Death off camera, p.9
Death Off Camera, page 9
A teenager sidled in and awkwardly placed a tray of chai glasses on the low table. The subtle scent of the spiced tea was soothing.
‘Go ahead, please Shiv.’
‘It’s not too hard to register as a charitable trust under Fijian law. I recommend you use a lawyer to guide you in the process and draw up a trust deed. This would specify the objectives and powers of the trust, the eligibility of trustees and how they are appointed. Not much more than that. If your documents are complete and correct, the process should take no longer than a month, or two at the most.’
‘That’s good to hear. But wouldn’t it be even simpler if I paid the deposit for a suitable property myself, which I think I can afford? Raj here has also promised a generous contribution.’
‘That’s a terrible idea, Joe! You could easily be bankrupted before the hostel started operating. What if Raj loses his money overnight? What if you, God forbid, should die? Wouldn’t you want the hostel to continue?’
That was a shock. The meetings with the advisors at Action for Children hadn’t put it so bluntly. He looked at Dr Pillai.
‘Once you’ve satisfied the requirements, your charitable trust would own any property and be liable for debts. The charity, not you, Joe. This is extremely important.’
‘You’re intimidating me now.’
‘No need. Well-meaning individuals like yourself need protecting. The trust doesn’t depend on individuals to continue. It has an existence of its own in law, and can employ people, hold bank accounts, insurance policies. Your charity would also qualify for exemption from tax.’
‘You’ve persuaded me to take this idea further, Shiv. What are your thoughts, Joe?’ Dr Pillai said.
‘You mentioned cons, Shiv?’ Horseman prompted.
‘Sure, there’s no avoiding the red tape, legal and government fees and so on. More than this, it takes time to select and appoint trustees and learn new ways of doing things. Your lawyer can help with all this. To me, these are nothing compared to the grave risks your registered charitable trust will protect Josefa Horseman from.’
‘Yes, it makes sense. But I’d better read this pile you’ve given me, including the fine print.’
‘Another pro is that a registered charity is much better able to solicit donations. People trust a charity more than an individual with their money. Even if you don’t plan to do this now, your ambitions for the hostel may grow. You might want to establish another hostel in Lautoka, for example.’ He looked up, embarrassed. ‘Forgive me, Joe, for speculating about your means—none of my business. But a charity must file publicly available accounts annually with the Registrar of Titles. That adds a lot to the public’s trust.’
Dr Pillai finished his chai. ‘That’s a relevant point, Shiv. We should look to the future, to an extent anyway.’
Horseman nodded. Why did his mind resist Shiv’s good arguments? Perhaps it was because he hadn’t thought of all this himself.
‘I fear I’m expressing my opinions too frankly, Joe. Relaxing after a good meal in my in-laws’ home will do that. I’d be more circumspect if you’d approached me as a client in the office.’
‘Not at all, I appreciate your frankness.’
‘However, I’m being objective. This hostel could be your legacy, Joe, just as much as your rugby achievements. If you take the time to set it up right at the start, that’s much more likely.’
‘I can’t thank you enough, Shiv and Raj. The best food for body and mind! I think I’ll walk home to aid my digestion of both. I’ll say my goodbyes to Shanti and Vera and get going. I’ll be in touch soon. Thursday training, Raj?’
‘I’ll be there, Joe.’
WEDNESDAY
18
The next morning at nine o’clock he was alone in the detectives’ office. The others had left for the Champion base to interview the finalists again, this time in greater depth. He still didn’t understand why they had all failed to mention the prank incidents on Monday afternoon. There had to be a stronger reason than Duke’s order to keep quiet about them, surely.
His emails to Dr Young and Ash Jayaraman at the SOCO lab remained unanswered. Again, his fingers were itching to call them, but again he resisted. Phoning them couldn’t hurry the analysis of physical evidence. He reviewed the running sheet binder. As he expected, the print-out was up-to-date and correct. He expected no less, with Singh supervising the DCs. The case file was last in line for his scrutiny and again, it was complete.
