Enemy Match Chapter 12 FINAL CHAPTER

Enemy Match

Chapter 12

Luckily Evan was still awake. I explained to him what I needed and within the hour he was back with the information. It confirmed my suspicions.

Thanks Evan, I said. I really owe you one.

You’re right about that, he said in his usual gruff tone that I knew to be an act. I expect payment in full by the end of the week.

“Payment” usually meant a bacon cheeseburger meal at Billy Burger, something I was only too happy to oblige.

I hung up then called Matt back.

Yes, Justin, he said. You’re still not asleep? I could hear the grin in his voice.

Nothing gets past you, I quipped. No I’m not,  but I need to ask you about the case you’re working on with Dad. About DeVries in particular.

Carlton DeVries, yes, like I said, we investigated him and found he was not involved in the hacking at Eminotech.

You had Toby testing something in the lab?

Yes, Matt said with a sigh. Whoever hacked into the Eminotech system apparently visited the lab within the last few weeks. The person had been in the server room and had done something to the actual system itself. It enabled them to access the system remotely at a later time. We were testing for DNA but didn’t come up with a match for DeVries. It only showed that IT people at the company had been in the room.

So you feel DeVries is innocent? I asked. Of the hacking at Eminotech?

Seems that way, why do you ask?

Because I think he is guilty of hacking into the Eminotech servers as well as my Facebook account.

How did you come to that conclusion? Matt asked.

Professional secret, I said half in jest. No, I’ll tell you. My friend Evan McIntyre just accessed my computer at home—don’t worry, I let him do it. He was able to and was able to access my Facebook account with a new—and I mean ultra new technology that allows remote access but leaving traces that an actual device was needed in order to do the hacking.

Like at Eminotech, Matt said after a moment.

Exactly, I said. We already know about Marcus and Jori trying to take Daryl Peters out of the picture and Jori’s own brother Jake to get kicked off the basketball team so that Marcus would get the contract. But I didn’t know how they hacked into my account. Evan was able to confirm that someone using this new program did do it to my system. It sounded awful familiar when Evan explained it to me. Just like the Eminotech problem. The common denominator is Carlton DeVries.

How can he be caught? We found nothing in our investigation tying him to the hacking.

Only the program on their own computer. And without a name no one would know where to look—like a needle in a haystack scenario. Now DeVries lives alone in an apartment downtown. I had Evan trace my hack to the same apartment. I’m calling Canning right now with this information.

Do that, Matt said. I’ll call him as well as your Dad. We’d like to be there when they confront DeVries.

I called Canning on his cell and he was at home. I related my experiences since leaving the hospital and my theory regarding Carlton DeVries. He listened with rapt attention and didn’t interrupt.

OK, Justin, he said. But we confiscated DeVries’ computer earlier.

That’s right, I said. Hopefully he has another one at his apartment.

Canning agreed. I’m calling Denton to meet me at the DeVries apartment.

I’d like to be there, I said.

You should rest, Justin, he replied.

I know, I said. But I can’t miss this—not after what I’ve been through.

Very well, he said with a sigh. We’ll be there in 10 minutes. You know the address?

Yes, I said. I’ll be there in 10

Mom was not so easy to persuade to let me go, but she saw how important this was—and that Canning and Denton would be there as well as Matt.

Matt ended up driving us only after he ensured Mom that he would keep an eye on me.

We met at the apartment building in downtown Port Salser about a block from Dad’s lab. Canning was in civvies but Denton was in uniform.

It was dark out now as it was past 10 pm. We approached the front of the building where the entrance was lit up. Someone appeared at the other side of the doors and had something tucked under their arm.

DeVries! I shouted and at the same instant, the man darted down the corridor of the building and out of sight.

Denton took off around the building to the rear exit while Canning went in the lobby and called the superintendent.

The door buzzed and Matt and I followed Canning inside. Stay back fellows, Canning admonished so Matt and I took seats in the lobby where two couches lined the walls.

Soon Denton and Canning returned with DeVries in handcuffs. He scowled at me as he was led to Denton’s cruiser. Denton returned to headquarters while Canning headed up to DeVries’s apartment.

A surprise awaited us inside.

Is that you Uncle Carl? Are you OK, I think the cops are here, a female voice called out when we went inside.

She came out to meet us and her face fell. Jori Prestwick!

Come on, Jori, Canning said, snapping handcuffs on her. She glared at me as she was led out into the corridor and down to the elevator.

You two stay here, Canning said to Matt and me. I’ll be back.

We went back inside the apartment but were careful not to touch anything.

Take a look at this, I said, pointing to a plastic bottle on the kitchen counter. It was a pesticide “malathion”, the same one used in Courtney Clubine’s water bottle. Courtney and Jori were friends and Courtney even admitted that Jori offered to fill up her water bottle.

Matt nodded. That’s seriously messed up, he muttered.

Suddenly we heard a noise coming from one of the other rooms. One of the bedrooms. It sounded like thumping.

Matt and I raced to the room and opened the door. Inside was Lyle Detmar—bound and gagged on the small cot. He was thumping the wall with his foot.

Matt pulled the gag from his mouth. Oh, Justin, I’m glad to see you. It was DeVries and that Prestwick girl, Jake’s sister. Hurry you can catch them, they left not long ago.

