CHAPTER 7
Final Alternative Chapter of the book “Logan’s Choice”
By student Julia Aquino
Logan phoned Alice Maclennan.
“Hi, Inspector,” said Alice.
Logan put the cellphone on speaker and started to drive.
“I’ll be there in about twenty-five minutes. I need your help!”
***
At 5:40 p.m., Logan arrived at Alice’s house.
“Hello, Mrs. Maclennan. Can you answer some questions?”
“Of course,” said Alice.
Just as Logan was about to begin, Alice’s cellphone rang.
“Excuse me, Alice.”
Logan stepped out of the living room and sat on the couch.
“Hello,” said a voice.
“Who are you?” asked Logan.
“I’m Linda Maclennan, Alex Maclennan’s cousin, and I hope I can help you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Yesterday I was deleting some messages and found a voicemail from Alex. I live in Argentina, so when he phoned me at night in Edinburgh, I was awake. But I was at a party and didn’t answer, so he probably left me a voicemail. Today I finally had the courage to listen to it.”
“Can you send me the voicemail?”
“Of course,” answered Linda.
“You’ve really helped me. Thanks, Linda!”
Linda ended the call.
Logan returned to the living room.
“Sorry, ma’am, that was an important call. And now… we can hear the last words your husband said.”
Logan opened the voicemail, and Mr. Maclennan’s voice echoed through the room:
“Hi, hi Linda, I need your help. I tried to call Alice but she didn’t answer. I’m dying… a man appeared in my bathroom and started to hurt me. I couldn’t see his face because he was wearing a balaclava, but from his body it looks…”
The voicemail stopped.
Alice started to cry.
“Maybe if I had answered him, he could still be alive,” said Alice between sobs.
“It’s not your fault,” said Logan, trying to comfort her.
“Now I have an idea, and I need you. We can find the murderer.”
***
“Hi, brother. I’m so sad, and I want you to go to the reading of the will. We’ll know about the division of Alex’s estate, and in the end, we’ll hear a voicemail Alex sent to Linda saying who killed him.”
“Hi Alice, this is Ian. I think you called the wrong number.”
“Oh, sorry,” said Alice. She hung up.
“Good acting,” said Logan.
“Thank you.”
“Now you need to say the same thing to your brother, okay?”
At 7:30 p.m., people started to arrive. Ross and Johnstone came early. Sergeant Grant installed a small camera in the corner of the projection room, where the voicemail would be played.
Some minutes later, the reading began.
At first, it all seemed very normal: people crying, people hoping for money, and others just staying quiet.
***
Logan and Grant were in their office, waiting for the person who would try to erase the voicemail. They didn’t go to the room where the will was being read — they wanted people to think the mission had been completed. Tomorrow, they planned to arrest the murderer.
At 8 o’clock, Logan and Grant saw only a black image on the camera feed. The murderer had probably broken the camera or covered it. Logan and Grant ran, trying to catch the murderer in the act.
Logan drove toward Albany Street, where the will reading was happening. But the police car broke down one block before. Logan and Grant abandoned the car and started to run. A few minutes later, they arrived at the projection booth.
It was too late.
Logan started to cry.
“You did all you could, don’t feel bad,” said Grant.
Logan and Grant returned to the office.
***
In the office, Logan thought about who could be the murderer.
“I think it was Ian. Alice only invited Johnstone, so Ian had no reason to go there unless it was to erase the voicemail. But I can’t accuse him without proof,” Logan said firmly.
He took a long sip of coffee.
“I need another idea. I have to catch the murderer. I must.”
Logan reviewed all the cases she had solved before. Why was this one so difficult? She made two tables: one listing reasons Johnstone might have wanted Alex dead, and another for Ross. She spent the night working.
***
“Are you okay, ma’am?” asked Grant.
Logan woke up. “Oh, sorry, I fell asleep by accident.” She laughed. “I was working on this.”
Grant looked at the notes. “That’s good. Now we know some reasons Johnstone and Ross might have wanted Alex dead.”
But Logan still had no clear idea.
Then Linda phoned again.
“Hi Linda. Unfortunately, I still don’t know who killed Alex.”
“I can imagine. I have to apologize. I was changing my cellphone, and my old phone didn’t send the complete voicemail. I’ll send it again.”
“Seriously? Thanks. You’re helping me so much. I think it’s you who will discover the murderer, not me.”
“Grant! Come here!”
Grant rushed over.
“I’m here, ma’am. What do you need?”
“I have the complete audio.”
“Audio?” asked Grant.
“The voicemail,” answered Logan.
Logan played the new message:
“Hi, hi Linda, I need your help. I tried to call Alice but she didn’t answer. I’m dying… a man appeared in my bathroom and started to hurt me. I can’t see his face, because he was wearing a balaclava, but from his body it looks like Johnstone.”
“What?” said Logan. “I really thought it was Ross…”
Logan phoned Alice.
“Hello ma’am, I discovered the murderer…”
***
At 2 p.m., Logan and Grant drove to Johnstone’s house. Three other police cars followed.
Logan knocked on the door.
“Hi Logan, hi Grant.”
“We don’t have good news,” said Grant, while handcuffing Johnstone.
“You discovered…” said Johnstone with a bitter smile.
“Why did you do this?” asked one policeman.
“I needed the money. Alex ignored my problems, and now Alice can help me. I saw that Logan thought Ian was the murderer. You would never have discovered it if Alex hadn’t sent that voicemail. You’re so stupid.”
They took Johnstone to his cell.
***
“Hi Tam,” said Logan.
“I have some news. Maybe you’d like to meet me at Deacon Brodie’s at 7:30 p.m…”
The end