He went to the kitchenette to make a cup of tea, then stopped himself. Ridiculous to pace up and down like a caged animal when he was free to go where he chose. He chose the SOCO lab first, followed by the pathology lab. Taking a personal interest in his colleagues’ work would not irritate them as much as a ringing phone. He’d buy fresh doughnuts from a street vendor to sweeten his welcome.
Ash laughed when Horseman handed him the large bulging paper bag, but it was a cheerful laugh. ‘Blatant bribery,’ he said. ‘Always works, doesn’t it?’
‘Not at all, a reward for your hard work. There’s enough for everyone, I think.’
Ash called a break. The lab had to be kept pristine, so the SOCOs took their breaks in a separate room or outside. A technician brought tea to Ash’s cramped office.
‘Not much for you yet, sir. And I can’t promise there’s going to be much more later. The fishing line sample you collected from the spirit-house mound exactly matches the one from the players’ hut. But miles of this stuff is sold every day all over the country—we’d be wasting time attempting to trace the source of each sample. And what would it tell you if we did? Nothing.’ Ash looked as frustrated as Horseman felt.
‘Io, you’re right.’
Ash continued. ‘All the blood samples are from the victim. We haven’t taken fingerprints. All the players and at least ten crew would have left their fingerprints all over the place.’
‘True. All the eliminated contestants’ prints could be there too. I understand they’ve left the country so we couldn’t identify them. Oh, one thing. Dr Young sent over grit samples from Ken’s wound. Do they match what you took at the scene?’
‘Gosh, that’s critical, isn’t it? I overlooked it!’ He glanced at the boxes of evidence bags on the bench. ‘We’ll pull them out and start examining them now, sir.’
‘Vinaka, Ash. I’ll leave you to it. I’m off to see if Matt’s got anywhere chasing up the toxicology lab results. Call me about the grit, please.’
It would only take him ten more minutes to walk further up the hill to the hospital and he needed the exercise. The flowering rain trees interlaced over the middle of the road, shading walkers from the fierce sun. He enjoyed the stroll until his mobile vibrated in his pocket. It was the call he’d been waiting for.
‘Matt, great to hear from you. Just heading your way. Got some news for me?’
‘Yeah, you’ll be interested in the tox screen results. The victim tested positive for MDMA.’
‘What? That’s ecstasy, isn’t it?’
‘Yeah, aka molly. So-called party drug, bloody dangerous. It’s an amphetamine.’
‘Unexpected. I thought the players were in total quarantine there. Anything else I should know?’
‘Nothing significant. Pretty normal in fact.’
‘Did the drug contribute to his death?’
‘Hard to say. I found his organs in good health, so I’m inclined to say no. If he’d been a long-term user, I’d expect to see changes in his heart and maybe other organs.’
‘Have you decided what you’re going to put under cause of death yet?’
‘Ha, ha. I’m going to look at the organs again, especially the brain.’
‘You’ve just handed me a tool to prise open the secret world of Champion. If you can tell me whether he fell or was struck with a rock, I’ll buy you a Fiji Bitter after work.’
‘You owe me more than one! You’ll know as soon as I do.’
19
After contacting Singh and Steve Duke, Horseman set off for the Champion site. When he turned onto the road to the historic gun emplacement, he pulled to the side and got out to stretch. The loveliness of the bay below and the dark sea beyond the reef hit him afresh. The emerald islands, fringed with white sand and black rocks, refracted the light like gems. For him, this was all the high he needed. Why would anyone seek more with lethal chemicals? But millions did, and he had to accept that fact.
Another motive for the MDMA popped into his head. The drug suppressed the appetite; could that be why a Champion player might swallow such a dangerous little pill? The Champion contestants were given only a small ration of rice, and the coconut palms, breadfruit trees, and gleanings from the shore at low tide would certainly prevent malnutrition. But probably not hunger.
He met Singh with DC Apo Kau at their interview room, now furnished with everything needed for making tea and coffee on an extra folding table.
Singh saw his approving look. ‘I brought the kettle, the rest is courtesy of Champion, sir.’
