Why Not Murder

68. Results

68. Results

Maya and Harriet were putting Winnie through more intensive exercise that required both of them, one moving each leg. Winnie was able to apply pressure against them using the muscle in her legs, but she still could not stand alone. Maya noticed that Winnie did not seem herself. Something was annoying her.

When the exercises were complete, after some moments of rest, Harriet brought three tea and they were sitting together in Winnie's studio. Winnie said, "Harriet, show Maya the recordings that Peewee One beamed back." Harriet brought the recordings of a drone on the computer screen.

Winnie continued, "Peewee One is my realistic-looking, life-size, fly drone, programmed to follow Whittaker Purcell. It's on the wall in Whittaker's office."

Maya asked, "Why are you having Whittaker followed?"

Winnie replied, "I don't trust him. He is the only one with motive to do me harm and I am sure it's him who's trying to kill me. Somehow he knows that it was me who demanded ransom from him. I'm looking for proof to substantiate my suspicion." As they watched the computer screen, they saw Maya enter Whittaker's office and the entire conversation there. The mug-shot that Whittaker showed Maya was plain to see.

Winnie said, "Once I knew that Doug was going to be framed by Whittaker, I programmed another fly, Peewee Two to follow Doug. It was hard to recognize him in the police photo with his face all beat up. The fly caught up with him as he was trekking through rough forest."

Maya asked, "How did the drone find him?"

Winnie replied, "A photo is scanned into the fly's programming for visual recognition. Harriet, switch to the recording from Peewee Two." They fast-forwarded through most of Dog's long trek that brought him to the ancestral lands. He arrived at a clearing surrounded by tall thick firs. Another man was waiting there. It was Jake and he apparently had been expecting Dog.

Jake said to Dog, "You are assumed to be alive because your remains have not been found. Therefore remains must be found that are identified as yours. The man below ground here, my older brother Grey Feather, has the closest DNA to yours. My brother's spirit would not be offended by what I propose to do. He knew of you, but never knew you. After his murder and later after your birth and the death of your mother, I learned you were being raised by his sister."

Dog interrupted, "I believed she was my mother. What's your plan?"

Jake replied, "We dig up Grey Feather's skeleton, take it to the site of the train accident, burn the bones, plant them strategically, and tip off the cops."

Dog said, "My DNA would not be identical to his."

Jake replied, "Doesn't matter. It will be assumed that fire damaged the DNA. There would be significant correlation to yours, assuming that they even have your DNA. Grey Feather's spirit has never been at rest, maybe this will help."

Harriet and Maya both noticed how angry Winnie's expression became. Harriet paused the video and they both looked at Winnie, while she confessed, "Grey Feather was my first love. I was only fifteen and love took complete control of me. My father would not have it. Jake and I found Grey Feather hanging from a noose. It was concluded by everyone but Jake and I that it was suicide. My heart was broken and never repaired. I have never felt love like that since. I hated my father but couldn't live without him as I grew to be so materially dependent. Only killing would appease my hate. XX Fuel was one of my father's companies. I hated all his executives. But now, what have I learned? The object of my love was never who I believed he was. I was actually in love with a figment of my imagination while Grey Feather was loving another woman instead of me!"