Mystery: Double Cross - The Davenport Mysteries (Suspense novel series of adventure mystery books and Crime mystery thrillers)

by V. S. VASHIST

  “I’m planning to question her once she’s brought to the station,” she said. “You want to ask her something?”

  Jake gave a faint smile. “A lot of things. But, not right now.”

  “That will be the best, I guess. You will have plenty of time later on,” Kiara said. “I am going to ask Carlson for official permission.”

  “Yes, that will be good for us … Let me know once you have questioned her,” Jake said and was about to disconnect.

  “Jake, are you all right?”

  “I am fine. Keep updating me,” he said and disconnected.

  “I will … ” Kiara said and looked at the phone. She knew Jake was badly hurt. It was good that he was not with her for the interrogation.

  “Kiara? What are you doing so early?” Carlson asked, looking at his watch.

  “I wanted to see you. Wanted to catch you before anyone comes,” she said while getting up.

  “What do you want?” Carlson asked while gesturing her to walk with him.

  “I want to be back on the antique case,” she said while looking into his eyes.

  “Can’t be done. We had a deal for one month,” Carlson discarded the idea. “I know you are getting desperate, but I want you to reach a point that you will always remember before committing another mistake.”

  “It’s not about that. I still feel the punishment is unjust,” Kiara said, making Carlson stop and stare at her. She realized her mistake. “I am really sorry. Just hear me out. I have got a lead on this case.”

  “What lead?” Carlson said as they climbed the stairs towards his cabin.

  “Jake is in Lake Sivan at his parent’s cabin. The people behind this followed him—” she said before getting interrupted.

  “What?” Carlson said, his voice echoing through the empty hall.

  Kiara looked around. “Sir, this needs to be discussed privately.”

  Carlson nodded. “Come to my office.”

  She followed him while rehearsing what she had prepared. Getting Carlson’s support was not an easy task, owing to her record. She had to make him understand the gravity of the situation.

  “Why do both of you get embroiled in such situations?” Carlson asked while keeping his bag on the table.

  “No, sir. That was not the intention. When Jake got hold of the shop owner, it must have created some tension at the highest level. They followed him to Lake Sivan. He found that the woman living opposite to his house was dealing with fake antiques. After inspecting them, he found this,” Kiara said and showed him the pictures of the ring.

  “This isn’t an imitation,” Carlson said while putting on his glasses.

  “Yes, sir. This is a genuine Victorian-era ring and is worth five million or more. Besides, it is illegal to have this ring. It’s the state’s property,” she explained.

  “Then what is this doing in Lake Sivan?” Carlson asked while still going through the pictures.

  Kiara paused for a moment. “He was about to check when they poisoned him. Before he could regain consciousness, the woman had fled.”

  “What? Is he all right?” Carlson said in a firm voice. “When did this happen?”

  “Three days back,” Kiara said softly. “We did some investigation. The woman was not the owner of the house, but was there to steal the ring.”

  “And you are telling me now?” he asked in a stern voice.

  “We were trying to find something substantial to go after them before coming to you,” she tried to reason.

  Carlson shook his head in disbelief. “What have you got?”

  “I had a break-in my house yesterday,” she said while playing the video in her cell phone. “The woman in the video is the same one who had that ring and poisoned Jake. Jake also saw the man a couple of times at the lake house.”

  Carlson grabbed the phone and looked at the video one more time. “So they’re following you now? What do they want from you?”

  Kiara did not know how to answer it. She had to make an excuse really fast. “The ring,” she said as softly as she could.

  “I don’t understand. If they don’t have the ring, then who has it?” Carlson asked.

  “That’s what we want to know also,” Kiara said. “Jake has been getting threats to give the ring back, which he doesn’t have. I went to meet him and I guess I’m being followed since then.”

  “But you don’t have the ring, right?”

  “No … no, sir,” Kiara said with a straight face.

  Carlson got up and walked across the room.

  “You filed a complaint, right?”

  Kiara’s face turned red. “I did, but …”

  “But … what happened?”

  “The people behind this racket murdered the husband this morning,” she said while looking down.

  Carlson stopped and kept staring at her for a moment.

  “The wife loses the ring. Both of them go after Jake and then after you. They don’t find the ring and the husband gets murdered. Something somewhere is missing. Do we have another player?” he said while looking suspiciously at her.

  “That’s why I wanted a permission to be reinstated, sir. I want to interrogate the woman. If I get a lead about who is behind all of this, we will be able to solve the case and the mystery of the missing ring,” she said. “Also, this may help us with the antiques case.”

  “Why do you think that these two cases are connected?”

  “There is a pattern between all the thefts. They only take antiques that have been illegally acquired.”

  “That’s why there is no report of any of the missing antiques,” Carlson said with surprise.

  “Yes, and that’s why we did not make any headway in the case,” she said.

  “Well, this is going deep,” Carlson said while thinking. “You’re right. We need to interrogate the woman.”

  “She’s in the hospital right now, a bit traumatized by the murder. The hospital will give her custody to the police by evening. Meanwhile, I have fixed an appointment with one of the family members of the Windsors who also own one such ring. I want to know if there was an attempt on their ring too, now or in past.”