‘Vinaka, DS Singh. Very thoughtful of you.’ He opened his backpack, extracted a file and a packet of Paradise coconut biscuits. ‘Steve Duke is expecting us in half an hour, so let’s have a cuppa while I fill you in on the latest from the lab.’
Kau filled the kettle with bottled water and took their orders while it heated. They sat in silence with their tea, all three digesting the MDMA bombshell that might blow apart Ken Johnson’s death. Or not.
‘Who have you talked to so far?’
‘Duane. He admitted the pranks happened but denied knowing anything more and was adamant that he wasn’t responsible. Said he suspected a contestant who’s now been eliminated.’
‘I got the impression he was fobbing us off there, sir,’ Kau said. ‘Just giving us something uncheckable.’
Kau was usually reluctant to chip in, so this show of growing confidence pleased Horseman. Maybe he just couldn’t get a word in when Musudroka was around. ‘Do the dates fit?’
‘All except the last prank, sir. By then, the player Duane named was off the set.’
Singh put down her mug. ‘Musudroka and Lili are questioning Bobby.’
‘Check if they’re finished, Apo. They can both join you here to interview Mili while DS Singh and I visit Steve Duke. But we’ve got ten minutes, so let’s finish our tea while we plan how to present the director with our latest news.’
***
The director looked older than he had yesterday. He reached for his bottle of water, clutching it in his hands. For security? A physical object within his control? Or maybe just to cool himself down.
‘MDMA? There must be some mistake! In the States, labs get samples mixed up all the time—that sort of thing’s often on the news. I imagine your labs here would stuff up even more often—tropical climate, less control … The Fiji way, hey! I insist on another test before I’ll even consider this possibility. Drugs on the set! Champion has a zero-tolerance policy on drugs.’
‘I agree we should eliminate any doubt, Mr Duke. I’ll arrange a second test with Dr Young right now if you’ll excuse me.’ He pulled out his mobile phone and went out to the verandah.
He returned to hear Singh say in a sympathetic voice, ‘It’s a shock, isn’t it? We didn’t expect this result either.’
‘Dr Young has a worldwide reputation, Mr Duke. He’s undertaken to supervise the second toxicology screen personally.’
‘Hmm, sure, thanks,’ he muttered.
‘Ken’s parents would want no less, don’t you think?’ Singh asked.
Duke’s brow furrowed with anxiety. ‘Do they have to know?’
‘Not at this stage. They have a legal right to the final postmortem report, but that’s delayed again now.’
‘If the MDMA result is true, it will make everything worse for them. For me, too. Ken was the least likely player to take drugs.’
‘Who is more likely?’
‘What? Anyone, but dammit, there are no drugs here. All contestants are screened on arrival and the rules are clear—instant dismissal if drugs are found. That applies to cast and crew. No exceptions.’
‘Mr Duke, we know that’s true. But drug takers, and indeed, drug suppliers, believe they will never be discovered. We know this from experience. Don’t you?’
Singh was so encouraging Horseman wondered how anyone could resist confiding in her.
‘Guess so. We kicked out three players from previous shoots. That’s in an eight-year period. Not one in Fiji though.’
‘And really, it wouldn’t be hard to keep some little pills secret, would it?’
The director shrugged. ‘We do everything we can to keep Champion free of drugs.’
‘I’m sure you do. You’re not to blame,’ Singh assured him.
Horseman continued. ‘Steve, there are three possibilities. One: Ken Johnson brought the MDMA pills to the island and took them for an unknown reason. You don’t believe that, right?’
‘No, that’s not the Ken I knew.’
‘Okay. Two: Ken got the pills on set, supplied by a cast or crew member. Again, for an unknown reason.’
Duke shook his head. ‘I don’t think so. But I guess it’s possible.’
‘Three: someone on Champion made Ken take a pill involuntarily, by crushing it up and mixing it into his food, for example.’
The director brightened a little at this. ‘That theory fits better with the Ken we all knew. But there’s a fourth scenario you haven’t mentioned, Inspector. Your test results are false, due to a lab mistake.’
