Ray Smooth went through the file kept on the desk. He fluttered through the pages looking for anything that caught the eye. It was a long list. Damn it! This thing is incredibly lengthy. Smooth heard something click. Like a shot, he switched off his flashlight and straightened up. He stood absolutely still keeping his breath as low as possible. Straining his ears to hear the slightest noise, Smooth shifted stealthily towards his right. When he reached the corner, he crouched down abruptly. Smooth had been an avid reader when he was younger. Gradually, and by great effort, he had entered journalism and currently he was working for The Tribute. He had read quite a number of books on crime and learned some basic tricks to avoid detection. Smooth noticed a shadow at the door. The man seemed to be quite worried. After a few moments, the figure disappeared. Smooth perceived that the place was safe no more. He decided to wrap it up quickly. Stealing the file won't be possible; I have to complete the work here. Smooth got up slowly and looked around. His eyes pierced the darkness and scanned the chamber. Nobody seemed to be around. He quickly returned to the table and flipped through the rest of the file. He stopped at the second-last page and ran his finger down the list. Taking out his cell phone from his pocket, he quickly added the numbers listed to his contacts.
Smooth exited the building in a hurry. The Call Centre Records building had been very difficult to break into but Smooth could do anything for his father, Jones. The sun was already out. Smooth turned into an alley to the left. When he was in the middle of the passage, he stopped. He looked around barely expecting somebody looking at him. It was not a busy lane, rarely frequented. With sudden vigor, Smooth entered one of the buildings lined on the left. "Good morning Rayan!" said a heavy, burly man from behind the table. "Morning Gabe," said Smooth, removing his cap and placing it on the table. "Get me a drink, will you?" said Smooth. With a smile, Gabe said, "Out early, eh? How's you doin in ya reporting work?" Smooth didn't want to enter a gossip, but he wanted to sound normal. He said, "Ah its journalism, not reporting. Ya it is going on well. I had been working all night, you know? This business." "Oh! So it is a tedious job eh? Here, have a drink." Ray took the drink Gabe offered and gulped it down. "How's your business?" asked Ray with a friendly note. "Ya, it is going on well. What if it doesn't? I can always spend my entire life upon these little bottles." said Gabe and began belly laughing. Ray didn't find it amusing. He kept quiet and rotated the vodka bottle in his hand."You have changed since your father's gone." Gabe said looking at Ray thoughtfully. "Oh I, I don't… um!" said Smooth and got up. The next second, he had left the tavern. "Hey, I am sorry. I didn't mean… Hey your cap?" said Gabe holding the cap out for Smooth. Ray didn't care to turn. He walked away briskly. Gabe placed the cap back on the table and sighed.
Inspector Hawkings wanted no further delay. He was already livid on account of Smith Turner's late approach to him. "I thought I would be able to solve it, but it is getting more and more complicated with every passing moment. It is clear that Jones Smooth was murdered but the absence of the murderer is the troubling part. Jones's body was found in the middle of the deck but there are blood marks upon the far railing too. It seems that the two of them had been brawling yet there are no evidences to confirm it. We looked into Jones's background. There is nothing of interest except that he was a worker at the docks and worked under Brine Layman. He also has a son, Ray Smooth," said Smith as the police car swerved and swiveled down the road. "When was the body discovered?" asked Hawkings. "Yesterday morning, a man named Billy Manger found the body and informed Ray Smooth instantly," said Smith. Now they were walking towards a police boat which was waiting for them in the water. "Where is the boat?" asked Hawkings. Smith pointed towards a shadow in the horizon. Hawkings could see only a small speck. "Ah! It seems to be quite far. Who was that Billy who found the body?" asked Hawkings. "He said he worked with Jones at the docks. A tough fellow, he was," said Smith. "These guys just get drunk and begin killing each other and it is we who have to bear the trouble," Hawkings said as the police boat started off. "So who informed the police, Ray Smooth?" asked Hawkings. "No, it was Billy who made the call. Ray reached the spot before the police did. We have the whole area under surveillance. Nobody is allowed to enter it," said Turner. "Good. So lets see the whole thing for real," said Hawkings.
Hawkings climbed onto the deck of the Marina. The first thing he saw was Jones's body. His skull had been smashed and there was a lot of blood. "Has anything been moved?" asked Hawkings. "No, except for some of the cargo," said Smith. Hawkings examined the place. Jones was lying on his head. The top part of his head had been badly smashed and the bloody hammer was lying close by. Hawkings took some photographs and then turned towards the blood stains on the railing. They were dry. "These blood stains prove all our theories wrong. Moreover, the disappearance of the killer still remains a mystery. It may be possible he got another boat and sailed back in it. Swimming ashore wouldn't be possible from so far a distance," said Turner. "Did you check the records at the dock?" asked Hawkings. "Yes, they say none of the vessels have been moved. All the other vessels are at the dock except this one which was found here. It seems the killer got away too easily," said Smith. Hawkings was not satisfied. He could see that things were missing. He scrutinized the place all over again. Suddenly, he saw something that stopped his gaze. The blood was slightly disturbed near the head of the corpse. Hawkings took a closer look. It seemed that the blood was absent in a small patch. "Did anyone go near the corpse?" asked Hawkings. "No, sir, nobody has been allowed to touch anything," Smith reassured him. Hawkings gazed back at the empty patch. "Things have been moved," he whispered.
