A/N : Thank you dear reviewers once again for taking the time to write a review. They are really appreciated and cerrtainly encourage me to keep this going. Sorry only a short chapter. Tomorrow's will be longer. Promise! ;-)
Chapter 9
"Oh there was someone else all right." said Jo regaining the conference room. "The witness was formal. One man standing over him and the other kneeling on his stomach. Why deny it? Why lie?"
"But he was clearly surprised when Don mentioned Mac's apartment and Samuel Wilson." Lindsay eased herself into a chair in the conference room next to Danny.
"Yes I got the distinct impression he did not know about Samuel Wilson or the fire." added Jo
"What about the boot print?" asked Adam. "I thought that put him at Mac's place?"
"Not necessarily. Same boot, same size, not necessarily the same wearer." explained Jo. "A big coincidence admittedly but it's not enough. Don has gone to check his alibi and, though I hate to admit it, I have a horrible feeling it's going to turn out to be true." She sighed heavily before continuing. "What else do we have?"
Lindsay flicked open her file. "Sid confirms that Samuel Wilson was killed before the fire. Blunt force trauma to the back of the head. There was a small right-angled marking consistent with a small square object with slightly rounded corners. We weren't able to identify a potential weapon from Mac's place and there was no other trace. Sid is looking into it. The fire was lit using books in the main room. The 12 year old malt from Mac's crystal decanter was the accelerant."
Danny smiled ruefully at this as he recalled Mac's annoyance at the loss of his books and whiskey. He had no idea that Mac even liked whiskey.
"Fire's were lit in the bedrooms too. Our arsonist was definitely trying to destroy evidence. The big question is .." she paused for effect. "How did Samuel Wilson know that Mac had a safe in his apartment and why did he hide the SD card there?"
Danny leaned forward to consult the file on the PC tablet in his hand. "According to his record, at the time, and we going back over fifteen years here, Samuel Wilson was a pick-pocket who moved on to burglary specialising in safe jobs mostly depriving Manhattan elite of their ill-gotten gains. " Danny's face lit up "According to this his arresting officer was ..." He held out his hand.
"Mac" everyone chorused.
"Spot on." he laughed "but get this during the arrest there was a long chase across a roof-top during which our Sammy fell and was left hanging. He would have been killed if it hadn't have been for ..." He held out his hand.
"Mac" everyone chorused again.
"He got onto the New Start rehabilitation programme, got early release on Mac's recommendation and got out almost 2 years ago."
"So you're saying what? They became friends? Mac and a jewel thief?" asked Sheldon. "Oh come on, you can't be serious."
"But that doesn't explain how he knew Mac had a safe or even where he lived?" asked Lindsay.
Danny shrugged.
"The book! No way! No way!" squealed Adam clearly delighted. Everyone stared at him. "The book! Oh come on! Haven't you read the latest best seller? Sneak Thief by Taylor J. Wilson." He grinned obviously pleased with himself.
"Adam?" trilled Jo in a sing-song voice waving her hands in circles to encourage him.
"Taylor? …. Wilson? ….the story of a reformed cat burglar who teams up with a retired criminologist to solve crimes in Manhattan? There's even a scene where they sit in Matt Tyler's apartment sipping his 12 year old malt from a cut glass decanter. Mac's apartment. … Yeah! … No wonder the science was so accurate, Mac wrote it!"
"Oh come on Adam! You gotta be out of your mind. Are you saying Mac's written a novel?" spluttered Sheldon, incredulity etched into his face. Danny and Lindsay just stared at Adam like he suddenly grown an additional head.
"Oh you have got to be joking! Mac couldn't ...wouldn't... He hasn't got time for that." Jo looked at Adam disbelievingly. "I mean … No it's ridiculous …."
"No, it makes perfect sense. Mac took a break. He was gone for four months. He was considering retirement. Samuel Wilson could have written the draft of the novel while in prison and picked Mac's brains for the forensics before publishing. It's brilliant! The descriptions are spot on. Matt Tyler's apartment in the book is Mac Taylor's apartment in real life. Hah! Awesome! I can't believe I didn't see it before. Awesome!" Adam was beside himself. "Maybe I get him to sign my copy!"
Although she was having a hard time believing what Adam was saying, it was again Lindsay who brought everyone's mind back to the question at hand. "O...kay! So let's say Samuel writes a book, goes to Mac for help, evidently spends time at Mac's place. The safe …. ? A...dam?"
"Huh. Oh! In the book Sal Whitman, er … the hero, installs a safe for his friend Matt Tyler. If he based it on fact, Samuel could have installed the safe for Mac. He knew where it was and what it was. So it was easy to break into and what safer place than a police officer's apartment to hide incriminating evidence?"
"Okay Adam." Jo smiled her very best smile. "Incriminating evidence of what?"
"Well of a …er … er … that's a very … very good question."
