“Well, I’m not sure where you got your information, but it’s my wife who works for the company.”
“Gale Mendez, yes, I’m aware. I only want to confirm from another source an irregularity I see in your wife’s time cards.”
“An irregularity? You think she’s involved with the thefts?”
“I have no suspects as of yet, sir. I’m simply covering all my bases, you understand.”
“I guess. Well, what sort of irregularity?”
“She almost always leaves around six, but for three weeks from late June to early July she clocks out an hour earlier. I know this was nearly half a year ago, but do you remember if this is accurate?”
After a whistle, he said, “June and July? Let’s see… That’s around the time her boss died. Yeah, now I remember. One of our dogs was sick. She often came home early to take him to the vet before they closed. Didn’t do much good, though. Poor mutt died. Say, you don’t think these thefts are connected to her boss’ death, do you? I know it was labeled a suicide, but I always got the feeling there was something more to it.”
“It’s still far too early for me to make assumptions of any kind. Did you go with her during these visits?”
“Just once, when they had to put him down. Oh, but my son was staying over during that time, so he sometimes went with her.”
“Well then, everything seems to check out okay. I’ll just need the name of the veterinary clinic to confirm the visits and I’ll leave you to your work.”
Once I received the name of the clinic, I immediately called Gale’s cell, not wanting to give her husband a chance to inform her about our talk. She picked up after a couple of rings.
“Hello?”
“Is this Gale Mendez?”
“Yes. Can I help you?”
“Yes, ma’am. I’m calling on behalf of the Medtech Corporation. My name is Bryan Vickson and I’ve been employed by them to investigate a case. Do you mind answering a couple of questions for me?”
“You’re the P.I. Alice hired, aren’t you?”
“I hope you understand that I’m not at liberty to confirm or deny exactly who hired me. Wouldn’t be good for business.”
“Yes, I understand. It’s only that she mentioned she was interested in contracting someone of your ilk about Trevor’s suicide.”
“All the same, all I need from you is to clear up an anomaly I found in your time card. I noticed that you normally leave around six, but for three weeks between late June and early July that you consistently left about an hour earlier. Is that right?”
“Yes, that’s correct. My dog fell ill and I left work early to take care of him.”
“Ah, I see. I have a golden retriever myself. I would quit my job to take care of her if it came to that. What was wrong with him?”
“Oh, liver disease. He didn’t make it.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. That’s all I needed. Have a good evening, ma’am.”
I called the Whiskers Veterinary Hospital not long after they opened on Wednesday morning. The girl who answered seemed excited that she was talking to an investigator from a big company—even asking whether she might be called to testify at some point—and I had no trouble obtaining the information I wanted. She told me that the Mendez family had made no appointments during that three week window and walked-in only once, a visit on July fifth, which was the day they put down the dog. At the very least, I had now caught Mrs. Mendez lying to her husband about her excursions. Plus, at this moment, she was also undoubtedly aware that her husband had spoken to me and would likely assume I was going to check with the vet and discover that fact. I figured the dog had actually been sick, but was likely being poisoned in some way. If they didn’t cremate it, I might even get a sample to prove it. I doubted Gale actually wanted to kill her dog, but may have miscalculated a dosage somewhere along the line. I hadn’t actually owned a dog in a long while, but I liked most of them well enough and found it highly unpleasant that there was essentially another casualty in this mess.
I still didn’t have evidence on what she was doing on the twenty-sixth, and I would probably never get physical proof, but I could guess that she told her husband she was going to the vet with their son and sick dog, and now I could show that she didn’t. She could even say that she changed vets at the last minute, but no animal hospital in the city could confirm her alibi. However, a court case this did not make. I was quite sure I would have to get a confession from one of the culprits. The problem with that was who would they confess to? I couldn’t do it alone. All they had to do was stop talking and I would forever be stuck legal wise. There was Alice and Ryan, but there was a good chance Gale would simply hold her tongue with them as well, even if it meant getting fired. A family member might be the best chance. If she was lying to her husband about what she was doing, then she was clearly worried that they would not see her reasoning and protect her.
