Family Business

Beard

May 30th North District Police Station, Jersey City, 9.15am

Peter Beard sat uncomfortably in interview room four. In front of him FBI Special Agent Shipley and Lieutenant O'Kelly. Beside him his free legal aid solicitor Wendy Schimmerman. A twenty one year old novice.

O'Kelly takes a sip of water "It doesn't add up Peter, you break protocol by not checking if the delivery is for her and the one time it happens, she's abducted by them".

Peter looks at his lawyer, she looks back, both look unsure what to do, Peter looks back at O'Kelly "C'mon she's the size of a truck!"

Shipley lets out a laugh "So if she was skinny you would checked if she ordered the Pizza, Peter don't lie!" She places an envelope on the table and places four photos on the table taken from the motel "Do you know any of these four people, think carefully before answering!"

O'Kelly senses his nervousness and he shakes his head in denial "You seem unsure, we checked out your job referees Peter!". Peter turns again to his rookie lawyer.

"The numbers you gave are no longer active, so we rang the companies, guess what?? they never heard of you"

Peter sighs "c'mon, what was I to do, I was just divorced, two kids to provide support to as well as that bitch of an ex-wife, I was desperate"

Shipley gathers up the photos "You would have got a job telling the truth. Your company says that their was several security jobs going and you specifically asked for that one, eventhough their was a security role at a premises closer to where you were staying".

Peter feels drips of sweat roll down the back of his shirt "I didn't want to be security living close to home, it was a safety thing".

Shipley was about to speak when there is a rap on the door, an excitable officer in his mid thirties enters "Excuse me, but I need to speak with you both now!".

They exit the interview room and shut the door behind themselves. "What is it" asks O'Kelly

"The IT report on that online threat to Ms Sternwood, it was sent by a Pamela Beard, the sister in-law of Peter Beard who's in there right now".

They thank the officer and re-enter. "You have not been honest with us Peter?"

May 30th Mercer Street Medical Centre, Jersey City 11:30am

Pamela Beard smiled at the male and female police officers as they arrived at the reception counter, "Good morning Officers, how can I help you?". "Pamela Beard?" the male officer asks.

"Yes" she replies with a tone of concern in her voice "is everything alright?"

"We need to talk to you down at the station!".

Fifteen minutes later, she is waiting in interview room number six. Eventually Special Agent Shipley and Lieutenant O'Kelly enter. Shipley drops her online post in front of Pamela "Apologies for the delay, now tell us about this?"

Pamela is taken back by the bluntness of Shipley, her hand trembles as she reads it "She's a glutton, a usurer, her excess flesh which weighs her down is a symbol of her greed, the greedier she gets, the more gluttonous she gets the harder it is to breath, a penance before her real punishment when the day of judgement arrives"

O'Kelly leans in "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone! now tell me why did you post this!"

Pamela purses her lips "As I said she's a gluttonous usurer, she calls herself a businesswoman, she is a thief, Pastor John says a well dressed thief is just as sinful as the poorly dressed thief"

Shipley opens the brown envelope on the table top and removes the same four photos they showed her brother "Do you know these people! and DON'T LIE!"

"To lie is a sin but you should now that!" adds O'Kelly "we had your brother in law in, he lied to us, ended up crying like a baby"

Pamela sits more upright "Why was Peter in here?"

"Prudence Sternwood was kidnapped yesterday from her workplace" O'Kelly states as he shoves the photos right in front of her "Do you recognise any of these".

She points at Gretchen and Richie "Gretchen, a dear friend, who was robbed blind by that glutton, where is her justice, but I guess those with earthly justice can be controlled by the dollar bill, but those that do will be met with damnation on judgement day!".

O'Kelly and Shipley stare at each other. Shipley sighs "Tell me what did Ms Sternwood steal from Gretchen McClure!".

