Enemy Match Chapter 10

Enemy Match

Chapter 10

I hit “last number dialed” but it came up “unknown caller”. I jumped out of bed, all thoughts of sleep far from my mind now. I went back downstairs and told Mom what had happened then called Canning.

He came over himself a half hour later and I told him about the call. Whoever it was is panicking, I said. He thinks I’m on to him but I don’t know who it is or why they’re doing this. Did you find out anything at DeVries.

The tech teams have confiscated his computer and of course he’s livid. Once they go over them they might find something.

Can they check his phone as well?

Canning nodded then made the call to headquarters.

Marcus still claims Detmar poisoned the water bottle and he says he was going to the hospital to do something drastic to Peters but he didn’t say what.

Maybe he’s covering for someone. I’m going to do a little research on line. Let me know if you find out anything.

Will do, Justin, Canning said, looking at my nose again. That looks painful, he remarked.

It is, I said. I’ll go take something for the pain now.

Take care, he said, then left.

Raj was down in the rec room in the basement watching TV so I headed up to my room and booted up my computer. I pulled a small USB key from the bottom of my desk drawer and inserted it in the USB port on my laptop.

This “key” was an access port for multiple databases, some used by the top police forces in North America and Europe. If there was any information on anyone in the world it would be on here—as well as organizations and secret societies. It had come in handy in past cases and Dad had given it to me under the strict admonition to not tell anyone about it unless absolutely necessary. So far only Van knew about it, I hadn’t even told Raj.

I checked some names, Carlton DeVries was the first name I checked and as Canning had reported he was a computer science whiz and had worked at a few computer firms. He was fired about 10 years previously on suspicion of computer hacking at one firm he had worked at. Eminotech, a company in Toronto. He had worked at a number of jobs after that, including a veterinarian assistant and in a medical lab. He had started at PSC only the previous year. I’ll bet the school didn’t know about being fired for suspected computer fraud.

He could be our man, I said to myself. There was no motive that I could see.

I tried Lyle Detmar next. His record was more colourful. He had been an Olympic athlete many years before while in his teens. Basketball. What a surprise. I don’t think anyone at school knew that. I would have to ask Van if he knew.

Later on, in his twenties, Detmar was part of a doping scandal and had left the sport only to return to PSC as a coach—again fairly recently.

Detmar and DeVries had been hired around the same time. That wasn’t so odd.

But what was odd—they appeared to know each other before they got jobs at the school.

It seemed that DeVries was working at a firm that did medical testing and had investigated Detmar’s claim of innocence for the doping. Detmar had then gone on to have his doping charge reversed.

The two had become friends—and no doubt vouched for each other when applying to PSC. Detmar kept mum about the computer hacking and DeVries about the doping scandal.

So they were friends and knew about each other’s pasts. So what. There was no motive to incite a feud between me and the basketball team. And to play hardball. Did the person who hit Raj on his bike mean to really hurt him or just scare him—and me? Or was this about Jake Prestwick. He was blamed after all as it was his car.

I did a little more digging, this time for Marcus Bricker. I ran across an interesting article in the Port Salser Gazette about a scout for a US basketball team interested in Bricker.

There was a picture of Bricker getting an award of some sort but what was surprising was who was next to him in the photo.

Jory Prestwick, sister of Jake Prestwick.

It mentioned that Jory was Marcus’ girlfriend but I didn’t know this. But then I wasn’t up on who was dating who. If they were a couple, they were keeping it under wraps.

Attached was a copy of a letter that Marcus had received. I wondered why it was printed in the paper until I saw what was written in the letter. My eyes bugged out. Whoa! As I printed it out, something niggled at my brain. Something that Jake had told me that morning about his car. I pulled out my cell phone and called Canning. He answered but it was noisy in the background.

Where are you? I asked.

We found Jake’s car—in the ravine out behind the school, he said. The noise you hear is the engine. We got it going—they keys were in the ignition, but we can’t seem to get it into drive.

Right, I said. Jake said you had to use a screwdriver to jiggle the gear shift first.

Got it, Canning said. He moved away from the phone and I heard a muffled conversation. Then he returned. You’re right. We got it moving.

I think I know who’s responsible for all this—and why.

I’m all ears, Canning said.

