Chapter Twenty-Nine
Charlie pulled his car into the parking lot behind their building.
He felt that he’d failed. He hadn’t discovered anything new about Jules except that she had a brother.
Nothing of what had happened made any sense, but in his gut, he felt that if he found Jules, it would lead him to Declan and that was all that mattered right now.
Charlie walked around to the front of the building, up the stairs, and through the front door of the office.
He found Mrs B at her desk, talking on the phone.
She nodded at him. A large plate heaped with sandwiches was sitting on the coffee table.
Gwen appeared from the kitchenette with another platter filled with pastries.
She walked past Charlie and put the food down, then adjusted the platters and stood back assessing the buffet before disappearing into the kitchenette.
Mrs B shrugged. She covered the telephone receiver. “Feeding people is how she copes.”
Gwen returned with a dishwasher rack full of cups and when she couldn’t find a clear surface, she placed it on the sofa. She finally acknowledged Charlie. “Eat!” she ordered.
He grabbed a sandwich and sat down beside the mugs as Duck ambled over and rested his chin on Charlie’s lap. “Want some?” Charlie asked, offering him the small remains of his sandwich.
Duck sniffed at it, then gently gulped it down.
“That was Sam,” Mrs B said as she hung up the phone. “He and Gary are almost here. Did you have any luck finding Jules?”
“No,” Charlie said, dejectedly.
Gwen stuck her head out of the kitchenette. “Can I get you a coffee?”
“That’s okay, Gwen. You don’t have to,” Charlie answered.
“Well, if I don’t do something around here, I’ll go mad!”
Charlie smiled. “A latte would be great then.”
She returned in a few minutes with his perfectly prepared coffee just as the main office door opened and Sam and Gary walked in.
“You two,” Gwen said, “sit and eat!”
The men obeyed, and after a few bites of food, Sam looked up.
“We should compare notes. So, I only got started looking into the names on Declan’s list, but most of the people I got in touch with have solid alibis for the time Declan disappeared.
And most say they can back up their claims with witnesses. ”
“They could have hired someone to do their dirty work for them,” Gary said, “so an alibi wouldn’t matter.”
Sam frowned. “I was hoping one of them might look like the guy who attacked Angel, but to be truthful, when I looked them up, none of them really fit the bill. I don’t think that list is going to be a huge help after all.”
Gary took a sip of his coffee. “I had a bit better luck. I pulled a few strings and managed to get this…” He tossed a piece of paper on the coffee table.
Charlie picked it up. “What is it?”
“It’s a search warrant for the house,” Gary replied.
“It would usually take some time, but when I explained that there were exigent circumstances and that the missing person was Sam’s son, the judge didn’t blink an eye.
” Gary looked over to Sam. “You might recall the Honourable Linda Havens sat on the bench for a number of cases where your airtight testimony put several crooks behind bars. She was happy to help out.”
“Did you find out anything about the shard of glass from the house?” Sam asked.
“The folks at the lab said that it showed traces of isoflurane, a sedative used by vets. That might explain why Duck wasn’t so keen on the scent when he found the spot on the floor in the house.”
Duck shook his head violently and sneezed.
Charlie dredged up a memory from the previous week. “Jules said she worked in a veterinary clinic. That can’t just be a coincidence, can it?”
Gary looked at Sam, then back at Charlie. “I don’t believe in coincidences.”
“Did you get the name of the clinic Jules worked at?” Sam asked.
“No. She mentioned it in passing the first time she was here. It didn’t seem relevant at the time, but the more I discover, the more I think she’s involved in Declan’s disappearance.”
“What do you mean?” Gary asked.
“For starters, her cell phone number is disconnected now. Then, earlier today, I found out that the house she claimed to live in with her father has been empty for years—a neighbour confirmed this. Oh, and as for George Slate, I found one who lives in Calgary and works for a mining company, like she said her father did. When I contacted him, he said he’s never heard of her. ”
Charlie stood and walked to the window. “The one thing I did learn was that, according to a friend of hers, she has a brother. I think we need to focus on Jules. I want to check if a friend of hers I met knows the name of the vet clinic she worked at, and Gary, since you have a warrant now, can you add having Jules’ cell phone provider cough up her phone records?
If we could see who she’d been talking to before the phone was disconnected, it might lead us to her or her brother. ”
“I’m pretty sure I can arrange for that,” Gary said.
Charlie asked, “How long would it take?”
“Given that it’s probably a matter of life or death, the phone company should be able to get the phone records within a matter of hours.”
Charlie glanced at Mrs B. The colour had drained from her face.
“Mrs B—are you okay?”
She shook her head. “Whatever we do, I think we need to act fast. I’m pretty sure that Charlie’s instincts about young Jules are well founded.
I had our lawyer track down the owners of the houses—the one Declan was traced to, and the other one where Jules claimed to live.
I was also able to trace who paid the bill for Jules’ protection contract with us.
All three traces led to the same numbered company—a company registered to Monarch Holdings. ”
“Oh, shit,” Sam, Gary and Charlie said in unison.
Gwen said nothing. She took a deep breath, cleared some plates and quickly went into the kitchenette.
“Mrs B,” Sam said, “can your lawyer get a full list of all the places that are owned by Monarch Holdings, or the numbered company? If Declan’s been taken, someone might be holding him at one of those properties.”
“I’ll call him right now,” she replied.
Gary got up. “I’m going to track down those phone records. I’ll get the list to all of you as soon as I can.”
Sam rose as well. “There was an interesting name on Declan’s list—Simon Griffin, one of Monarch’s former head honchos.
I put him lower on the list because he’s in custody at the Calgary Remand Centre, but maybe he hired someone on the outside to go after Declan.
I think I’m going to try and see him tonight. ”
“While you’re doing that,” Charlie said, “I’m going to see if Jules’ friend can tell me which vet clinic she worked for.”
Mrs B crossed her arms. “We’ve all got work to do, and if Monarch’s involved, we don’t have a minute to lose.”