All the same, I didn’t think I could just go up to her husband and accuse his wife of murder when all I had was a lie she could turn in any number of ways. She was in all probability already concocting something with him since learning of our chat. There were her other children. How would they respond of her lie to their father? If I could get to one of them, then I knew they could confront her with a higher chance at prying something out of her. It was risky. I might only succeed in getting the rest of the family to circle the wagons around their mother, but I thought it was worth a shot, especially knowing I couldn’t do much more with less and less time.
It was then a matter of choosing the child, but the choice was obvious when I remembered only one of the two possible innocents lived in Chicago; the math teacher. To make sure Gale had as little chance as possible to influence him, I left for the school an hour before the lunch hour. The three story middle school was located just a few blocks from the shore of Lake Michigan in a quaint area of town. At the school’s front office, I requested to speak to Mr. Benjamin Mendez about a private matter and they told me they would send someone over to get him. On seeing the gentleman approach me, who was clad in a blue felt blazer, I noted that he took more characteristics from his burly, Hispanic father than his slender, light-skinned mother. He was of average height, clean shaven, and his black hair was cut as short as it could be.
“Can I help you?” he asked me in a voice that he was obviously forcing to be deeper than it was.
“Yes, Mr. Mendez. My name is Bryan Vickson and I’m a private investigator employed by the Medtech Corporation. I need to clear something up concerning your mother. Is there a place we can speak more privately?”
He kept a calm reserve during my introduction. If I read too much into it, I almost thought he was prepared to hear such words spoken to him.
“My classroom is currently free. We can speak in there.”
As I followed him up some stairs, I said, “I apologize for intruding during your lunch hour. I know this is probably your only respite from puberty induced children.”
“It’s not a problem. I’m assuming a P.I. doesn’t feel all that welcomed most of the time.”
“That’s why I only personally contact people when I have to.”
We soon entered his second story classroom. He turned on the lights and we stood by the closed door as we talked.
“All right,” he said, “why do you have to contact me?”
“How familiar are you with your mother’s job?”
He shrugged. “The basics. She’s a scientist who researches medical technology. I prefer using math in theoretical models. So what’s the company investigating?”
“Do you know who Trevor Malik was?”
He nodded. “Her former boss and friend. She spoke highly of him. So you’re investigating his death?”
“Yes, and during my investigation I’ve found several abnormalities that make me believe your mother is somehow involved in Trevor’s suicide.”
He raised an eyebrow. “How so?”
“For one, she starts leaving an hou
r earlier during a three week period that overlaps with his death. That in itself is nothing extraordinary, but I do know your mother lied to your father about where she was on some of those days.”
“How do you know that? What lies?”
“I called them separately to gauge their responses, and while he claims that she and your brother sometimes took a sick dog to the vet, the clinic states that they have no record that she made any appointments during those three weeks, and the lone walk-in was to put down the pet. Do you know why she or your brother would lie about something like that?”
“No, sir, I do not.” He couldn’t help shifting his weight to another foot.
“Did it take you by surprise when you learned the dog had died?”
“The dog? It was a bit surprising, I guess. Sprinkles was middle-aged and healthy the last time I saw her, but I don’t see how you can make a leap from lying about a vet visit to Trevor’s death.”
“I believe, sir, that Trevor’s computers, both personal and in his office, were tampered with…” I had no idea why it had slipped my mind until now, but thinking about his siblings reminded me that his sister was an IT Specialist. I had originally assumed Gale created a computer virus on her own, but perhaps she had received help from another child, whether she were conscious of her lethal plans or not. Gale seemed all about not leaving traces of her ill deeds, so it would make sense that she wouldn’t go online herself when she could have a family member do it. After all, she had one kill for her. My road of discourse was feasibly made smoother.
“Mr. Vickson?”
