"I knew Thomas many years ago, and I was the one who championed his early release.I was hoping you could tell me a little about his work at the community center and what you know about him."
"Of course," Michael said, almost a sigh.It had only been hours since the body was discovered, but he was already done with it all."I’ve known Thomas for around four years.I know that when he was released, there was mandated community service, but he came to me after.He didn't need to do that, you know.His community service was done, and he was free to live his life.He worked full-time and volunteered almost full-time at the center.He was a good man."
"That was your impression of him?"Alison asked.
"It wasn't my impression of him," Michael replied."That was who he was.Look, I know he had a turbulent past, and he even spoke to me about it at times, and I'll admit that it did worry me a little.There was a lot of stuff.Still, I work with these kids here, and you can't judge someone only by their past.You can't even judge them on their presence at times."
"So, you believed he had changed?"Alison asked hopefully.She was sure she had made the right decision, but it was not only about whether or not Thomas was a changed man, but whether the early release had led to his death.
"I firmly believe that," Michael said."You don't volunteer in a place like this for four years as some con."
"How was he with the other staff?"Alison asked, fishing for any points of conflict, even though the murder felt bigger than the community center.
"Yeah, some of the staff didn't get on with him well, but that was down to his past, and they accepted him being at the center.Thomas was never in conflict with the other staff, if that’s what you’re asking.He mostly kept to himself.With the staff anyway.He was always there for the kids."
"I can't imagine that was plain sailing," Alison commented.It wasn’t only about the children, but the broken families they had come from.The youth were at-risk, and that added layers of complications and hardships.
"It most definitely wasn’t," Michael admitted."Still, he could keep them under control.I thought at first that the kids were scared of him, too, and maybe they were, to an extent.But over time, it became clear how much they respected him.No one else could have done that as he did.The kids really responded to him."
Alison took a deep breath.So far, the story has been about a man released from prison who turned his life around.It was exactly as Alison had hoped, and that made it all the sadder.
"Is there anything else you can tell me?"Alison asked."Thomas spent a lot of time at the community center.Did you notice any changes in him recently?Anyone hanging around?Anything different in any way?"
"No," Michael answered immediately."He was the same as always.I spoke to him yesterday, and he was excited about the basketball tournament.I mean, he was always gruff and could come across as dour, but I could see the happiness in his eyes.He found value in what he did."
"All right, thank you," Alison said."If you think of anything else, please give me a call."
"I will," Michael said."Thank you, Dr.Payne."
Alison hung up and placed her phone on the desk.It wasn’t only about a man dying, but about the children who were left behind.There were numerous at-risk kids who had lost a mentor.It could create a ripple effect that would echo for years, possibly decades.
"Anything?"Moore asked from the desk beside Alison’s.
"Nothing we didn't already know," Alison said."It doesn’t look like the killer was someone from the community center.I would rule that out based on the presentation of the body, but more so after talking to the community center manager."
"Talking of the crime scene, forensics sent back some preliminary reports on the psychological reports found at the crime scene," Moore said."No fingerprints or DNA on the paper, and it was common office paper found almost anywhere, so we can't trace that very easily.No identifying marks whatsoever."
"That could mean they’re careful," Alison noted."It could also mean that they happen to use what most of the population uses when printing documents.I’m still sure that the person knows their stuff and is a professional in some way.Perhaps they’re self-educated, but it feels like someone with experience in criminal psychology, at least enough to provide a critique of my report."
"Which gives us what?"Moore asked hopefully.
"A killer who killed Thomas to send a message.He wanted to prove that Thomas wasn’t reformed, and then he killed him."
***
Derek drove toward the coroner’s office.He had the radio playing low to provide some background noise, but he didn't hear which song was playing.He was only thinking about Alison.It was almost as if the universe was trying to distract her from investigating the death of her sister, not that he believed in a cosmic presence that dictated their lives.
At least, this time, he could be in the same city she worked her next case.Nathan Cross had targeted her in Reno.His only hope was that the same thing wasn’t happening again.Nathan Cross was dead, but had the terror died with him?Was this part of the same cause, or had someone else risen up to take aim at her?
Derek shook his head to remove the thoughts.He couldn’t assume anything about the case until Alison had reported back on it.The one thing he did know for sure was that if someone was targeting her, he would be by her side this time.
He felt responsible for what had happened in Reno.He had been there, but she had convinced him to return to Oakland to look at the Katrina Sands murder and look for a possible connection to her sister’s murder.He had protested against that, but she had convinced him to go.There were people around her to protect her, but they had been unable to.
Sure, the end result was only superficial injuries, but it could have been a lot worse.It would have been far better if he had been with her.There was no one in the world he was more protective of than Alison.Investigating Alison’s sister’s death from over twenty years ago was a part of that protection, but he also needed to be there when she was in physical danger.
The more he thought about it, the more he felt down on himself.She was safe now, but he couldn’t help imagining her in that hotel room in Reno with Nathan Cross holding a knife to her throat.If the police hadn’t arrived when they did, there was no telling what might have happened to her.
Derek shook his head again.Being angry at himself wouldn’t help anyone or anything.Finding something to connect the recent murder to a twenty-year-old case was the way to help.