  Carlson shook his head. “This is a good lead. We shouldn’t miss it. You are on this case now onwards.”

  Kiara’s face got covered with a smile. She felt as if the shackles had been broken. Suddenly, she remembered Jake.

  “What about Jake, sir?”

  “I can’t reinstate him. The orders came from the top,” he said and looked at her. “Tell him to work on this unofficially. He has my full support.”

  Kiara smiled back. “Thank you, sir.”

  “I can’t keep you off a case. Can I?” Carlson said, shaking his head.

  “Don’t worry, sir. We won’t let you down again,” Kiara said and got up.

  “I hope you have shared the full information with me.”

  “Yes, absolutely,” Kiara said with all conviction.

  Carlson nodded and gestured her to leave. Kiara was happy that Carlson had understood the gravity of the situation. The case that looked dead a few days back had come to life suddenly. With that, she looked at the Windsor Estate’s address.

  Kiara parked her car on the side of the road and looked at the address again. She had expected a property with golf courses, but all she could see was a two-story building on the roadside. The sign did say “Windsor Estate” though.

  She left the car and crossed the road. There were similar houses lined on either side of the road. However, no one was around. It was the middle of the day and there was very less activity. This was on the far end of the down with very less traffic. All she could hear was the sound of trucks coming from the freeway at around half a mile from there.

  She rang the bell a couple of times before she heard footsteps.

  “Hi, I’m Agent Kiara Davenport. I had called for a meeting with Mr. Ralph,” Kiara said. She had thought that her uniform was enough to let others know who she was, but the old woman took her time to an
alyze Kiara.

  “Oh yes … I remember,” she said while opening the door fully.

  Kiara entered and looked around. Though the house looked small for an estate, but from inside it showed all the riches that she had imagined. There was a big hall with paintings from a bygone era adorning the walls. It was as if they were arranged in chronological order. The sitting area at the right corner near the fireplace had marble statues on the four sides of the chairs that looked quite old too. The chairs themselves had a design that she had not seen commonly, and were well polished. There was a wooden staircase at the left corner with wide treads and vertical wood slants near the window overlooking the garden.

  She was looking at the chandeliers when she heard footsteps. She turned around. The old lady was walking in front, followed by a man in the late thirties. He was wearing a crisp suit and there was an air of confidence surrounding him. This can’t be Ralph Windsor.

  “I hope you did not have to wait long?” he asked and gestured her towards the sitting area.

  “I … I am really sorry. I thought of you as an old man,” Kiara said with a smile.

  “That keeps happening. It’s the image of the estate that does this,” he replied with a smile.

  It took Kiara a moment to adjust to the chair. She felt as if getting buried in the soft cushions.

  “So, what brings you here?” Ralph asked while taking the chair opposite her. “I have to admit, I was a bit scared when Mrs. Davies told me about your call.”

  “Oh … Don’t worry. It doesn’t concern you. It may help in a case, though.”

  “I don’t understand,” he said with some confusion.

  “Mr. Windsor—” Kiara was about to say something, but was cut short.

  “I am sorry, but I am not a Windsor. I am related to the Windsor family on my mother’s side. Since I live in New York, they have been gracious enough to let me take care of the estate and the few businesses that they have here,” Ralph clarified.

  “I am really sorry,” Kiara said and paused for a moment. “So, I was talking about a case where you can help me.”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you know anything about a ring given to your family by the British royalty in late eighteenth century? There has been a theft of similar rings and I thought maybe you could tell me something about the ring that could help us.”

  Ralph thought for a moment. “Actually, I have heard of so many stories, it’s hard to recall one specific ring. Do you have any photographs or sketch?”

  Kiara took her phone out and showed him the images. Ralph looked at them and tried to notice something.

  “I know this ring. My mother told me about it. This was given to commemorate our loyalty towards the royalty. It was given to four other families if I recall properly.”

  “Yes, you’re right. Can you tell me something about the ring?” she asked further.

  “Well, this is one of the most prized possessions of ours. The royalty used to reward lot of people each year, but these rings were special. They were given only once and only to a selected few. Slowly, this became the defining emblem of our family. The patriarch would wear it and once he died or was incapable to run the family affairs, it was handed over to the most worthy son. So, if I were the owner of the ring, everyone who knew the Windsors or worked for them will follow my orders. Once it went to my son, they will start treating him with equal respect.”

  “So in a way, it became a symbol of … I can say who was going to run the family business,” Kiara said.

  “More than that, it was the symbol that defined the real Windsor,” he emphasized. “But as the time passed and most of our estates were taken away by the government, its significance diminished. Now it’s one of our prized possessions from a bygone era.”

  “Have you seen it?”

  “No, I haven’t. It’s with my uncle in London. I have never visited him. I only see him when he comes here.”

  “Mr. Ralph, do you remember any attempts on stealing the ring?” Kiara asked the question for which she was there.

  “No, I haven’t. I know it’s worth millions. That’s why it has been kept in a bank locker for years,” he replied.