“Excuse me, Mr. Mendez. As I was saying, Mr. Malik’s office computers crashed just a week before his death and I’m certain it was due to an employee’s wish to destroy some type of evidence. His personal computer also had its hard drive scrambled, something that was done within the time frame of his death. Hypothetically, these acts could have been caused by someone on the outside, and I know all I have is circumstantial evidence, but I’m confident in saying that your mother and brother had something to do with Trevor’s death. My theory could be further validated if you call your sister.”
“My sister?”
“Yes. She’s an IT Specialist, correct? There’s a good chance your mother asked her assistance in creating a computer virus, which she would use to make Trevor’s office computers crash. She might also have asked questions about hard drives. If she remembers doing this, then there will be little doubt your mother is hiding something about Trevor’s death.”
“It sounds like you already have little doubt to me.”
“Listen, I know it’s not easy to hear from a stranger that someone close to you could be responsible for someone’s death, and I’ll even admit that your mother lying about where she took a sick dog could be connected to an entirely separate issue, but if your sister did help her create a computer virus, then we can’t simply treat them as coincidences.”
Benjamin took a step back and sat himself down on a student’s desk. He had stopped looking at me and was seemingly in deep contemplation for a moment. I could tell he was searching his memories.
After a second moment was about to end, I asked, “What are you remembering, Mr. Mendez?”
Meeting my eyes again, he answered, “My mother is a deeply religious person, Mr. Vickson. My entire family is. I noticed how much the death of her friend hurt her…”
“But something is off, isn’t it?”
He stood back up, taking his phone out of his pocket. “Let’s see what Clair has to say.”
Per my request, he put the phone on speakerphone, so I was able to clearly hear his bubbly voiced sister say, “Ben? You dare disturb my lunch hour? My wrath will be upon thee, little bro.”
“I’ll risk it.”
“Ooo, you sound serious. What’s up?”
“It was awhile back, but do you know if Mom came to you for computer advice over the summer?”
“That’s kinda a broad question. Mom and Dad always come to me with computer questions.”
“Well, I specifically mean Mom asking you about hard drives and computer viruses.”
“See, that’s better. Uh, sure, I helped out Mom a few months back. Why? Did she send you a virus?”
“Not exactly. Why in the void did you teach her how to make a computer virus?”
“Well, she told me she accidently sent out some sensitive data to someone she shouldn’t have and absolutely needed to crash their computer or she would be fired. I had to help her not lose her job, right? Why do you ask? Did something happen?”
He sighed. “I’m not sure yet. Listen, when exactly was this?”
“Um, I don’t know. May or June?”
“All right. Thanks. I’ll talk to you later.” When he hung up, he said, “Shit.”
“We heard what Clair has to say, now is there anything you need to tell me?”
Still looking at his phone, he said, “Mom has been acting a little different lately. At first I thought it was the passing of her friend, but as time went on, well, I saw she wasn’t just sad, but… fidgety. I couldn’t explain that away so easily.” With a more determined pair of eyes meeting mine, he looked back up and said, “But there’s no way she’s directly involved with her friend’s death. Maybe she knows something and feels guilty about it, but nothing beyond that.”
“There’s still the matter of your brother. I can’t pinpoint his whereabouts on the twenty-sixth and your mother included him in her fake visits to the vet.”
“So my ditzy sister helps her create a computer virus and my brother at least helps her lie. Gods damn it.”
“Mr. Mendez, will you help me uncover what’s really going on?”
He sighed gruffly. “It won’t look good if I refuse, will it? What else do you want me to do?”
“Your brother. I would like you to call him and find out what you can about what he and your mother did during the fake vet visits.”
After giving him a few pointers about what to say, he called his sibling.
“What’s up?” answered Eric, who was obviously within a chatty group of friends.
“Eric, I just found out something curious.”
“Speak up, man, I can barely hear you.”
With a sounder tone, Ben said, “I found out something odd, Eric. I was wondering if you could clear it up for me.”