"Why don't you leave it to the cops?" asked Billy Manger. "They are useless. Even if they get hold of their man, the matter will go to the court and all of it will take so much time. This is my revenge and I will take it the way I like," replied Smooth. "How will you get to the man?" asked Billy. Smooth produced a cell phone from his pocket. "I have got all the numbers the killer, Sam Gabriel contacted an hour before the murder," said Ray. "Lets get started," Smooth said. The first one didn't work. Luckily, they got through the second one. "Hello," said the man. "Hello, I am Charlie Gabriel. Who is speaking?" said Smooth. "Peter Kane, who gave you this number?" there was excitement in the man's voice. "Sam gave it to me, saying that if ever I am in trouble, I must call. The cops can be here anytime. I need to hide," said Smooth in a trembling voice. Billy heard hushed voices coming from the phone, and then finally Peter said, "Come to Layman Fisheries immediately. Don't tell anything to anybody. You are in danger. We are your friends." "Thank you. I will be there," said Smooth and hung up. He smiled widely. Brine Layman, the smuggler. "Brine! Can it be he? Why will he do that? We all work under him and Jones had been loyal. This isn't possible!" exclaimed Billy. "Brine is a smuggler. Dad found out this and he…" Smooth stopped. "How did you come to know?" asked Billy. Smooth said with a smile, "Journalism has its own benefits." He switched on the television. They were showing an interview of Inspector Hawkings. "Another body has been found. He is suspected to be the killer. His name is Sam Gabriel. How he ended up at the bottom of the ocean still remains a mystery. It has also been seen that he was shot in his belly before he fell off but no gun has been found yet. The team is suspecting there is a third person in this affair. It is interrogating people and searching for anyone who knows Sam Gabriel," Hawkings was saying. "Who is Charlie?" asked Billy. "Sam's son. I have explained everything to him. Nobody will be able to find him. I found his name in the contacts of the killer's cell phone," said Ray. "You picked up his cell phone? I had warned you against touching anything. The police were on the way," stammered Billy. "I don't believe the cops," Smooth said casually. "Where is the cell phone now?" asked Billy. "Deep in the ocean," said Smooth. Billy turned back to the television. They were showing photographs of the crime scene. “How do you think it occurred?” asked Billy. “The man couldn’t have possibly jumped off after killing Jones,” he continued. “It is easy. Jones suspected that Brine was a smuggler. One night, Sam comes and persuades Jones to go out in a boat for some work. Jones’s loyalty makes him agree. They are inside the cabin when Peter calls Sam. Sam moves to the deck to take the call. Jones overhears the conversation and his suspicions are confirmed. He takes a revolver and faces Sam. Sam hurriedly grabs a hammer and attacks Jones who shoots. Sam’s hammer comes down just as he is shot. Jones falls down dead and Sam jumps off the boat to leave no trace of the killer,” said Smooth. There was a silence. Billy turned back to the television. "Hey, look! The gun that was lying beside the corpse is missing!" exclaimed Billy. Smooth smiled and took out a gun from his bag. "It is here," he murmured.
Smooth focused at the chart. Gabe had done a good job. "Thank you Gabe," he said on the phone. "Now how do I get out of here?" whispered Gabe. "Wait for sometime. We will come out together. It will be a clear case of suicide," said Smooth. "Okay, I believe you," said Gabe. "Enjoy," said Smooth and hung up. Sending Gabe as Charlie Gabriel had been an intelligent move. Now, Smooth had the whole map of Layman Fisheries building in front of him.
Smooth ran his fingers around the map. He stopped at one which was marked as Brine Layman's office. It was located on level one at the back end of the building. He could easily get there through the backyard.
There was a set of stairs directly leading to Brine's office. It is used by Brine to attend secret meetings in his office and is also an emergency exit, Gabe had said. Now the stairs will serve me, Smooth thought. There was a living compartment for Brine on the right side of level one and on the left was the assistant's office. The reception was at the centre of the ground floor.
There were servant's quarters on its left and other offices on the right. Smooth formulated the plan in his mind. He would enter Brine's office through the backyard and then move on to his living quarters, do his work and move out from the front with Gabe following him. There was some danger from the assistant's office. In that case, he would have to jump off Brine's room window. Ray was not satisfies. Gabe was in serious danger. Ray looked up at the ceiling, closed his eyes and prayed.
