Investigatory Report
Originally posted on April 5, 2008
Devon: Mr. Williamson.
Asher: Asher.
Devon: Yes, Asher. I have a report for you on your case concerning your half-brother, Gideon. I’m afraid the news is not good.
Asher: What have you been able to find out?
Devon: When your father was killed, a very limited police investigation followed. A detailed coroner’s report was ordered but then apparently rescinded. There was no report in the file. Local law enforcement was undergoing budget cuts and they went with the obvious, ruling Alexander’s death an accident. He did not have a valid driver’s license at the time, so they considered that proof that he was an inexperienced and probably a reckless driver. Your half-brother may have the same information I’m giving you. This information was easy enough to locate, much of it, a matter of public record. We will assume Gideon is aware of it.
Asher: My father probably wouldn’t have bothered keeping a license current – they don’t drive much in the city. How could he have rented a car?
Devon: It was probably borrowed, and in order to collect on his insurance, the friend who he borrowed from said your father had taken it without his permission. A misunderstanding, he claims, that in essence accused your father of stealing it. But that’s neither here nor there.
Asher: Why would any of this in Gideon’s hands be a threat to us?
Devon: I very easily located the officer who wrote the report. He’s no longer with the State Troopers, so he didn’t mind chatting about what he still remembers as “the most slip-shod investigation he was ever forced to shut up about.” He noticed a good many details that would put in question the official conclusion, but insists that at the time, no one was willing to listen to him.
Asher: And Gideon could easily have found him as well.
Devon: Yes, I’m afraid so.
Asher: And come to the conclusion that my Grandmother may have had something to do with my father’s death, directly or indirectly.
Devon: The date does exactly match that last large withdrawal from her bank account. And the amounts are the same, as you’ve told me. It indicates a motive.
Asher: Hey, wait a minute! Wouldn’t there have been some money at the scene? A bank draft, anything?
Devon: Alexander’s wallet was not found. That also contributed to the lack of evidence in the case. It took several hours longer than usual to identify him after the wreck was finally discovered.
Asher: Geez, you’re making it sound plausible that my grandmother was somehow involved.
Devon: I’m only trying to find out the truth. Hunt & Lassiter can’t guarantee a favorable outcome, Asher.
Asher: I know, I know….
Devon: As I explained before, your half-brother now knows who I am, so hopes that he would inadvertently divulge pertinent information are gone.
Asher: It was worth a try.
Devon: What I did find out may be more valuable in the end. Gideon is very sensitive to the mention of your father – I intentionally dropped such mention into our last conversation and he found it impossible to hide his reaction. So I do believe if someone can make him see reason in regard to Alexander’s behavior, it could prevent him from following through on his own threat of blackmail.
Asher: I can’t imagine who is going to be able to do that. Maybe his mother? Would there be any advantage to enlisting her assistance?
Devon: Most likely not. From what I found out about Janelle Bennett, that idea doesn’t look at all promising. She’s left her two sons to fend for themselves for years now; I doubt Gideon would be open to any maternal influence at this point.
Asher: And you say he’s never done anything like this before? Anything so seriously illegal?
Devon: If he has, he’s never been caught. He’s clean - he has no criminal record of any kind.
Asher: So ironically, by protecting myself from my half-brother, I’m protecting him from himself just as much.
Devon: You could look at it that way, yes. Convincing him to abandon his plan is definitely the best possible scenario. There is just too much conjecture and too much time has passed to be able to prove or disprove anyone’s theory about what really happened to your father eighteen years ago.
Devon: I’ll keep working on it, and get back in touch if I can find out anything more.
Asher: Yeah, thanks, I appreciate it.