Chapter 17

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Zack was brought to the hospital. Despite being drugged Dr David Hayward said he would be fine. After a few hours detective Fredo was allowed to talk with Zack.

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Fredo: What can you tell us about your kidnappers?

Zack: Not much, they drugged me, put a blindfold around my eyes, forced me to make that tape. The man who held the gun on me, he was wearing a ski mask and tried to disguise his voice, but I'm sure it was JR Chandler.

Fredo: Do you know if anyone else was involved?

Zack: At least one other person. I heard them arguing with JR, I'm fairly certain the other person was a woman.

Fredo: What makes you so sure?

Zack: When they were arguing, JR called them, the B word. The woman's voice was low, I couldn't hear exactly what she was saying. But it seemed that JR wanted to kill me and the woman said they should keep me alive, at least for now. They drugged me again, next thing I know I'm waking up in the hospital.

Fredo: As best we can tell JR's job was to get the money, his partner kept you secured. This woman betrayed and murdered JR before he could get away. The strange thing was that we recovered your money. Why would this woman go through all of this trouble to get the money, and then leave it behind?

Zack: I guess this person really wanted JR dead, maybe she wanted to make certain his reputation was destroyed first.

Fredo: Maybe.

Zack: But I should be safe right. I mean, if the killer wanted me dead she could have just killed me when I was drugged.

Fredo: That seems possible, except that the killer seems to want their victims to suffer first. And I believe the killer has at least one more person on their hit list. Incidentally, you offered Bianca Montgomery money because you believed she was pregnant. Why did you believe that?

Zack: I made an educated guess because of what my brother did to her. I told her that her child was entitled to a piece of my father's estate. Bianca said that she was not pregnant, and that she wanted no money from my family. But if you think I would hurt her to protect my share of the estate, you didn't know my father.

Fredo: I only met him once, days before his death.

Zack: At that point he had one foot in the grave and the other foot on a banana peel. But in his youth he was quite the philanderer. Honestly it was a running joke that half the people in his office building could have been his child. After his death 63 people came forward claiming to be his child or grandchild, frankly at least six are distinct possibilities. I know that I am not going to be getting the entire estate, I am willing to split it with my siblings and their children. And if you think I would murder my own brother for his part of the estate, I always knew I probably had more than one sibling.

Fredo: But maybe you would kill the brother who tried to murder you.

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Gary wondered, could Zack have possibly murdered JR and tied himself after being drugged. If he did, it was a good cover, a way to divert suspicion away from himself. And saying that the other person was a woman who he could't quite identify was brilliant. Bianca was not the first woman that Michael Cambias raped, and he didn't expect her to be his last. But at the moment this was all speculation. As detective Fredo finished talking with Zack he was informed of a new development. Reggie had returned, and was at the police station, with father Clarence.

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Clarence: My friend would like to speak with you.

Fredo: I'm all ears.

Reggie: I know why all of this is happening. Last year, Michael Cambias was seeing this local girl. She was only 18, but I figured as long as it was consensual it was none of my business. Than the girl gets pregnant, and Michael decides he didn't want to pay child support.

Fredo: Who was the girl?

Reggie: I forget her real name, but everyone called her Babe. She was Krystal's daughter, Marissa's sister. One night Michael says he wants to use my club, the Sunrise Club, for a little rendezvous with this girl. I figured, why not. Why not keep an investor happy? That was the night of the fire, I saw Babe's body. I told this to JR, he was a cop I figured he'd arrest whoever started the fire. But JR said that Babe was dead, nothing could be done about that now. But if I kept my mouth shut, there was a payday coming. If I pursued this, I'd wind up in the morgue alongside her. So, I went with option A.

Fredo: Silver or lead, that's what the Cotras called it. Honestly he would have murdered you had you not taken the deal. Was that Babe's voice on the CD you heard?

Reggie: Yeah, she wanted to be a singer. That's how I know it's about avenging Babe's death. When I heard about Michael being killed, I figured he had no shortage of enemies. But when I heard the CD I knew. Every victim played a part in that death, including me.

Fredo: You think the killer wants you dead as well?

Reggie: Can you blame them, I lied, helped cover it up. It's true I was forced, but I doubt the killer is too forgiving. Father Clarence convinced me I need to make amends and face my past before I die.

Fredo: Yeah, the father is pretty good at that.

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During this conversation Erica Kane walked into the police station and asked to speak with sheriff Hayward. Gary Fredo heard this conversation.

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Anna: Erica, why did you want to see me?

Erica: After what I did with David, it's only fair that you get to arrest me. I'd like to turn myself in, I killed Michael Cambias and the others, because they murdered my daughter Sarah.