12 - There dwells a spirit, waiting to be released

Detective Jonas looked around the room at the men assembled there. They were dressed in everything from shorts and wife-beaters to good slacks and buttoned-up shirts. Most of them looked tired and worried.

“I sorry to have interrupted what is probably your sleep time,” she told them, “but under the circumstance I hope you’ll understand why it's necessary.”

While she talked, telling the group about Alton’s murder, Merlyn watched the men. Some of them were shocked. Some were puzzled, making Merlyn think they probably had no idea who Alton was. As far as he could tell, although he was admittedly not good at reading the nuances of people’s expressions and body language except when incorporating them into his work, none of them showed the slightest bit of guilt about the murder. But then he hardly thought it would be that easy.

“What I need to know,” the detective continued once she laid out the details, “is if any of you remember Mr Weber and anyone he was with last night.”

Several of the men immediately looked at Merlyn.

“Yes, we know Mr Knight and Mr Weber arrived together. It’s the other people Mr Weber might have talked to who are of interest to the police at this point.”

Turning to Merlyn for a moment to give the men time to think about her question, the detective asked him, “Is the young man who gave Mr Weber the message here?”

Merlyn double-checked just to be certain and then shook his head. The detective immediately beckoned for the club manager to join them. When he did she asked him how many of his employees who had worked last night hadn’t shown up this morning.

He in turn looked at the group before telling her, “Everyone is here except Paulie.”

“Is he young, probably barely twenty-one, and blonde?” Merlyn asked before the detective could.

“Yes, although he’s actually twenty-two, he just looks young.”

“And he wears a wide, studded collar, and last night at least a blood-red shirt?”

“That’s him. Paul Gunther. He’s worked for us for six months give or take.”

“Who’s his master?” Merlyn asked.

“He doesn’t have one. The whole submissive thing he does is just an act. Actually there are a couple more here as well who aren’t into that scene but they blend in well and know how to respond when necessary.”

Detective Jonas made note of the information about Paul Gunther before asking the club’s manager, “When you called him to come in this morning was he home or did you just leave a message?”

“Left messages on both his cell and his home phone.”

She turned back to the men. “Have any of you remembered anyone Mr Weber was with and do any of you know Paul Gunther well enough to have heard from him today?”

One man spoke up. “I know him, but no I haven’t talked to him since last night. He cut out a bit early actually. Said he had to meet someone.”

“Thank you. You are?”

While the detective took the man’s particulars Merlyn asked, “Did any of you happen to notice a man talking to me soon after Mr Weber left the room? He was standing behind my chair so I didn’t get a look at him. I got the impression he was tall and probably fairly muscular, or at least strong.”

“Who are you talking about,” Detective Jonas hissed, looking at Merlyn. “You didn’t tell me about that.”

“I doubt he had anything to do with Alton’s murder. He seemed much more interested in me although I got the feeling he did know him.”

“Mr Knight,” she replied sternly, “you should not be holding back details.”

“Actually I forgot about it until we got here. Sorry.”

She nodded. “So, gentlemen, did anyone see this man he’s talking about?”

No one admitted to having noticed him. The bartender’s comment was, “I saw Paulie delivering wine to Mr Knight on three different occasions and there was no one even close to him.”

“We have to find this Paulie,” Merlyn said quietly to the detective.

“No kidding,” she muttered in reply.

After talking to the men for a few more minutes, getting no real descriptions of anyone Alton might have been with or talked to, Detective Jonas got Paul Gunther’s home address and phone numbers from the club manager and then she and Merlyn left.