air after the exhausting journey and Ryan didn’t push him any further. It was another hot and humid day and Ryan and Kevin reached their apartment pretty boiled up.

  They were tired too, and like any other day they sat under the fan and regretted not having a AC in the apartment. Ryan went to the fridge, took out two cokes, and offered one to Kevin. ‘Want some?’

  ‘Sure’ he said and drank it. ‘So it was a long day wasn’t it ?’

  ‘Yeah...’ said Ryan. ‘And you see from when Alan joined the squad our work went a lot smoother’

  ‘I don’t know. He seems to be pretty intelligent about everything’

  ‘Yes, and quite tall and slim too’

  ‘I think Henderson did the right thing, letting him join the squad’

  ‘Well he had to anyway’ said Kevin as he threw away the can over the table. ‘This man Alan was a former member of the homicide squad so when he comes back he had to let him in’

  ‘But what’s wrong with Alicia?’

  ‘Yeah...she doesn’t seem to like him’1

  ‘She always takes up some time before opening up to someone new’

  ‘True’ said Ryan and digged into a sausage. ‘And what about the pen drive?’

  ‘Yeah, what about it?’

  ‘What do think about it?’