Chapter 4
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Although it was unusual for two separate Druid cells to meet, it wasn't completely unheard of. Gary Fredo was expected to make himself known to the local council after the funeral. The four council members were mayor Jackson Montgomery, business woman Erica Kane, Gary's old friend from Sanctuary sheriff Anna Hayward, and Zack Cambias. Zack was filing in for his father and it was speculated he would take his seat on the council officially after his father died.
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Anna: Hello Gary, good to see you again.
Fredo: Good to see you too. I'm a little surprised you've become sheriff, you've only been living here for about a year.
Anna: I was elected, the people of Pine Valley really didn't like my opponent.
Fredo: Who was that?
Anna: JR Chandler.
Fredo: Interesting. You all know why I'm here. Michael Cambias is dead, I am here to investigate. I spoke with Alexander Cambias at the funeral, he claimed that before anyone knew that Michael was dead, he had a vision of his son in Hell. Alexander claimed he knew exactly who killed his son, but refused to tell me who it was. It seemed he doesn't want Michael's murderer to be caught. It got me thinking, who wouldn't he want to be punished. The only person who comes to mind, would be his other son.
Zack: Interesting thought. But perhaps my father's "vision" was nothing other than a delusion from a man dying in hospice care. Did you know that a hospice allows patients to control their own medication?
Fredo: I did know that. A hospital tightly controls pain medication because they don't want patients to develop an addiction. But a hospice patient is so near death they figure it doesn't matter.
Zack: Correct. So my father, being drugged like that, isn't always lucid.
Fredo: You might be right. I'd like to know where you were the night your brother was murdered.
Zack: In my office, catching up on paperwork. Unfortunately I was alone, my secretary left long before I did.
Fredo: And you, Mr mayor?
Jackson: Also alone in my office, looking over budget proposals.
Fredo: Everyone seemed to have been doing paperwork alone.
Zack: If I had known my brother was going to be murdered, I would have been speaking with the mayor, giving us both an alibi.
Fredo: And you Erica?
Erica: I'm an alcoholic, the strain of what happened to my daughter, I fell off the wagon that night. I don't have much memory of that night, but Kendall saw me, she helped me get an Uber so that I wouldn't drink and drive.
Fredo: Did your daughter happen to see you drunk, or did you call her?
Erica: I don't remember. But I have my doubts that Kendall is really my daughter.
Fredo: Why is that?
Erica: I was young when I became pregnant. I had this baby, and put her up for adoption. Last year Kendall came to Pine Valley, and claimed to be that child. But she is not the first to try this, so I have my doubts.
Fredo: Why not have a blood test?
Erica: It's complicated. But I will say this, she probably saved my life, or someone else's, by making certain I didn't drink and drive.
Fredo: And sheriff Hayward, where were you that night?
Anna: So I'm a suspect as well?
Fredo: I have many suspects at the moment?
Anna: I was home, sleeping. My daughter was also sleeping so she can't exactly vouch for me.
Fredo: What about your husband?
Anna: He was working at the urgent care center that night.
Fredo: I'm curious, if Michael had lived, would he have taken his father's place in the Druid Order?
Anna: He wanted the position, but he was too untrustworthy. The purpose of the Order is to protect people, particularly those in the Witness Protect Program, as well as those who helped this country and whose lives are in danger because of it. The names of these people, could be quite valuable to someone with no real moral compass.
Zack: People like my brother. Let's say my father has made an educated guess as to who killed Michael, but doesn't want them punished. You assume that could only be me.
Fredo: Who else would that include?
Zack: When my father got sick, I came to see my father six days a week. Last week Michael suggested that I take a day off, go to my boat in the marina and just go fishing. I thought it made sense, and I needed a break. I had planned to go early, like I usually do. But I forgot to set the alarm clock, and I was woken up by a phone call. There was an explosion on my boat, it went off at exactly 7:15 am. I usually was on the water by 7. If I had remembered to set the alarm, I would have been on my boat when it blew up and died. The sheriff here investigated, but sadly there was no proof that Michael planted the bomb. I believe that deputy JR Chandler destroyed evidence leading to Michael. I told my father this, and he believed me, he knows that one son tried to murder another. My father doesn't want Michael's murderer to be caught because he no longer considered Michael to be his son.
Fredo: Did your father have his will changed?
Zack: No, he didn't have time.
Fredo: So, if Michael had lived, he still would have inherited half your father's estate?
Zack: Perhaps more. I don't wish to sound paranoid, but I believe he was planning to do another attempt before our father died.
Fredo: So you killing Michael might be considered self defense?
Zack: I don't know if it would meet the legal definition, but it's irrelevant. I didn't kill my brother.
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By the time this meeting was over, Gary Fredo had questioned each member of the Druid Council. Each denied being the murderer, if one was lying they weren't going to break anytime soon. As everyone began leaving Anna quietly spoke with Gary.
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Anna: There's something you should know. We did investigate the boat bombing, and found no evidence of anyone's involvement. Maybe he's right, maybe JR destroyed evidence, but I'm a little skeptical.
Fredo: Of what?
Anna: That he just happened to forget to set his alarm on that one fateful day. I wouldn't put it past Michael to murder his own brother. I also wouldn't put it past Zack to fake the whole thing, convince their father to write Michael out of the will. I honestly don't know which. But I think, whoever actually ordered the bombing, it was Ryan Lavery who planted that bomb. He has a long history of criminal activity, either brother would probably use him to do their dirty work.
Fredo: I plan to question Ryan Lavery soon.
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Before Gary outside Jackson Montgomery spoke to him in private.
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Jackson: What were you speaking with sheriff Hayward about?
Fredo: That's between me and her.
Jackson: You should know something. My daughter Lily, she often babysits Anna and David's daughter Leora. Lily told me that the night Michael was murdered, Anna called her up and asked her to watch Leora for a little while. It was around 10 pm, which seemed unusual to Lily but she did it anyway. Lily was at their house for almost two hours. I don't know exactly where Anna, or David was. But you should know that Anna was lying when she said she was home at the time Michael was murdered.