John Carlton answered the door to the bungalow. He wasn’t surprised to see the detectives, having received a courtesy call first to ensure he was home. He invited them into the well-appointed living room, where his wife, Sandra, brought in a tray of coffee and biscuits.
Roberts led the questioning. “We’re sorry for your loss but we need to ask if you knew if Jacob had any enemies? Anyone who would like to see him dead?” She looked first at John, the oldest sibling, and then at his wife. Both looked passive, although John’s face was turning red.
His jaws worked a few moments before words came out. “Jacob was always a rebel. Always speaking his mind. So, I guess he made a few enemies that way. The thing is he drifted away from us and the rest of the family. He wanted to prove how tough he could be. He drank too much. I don’t know why he felt he needed to do what he did.” John clasped his hands and looked at the floor.
Sandra added, breaking the silence, “I think some of the drugs Jacob took affected his brain, his way of thinking. He may have been an alcoholic, too.”
“He was involved in an accident while driving?”
Sandra nodded. “He struck a pedestrian one afternoon. He already had a few drinks and didn’t see the lights had changed. He escaped the charges with just a fine and a suspended licence.”
“Was the family of the victim upset?”
“Well, obviously they would be. But as far as I know, they never acted hostile or demanded more than what the insurance paid them.”
“When was the last time you had contact with Jacob?”
John had composed himself well enough to answer. “Four months ago. He called me to wish me a happy birthday.” Tears rolled down his cheeks.
Sandra quickly spoke. “I don’t believe we can help you with any answers. We just don’t know more than what we’ve told you.”
Stone asked, “Were any of the other siblings closer to him?”
“Simon, the youngest, was the only one who Jacob contacted occasionally. He would be the best one to see.”
Roberts spoke as they left for his car. “I guess we should talk to Simon next. There sure are a lot of tears for a bad man.”
“Hmm. I would say despite Jacob’s unsocial behaviour, the family is otherwise very close.”
Simon lived by himself in an apartment condo. Still single, he made a good living selling artwork to various galleries. Stone thought he looked like an artist; a striped shirt left open over a white T-shirt, worn jeans, and a scruffy beard. He wasn’t big and displayed a relaxed attitude as he showed the two detectives into the living room.
“I suppose you’re here to talk about Jacob.”
“Yes,” Stone replied. “We’re sorry for your loss, but we need to ask some questions. Do you know if he had any enemies? Someone having a grudge strong enough to kill him?”
“I don’t know. He was always short of money. I usually would give him a hundred bucks every few weeks. He called it a loan but I knew I’d never see the money again.”
“What did he use the money for? Did he say?”
“Drugs. He never told me that but it wasn’t hard to figure it out.”
“Do you think he may have had a big debt that ended up getting him killed?”
Simon thought for a moment. “No. He would’ve come to me if he needed more money. I think he mouthed off to someone and that may have started a chain of events. Jacob never could restrain himself. Drugs, booze, and opinions. Mix those, and you have Jacob.”
“You don’t know anything specific that may have led to his demise?”
“No. He was a troubled man. Maybe he’s finally at peace.”
“Is it possible drugs caused his behaviour issues?”
“No, I don’t think so. More like the other way around. His personality meant he craved the feeling of being high or drunk.”
“He was involved in an accident that left someone severely injured. Any thoughts about that?”
For the first time an emotion showed on Simon’s face. “I was really mad at him then. I told him it was his choice if he wanted to hurt his body by drinking and taking drugs but he had no right to hurt others because he decided it was okay to drive drunk. The sad thing is he had apologized, but I could tell he wasn’t sincere and he’d drink and drive again.”
Roberts commented after they left, “Our Jacob was not a very responsible man. I suspect he may have made one enemy too many. Now which one wanted to see him dead is another thing.”
“Yeah, more digging into his past may reveal some more clues, but this is not an easy case.”
“What’s the next step? Or are you going to sleep on it?”
“More like drink on it. A couple of my buddies are getting together for beer and wings tonight.”
“On a weekday night? Don’t overdo it.”
“Me overdo it? Never.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Obviously you don’t understand the term overdoing it.”