Chapter 6
Summary: The ´case´ is already evolving more rapidly. Events accelerate a little more. And Richard, in his line, keeps his conclusions to himself as long as he doesn't corroborate them ...
Chapter Text
Everything is quiet at the Station. As always, Richard and Camille enter arguing about certain regulations that Dwayne almost never respects, well, never, but that Camille will always excuse him.
´Without Dwayne, you have to understand that we wouldn´t be accessing certain information networks more than helpful, Richard. What would we do without Dwayne? He´s our computer network on the island! And ...´ He breathed a little before continuing ´never forget that we have, very repeatedly, ignored certain regulations of the Police Force.´ Richard looked at her in a hurry. ´Of course, with the goings-on of the Commissioner, our beloved Groomsman (we had no other choice), we will never have problems in that regard´
Richard was staring at her and replied: ´Guidelines and regulations that I would skip again and again, never doubt it´ although in a voice so low that only she listens to it.
Camille did not respond to this comment, merely smiling widely.
´Besides, I have never thought about kicking Dwayne out! He's my friend too! Or at least I hope so,´ Richard continued.
Fidel and Camille look at him in amazement. On very few occasions is he heard talking about Fidel and Dwayne with that term (although they know perfectly well that he appreciates them personally and professionally).
´Chief,´ says Fidel as Richard places some of the contents of his wallet on the table in an orderly fashion.
´Yes, Fidel?´
´I´ve received the results of the analysis of the capsule that Mrs. Murray found´
That sparks Richard's interest.
´Interesting. We finally have something,´ says Camille.
´What information do we have?´
´The footprints that appear belong to Mrs. Murray, but there´re others that I can't identify.´
´Gee. Mrs. Murray's are relatively logical, but not ...´ says Richard, looking thoughtful. Until he asks again: ´What does the capsule contain?´
´A poison from the cyanide family, Chief. Here on the island, it´s normally used for certain minor insect and vermin pests. Although it´s starting to stop being used instead of other less polluting and dangerous methods. What it does I can tell you is that it is not normal that it comes in capsules´
´The truth is that it´s strange´ continues Dwayne, who has just entered through the door ´but I am glad to know that they are stopping using it. I still remember the case of that boy, who although he was saved, was quite traumatic. By the way, Fidel Do you not know who called me? Mrs. Murray. Today, to apologize to her neighbor for not knowing what matter, she detected a strange smell and when she worried, she called other neighbors and they forced the door´ Dwayne observes the Richard's reproachful look. ´Chief, I already told them that they should have called us earlier. But they said that Mrs. Stephen seemed to need urgent help´
´What curious neighbors we have!´ Camille comments apparently carefree ´She was fine, right?´
´Mrs. Stephen has been found dead.´
´Very well. Well, let's go there. Fidel, Dwayne, take everything on stage to clean up the scene. Hopefully they haven't contaminated everything too much´ says Richard getting up from the table.
Camille is already ready and has collected her bag. They have work.
Back and at the Station, having believed to obtain all the evidence of the death scene, Camille comments to Richard:
´What area are we living in, Richard?´
´In a very conflictive area, from what I see. You can no longer say that most crimes (if not all) are committed by tourists´
´A crime, Chief?´ Dwayne asks.
´We don't have a suicide note and the house was totally disorganized. I'm afraid the least we can do is treat it by default as a probable crime´
´And what relationship does it have with the capsule analyzed in Guadalupe, Sir?´ Asks Fidel.
´It really is a very good question, Fidel´ Camille answers.
´Didn't you find that capsule the first time you searched Mrs. Murray's house?´ Fidel asked.
´No, Sir. And we searched it well. It was in the bag that she gave us after registration´
And she doesn't know how it got to her bag?´ Camille asks.
´She has no idea. She was actually scared because he didn't know what it might contain,´ replies Dwayne.
´She has reason to be scared. It´s a powerful poison and it also has her fingerprints,´ remarks Richard very seriously. "Well. Camille and I will go to interrogate her to find out during the two or three previous days in which that capsule is likely to end up in her hands, who she found and where she bought. Fidel and you, Dwayne, I want you to process everything you've found. And, of course, let's hope they send us the forensic report as soon as possible. Camille!´ He turns to his wife, ´let's see if we can get anything clean out of all this.´
Ten minutes later Camille and Richard are listening to Mrs. Murray's incoherent conversation.
"OK ... understand that it´s not so easy to know what I said, did and where I was at all times. Let's see, I was in Amy's little store, by the way she has a great coffee that I only find there, I must have been talking about ten minutes (Richard added twenty more minutes to that time), at least ... ah, yes! I got out of there and went to buy a small biting toy for Toby, lately he's been tearing up my sofa (Richard was looking at dog with real pity, He understands his more than likely state of nerves.) I didn´t linger there much, young Joe is not at all friendly. From there, I went to the cashier to get some money (Camille looked at Richard at that moment so that he stopped gesturing) and from there I went straight home. Ah, I forgot about Mrs. Stephen! I met her at the entrance of the building where I live. I tried to start some conversation with her. You know, with her husband almost always traveling and all that she looked like a little nervous. Do you know that they argue a lot lately?´ At that moment she stopped for a second to get some air ´But I'm afraid she didn't feel like talking and took her bag. She must have been in a hurry because she got to take one of my bags, Toby's toys. I had to go behind of her so he could return it to me. But she didn't do it in bad faith, you can believe me. And, finally, I went straight home from there. And I'm afraid that's all. The other days I didn't go anywhere.´ She finished.
Camille looked at Richard and said to the woman:
´You have nothing to worry about, Mrs. Murray. It has been of real use to us, really. We will inform you of any news that occurs´ Camille finished the conversation as they got up to leave.
A minute later, outside the building …
´This woman has eaten tongue! Poor Mrs. Stephen,´ said Richard. ´But certainly everything she has told us has been helpful, well, almost everything. We will now have to focus on the deceased, find out her movements. When Dwayne and Fidel to process the entire scene of that woman's death, they will find out. It´s the advantage of living on a small island,´ said Richard.
´As you command and order, mon coeur,´ Camille replied.
´We'd better head straight to the Station,´ said Richard, looking at Camille.
As always when Camille looked at him that way, he felt incapable of thinking something coherent ...