Ray began climbing. His hands were covered with gloves. He carried his gun in his hand and in his bag was torchlight, glasses, writing pad. A dagger was slung at his belt. Smooth opened the gate and peeped into the office. All was quiet. He entered and closed the door behind him. The office was quite large and there were several waiting sofas near the front gate. There was a large aquarium on the left side of the room that emitted a bluish glow. It fascinated Smooth a lot. He looked at all the little creatures inside; they were very peaceful and quiet. For a moment, Ray forgot why he was there. They still had a lot to learn from nature's unique teaching techniques. Smooth looked around the chamber. He noticed Brine's desk that was enveloped by the darkness. Taking out his torchlight, Smooth went to the table and began searching for secret documents. All the drawers were locked. Smooth looked under the table. As expected, he found the little key lying there. Gabe is too good at his work. Smooth tried the key at each drawer but nothing would work. All the drawers didn't even budge a little. I will have to skip this part of the plan. He returned to the aquarium to have a last glimpse when something caught his eye. A piece of paper was attached to the wooden part under the aquarium and the word- 'secret' was scrupulously written on it. Smooth turned the key in what seemed to be a keyhole and the wooden part dropped outwards. Smooth took out the files and kept them upon the table. One thing over! Now when the police come, the first thing they will notice will be that the murdered man is a smuggler. As Smooth drew towards the door, he heard the door click open. He acted on instinct, and quickly shot at the figure that appeared. The shadow collapsed immediately. Smooth focused his torchlight at the corpse. Brine Layman. Smooth had a moment of rejoicing when he realized the shot must have certainly woken the assistant. His mind raced. He calculated the time it would take the assistant to figure out what had happened and come here. He had ten minutes.
Brine Layman had been shot in the forehead. He had fallen backwards. Smooth thought hard and then he smiled. The assistant can be made my scapegoat! He is a new guy. Maybe he doesn't know about the smuggling part. This will make things easier. Suppose he shoots Brine from outside as Brine is leaving his office, then the guy will fall face up towards the office. Ray tightened his gloves, took off his bag and rotated the corpse carefully. After his work was done, he put back the files in place in a hurry and quickly locked the secret section. Removing the piece of paper that had been attached on the drawer by Gabe, he placed the key back under the table. One last thing to do! Smooth mused.
Inspector Hawkings woke up with a start. His cell phone was buzzing. Hawkings picked it up bewildered. "Hello?" "Hello, Inspector Hawkings?" said the voice. "Yes?" asked Hawkings. "There has been a murder at Layman Fisheries. You need to come right away!" the voice said anxiously. "Hold on! Don't let anybody move! I will be there in a moment! Who are you?" he asked. "Charlie Gabriel," said the voice. Gabriel! Hawkings set to work immediately.
The assistant Max Mueller moved fast towards the office. The door was closed. No, it was slightly open. There was a gun stuck in the gap. Max held the gun in his bear hands and pulled. It easily gave way. Inside, Brine Layman lay dead.
Smooth ran towards the servant’s quarters window. He was out in the open. The phone call part had been very easy. Liberating Gabe was still left and it would be very difficult! He peeped in through the window. His eyes met Gabe's bulging ones. The lights of the room were on. The staff was all up and alert. Smooth felt guilty. It was impossible to release Gabe. Smooth cursed himself and his plan. He had put Gabe in immense danger. With a heavy heart, he whispered, "Confess." Then he slid the cell phone through the window onto the side table and disappeared somewhere into the night.
Gabe sat there stunned. The police had arrived and had taken the situation under control. Confess? How can I confess? Ray has been a good friend to me. I won't confess. He sat in the servant's quarters stone-faced. All had not been lost. Inspector Hawkings was the one who interrogated him. "What is your name?" asked Hawkings. "Charlie Gabriel, I am the son of Sam Gabriel," said Gabe. "Did you call me?" asked Hawkings. Charlie nodded and gave Hawkings the cellphone Smooth had left behind. "How did you end up here?" asked Hawkings. "My father had told me to call in a certain number if ever I fell into trouble. After his death, I thought it was the right time. When I called, a man named Peter Kane picked up. He told me to come here and tell nothing of it to anybody. He said he was a friend," said Gabe. "What happened at night?" asked Hawkings. "I don't know much. I was asleep when I heard a loud bang that woke me up. One of the men went up and told us that Brine had been killed. I know nothing else," Gabe said. Hawkings eyed him. He was quite truthful. "Okay, I am satisfied. Look, your father Sam worked under this smuggler Brine Layman and he got killed in the meantime. You don't need to worry. You will not be arrested." he said. "Who did it?" Gabe asked. "Max Mueller, the assistant. That staff who went up after the noise was heard found Max in Brine's office. Max pleaded innocence but the fingerprints on the gun matched with his and now all is over," said Hawkings. "Why did he do that?" asked Gabe. "He is new in the job. At night, he was searching for some file in the office when he hit upon some documents upon smuggling. At the same moment, he heard footsteps coming towards him. He ran out of the office towards his own where he stayed hidden for some time. Then it hit him that Brine must have come to know that he knew everything so he shot Brine for his own safety. Before he could do anything of the crime scene, he was unfortunately noticed and so now we have our man." “Oh!” Gabe exclaimed. Hawkings stood up and whispered, “Go home,” and moved towards the door, happy with the result.
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