Trinity: Steve, there is a lady here who's asking to see you. Steve: Damn, can't a guy even get a cup of coffee in peace here? Who is it this time? Trinity: Says her name is Ava, and she's a bit... strange. Steve: Oh great, another nutjob is just what I need. Trinity: I don't think she's a nutjob, but I've definitely never seen anyone like her. Steve: Okay, let's find out what she wants. Where is she?
Ava: Nice of you to see me. I'm sure you are very busy, but I have something important to tell you. Steve: I... um... I'm Steve. Ava: I know. I'm Ava. I saw your picture and name in a newspaper article. That's why I asked to see you. Steve: Would you like to sit down... errr, I mean... Ava: You're not very good at dealing with surprises, detective. No thanks, I'll stand. I wouldn't want to break any furniture.
Ava: I take it you don't watch The Biggest Monster. You would have recognized me otherwise. Steve: No, it's not my kind of show. - So, how can I help you? Ava: I think it's the other way round. I may be able to help you. It's about that hitman or rather, his victims. Steve: Do you know something about them? Ava: I know what they had in common. I bet you don't, because it all happened a long time ago and far away from here, in a foreign country. Steve: I know they were all immigrants, but they weren't from the same country. Ava: No, they weren't, but they were all in the same country at one point of their lives. Same time, same place and they all knew the same man. Steve: You know, I think we should go somewhere more private to talk about this. I'll also ask my partner to join us. Ava: Sure.
Claudia: I'm Claudia, Steve's partner. And you're Ava, I saw you in The Biggest Monster. You were fantastic! Ava: Thank you. Your partner here wasn't familiar with the show. Did you also see the talk show? Claudia: Yes. I don't usually watch it, but I was curious... Ava: Everybody is, that's why I did it. I'm glad you've seen it, because it means you'll understand better what I'm talking about. Steve: What talk show? Ava: I was invited to a talk show after I got kicked out of The Biggest Monster. Everybody wanted to know... well, why I look the way I do. - I bet you're wondering too. Steve: Well, yes, I mean, I've never... Ava: Neither has anyone else, and that is a part of what I'm here to tell you.
Steve: All right, why don't you start from the beginning and tell us everything? Ava: Very well. The beginning is Doctor Frankenstein. Not his real name, but that's how we call him. His experiments in my native country are the reason I am what I am. I won't go into details right now, we can discuss those later. It's enough to say that his experiments with "improving the race" caused a lot of suffering, and when it all came out, there was trial and the Doctor was sentenced to death. He was executed, so that's the end of his involvement in these murders. Claudia: What do the murder victims have to do with all this? Ava: The Doctor had all sorts of people helping him in his work. Some of them managed to disappear before they could be charged. It was assumed that they had fled the country. Steve: So they came here? And you think someone has been on a vendetta? Ava: What else could it be?
Claudia: How did you manage to figure this out? You must have been very young... Ava: I was at the time of the murders, but I've been researching the matter for several years now. Doctor Frankenstein made me the way I am and was responsible for my mother's death. I guess I just wanted to understand, so I've dug out everything there is to know about the man and his accomplices. Steve: May we see it? Ava: Sure, but it's a room full of paper, most of it in my native language. Claudia: One thing, this isn't the first time the hits are covered in media. Why didn't you say anything sooner? Ava: Because I couldn't connect the dots. The victims had changed their names, some several times, and gotten older. It was just when I saw that new article in the True Crime Journal yesterday, with the photos of the victims side by side, that it struck me. I spent all last night comparing photos and I am sure I know who those people were. - I can't say I'm sorry for them.
Claudia: The hitman, did he come up in any of your research? Ava: No, haven't seen him before anywhere. I suspect he was just a hired hitman. Probably didn't even know why he was killing those men. Steve: Does your research cover people like yourself, people affected by the Doctor's actions? Ava: You mean anyone with a motive? Naturally I have also researched them and even talked with a few. And no, I don't remember anyone talking about revenge or anything like that, but of course, if you've done something like that, the last thing you would do is to tell anybody. I mean, it is safe to assume that we're talking about someone fairly intelligent here, because it must have taken substantial amounts of money to pull off the plan. My impression is that good professional hitmen aren't cheap.