I’m sorry about that, I quipped. Maybe a doctor can have a look at it.

Pardon? He said.

Nothing. Look I’ll meet you there in 5 minutes. OK?

Sure, Justin, we’ll be here.

I hung up then headed downstairs. I was pulling on my high tops as Raj was coming up from the den.

Wanna come with me? I asked. They found Jake’s car and I think I know who was driving it last night.

Raj pulled on his sneakers and followed me out to my SUV. Once in the passenger seat he asked where the car was found.

Out behind the high school in the ravine. And I think I know who our culprit is. Two people actually.

Who? Raj asked quietly, scratching at his bandaged knee.

I don’t want to say right now, I said, turning to my friend. In case I’m wrong. I want to run it by Canning first.

We arrived at PSC 6 minutes later instead of 5, due to traffic lights and parked in the school parking lot. Jake Prestwick’s car was on the pavement nearby and two officers in white coats were checking it out for clues to who had driven it into the ravine.

We met Canning inside in the corridor of the school. He was talking on the phone and hung up as we approached.

You saw the car? He asked. There was a tip from some hikers who found it about an hour ago. Don’t know who drove it in the ravine. The lab tech guys are checking for evidence now—as you saw.

It could only be someone who knew about the gear shift sticking and how to get around that. I surmised.

Jake?

No, I said. His sister, Jori. She knew about the gear shift, I added glancing at Raj. I think she stole the car from the school—she had help and I think I know from who.

Jori Prestwick? But why would she do this? Canning asked. And who was helping her?

I don’t think she could do this alone. I think Marcus Bricker was helping her. They were—or are a couple and I think Marcus enlisted Jori to help him get rid of Daryl and Jake so that he, Marcus would be team captain or at least the number one ranked player on the team.

That’s pretty incredible that they went to all that trouble to make him team captain, Canning said skeptically.

Normally it would be, I said. But at lot was at stake. I would have thought Marcus Bricker was the second choice for team captain, but it was actually Jake Prestwick. Marcus was now third pick after Jake moved to town a few months ago—so he decided to get his girlfriend to ruin the star player and her brother at the same time. In effect “kill two birds with one stone”.

But still, Canning remarked. That’s pretty drastic what they did, he added, glancing at Raj.

Not when there was a million dollars at stake.

What do you mean? Canning asked, furrowing his brow.

Well, a million and a half actually. I pulled an envelope from my pocket and took out the sheet of paper I printed from the article online, and handed it to Canning.

What’s this? He asked.

A letter I saw in an article about Marcus Bricker, on the internet. It effectively states that a basketball scout will be at Port Salser Collegiate later this week and is prepared to offer Marcus Bricker a contract.

Canning scanned the letter. There’s a clause here that he had to keep his number one player status or the deal was off.

Right, I said. He probably lied in his initial application and figured he only had to get rid of Daryl Peters but then Jake moved to town a few months ago, and he saw his chances dwindling fast. The scout was coming soon so he panicked and tried to get rid of the top two players at once. He also knew of my hatred for Daryl, so used that to his advantage.

Canning nodded. I’d like to discuss this further down at headquarters, he remarked, handing me back the letter. He pulled his radio from his belt and called in to the station to have Jori Prestwick apprehended for questioning. Marcus Bricker was still in custody.

We headed back outside where the two techs were moving away from Jake’s car. One of them approached Canning.

We have some evidence to analyze, he said showing Canning a plastic bag. Meet you back at the station?

Canning nodded. Thanks Derrick.

The two men moved off to return to police headquarters. A tow truck showed up a few minutes later and took the car away to be impounded until the police investigation was over.

I turned to Canning as we headed back to our respective vehicles. We’ll meet at headquarters? I asked as we got in the SUV.

Right, Justin, Raj. See you guys soon.

Canning pulled away and was soon gone.

I put the key in the ignition and turned the key, but the engine wouldn’t turn over. I tried a couple of times but no luck.

That’s weird, I muttered. It was running fine earlier.

I checked the gas gauge and it was half full, so we weren’t out of gas. I unhitched the front hood and climbed out and went around the front of the SUV and lifted the hood.

Suddenly out of the corner of my eye I saw movement off to the right. I turned and before I realized it, I felt a smashing blow to my forehead. The last thing I remembered I was falling to the ground!