Where Darkness Resides, page 5
The two attorneys started drafting responses to the trial memos.
8 NEEDS
Scottsdale, Arizona
The Same Day
“Mr. Williams, I’ve told you many times not to overexert yourself. You need to minimize your fatigue,” the nurse admonished while directing him back to his recliner in the living room.
He tried to resist and turn back to the jumble of stuff he was working on to entertain himself and prevent him from being bored.
“I…I…” he gasped.
Noticing his shortness of breath, the nurse quickly interrupted him, “Just relax. You need to regain your strength.”
Realizing he was weaker than he thought, he relented and allowed her to continue her efforts. Once he was seated, the nurse went into the kitchen to bring his dinner.
“You need to eat this,” she said as she placed the plate on the tray table and scooted it in front of him. “You need to eat your nutritional requirements each day like the dietician said to prevent unnecessary weight loss. A well-balanced diet is important for your illness. It’ll strengthen your immune system to help you fight any infections. The meals also help with the fatigue.”
“You need…you need. I know what I need,” he muttered as his eyes burned with frustration.
Although obstinate as always, Gavin Williams reluctantly ate his meal. Dinner consisted of lemon-glazed salmon, fresh broccoli, a hefty scoop of rice, a slice of avocado, some fresh fruit, and chocolate pudding for dessert. It wasn’t the fast food he was used to eating over the years, but he endured it, nonetheless. The nurse then placed a tall glass of milk on the tray table.
“I hope you didn’t add dry milk powder into the milk again,” Gavin sneered as he hesitantly took a sip. “Yuck! You did.”
His facial expression couldn’t hide his disgust.
“You know I need to do that, so you get the necessary calories to maintain your weight. It’s what…”
“I need. I know. I know.”
He continued angrily eating his meal. Luckily, he had no difficulties swallowing. After a few hearty bites of food, he could sense his strength returning. But he knew the nurse would make him take a late afternoon nap before calling his daughter, Pamela.
Once he was completely finished with his nap, Gavin called his oldest daughter.
“Hey, sunshine,” he beamed as if speaking with his middle child brought back the joy and vigor of his youth.
“Hi, Dad,” Pamela said as she walked to the terrace for some privacy. “How are you feeling today?”
“Same as usual. Strong as an ox,” he declared while flexing his biceps as if his daughter could see him.
“And stubborn as one too,” she rejoined. “Your nurses have been texting me while I’m here in Puerto Rico. I hear you’re not listening to them.”
“Why those….”
“Dad, please calm down. They’re only looking out for your best interest. You have gotten a lot better with….”
She didn’t want to mention Gerald Ravan or Regal Wisteria and their assistance with her father’s health. Pamela was concerned Daniel might hear her and find out about her family’s long-standing association with the company.
“You need to just follow your doctor’s advice and the dietitian’s guidelines and you’ll be fine. You’ve been doing great, Dad. I’m so proud of you.”
“Not you too with my needs,’” Gavin replied. This time he didn’t let his anger exasperate him. He stayed calm for his daughter’s sake. “Let’s not discuss this anymore. You’re in the Caribbean to have fun and not to worry about your father.”
She sighed deeply but agreed for her father’s sake. She knew stressing him out would only cause him fatigue and make things worse. That was the last thing she wanted.
Patience, she reminded herself.
She breathed in and out like her sensei taught her so long ago as a child while learning Aikido. “Ok, Dad.”
“Thank you. Now, how’s Puerto Rico? I want to know everything about it.” he asked.
“It’s lovely here. It’s so green and lush. The waters are so warm and aqua blue, not like the dull, cool waters of the Pacific. And the locals are so friendly. Oh, the food…the food is so…um…delicious. Wish you were here. I’m sure you’d enjoy it.”
“Oh, I know I would. It sounds marvelous. I can’t wait to go there someday myself,” he admitted.
Gavin, however, knew he didn’t have the strength for the long flight to the Caribbean. It was only a fanciful dream albeit a comforting one. Holding on to dreams like this was a way for him to keep hope alive. There was no cure for his illness, at least not yet, and he knew that. But he didn’t allow that reality to affect him; otherwise, he could succumb to depression or other mental issues. His doctors warned him of the possibility. With the help of the medical staff and his daughter, he was grateful to have avoided it so far.
Hearing fireworks coming from the phone, Gavin stated, “Sounds like the festivities have started. What have you guys done for fun?”
“Well, we haven’t attended any celebrations yet. Something else came up.”
“Don’t tell me you’re working instead of enjoying your vacation? You’re supposed to be on what they call…respite…I think. Don’t overwork yourself. You need to rest and relax,” Gavin insisted.
He was happy to play the fatherly role again.
“Now look who’s making demands,” Pamela giggled to downplay her response. Her voice became serious. “This is important. We think someone’s been kidnapped and tortured.”
“Really?” Gavin became more interested in the conversation because it wasn’t like the typical dull and tedious investigation Pamela sometimes conducted which normally involved her trying to catch a cheating spouse and prove infidelity. “Why do you think that?”