Claudia: What do you think of it all? Steve: It's logical and believable. The one thing we were missing, the link between the victims. Claudia: If that's the reason for the hits, what did the hitman do that got him murdered? Steve: Could he have found out about it? Tried some blackmail maybe? Or knowing about it all made him a risk in some other way? Claudia: It is also possible that his murder isn't connected with these particular hits. He must have killed a lot more people. Steve: What if he wasn't a real hitman after all? Claudia: I think we're past that point. Steve: No, just think about it. These are the only hits he's been linked to. There is probably one person with a motive and intent to kill them all. What if the hitman is just a guy who did a favor for somebody? For money, for justice or for who knows what else. Claudia: And then he got betrayed? It's a possibility. - So, what do we tell the Feds? Steve: I guess we have no choice. We have to tell them all. Let's go and talk with the Captain.
Maria: You've been busy with your extra-curricular activities. Steve: I take full responsibility. It was my idea. Maria: I'm not reprimanding you. It was our case first, so I'm glad we're the first to know at least that part of the truth. That is, if all that information checks out. If it does, all that's left is finding the person ordering the hits, who is probably someone affected by the doctor's activities. Claudia: Ava has the information on people with a motive. Maria: It's too bad we need to hand it all to the FBI, but that can't be helped. There will be a huge amount of checking, some of it abroad, so it's best that they handle it. - How old is she? Claudia: Too young to be a suspect. And at the time of the murders she wasn't even in this country. Maria: I wasn't really entertaining the idea seriously, but you can't take anything for granted, no matter how crazy it would be for the culprit to offer information about the murders.
Twyla: I could have come to your office... John: I was just leaving the office when you called, and I didn't want to wait until tomorrow. Anyway, we're just having an informal discussion. Any formalities can wait. Twyla: This is my friend Frankie. She doesn't know anything about what's going on, she's just here for support. Frankie: Hi, John. Nice to see you again. John: Have we...? Oh yes, you're Jet's assistant. Twyla: Have you two met before? Frankie: It was about that serial killer case some time ago. John came to interview Dana, the one whose roommate was killed.
John: So, Twyla, you said you have some information concerning the hitman. Twyla: Well, my grandfather died very recently... John: I'm sorry. Twyla: It's all right, he was very old and sick. He was happy to go and join grandma. - Before he died... he told me something. He said he had done something very bad. John: Go on. Twyla: It was a couple of weeks before he died. He was watching TV and suddenly became really agitated. I don't remember what the program was, some reality TV show, I think, but he started shouting, "It's her! It's her!" It took some time to get him to calm down. The next day, when the medication had worn off and he could think straight again, he said that he had to tell me something. Then he told me all about what he had done. If it's true, and I believe it is, he killed the hitman. John: Why would he do that? Twyla: He said his faith was never strong enough, that he couldn't just forgive and forget. So he had hired somebody to kill some people who were responsible for his little sister's death. John: How did she die? Twyla: In childbirth. There was something wrong with the baby and it died too. Apparently it was the doctor's fault, and he was later sentenced for various crimes and executed. Some of the people who had helped the doctor in his crimes fled the country, but grandpa managed to find them after a long search. The guy he hired killed them, and then grandpa killed him.
John: Did he tell you why he killed the hitman? Twyla: He said it's not right to enjoy killing. He was scared that the guy would go on doing it. He thought he had created a monster. But it isn't like that, is it? I mean, you can't make somebody enjoy killing, the guy had it in him already and grandpa just accidentally made him realize it, right? John: I expect so. - Do you have anything to prove all this? We need some evidence to make sure he was telling the truth. Twyla: That disc contains a video recording of grandpa telling the whole story. I was using the camera, so I was in the room when he did it. You can hear my voice occasionally as I asked him about details on some things I thought you'd want to know. You should be able to use those details to check if the story is true. Grandpa told me to give the video to the proper authorities after he was dead. I guess that means you. John: Yes, in this case it does. - May I ask why Frankie is here instead of your parents? Do they know about this? Twyla: Grandpa said I shouldn't tell them. I think he was scared they would try to hide it all, and he was really anxious for the truth to come out. He said he was only sorry that he hadn't had the courage to confess earlier. John: Did he have a reason to think the family would want to hide it? Twyla: Daddy's really careful about his image, and this is going to be bad. John: I understand. You did the right thing by telling me everything.
John: Do you think you will get in trouble with your parents because of this? Twyla: Probably, but they can't do anything. The inheritance from grandpa will be enough to pay for my education, so I don't need them. John: You inherit him? Twyla: Yes. The family company was transferred to daddy a few years ago, and grandpa said that's enough for him. And he called the other relatives leeches, who don't deserve anything. So I get this house and some money. - I guess you'll want to take a look around here. All of grandpa's papers are in his study and bedroom. Maybe you'll find some more evidence. John: Yes, I'm sure we will want to take a look at those at some point. Twyla: All you need to do is let me know when, so I'll be here to let you in. I think you better do it before daddy finds out about all this. You know, as long as it's all still here. John: You really think your father would have some things removed? Twyla: He could. He'd say it was all a long time ago and better let sleeping dogs lie and other nonsense like that.