“Yeah? What’s odd?”
“I just found out you and Mom were lying to Dad about some visits to the vet. Care to explain?”
“Just hold on a sec.” We could hear the noise of his group die down as he presumably walked away from them. “What are you talking about, Ben?”
“You and Mom were lying to Dad about the vet visits over the summer. You didn’t actually go. So what were you doing?”
He chuckled nervously. “Summer vet visits? Dude, that was months ago. How’d you even find out?”
“Does it matter? Maybe I should talk to Dad and tell him about what I found.”
“Aw, you don’t have to do nothing like that. That will just get them fighting over nothing. Okay, listen, it’s no big deal. Mom just needed my help with a work project and so I lent her a hand.”
“But why lie to Dad? And why not take actually take a sick Sprinkles to the vet?”
“Oh, Mom said she knew what was wrong with the dog, and Dad just didn’t need to know.”
“Did Clair also help out with this work project?”
“Clair, huh? She tell you about the computer virus thing?”
“Yeah. You see how this looks? Did you do something illegal? Did it have something to do with Trevor Malik’s suicide?”
“Trevor Malik, huh? And how did you connect those dots?”
“You want to know? It’s because some dam private detective contacted me and began asking questions about it. Someone else is connecting these dots, Eric, and I need to know if you did something really stupid.”
They were silent a moment before Eric asked, “Have you spoken with Mom?”
“Not
yet, but I’m tempted to. What were you doing?”
“Shit, listen, just don’t say anything more over the phone. I’ll come up tomorrow evening and explain, all right? Just promise you won’t talk to Mom or Dad until I talk to you.”
“Fine, I promise.”
“And don’t say anything about this conversation to that damn P.I. if he talks to you again.”
“Whatever, just be sure you don’t hold out on me.”
“Wouldn’t think of it, bro.”
Once he hung up, Ben said, “That fucking dumbass. It’s starting to sound like it’s more than just a misdemeanor.”
“Whatever it is, we need to speak to a detective I know.”
“You think you have enough to reopen the Malik case?”
“No, but he can help make things a bit more official. Mr. Mendez, will you agree to wear a listening device so the police can record the conversation with your brother?”
“You want me to help you convict my brother and possibly my mother? Gods, why not get me to turn in the rest of my family, too?”
“I know this is a difficult request, Mr. Mendez, but if the tables were turned and it was your father who died under mysterious cir-”
“Yeah, I get. It’s the right thing to do. It still feels crappy.”
“It usually does.”
Not long after he finished work, the oldest Mendez sibling met me at the police station Detective Denton operated from. He and I waited approximately twenty minutes in the lobby before an opening elevator door revealed the detective. Denton motioned me to join him inside.
On entering the lift with Mr. Mendez in tow, the detective said, “Sorry to keep you waiting. My partner and I were interviewing a real prick for the last couple of hours.” Extending a hand, he then said, “You’re Benjamin Mendez, I take it?”
Shacking the offered hand, Ben said, “Yes, detective.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Detective Howard Denton. Bryan here has given me what he’s got so far and I agree that this is the best course of action.” The elevator door opened and we followed Denton into a large, bright room filled with cops, a few civilians making some kind of statement, and acrylic desks with computer screens. Denton had Ben sit down by a corner desk. “Now,” he continued as he sat in his chair, “my boss doesn’t see the harm in this venture, so he’s allowed me to use one of our favorite toys.” He opened his desk drawer and pulled out what looked like a blue ballpoint pen, though I knew it wasn’t. “In this seemingly benign writing tool is a highly sensitive microphone that will record the quietest of whispers from within its ten yard range, even if stuffed inside someone’s cluttered pocket. It will also wirelessly transmit the conversation to some earpieces we’ll sync up with it. It’s off when you retract the ballpoint, and on when you can write. Simple, right? You say the meeting with your brother will take place tomorrow evening?”
Generations (The Nimbus Collection Book 3) Page 5
