The decoy

Chapt 24

"It's terrible what happened to Paul. I knew them both very well. They've been coming here for years. I've worked here since I finished school and they've been eating here almost as long."

"Was Jessie Vail here last night?" Sebastian asked.

The manager seemed to stiffen. Something about the officious tone in Sebastian's voice made him rethink his willingness to share information about his regulars.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"We're looking into Paul's death,"

Sebastian placed the letter from Kelly on the table. He didn't bother handing it to the man. Grace pulled her badge from her purse.

The guy looked at the badge and didn't bother to read the letter before he continued answering questions.

"Yes I saw Jessie. She was with someone. I remember it was a gentleman but I am not sure if it was one of these two. It might be but I can't really say for certain."

He looked at the photographs of Starr and Pezzo that Sebastian had printed. They were taken with a cell phone camera and the shot was taken quickly. It wasn't very clear.

"I don't recognize the gentlemen but I am certain I spoke with Jessie Vail last night and I remember she was with a guy. It struck me because Paul has only recently passed away."

"Was there one man with Mrs. Vail or two?" Sebastian asked.

"I remember her coming in with one guy and then I think someone came to join them later. I believe they all ate together and then the other guy left just before Jessie left with the gentleman she came in with. It might be those two but I couldn't say for certain."
            When their meal came, they didn't talk about the case but Sebastian skimmed through the files while he ate. There were some ownership papers a lawyer had drawn up, records of deposits made to a bank in Carbora, Mexico and there was a business card from someone named Tal Harbord at Ashwood Refuse in San Diego.

During the last month he was alive Paul Vail had deposited a total of $140,000 in a bank in Mexico. Sebastian thought that it had to be the money from Rappelo.

After dinner the three of them all crowded into the front cab of Sebastian's truck and as they drove back, Kristy talked a little more about the Vails.

"I overheard conversations all the time at the office. I tried not to listen to personal things but you know when you share an office you hear things. Sometimes, when he was on the phone, Paul would get mad and start shouting at his wife. Mostly it was about the business. She wanted to sell but he didn't. Then one day I heard him say Morgan knows the truth.  Paul accused his wife of cheating on him. That's one of the reasons I started to hate that son of a bitch, Starr.

After that Paul started to go to Mexico. It was every Tuesday for about a month.

Once Paul told me that he was going to buy a place on the beach and move there. He was going to sell the business and go."

They dropped Kristy at her mothers place in Winona and then drove on together to Grace's place. Sam was at his Dad's house and Grace invited Sebastian in.

"If Paul was willing to sell why did Pezzo kill him? It still doesn't make sense," Grace said. "Maybe we should call Mr. Harbord from San Diego and see what was going on."

"There's something missing here," Sebastian told Grace. "It still doesn't make sense and we're no closer to finding who killed Vail. It seems to me that if he did take money from Rappelo that makes Pezzo suspect number one but if Starr knew Paul Vail was going to give Pezzo the business why kill him."

Grace answered, "Was Starr sleeping with Jessie. If Starr and Jessie were having an affair anything could have happen. I haven't been involved in many murder investigations but I know that jealousy is often a motive for murder.

Maybe Starr came to see Vail that night and they started to argue. Cam Starr is a big guy. It would be easy for him to kill Vail by accident. It may have been planned or it may have even been an argument that ended badly."

Grace paused for a minute then she said, "And what about the roofies. Remember Teddy said Starr bought roofies for Jessie. I mean Teddy was trying to plea bargain so he might have been telling tales to draw the attention away but still he had no reason to accuse Starr of wanting to rape Jessie.

Maybe Teddy Arseneault wanted the roofies himself or maybe Starr wanted them to use on Jessie but if Cam Starr bought roofies to use on her than he isn't having an affair with her"

"That's the big mystery here," Sebastian said. "Kristy says Starr and Jessie were having a thing. That was the reason Paul changed his mind and decided to sell. Paul wants to leave the business to his wife and her lover while he takes the money and runs. He starts hiding money in Mexico which he probably took from Rapello, by way of Pezzo and it looks like he is leaving but hen Paul starts talking with some company in San Diego."

As they got out of the car, Grace said she would contact Harbord in San Diego in the morning. Sebastian would pay a visit to Teddy and Cam and then Pezzo and ask about the missing money.

Up in her apartment, Grace opened another bottle of wine. Sam wasn't home and they weren't going to solve the case tonight but she did expect to finally find out how Sebastian managed to survive his childhood.