Pamela rolls her palms into fists, when Grechen's father passed away, Prudence strong armed her mother to sell the farm, being the gluttonous usurer that she is, undercut her on price, as soon as she had it, reneged on her promise they could live there in the family home and had them removed forcefully of course the coward got bailiffs to do her dirty work."

O'Kelly laughs "Who told you that!"

Pamela gasps in horror "Gretchen!"

O'Kelly shakes his head side by side "She lied. When Gretchens father passed away, her older brother took over. Ran it to the ground, expanded the farm bought brand spanking new machinery, created huge debt for the farm. The bank was going to foreclose on them. Prudence and her family bought out the farm and allowed the family stay there. They offered her brother a job managing it, it was to be an organic farm, but that was not enough for the McClures and so the older McClure boy decided to extort them. Threatened to spray non-organic pesticide on the crops, unless the paid him two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. He is still in jail. Her mother and sister remain in the farm house but no other siblings can visit. Gretchen then two weeks later after the extortion attempt in a fit of fury bet Prudence black and blue!".

Pamela sat in silence in complete shock. "Gretchen played you Pamela" states Shipley "Now tell us what you know about the kidnapping of Prudence, you might want to change your mind and get yourself a lawyer!"

Pamela wipes a tear from her eye "I can't believe it, though, though it makes sense. When she started working in the medical cent-"

"She worked in the medical centre?" asks O'Kelly interrupting.

"Yes, she worked as a porter, on her first day asked to sit with me, started mentioning straightaway about her cousins here and Prudence, what she told me made me so angry. Oh gosh what have I done!" She begins to sob

Shipley looks at O'Kelly "We need to get her employee file." She turns to Pamela and hands her some tissue. "She took advantage of your good nature, but you can help Prudence by telling us what you know".

Pamela sniffles as she wipes her eyes and nose "I gave her medical history, the medication she was on, she told me that it was just to blackmail Prudence, that it would force her to have her family back in the home. She promised to make a contribution towards the Churches soup kitchen, she never did!!. How could I have been so stupid!"

"Do you know where they are now?" asks Shipley "She shakes her head, no I don't sorry. She has stopped answering my calls or even reading my SMS messages, makes sense now I suppose."

"Tell us!" asks O'Kelly "how do you think she got to know you worked there?".

Pamela sniffles one more time "Prudence rarely came in she was so busy. Dr Alvin would go to her home and carry examinations there when needed, she paid well. Her secretary came in sometimes for prescriptions etc, then this other lady came in one day, tall girl long black hair. Dr Kelly is very busy and Prudence got her an appointment with him. I remember she came out, paid; very chatty and friendly. She asked about vacancies for a friend and I gave her the website. A few months later Gretchen was working there".


Shipley asks her for a description of the lady, she leaves and returns a few moments later with her laptop and images of all Sternwoods employees. She turns the laptop around towards Pamela "this file contains photos of their head office employees can you have a look at any of these photo's and see if you recognise the lady in question. She spots Holly Stewart "That's her".


May 30th North District Police Station, Jersey City, 1pm
Shipley sat at a desk, O'Kelly arranged for her. She is on the phone with special Agent Scott Brewer discussing the next steps. There was so many different leads now, and so many resources needed. Agent O'Kelly waited patiently at her desk, she looked up and acknowledges him and indicates she will be just one minute more. Eventually she hangs up

"the phone was dumped in the back of a telecoms pick-up. The driver completely oblivious, he stopped off at a service stop during the night, we're working with local law enforcement. We have traced the ransom demand call demand to an abandoned gas station, we are monitoring it from a distance. Also this morning, that call made from the store with John from the Breakers yard, it came from New Ark. What's interesting, an hour later, there was another outgoing call made to a campsite at Sparta beside lake Mohawk".

"Looks like they are there!" states O'Kelly

"It does, we're asking law enforcement there to check out cctv".

O'Kelly places a file on her desk "got Gretchen's work file from the medical centre, two referees, one her pastor, the second Holly Stewart, we have our mole!".