Yeah, we know, I said ruefully. They’ve been taken into custody. We know about the computer hacking device on DeVries’ computer.

You do? He said, trying to get to his feet. How would you—oh, your father is a PI, right.

This is Matt Logan, my dad’s assistant, I said motioning to Matt.

Matt nodded. The police have taken DeVries and Jori into custody. Marcus Bricker was already being held for questioning.

He doesn’t know everything, Detmar said sitting on the edge of the bed. You know about his contract with Lambert Sports?

Yes, I said. We do. Can you stand up?

He tried again and this time was successful. My feet were asleep, DeVries cornered me and brought me here yesterday. I stumbled on their scheme—he and I are old friends from way back.

We know that too, I said as we headed to the front door of the apartment where we met Canning. He was surprised to see Detmar.

Let’s go to headquarters where we’ll sort out this mess, Canning remarked. The forensic team will be here in a few minutes. You two didn’t touch anything did you?

I just looked at Canning. I’m a professional, I quipped. What do you think?

Twenty minutes later we were back at Police Headquarters. On the way Detmar explained to Canning what had happened and how he came to be in DeVries’ apartment.

We were seated around a table in the conference room and Detmar started with what he knew.

I had overheard DeVries talking about Eminotech and how he had hacked into their system remotely to cause havoc the same as he had done years ago. I knew about the trouble Carl was in years ago, Detmar continued. I vouched for him when he applied at PSC and he vouched for me.

And didn’t mention the doping scandal you were involved in years ago, I remarked.

Detmar glanced at me. Right, he said. I was innocent of that, and DeVries was instrumental in getting my conviction overturned. I’m clean—always have been.

Except when you lied on the application to PSC, Canning said pulling a file from the pile in front of him. Principal Anderson has been notified and will discuss this with you further at a later date. For now you have been suspended from teaching, pending the outcome of this discussion.

Detmar nodded.

Surely Anderson will overlook something like that, I remarked. The real criminals here are DeVries and his niece Jori and Marcus Bricker.

Canning nodded. You’re right, Justin. We have the laptop that DeVries had on him when he was trying to flee. Our tech guys are looking through it now. With your friend Evan’s information we now know what to look for. It will prove his involvement in the Eminotech hacking and also hacking into your home computer.

To help his niece set me up real nice. They hacked in to make the challenge to Peters. It wasn’t really necessary but it set up a situation where they could blame me for the poisoning and set the team against me—to throw Jake off his game and get cut from the team.

Detmar just shook his head. I had no idea Marcus could do something like this.

I think he only wanted Peters out of the way and wanted to taint his water bottle. It was Jori’s idea to use the pesticide malathion. I don’t think Marcus knew what it was. He seemed surprised that day at the hospital parking lot when I said it was a pesticide that was used on Daryl.

Jori was the only one besides you who aced the science test, by the way, Canning added.

She was the real brains behind this whole operation, I continued. When Marcus showed her the letter, he just wanted to eliminate the competition but Jori went all out—with the pesticide and involving me by getting her uncle—who was her uncle, not Jake’s. I guess her and Jake are only half siblings. Her mother was a DeVries and it was her mother’s brother, Carlton who she contacted to help her. It was him who called my cell phone with the warning.

She saw the money and got greedy, Canning went on. She admitted as much earlier. Her prints were also found in her brothers’ car. She had stolen it from the school—also with the help of DeVries and had seen Raj riding his bike and had knocked him off. She was going to hit someone randomly and take off but when she saw Raj, she decided he would make a good candidate as Jake was at odds with any friend of Justin’s.

I nodded ruefully. I hoped Raj would not hold it against me. It was clearly because he was friends with me that he had been targeted.

This was done to frame her brother, Canning remarked. Hoping he would be arrested and finally tossed off the team, Canning continued. With both Daryl and Jake off the team, Marcus would be number one player and when the scout came later this week, he would sign his contract. Jori would quietly slip away when Marcus left town and no one would be the wiser. Eventually Daryl would get better and Jake may get back on the team, or maybe not. Either way she didn’t really care.

Whoa! What a story, Detmar said with a sigh. I’m sorry Justin for not seeing this earlier. I had seen Jori taking pictures at the match but didn’t think anything of it.

It’s all good, Mr. Detmar, I said.

How is your nose? He asked and I touched it gingerly. It still hurts. I think I’m going to have to sit out of gym tomorrow, I said, glancing at the coach. Will that be OK?

What you’ve been through, Justin, you can sit out the rest of the week. But now that my star basketball player is still in the hospital, how would you like to take his place on the team—temporarily of course. I saw how you played against Daryl at the match. You’re not a bad player.

I don’t know, Coach Detmar. When Daryl finds out that I’ve taken his place on the team he might hate me even more than he does now.

I don’t think so, Canning replied. I don’t think he could possibly hate you any more than he does now!

That’s true, I said and everyone laughed.

Ok, I said to Detmar. I’ll do it. But I think I’ll go to the hospital and tell Daryl in person. While he’s still a patient.

Why is that? Canning said.

So when he tries to punch me from his hospital bed I’ll have time to get out of the way!

THE END