Dead Ringers

Speculation Connections

We reach the address at about one-fifty. Mr. Hardy is annoyed that we're late and makes a point about punctuality each chance he gets until we're on the Skype call with his son.

I smile politely at Thomas Hardy as I introduce myself. "Hello, Mr. Hardy, I am Detective Fullin of CCPD Day Division. This is my partner for the case, Detective Miles of CCPD Night Division."

Thomas nods and smiles. "Detectives. What can I do for you?"

"We have a couple of questions for you," I tell him.

"Hopefully I'll have some answers for you," he responds.

"Mr. Hardy, where were you when the body was left in front of the bank?"

"Please, call me Thomas, and to answer your question I was actually driving away from the bank. I had had a pre-closing meeting with my co-manager. My father has me overseeing that branch of the bank."

"Who knew about this meeting?" Miles asks.

Thomas thinks for a second before answering. "Well, my co-manager, my father, the managers assistant, and probably a hand full of the tellers working that shift."

"Have you made any enemies recently?"

"No. I make a point to be friends with everyone. I really hate fights."

"Any past enemies?"

"No. I avoided making enemies, and the few that I did make, we're now all on good terms."

"Is there anyone that just doesn't like you and or hates you?"

"If there is, I don't know of them."

"We're you about to be promoted or given any more responsibilities over the bank from your father?" I ask.

Thomas blinks. "Well, no one is supposed to know this, but my father is currently working on getting me instated on the bank's board."

I nod. I think I might be getting somewhere. "Thank you. Those are all the questions I have for you." I stand up.

Miles looks at me. "That's it?"

"I need to think, I'll meet you by the car." Without another word, I leave Miles to wrap up the Skype call.

Mr. Hardy sits in a chair outside his office. He glances up at me when I walk out. "My partner is finishing up, then we'll be leaving."

He glances at his watch then grumbles under his breath about how we would have been long gone by now if we had been on time.

I choose not to respond. As I turn to leave, a sudden thought hit me. I turn back to Mr. Hardy. "Mr. Hardy," I start, getting his attention, "Your son mentioned that you are currently working on plans to get him on the board of the bank."

His eyes widen in surprise. "He shouldn't have told you that, no one is supposed to know. . . Not yet anyway."

I sit down in the chair next to his. "I think someone did know, and that's why your son was targeted."

Mr. Hardy pulls back a fraction. "Targeted? I was told this was random, not a threat."

"I don't think it was. Mr. Hardy, I need to know who else besides you and your son knew about your plans." He narrows his eyes at me. "Mr. Hardy, before your son's doppelganger was dropped off, my own doppelganger was deposited in front of the Day Division headquarters. Call it a hunch, but I believe that they are connected, and it is not a coincidence."

"Fine. But if one word of this is leaked to the press, I'll sue you. The only people besides my son and I that knew were the others on the board, Mr. Haverford, Mr. Nelson, Mrs. Jones, and Mr. Nicholson, and the lawyer who is drawing up the plans on our behalf, Mr. Wyatt."

"That's it? Just those five?"

"I haven't told another soul. I can't say the same for my partners, but none of us have ever told another living soul about board meeting discussions, and I have no reason to believe that this time would be any different," he asserts.

I hear the door open behind me, and glance back to see Miles walk out of the office. I offer my hand to Mr. Hardy, and he takes it. "Thank you for your time, Mr. Hardy," I tell him as I shake his hand.

As I stand up, he shakes a warning finger at me. "Not a word Detective."

"You have my word," I assure him.

I then turn and begin walking down the hall. Miles keeps by my side.

Once back in his car he looks at me. "Not a word about what?"

"According to Mr. Hardy, the only other people that knew about his plans to put his son on the bank's board were Mr. Haverford, Mr. Nelson, Mrs. Jones, Mr. Nicholson, and Mr. Wyatt. They're all fellow board members except for Mr. Wyatt, he's a lawyer working on the plans with them. I'm assuming they all live in Copultin City, so they would also know about my career. Connection, but I don't recognize any of their names, and I don't ever recall the chief, Elliot, or Laci mentioning them. Connection gone," I think aloud. "What are your thoughts?" I look over at Miles. He's giving me an odd look. "What?"

"I was with you until you started rambling. What just happened?" He asks.

I huff. "I was thinking aloud. Elliot calls it my verbal brainstorming. It's supposed to be a back and forth thing, to work through the information to determine what is and isn't relevant while also coming up with theories to test. Clearly, you're going to be as helpful as Elliot was."

"Fine. Five other people knew about Mr. Hardy's plan. Four were fellow board members, the fifth was a lawyer. Logically, they should live in this city, so like anyone here, they've at least once heard of your shining career, but I have no idea what that has to do with you not knowing any of them and your friends never giving you any reason to believe that they know them," Miles retorts.

"Right, you're Night Division. You wouldn't know."

"Know what?"

"A month ago, the Day Division chief talked to me to see if I would be interested in taking his place as chief in the future. I pointed out that that day was far away, but I was defiantly interested, and I would keep an open mind, but he was very adamant that I was his top pick for his replacement, and if I wanted the job, all I had to do was say it."

I can see it click into place for Miles. "Both Thomas and you were in positions that were going to give you more power in the future."

"And whoever orchestrated the drops had some vague sense of our schedules. My doppelganger was dropped in the late afternoon, when things would be slowing down for the day, and I would have free time to see the body or been then one to find the body."

"And Thomas had a pre-closing meeting, and had the timing been just a little different, Thomas would have seen the drop happen," Miles finishes.

"It all seems to fit, but there's no physical connection, so this is all coincidence and speculation. Gah!" I slam my head back into the headrest.