“It’s a long story. I’ll tell you once I get back.”
He could tell she was anxious to get back to her investigation.
“Okay, sunshine. Enjoy yourself. One last thing before I go. I heard from Milagros that Cameron’s in town. He’s staying at a local hotel. He hasn’t dropped by to visit me. I figure it’s because he hasn’t forgiven me after all this time. He’s your brother. Maybe he’s willing to speak to you about it. We’re family and we’re all we’ve got. We can’t keep avoiding each other.”
Gavin coughed a few times as a sign of his impending shortness of breath. The conversation was unexpectedly causing him added stress.
“Dad, are you okay?”
A long pause made Pamela even more concerned for her father’s well-being.
“I’m doing fine. It was just a temporary issue.”
“You really need to see the doctor again and get evaluated. It’s been a long time since you’ve had an appointment. Promise me you will.”
9 INTERVIEWS
Isabela, Puerto Rico
Later That Night
Pamela received a text message while enjoying the bomba dancers. She quickly glanced at the message but continued watching. The lead female dancer was holding onto her traditional white skirt with both hands, thrusting her arms in a series of unique gestures based upon her spiritual connection with the Afro-Puerto Rican music. The drummer synchronized his beats on his barrile following the dancer’s gestures. The lead female sang a chorus about a love triangle while the other two singers responded in turn. Pamela, however, was not well-versed in Spanish to understand the intricacies of the song’s storyline. She was so enthralled with the rhythm of the dancers and the drums she almost forgot about the text message.
Soaking in one last glance of the performance before heading to a secluded area of the resort mentioned in the text message, Pamela first ensured Daniel was distracted and not looking for her. She saw him talking to a group of guests at the bar. He seemed happy and must have been regaling them with a story about a trial he recently had. The guests were mesmerized and appeared engaged.
Good. He’s too preoccupied, she reassured herself and stealthily walked away.
As she approached the designated rendezvous point, Gerald Ravan appeared out of nowhere.
“It’s good to see you, Pam,” he declared as the two embraced. “How’s your father?”
They discussed Gavin’s progress and setbacks and the possibility of enrolling him into the latest clinical trial using a state-of-the-art medication recently developed in Japan.
“I’m really excited to know he’ll get into the clinical trial with your assistance, Gerry. I don’t know what to say. You’ve done so much for him.”
Pamela became teary-eyed at the thought of her father’s improved health and increased mobility and independence. She tempered her expectations. She didn’t want to get ahead of herself and get her hopes up only to have them dashed as she had in the past.
“Anything for you and your father,” Gerald asserted. He too was eager to see an old friend get back to normal if possible.
Once Pamela regained her composure, she told Gerald about her suspicions someone had been kidnapped or tortured at the resort.
“This isn’t good. Not now of all things. We’re in the middle of our ten-year celebration.” The worry on his face was obvious. Gerald was also upset the resort’s security personnel hadn’t foiled the incident and two guests were aware of it before he was. “I’m glad you bought this to my attention, Pam. I’m concerned my security personnel might be in on it or have turned a blind eye. I’m not sure if I want to alert them about it yet. Maybe you can look into it and keep me up to speed with your investigation,” he asked.
“Certainly. I just want to remind you that it could be nothing just a messy suite or some kind of sick prank or BDSM. I don’t want to alarm you unnecessarily.”
“I trust your instincts. If you say you think someone was kidnapped, I’m sure you have a good reason to think that. I understand you don’t want to worry me, but we’ve been working too long together for any misunderstandings.”
“Thanks, Gerry.”
“Just let me know if there is anything you need.”
He started walking off, expecting Pamela to get back to him later.
Instead, she approached him.
“I may need to interview a few employees - security personnel, housekeeping assigned to the casita, and anyone else who may come to mind,” she explained.
“I’ll make sure you’re given the names and access to the personnel.”
Sitting at the desk in the diminutive room designated for the maintenance engineer, Pamela asked the maintenance worker assigned to casita number eight to sit down on the chair opposite her. The younger, Puerto Rican female nervously stared at her but didn’t move.
“¿Qué quieres?” she asked.
“I’m sorry. I don’t speak Spanish,” Pamela replied.
“I just asked ‘what do you want?’ Can you tell me?”
“Sit please,” Pamela again pointed to the chair to coax the woman into relaxing.
She was obviously reluctant to speak although she’d been informed by management to cooperate with the investigation. The employee eventually sat down and stared at Pamela. She didn’t say another word but waited anxiously. Pamela gave a confused look and then it dawned on her.
“I’ve seen you before. Haven’t I? Isn’t your name, Inez? You’re assigned to clean my casita, number seven.”
The woman smiled wistfully, unsure if she would be recognized.
“You are correct. We’ve met before. I’m assigned casitas seven, eight, nine, and ten,” she admitted.
“Well, Inez. I’m told casita number eight has been vacant for several weeks now. Is that accurate?”
“Yes, it is,” she firmly insisted.