  “Do you have any idea about the other four rings?” she asked, trying to get anything that could help her.

  “Not much. All I know is that some of the families auctioned them off. Where they are and who owns them now, I don’t have any idea,” he replied.

  Kiara thought for a moment and got up. “You have been of immense help. Sorry for taking your precious time.”

  “I am glad I could help,” he said and stood.

  As Kiara walked towards the door, she noticed that the ring was actually worn by all the patriarchs in the paintings. She stopped at one of the paintings. She noticed something familiar, but shrugged it off.

  Ralph kept looking at her till she got out. He walked to the painting where she had stopped and looked at it. The ring and a few other antiques were painted in the background.

  He dialed a number immediately.

  “What happened?” a voice asked.

  “She was here,” he said with a frail voice while looking around for Mrs. Davies.

  “Why are you scared? You said she wanted some information for some other case.”

  “She was, but she stopped near the painting.”

  “What?” the voice said and paused for a moment. “Don’t worry. They expect us to make a mistake. You behave normally and do not go out for few days.”

  “Okay,” he replied and disconnected. He kept looking at the painting for some more time before walking upstairs.

  Chapter 6

  Kiara came out disappointed. Though it was a long shot, she had expected something out of it. She looked at her watch. It was almost three o’clock. She thought of checking on Natalie’s position.

  “Can I speak to Robert?” she asked.

  “Just a sec. Let me transfer the line,” a reply came.

  Kiara waited impatiently. Natalie was her only option.

  “Hi, this is Robert,” a voice came from the other end.

  “Hi, this is Agent Kiara Davenport. We spoke earlier,” she said.

  “Oh … yes … So you got yourself involved in the murder case too. I thought it was just a charge of burglary,” he said in a mocking tone.

  “What are you saying?” she said with surprise while crossing the road.

  “Don’t you know? We got a letter from your office stating that Brendon and his wife are prime suspects in an antique theft case, so you’re going to handle this case from that point of view,” he said.

  “Oh … that. Yes, and I believe the murder has something to do with the antiques,” Kiara said in a measured tone. Carlson had indeed reinstated her.

  “But your letter only talks about the antique theft case and not about the murder,” he said.

  “So what?” Kiara was getting annoyed.

  “It means you’re going to handle the antiques part and I will handle the murder part,” he said while putting stress on each word.

  Kiara closed her eyes. “So, we have to work together?”

  “No, we can work separately. But you have to share everything with me on this case,” he said casually.

  “And you’ll share everything with me?” she asked while opening the door of the car.

  “I don’t think so. The antique theft led to the murder and not the other way. You tell me everything, share all leads with me. But I don’t owe anything to you.”

  “So, you want to make it difficult for me?” Kiara said angrily. “Your case depends on mine. If I don’t give you correct information you’ll not arrive anywhere.”

  “Well then, I won’t let you question Rebecca either,” he said. “I arrested her for my case, not yours.”

  “Rebecca?” Kiara said with surprise.

  “You don’t even know her name? She’s the wife,” he said in a demeaning tone.

  “I get it. I will be there and tell you whatever I know. When i
s she getting discharged?” she asked.

  “As we speak. She will be here any time,” Robert said.

  “OK. I will arrive there in an hour’s time,” she said, looking at her watch.

  “See you then,” he said and hung up.

  “Bastard,” Kiara threw the phone onto the backseat. She took a deep breath and turned the ignition on. It was going to be tough working with Robert, as if she had lesser problems earlier. But she had to play along as long as Rebecca was under his custody.

  “Where is your partner?” a short, bald man asked Kiara as she was waiting near the entrance.

  “He’s on leave,” she said while walking towards him. “You must be Robert.”

  “One and only,” he replied, annoying her further.

  “Is she here?” she asked.

  “Yes, but she doesn’t want to speak to us,” he replied while looking at her.

  “Still under trauma?”

  “She looks better. In fact, she is in full control. She’s confessed about breaking into your house and wants to be taken under custody,” he replied, throwing Kiara into further confusion.

  “That doesn’t make any sense. I thought her to be a tough nut to crack,” Kiara mumbled and looked at him. “Any reasons for the confession?”

  “She says there’s a reason, but she won’t speak to us,” he said while shaking his head.

  “Then who does she want to speak to?” Kiara asked with surprise.

  “Your partner. That’s why I asked about him,” he said with a smile.

  “Jake?” Kiara said. “I don’t understand.”

  “Why don’t you speak to her?” he said. “I swear, if she doesn’t say anything in the next hour, I will have to resort to other techniques that I don’t wish to use. It’s been twelve hours and we don’t have any leads. Even the knife used for murder had no fingerprints.”

  “Take me to her,” Kiara said.

  “Follow me,” Robert said and walked towards the interrogation room. As they crossed the office, some of the officers checked her out. She ignored them and kept following Robert.

  As she walked past the observation mirror, she saw Rebecca. She looked so helpless, so powerless. She looked exactly what Jake had explained: delicate and sensitive. She was sobbing gently.