BEING HALSEY

CHAPTER 74

JACKSONVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT

9.00AM

Jared Kurtas dials the telephone number. It was a call he dreaded, a call that changes someone's life in an instant.

He was the chief investigating officer in charge of this murder case.

A man's voice answered.

It sounded both puzzled and apprehensive. Without identify himself, he said with obvious relief,

" The police, you say? Hold on, I'll fetch my wife."

Kurtas again identified himself and expressed his sympathy as gently as possible. He was met by an initial silence and then in a soft voice,

" It's good of you to phone but we were already informed by the school's secretary. We had a cup of tea together but she didn't tell me much. Just that my son was found dead and that it wasn't a natural death, I still can't believe it. Who would want to harm my son? I asked what had happened and if the police knew who was responsible, but she said that she wasn't able to answer questions like that. She only came to the break the news."

" Did your son had any enemies you were aware of? Anyone who might have wished him harm?"

The line went silent for seconds.

" Well, he obviously had enemies because he has been murdered but, my son was very private, he was like that as a child, keeping secrets and not telling anyone what he thought. We didn't see him often after he left home, but he did come for Thanksgiving."

" So you can't tell us very much about his friends? his private life?"

" I've told you he was private. I don't know anything about his friends." She pauses, probably thinking.

" But there's this young guy...what was his name?...Umm...Tray! Yes, he mentioned him a few times."

Kurtas writes the name on the small note pad he'd been holding.

" A post mortem is being done as we speak, as soon as the coroner releases the body, I'll inform you ASAP."

" I'll speak to our vicar, to see if he'll help us."

Her voice changes and Kurtas thought she might be holding back tears.

" I have to go, I'm still in shock you know, I didn't expect something like this would happen to my son. It's the kind of things you read about or see on television. You don't expect it to happen to someone you know. It doesn't seem fair."

Kurtas could hear her crying and the line went dead.

He paused for a moment, gazing at the phone before making the next call. He remembered his mother's death, how he tried to be strong for his father's sorrow. How he managed to control his tears at the funeral and the pained scene of his father's breakdown.

He shook himself into present and diall the number.

It ringed four rings.

" What you got?" The voice asked.

" A close friend of his, Tray. I need you to check all his records and everything you can find about him. I have a feeling he knows something."

***