John: Did your grandfather mention someone called Ava? Twyla: No, I don't think so. John: Did he mention a doctor working around here, who is connected to the doctor who died? Twyla: Do you mean Victor, the Robot Girl's doctor? I know all about that. Grandpa said he didn't believe in that sins of the fathers stuff. He said Victor is a good man, who is helping a lot of people as a doctor should. Grandpa actually consulted him after getting sick, but Victor said that his methods cannot be used for old people. They are only suitable for otherwise healthy young people, who have had some sort of an accident. It's something to do with the risks of the operation. John: I see. - Well, I will need to talk with my colleagues about this and watch the video. I will contact you to arrange a formal interview later and also about coming to check the house. In the meantime, I would like both of you to keep quiet about all this. Twyla: Sure. Frankie: I won't talk to anybody. Well, except with Twyla. There was so much I did not understand about all that.
Frankie: Do you think your grandpa really did it? Twyla: I believe so. He had no reason to lie. He was dying, and he wanted the truth to be known. Frankie: I don't know what to think about it. I mean, the victims weren't innocent, they were criminals, but still... Twyla: The hitman is the part I have most trouble with. Grandpa actually shot him. Frankie: To stop him from killing anyone innocent. You never know what people who find out they enjoy killing will do. He could have killed anybody. Twyla: I guess so. Frankie: The main thing is, you haven't done anything wrong, so you don't need to feel guilty about any of it. - Your grandpa was a good man for most of his life. He did good things with his money, helped other people. Twyla: I think he did it as an atonement. To pay for his sins. Frankie: Probably, and I'm sure people will see it that way. He understood what he had done and tried to make amends. That's what counts.
Frankie: How are things with your parents and... the others? Twyla: Haha, the others, that's a good way of putting it. Sounds like they're total strangers, which is the truth for the most part. - It's bearable. I don't need to deal with them much. The house is mine, and I'm not letting any of them in. It annoys them, but the will explicitly stated "the land and everything on it, including the house and all of its contents," so they can't do anything. Frankie: And the will is going to stand? Twyla: Oh yes, it was made when grandpa wasn't sick yet. He was signing business deals at the time, so to say that he wasn't competent would invalidate all those deals as well. Daddy can't let that happen, and anyway, he doesn't care about the house.
Frankie: Are you going to be all right? Twyla: Yes, but it's going to take some time to get used to the empty house. - You know, you always say how annoying your mom is. You could move out and come live with me. There's more than enough room here. There would be no rent, you'd just pay your share of the bills. Frankie: Do you really mean it? Twyla: Of course. I wouldn't feel lonely, if you were living here, and we could have lots of fun. Frankie: Mom's going to have one of her breakdowns, if I do it. Twyla: You shouldn't let her blackmail you like that. You're not responsible for her. Frankie: You're right. It's time I make my own decisions. - When do you want me to move in? Twyla: As soon as possible.
Virginia: You sounded really mysterious on the phone. What's the big scoop? Ava: The hitman case. I found out that I actually know a quite deal about the hitman's victims. The police haven't released the info yet, but I have told them what I know. I thought I might as well tell you next. Virginia: Certainly. Let's hear it. My boss is going to love this. The case has been so dead for ages now. Ava: Have a seat. I prefer standing, but you'll probably be more comfortable sitting down. Virginia: Is it okay if I record this? Ava: Go ahead. It's a long story...
Virginia: Fantastic! And you're quite sure they are the people you think they are? Ava: Quite sure. Virginia: We'll need the photos and as much background documentation as you can provide. Ava: I can email the photos and some documents to you as soon as I get home. Virginia: You don't happen to know anything about the hitman as well? Ava: Unfortunately not. He doesn't seem to have ties to anybody in my research, so he was probably just hired for the job. By whom, I have no idea, except that it must be someone with a reason to seek revenge. Good thing I was much too young at the time to be a suspect.
Virginia: Would you have chosen revenge, given the chance? Ava: I don't know, maybe, but not murder. No, something legal, but still totally devastating would have been my choice. I have been thinking during my research that if I manage to track any of the ones that could still be charged at home, I'd trick them into a country that has no qualms about handing foreign criminals over to the proper authorities. Or looks the other way when the proper authorities come and take what's theirs. Virginia: Sounds very reasonable.