Dead Cold Mysteries Box Set #4: Books 13-16 (A Dead Cold Box Set) by Blake Banner (best ereader for academics .txt) 📕

am just looking through his Whatsapp and his text messages, they have all been deleted. So has his address book. There is absolutely nothing on the phone…”

We had arrived at the car and she screwed up her face as she unlocked it. “So it was just a beacon to lead us to his body?”

I climbed in the passenger side. She got in behind the wheel, adjusted the seat and started the engine. As she pulled away, I said, “No. There is one document, in Docs. It’s addressed to me.”

I read in silence for a while. Dehan glanced at me a couple of times and I started reading aloud.

“It says: Hey, Detective Stone, dude, you know I have always been straight with you. I know I bin—spelled B-I-N—I know I bin a bit of a clown, but the words I said have always been true words. Like I told you before, my daddy was a man of God who always eschewed violence, and sought the path of peace and dialogue. When I came to New York, he warned me and told me to mind I walked the straight path of righteousness. But I have strayed from that path into evil and wicked ways. I know there is no forgiveness for me, and the only thing that lies ahead is damnation and punishment, for I have committed the worst of sins, and I have taken a human life.

“I have decided tonight to add one more sin to those I have committed already, and take my own life. I know the Lord considers suicide almost as bad as murder, for it is for Him to decide who lives and who dies, and for us to live in humble, Christian resignation of the trials which He sees fit to visit upon us, but I figure I may as well be hung for lamb as for mutton.

“You will think that the way I am writing is strange, considering how you have heard me speak, but I may tell you that this is my true voice, the way I was raised, and not one of the fake voices which I have adopted along the way. I speak to you now in truth, and not in falsehood, as I have before.

“I cannot delay the moment any longer. I must go and meet my Maker, and face whatever judgment He sees fit to pass on me. It is time to confess. I have committed murder, Detective Stone. I killed Dr. Robles. I shot him. My reason was a simple one. Though we had agreed to work as partners and develop the Robles-Americano electric motor, he stole my research and my ideas and then tried to cut me out. So I worked out a plan. I asked Agnes if she would reason with him on my behalf. She was always so sweet. She said she would, even though she knew it meant he’d lay into her—verbally, not physically.

“I suggested I could come to her house and she should invite him over on some pretext. He wouldn’t know I was there until he arrived. Then, between us, we could try and persuade him to reconsider his decision. I told her she could pressure him from a moral stance, appealing to his better nature, and I would cajole him with hints at a possible legal action against him.

“But they were just excuses. I had no intention of trying to persuade him to do anything. I took my Sig along with me, and when he was sitting comfortably in his chair, enjoying his wine, I shot him. I am afraid I went crazy. I didn’t even aim, Detective Stone. I just filled him full of lead, cowboy style.

“Poor, sweet Agnes was terrified. I hated having to do it, because I was fond of Agnes, but I had to strangle her where she sat in her chair. She is now at the bottom of the East River. I only hope the good Lord took mercy on her and she is now at peace at last. I took Jose’s keys and went to his house, where I retrieved the work we had done together, and which rightfully belonged to me. Then I set the scene, so it would look like Agnes had killed Jose in a jealous rage because of his affair with Alicia. It would then just be up to me to graduate with a good degree, and launch the Americano electric motor on my own.

“That was my plan. But when you confronted me at college the other day, I knew I had no way out and it was just a matter of time before you realized what had really happened. Hats off to you. You are not an easy man to fool.

“My time is up. Do you believe in reincarnation, Detective Stone? I do. Better luck next time. Yours, most sincerely, Americano Nielsen.”

I flipped back to the beginning. Dehan drove in absolute silence. I read it through again twice. Then I put the phone back in the evidence bag, sealed it and put it in my pocket.

Eventually we pulled into Fteley Avenue and Dehan parked outside the main entrance to the station. She killed the engine, the windshield wipers died and we sat for a while, she staring at the steering wheel while I stared unseeing at the trees in front of us, and made a movie in my head of everything that had happened from beginning to end.

Suddenly, Dehan took a deep breath and turned to look at me. She said, “Well, we didn’t see that coming!”

I blinked, returned from my mental movie and frowned. “Which bit?”

“That it was Am who shot Robles! I would have sworn it was Agnes. I would have sworn Dr. Meigh had her hidden somewhere. I would not in a million years have pegged Nielsen as the killer.”

“Oh no,” I said, “I knew it was Am who shot