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“What’s your name?” The stranger didn’t answer. Ethan put his weapon away and searched the man quickly. Found no ID or phone, but there was a large knife strapped to his ankle. Ethan disarmed him. “You’re being arrested for assaulting a law enforcement officer and breaking and entering.” Once he’d recited the man’s rights, the patrol officer told Ethan, “Be glad to give you aride.”
His breathing still a bit labored, he nodded. “That’s an offer I won’t turndown.”
* * *
Alexa and Nylefollowed Ethan as he strolled into the interview room holding a slim file folder. The man Ethan had found in Simard’s room was no longer in handcuffs. He was sitting in a chair where he’d spent the last hour and a half after his booking. It wasn’t until they’d been en route to the police department that Ethan had seen the messages from Alexa and Nyle and summoned them to join himdowntown.
Ethan checked to make sure the camera video-taping the interview was turned on. Then he dragged a chair away from the table opposite the man and sank into it, flipping open the file folder he held. Alexa positioned herself behind him against the wall. “Mikiel Fornier.” There was a flicker in the other man’s eyes that might have been recognition, but he said nothing. Taking the mugshot photo out of the folder, Ethan slid it across to the man. “Not a great likeness, but undeniablyyou.”
Fornier’s gaze flicked to the image and then back to Ethan, stillsilent.
“We know you’re an associate of Felix Simard. We know Simard traveled to the province recently under the name John Simmons.” Ethan’s tone was grim. “You found a way to enter his hotel room illegally, which, as you’ll recall, is where we first became acquainted.” He fingered the bruise forming on his jaw. The man saw the gesture and gave a satisfied smile. “What were you doingthere?”
Fornier flexed his hands. Each knuckle had a tattoo on it. Prison tats, like the one on his neck. The man was built like a short squat wall. Alexa hated to think about the physical altercation that had transpired between him andEthan.
“I want a lawyer.” They were the first words he’d spoken since they’d walked into theroom.
“We’ll be happy to facilitate that. Do you have someone in mind, or shall we contact Legal Aid?” Without waiting for an answer, Ethan reached into the folder again. He withdrew an array of crime-scene photos of Simard and splayed them before the other man. “As you can see from the pictures, you arrived too late to speak to yourfriend.”
This time, there was no mistaking the man’s reaction. His dark eyes widened with shock as he studied each photo in turn. His big hands fisted on the table. “Who…who didthis?”
“Assuming it wasn’tyou.”
Eyes flashing, the man said, “I can show you my airline ticket stub. I arrived here only thismorning.”
“As a matter of fact, we know that. What we don’t know, what you still haven’t told us is why you flew intoday.”
The man’s gaze fell to the photos again. He picked up one that showed a close-up of Simard’s missing eyes. “He didn’t answer his phone,” he murmured, dropping the picture suddenly as if it burned him. “Felix is never out of communication. How long has he beendead?”
“His body was discovered early Monday morning. What was he doing in NovaScotia?”
The man lifted a shoulder. “He had business here. I don’t know what itwas.”
He was lying, Alexa thought. And he didn’t make much of an effort to concealit.
Ethan leaned back in his chair and surveyed the man. “I’ve got you for assaulting a law enforcement officer. With your record, that will likely put you back in prison. Maybe you’ve been missing it. You’ve been out for...what?” He opened the file and consulted some notes. “Five years now? Some cooperation here could work in yourfavor.”
The man seemed to consider the offer. “What kind ofcooperation?”
Nodding toward the pictures on the table, Ethan said, “Did Simard have enemies? Anyone you might know who would dothis?”
Fornier’s lip curled beneath the bushy beard. “All successful men have enemies. But one who would dare do this to Felix? No. It was a random killing. It must have been. You will find the killer. Or Iwill.”
Ethan shot a look over his shoulder. “Dr. Hayden? Care to weigh inhere?”
“It wasn’t random.” Alexa spoke for the first time, drawing the man’s gaze to her. “He was targeted. And what was done to him was very personal. You can see from the pictures that his eyes were removed. But what you can’t see is that a power drill was used to bore through the sockets into his brain.” Shock flickered across the man’s face, to be replaced by menace. “Someone hated him. Enough to torture him before his death. That sort of brutality speaks of violent emotion. Revenge. Rage. Both are highly personal, indeed. So, if you know of anyone capable of this, you need to tellus.”
“First you guarantee a deal that my cooperation will mean there will be no charges.” Fornier settled his heft more comfortably in his chair. “Then…maybe I have some information toshare.”
“Nyle.” Ethan didn’t turn his head as the other officer left the room. Alexa was a little stunned at how effortlessly Ethan had led Fornier to exactly this place. They’d already spoken with Risa Wilson, a Crown prosecutor who was watching the interview on a monitor nearby. Given the status of this case, and Fornier’s close alliance with Simard, Wilson had agreed to streamline the process. She and Ethan had collaborated on the interviewquestions.
Ten minutes ticked by. The room was getting uncomfortably warm. Temperature settings were sometimes used to discomfit a recalcitrant arrestee in interview rooms in the States. She wondered if that was the case here. A few minutes later, the door opened again, and Nyle returned with Wilson. The woman approached the table and laid a bundle of paper-clipped sheets onit.
“Mr. Fornier.” Her voice was crisp and as no-nonsense as her dark dress and sensible shoes. “This agreement is contingent upon you sharing information that helps advance the investigation into the death of Felix Simard. In return for your cooperation, no charges will be brought in relation to your altercation with Sergeant Manning. That includes assault on a police officer and flight from a peace officer. If you provide false details, or if you’re deemed uncooperative, this agreement is void. Do youunderstand?”
“Yeah.” The man took the pen she held out and scrawled his name on the last page as if he’d done thisbefore.
Wilson nodded at Ethan as she took the signed papers and left the roomagain.