‘We’ll be able to rule that one in or out tomorrow.’
Now was the time for Horseman to make his pitch. ‘Steve, you’re dedicated to Champion. We need your help to resolve Ken’s death for his family. If you’re right, someone here supplied Ken with MDMA, with or without his consent. No one knows the contestants and crew better than you. Please think carefully. Who could have done this?’
‘I don’t know, dammit. Did the drug kill Ken?’
‘The pathologist’s doing more work today to settle that question. But at the least, the supplier committed a serious assault, and at worst, murder.’
‘Take your time and think it through, sir,’ Singh said with an encouraging smile. ‘Maybe try a process of elimination. You’ll most likely remember something a person did or said that didn’t arouse suspicion at the time.’
Duke ran his hands over his short hair. ‘And what do I do then?’
‘Call us. Do nothing more.’
Duke looked from one to the other. ‘You know, both of you would make great contestants.’
Horseman smiled at Singh. ‘From what I’ve learned so far, I’m not sure that’s praise,’
‘Sure, it’s high praise,’ the director replied. ‘I’ll try to help but right now, my head’s all over the place.’
‘We’re wondering how many others at Champion are taking drugs,’ Singh said. ‘Aren’t you?’
‘No, I’ve told you. The location is a drug-free zone. If Ken’s second test is positive, which I doubt, then it was a one-off incident.’
‘I hope so. Nevertheless, we need facts to understand Ken’s death, not just opinions. Dr Young has kindly agreed to supply testing kits for Champion cast and crew, along with an assistant to help your nurse with the sample collection.’
The director’s mouth widened in horror. ‘You can’t do that!’
‘Sorry? You said you screen all players and employees for drugs before they start here.’
‘And you said if anyone is found to be taking drugs, it’s instant dismissal,’ Singh added, with a puzzled frown.
‘We’ve produced evidence of drug-taking here, possibly resulting in death. I assumed you would want to screen everyone again without delay.’
‘We just want to help. We thought you did, too,’ Singh added.
The director looked from one to the other, bewildered. ‘Of course I do. But it’s like you cops are taking over here. What’s the justification? We wait until the results of the second screen on Ken. Champion is my show and I decide what happens on set!’ He brought his water bottle down for emphasis but stopped himself before it thumped the table.
20
‘For a minute I thought he was going to go along with us. Then he got spooked and I lost him.’ Horseman said.
‘Nice try, sir. The drug testing proposal made him shy away.’ Singh was always diplomatic.
‘You expertly softened him up and I blew it, you mean. And now everyone’s got a minimum of one day’s warning, maybe more.’
‘Should we ask Desi about drug taking on set or are we keeping quiet about it?’
‘We can ask her what she knows but we’ll keep Ken’s MDMA result to ourselves. That applies to all Champion interviews. Desirée strikes me as a gossip. I’m hopeful.’
His plan for the afternoon was for Musudroka and Kau to speak again with the crew who worked directly with the players on Motu Island or at the arena challenges back at base. They would also fish for any anecdotes about drug-taking. Lili Waqa would wrangle the selected crew and files. Once the interview with Desi was over, she would escort interviewees between the two offices so that no time was wasted. The plan should work.
***
Desirée Lopez was not amused. After taking her seat with grace, she frowned at Singh and pouted at Horseman. He tried not to laugh, reminding himself this strange woman may well have much more to tell him.
‘It’s good to see you again, Desi. How are you getting on after the shock of Ken’s death?’
‘Not well, Inspector. Now I’m post-trauma, just a jangle of nerves and a roller-coaster of emotions. I hadn’t processed the news on Monday, but I told you everything I know. It was me who radioed Barbara to come help Ken. I’m here now under protest. Why have you hauled me back to grill me again?’
‘I’m sorry, sudden deaths always hit the living hard. You just said it yourself. When you’ve witnessed such an event, you rarely recall all the details until later. I’m grateful for your previous help. Now we need to check some new information with all the finalists.’
