“I want a lawyer,” Bruce Grey announced seconds after Simon and Josh sat across from him.
When he mentioned he didn’t have one, Simon arranged to have a court-appointed lawyer brought in. Segal Prince arrived twenty minutes later, tucking his shirt into his waistband and insisting he have some time to confer with his client.
“Your client has information that directly pertains to kidnapped victims that are in danger of being transferred out of the country by human traffickers,” Simon explained. “By all means protect his rights, but we need to find out where these kids are so we can save them.”
Simon left out the fact that one of the kidnappers is also suspected of having killed a police officer and instead focused on the one issue that he would have trouble arguing in court.
“Mr. Grey has information that if held back, will be the equivalent of destroying evidence,” Simon said. “And that makes our questions extremely time-sensitive.”
Segal spoke with Bruce Grey and after the promise of cooperation and possible leniency, the old man agreed to answer their questions.
Benji Jones and Alex Johnson. Those were the two names that Wayne had been searching for since he first spoke with Chloe Stuart after she managed to escape from the barn on Bruce Grey’s property.
And one of them was connected to Danny Blythe, but when pressed for an answer, Bruce Grey claimed to not know which one.
They had arrived with Danny when they wanted to arrange to lease a section of Bruce Grey’s property.
“Alex, I think he was the leader, said that they’d need it for two years at least,” the old man explained. “Paid me cash upfront for the use of the barn and to keep from renting the back lot out to farmers.”
“Why didn’t you tell Officer Burgess that?” Simon asked. “He could’ve tracked them down sooner.”
“Not likely,” the old man scoffed. “The smaller one, they called him Jay, I don’t think he liked his name. Said it reminded him of a bad television show about a dog. Anyway, the smaller one, said if they ever were caught that they’d make sure I’d pay.”
At that moment, the old man dragged his frail and shaky hand across the front of his neck. No one needed to ask what he was referencing, and the color drained from Segal’s face. It was clear this was the closest the lawyer had been to a threat and Simon wondered what cases he had been working on up until the moment he met Bruce Grey.
“They came and went through the night and I never asked any questions,” the old man explained. “I knew they were up to something illegal, but I never imagined it was that bad.”
The old man’s fingers crumpled into a fist and he slammed it against the top of the table. “I have a niece that I’d protect with my life, and there’s no way that I would’ve allowed any of that to go on.”
Bruce Grey was one of the least likable individuals that Simon had met, but something in his wobbling voice and strained eyes allowed Simon to believe at least that much about him.
There were lines that even criminals drew, and it was clear where Bruce Grey drew his line.
A knock on the door paused Simon’s questions and he and Josh gave the old man an opportunity to confer with his lawyer and wondered how Segal Prince was going to explain that no matter how cooperative he was, that charges were most definitely going to be laid.
Simon doubted that the newly minted lawyer would be able to argue Bruce Grey out of prison, and for a brief moment, he felt sorry for what lay ahead for him. But that too passed.
When Simon and Josh stepped out of the interrogation room, Peter was waiting for them.
“I came as soon as I could,” Peter shook both of their hands and then placed a firm hand on Josh’s shoulder. “I can’t tell you how sorry I am, Josh. Wayne was an amazing person.”
Josh, unable to speak, just nodded his head.
“I was out of the office yesterday afternoon and only heard about Wayne’s death when I got in this morning,” Peter apologized. “Sorry I didn’t come sooner.”
“You didn’t have to come all the way down, but we appreciate it.”
“But I did,” Peter said. “I knew where he was going when he was killed.”
“How?” Josh asked as he looked to Simon and then back to Peter.
“He called me because he needed to ensure he had access to some files in an office, and he didn’t think he’d have enough time to get the authorization or a warrant issued from Toronto,” Peter explained. “I arranged for a few officers to meet Wayne there with a warrant. When I got into the office this morning, I saw that they left a message. They waited for Wayne and he never showed up. They wanted to know what they should do next.”
Simon dragged his fingers through his hair, “No one here knew he was heading anywhere, and I’m sure the other officers on his task force didn’t either.”
“They were all reassigned,” Lukas said.
“Where was he going?” Josh asked.
“I have a helicopter waiting,” Peter said. “If we leave now we’ll get to the pier before the ship leaves.”
“The pier? Where?”
“Thunder Bay.”