“I don’t believe you.”
“What do you mean? Management hasn’t booked the casita. You can check their reservation system.”
“Well, I was recently inside of number eight. There were clothes and belongings everywhere as if someone had been staying in it for a while. Do you know anything about that?”
“I don’t. I just do what I’m told.”
“And what is that?”
“To clean, vacuum, empty the trash, switch out the sheets and towels. Stuff like that.”
She almost cracked a smile but resisted her impulse. She didn’t want to let her cockiness do her in.
“So you know nothing about anyone staying in casita number eight?”
“Exactly!”
“Well, the logs show for the past week or so, that you thoroughly cleaned casita numbers seven, nine, and ten every day.”
“Yes, because guests have been staying in those casitas. It’s my job.”
“The logs also indicate that you’ve lightly dusted casita number eight on all of those occasions. Are you telling me you never noticed anyone staying in eight when you were there?”
“No, not at all.”
She seemed incredulous at the revelation.
“I’m disappointed, Inez. You may not be aware of this, but the resort has cameras hidden outside of the living quarters to protect the guests. The videos show you talking with a man at the front door of casita number eight. He also gave you money. Either that was a tip for cleaning the casita or a payoff or both. So, I’m asking you again, was anyone staying in casita number eight?”
“If you already knew about it, why are you asking me?”
“We just wanted to confirm and see if you were going to be truthful. Apparently, you’re not loyal to the company or to Mr. Ravan.”
“I am loyal…,” her voice was taut out of concern for her well-being. “I just needed the extra money for bills. They paid me twice as much just to clean that casita and not tell anyone. I won’t do it again. I promise.”
“Who’s they?”
“The security guard, Jose. I don’t know the name of the person actually staying in the casita. He never told me his name. Neither did Jose.”
“Thanks, Inez. You can go now,” Pamela said dismissively.
“But what about my job? I can’t lose my job.”
Her eyes pierced Pamela. They were searching for an ounce of compassion and guidance.
“It’s not up to me. It’s up to Mr. Ravan. All I can say is that you told me the truth finally, but you weren’t originally going to. He may not like that.”
She solemnly exited the maintenance room and returned to work. Daniel Mendoza watched her and then entered.
“Nice job. I heard what she said. If we have the video, then we should be able to figure out who the guest was,” he declared.
“Not so fast. I lied to her. We don’t have a video?”
“What? So how did you know she was involved?”
“It’s not the first time a maintenance worker has secretly allowed a guest to stay at a hotel. I see it all the time in my line of work. I figured her reluctance to answer my questions meant she was doing something nefarious and didn’t want to get caught. Claiming there was video proof only made it easier for her to admit it even if she never realized I was lying to her.” Pamela smiled. “I’m surprised you don’t use that trick in your profession.”
“We can’t. When deposing or cross-examining a witness at trial, if I falsely assert there was video proof, opposing counsel would demand access to the video. Without an actual video, I’ve lost all credibility, especially in front of a jury.”
“That’s the great thing about my job. When I question people, they never have legal representation. Most typically voluntarily talk to me. If they refuse to talk to me, then I can spy on them to see what they are up to. In the end, they can’t hide the truth.”
Daniel shook his head in disbelief. Before he could say a word, a security guard entered the room.
“I’m told to speak with a Pamela Williams,” the guard said.
“Are you Jose?” Pamela asked, hoping it was a coincidence.
“No. No. Jose’s gone for the day. I’m one of the security guards who was on duty the night you’re asking about. Management sent me.”
“Okay,” Pamela said.
Daniel walked to the other side of the desk to observe the interview.
“How many security guards were working that night?” Pamela asked.
“Three. I worked in the main building. Another security guard was assigned to the parking lot. The third security roamed the resort to ensure the guests were safe. That’s the procedure almost every night. On weekends, we may have a second guard roam the resort because there are a lot more people staying here.”
“Who was the guard assigned to roam the resort?”
“Now that I think about it, it was Jose.”
“Are there video cameras on the property?”
“A few. Some are in the parking lot. A couple inside and outside the main building and pro shop. And one or two near the tennis courts. We don’t have any in the main area of the resort where the casitas are. We want to protect our guests’ privacy.”
“Can you take me to the security room so I can see the video for that night?”
“Of course. Follow me.”
The security room had a bank of screens displaying the video feeds from the various cameras stationed throughout the resort. The security guard walked towards a monitor near the desk on the left side of the room. He sat down and said, “The videos from previous days are automatically stored in the cloud every day. Which night do you need?”
Pamela told him, and the guard clicked the necessary button on the computer mouse to open a folder for that day with videos saved from all of the cameras.
“Can we see the video for the parking lot?” Pamela inquired.
“Sure.”
After a couple of clicks, the video came up, showing the parking lot near the front of the resort closest to the main street. The guard played the video at three times the speed to shorten the process of reviewing it.
When the video reached the end, Pamela declared, “No one comes in and out of the parking lot all night. Is there any other way to leave the resort?”
