thanks. Uh, can I go back to class now?" Gracie asked.
* * * *
At 9:00 AM sharp Ken Freeman walked into the Wilkins Insurance Agency offices. Although technically it was evidence in a murder investigation, he felt that the victim's briefcase - and the contents thereof - should be turned over to the man's boss. The secretary pointed him to Mr. Wilkins' office.
"Gerald Wilkins?" he asked as he stepped inside the door. "I'm Lieutenant Ken Freeman, Homicide."
Jerry stood up and shook hands with the officer. "Call me 'Jerry'," he said jovially. "Homicide did you say? How can I help you?" He seemed a little confused. "We're a full-service agency here, includin' life insurance. Are you wantin' info on a policy-holder? That's private information, I'm not sure we can tell you, say, who the beneficiary is."
"No, it's not that," Ken said. "I understand that Charles Greene worked here as one of your agents." It was not a question.
"Charles, sure!" Jerry said affably. "My top salesman. He hasn't come in yet this morning, probably out seeing clients. He should be in after while, I expect."
"I'm afraid," said Ken, "that Mr. Greene was murdered yesterday afternoon."
"
Murdered?"
Jerry said, stunned.
"Yes, Sir. Mr. Bixby's staff found the body around 4 PM yesterday, just outside the gates of the mansion. Did he perhaps stop to call and tell you Mr. Bixby had indeed signed the contracts?"
Jerry sat back down in his chair, looking like he wasn't even aware he was doing so. "Well, I'm sure glad to hear that.
Not
that it seems terribly important at the moment. I'm sorry, Lieutenant, I'm so rattled I'm forgetting my manners. Please, have a seat." He gestured to a chair in front of his desk.
Ken sat down, with the briefcase resting across his lap.
"I haven't heard from Charles since he left yesterday," he said. "To tell you the truth I was a little surprised. The Bixby contract was a big deal to us, and I really expected Charles to come in whoopin' and hollerin' about it. Kinda made me wonder if the old man hadn't signed after all. But, no, he didn't call me."
Ken laid the briefcase on the desk in front of him. "We found Mr. Greene's briefcase in his car. I thought you should have it, knew you'd need the paperwork; though I should tell you that I've photocopied everything just in case. Can you tell me if anything's missing? Or if there's something there that shouldn't be?"
Jerry took the case somewhat gingerly, as if it might bite. He opened it and pulled out the papers, spread them out on the desk and mumbled to himself as he checked them off against some mental list. Finally he looked up and said, "Everything looks in order, far as I can tell. A copy of the presentation, the contracts, his itinerary, some notes on other clients. Thank you very much, Lieutenant, for letting me have these. But it wasn't Charles' car."
"What?" Ken asked in mild shock. He pulled out his notebook for the details. "A gray 2007 Jaguar XJS, license number LJS…"
"4328," Jerry finished, in unison with Ken. "It's
my
car. Something happened to break the back window of his car yesterday, so he borrowed mine." Jerry smiled a little sarcastically. "Charles thought imitation would be flattering to me, so he bought a Jag that looked just like mine. 'Cept his was a year newer."
"So where's Mr. Greene's car?" Ken asked.
"Guess it's still in the parking garage across the street," Jerry said. "I had to call my wife to take me home last night."
"So he stopped here to borrow your car before going to Bixby's?"
"No, Sir. He came in to talk about the pending contract, I guess. You know, let me know he was about to go meet the man. He seemed pretty wound up, guess he was a mite nervous, this was a pretty big sale." Jerry stopped to remember the details.
"But he left the office and then came back a few minutes later yellin' about his car. Said the back window was broken and the alarm was going off. I asked if anything was missing but he said 'no'. I told him he should
* * * *
At 9:00 AM sharp Ken Freeman walked into the Wilkins Insurance Agency offices. Although technically it was evidence in a murder investigation, he felt that the victim's briefcase - and the contents thereof - should be turned over to the man's boss. The secretary pointed him to Mr. Wilkins' office.
"Gerald Wilkins?" he asked as he stepped inside the door. "I'm Lieutenant Ken Freeman, Homicide."
Jerry stood up and shook hands with the officer. "Call me 'Jerry'," he said jovially. "Homicide did you say? How can I help you?" He seemed a little confused. "We're a full-service agency here, includin' life insurance. Are you wantin' info on a policy-holder? That's private information, I'm not sure we can tell you, say, who the beneficiary is."
"No, it's not that," Ken said. "I understand that Charles Greene worked here as one of your agents." It was not a question.
"Charles, sure!" Jerry said affably. "My top salesman. He hasn't come in yet this morning, probably out seeing clients. He should be in after while, I expect."
"I'm afraid," said Ken, "that Mr. Greene was murdered yesterday afternoon."
"
Murdered?"
Jerry said, stunned.
"Yes, Sir. Mr. Bixby's staff found the body around 4 PM yesterday, just outside the gates of the mansion. Did he perhaps stop to call and tell you Mr. Bixby had indeed signed the contracts?"
Jerry sat back down in his chair, looking like he wasn't even aware he was doing so. "Well, I'm sure glad to hear that.
Not
that it seems terribly important at the moment. I'm sorry, Lieutenant, I'm so rattled I'm forgetting my manners. Please, have a seat." He gestured to a chair in front of his desk.
Ken sat down, with the briefcase resting across his lap.
"I haven't heard from Charles since he left yesterday," he said. "To tell you the truth I was a little surprised. The Bixby contract was a big deal to us, and I really expected Charles to come in whoopin' and hollerin' about it. Kinda made me wonder if the old man hadn't signed after all. But, no, he didn't call me."
Ken laid the briefcase on the desk in front of him. "We found Mr. Greene's briefcase in his car. I thought you should have it, knew you'd need the paperwork; though I should tell you that I've photocopied everything just in case. Can you tell me if anything's missing? Or if there's something there that shouldn't be?"
Jerry took the case somewhat gingerly, as if it might bite. He opened it and pulled out the papers, spread them out on the desk and mumbled to himself as he checked them off against some mental list. Finally he looked up and said, "Everything looks in order, far as I can tell. A copy of the presentation, the contracts, his itinerary, some notes on other clients. Thank you very much, Lieutenant, for letting me have these. But it wasn't Charles' car."
"What?" Ken asked in mild shock. He pulled out his notebook for the details. "A gray 2007 Jaguar XJS, license number LJS…"
"4328," Jerry finished, in unison with Ken. "It's
my
car. Something happened to break the back window of his car yesterday, so he borrowed mine." Jerry smiled a little sarcastically. "Charles thought imitation would be flattering to me, so he bought a Jag that looked just like mine. 'Cept his was a year newer."
"So where's Mr. Greene's car?" Ken asked.
"Guess it's still in the parking garage across the street," Jerry said. "I had to call my wife to take me home last night."
"So he stopped here to borrow your car before going to Bixby's?"
"No, Sir. He came in to talk about the pending contract, I guess. You know, let me know he was about to go meet the man. He seemed pretty wound up, guess he was a mite nervous, this was a pretty big sale." Jerry stopped to remember the details.
"But he left the office and then came back a few minutes later yellin' about his car. Said the back window was broken and the alarm was going off. I asked if anything was missing but he said 'no'. I told him he should
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