The Strange Alibi of Mr.Blackwater

The Strange Alibi of Mr.Blackwater

by

Nizamuddin Arriyadhi

It’s been a hard night, Gregory Whitewood the Britain detective was on the way home, after solving a case. It was a murder case he solved, one unique case he had ever encountered. Four days before the case opened, he was employed to look after a man named Brian Castleburn discreetly for three days. This person whom he spied, was an owner of a casino, a bar, and a parlor, and was said to have wealth of $1 million dollars. Thereby, he was known as A million $ man, or at least that’s what his trusty subordinate, Steve Blackwater, as well as the one who employed Greg, recognized him. Even though, Brian was not known to be a man of such wealth by society but an owner of a rather small casino.

His subordinate, Steve, came to Greg’s detective office. As he entered the office, Greg was smoking the cigar, looking out of the window as he was a man wondering something to happen, and turned it off when he realized he had a client. “Sir Gregory Whitewood?” “Yes, I am. How may I help?” “Let me introduce myself first. I am Steve Blackwater. Now let’s get to the problem…” “Well, sir, before we talk, you may want a cup of coffee or tea or alcohol over there.” “Such a surprise you have Vodka there. Not alcohol, I’m driving. That Britain tea would please me most.” “Then please wait. Oh, just start talking, I’ll listen.” “Well, Mr.Whitewood, I’d like to offer you only a simple request. I want you to follow my boss, for 3 days. I suspected that my boss had a business with arm-dealer. I want you to only report to me what he is doing for 3 days. Do I make myself clear?” “Crystal clear, sir. May I have the photo, the name, and the address of your boss?” “A Photo? Sure do. Here it is.” “Oh, Mr.Brian Castleburn, the owner of Royal Casino in this town. In that case, you are the bartender who runs the Castle Bar he owns.” “Yes, I am. But… wait, did I tell you I am a bartender?” Judging you knowing that bottle there is Vodka, while there is no Vodka written on the bottle, I suppose you are a bartender.” “Impressive. You live up to your reputation as detective indeed. Anyway, I’ll pay you as soon as you finish the job via transfer in bank.” “My pleasure.” “Well, mr.Whitewood, if you’ll excuse me.” “Yes, by the way, sir, allow me to say this to you: Elated you to make you acquaintance.” Then Steve smiled, and he left the office.

Steve Blackwater was a man with a very athletic tall stature. He said he was a bouncer of Mr.Brian Castleburn’s bar and had ever been his bodyguard as well. He, however, promoted to be his personal assistant after Mr.Castleburn’s success on managing the bar. He was promoted because he was not a brawny brute man but with brain as well. He was ordered to run the bar while his boss, Brian, managed the casino. Steve, in the town, was secretly known as a look-alike of a police officer in the city.

The detective, thereafter, started to cover himself up, wearing sunglasses, a trilby hat, and taking newspaper with him. As his spying progressed, he would start to do something which was common for some people around him to do like sitting on nearby seat and reading newspaper, listening to music, or else when the target was about to realize he was followed. He would also open his coat to make his appearance seemed different, so the target would not realize his existence. Upon doing this, Greg felt like a ninja. The detective, however, suspected the casino owner. He dressed normally like how a boss, an owner of casino should be at first day of his spying. But in the third day, he totally covered himself; he wore a long coat that covered his neck, a hat that covered his hair, and sunglasses that made his face barely unseen, not to mention of his hairy beard and the way he walked with hand on the pocket. And it stayed the way it was until the job finished.  He, however, did go to the place which can be suspected as a place of arm-dealing both at the first and the second day of spying.

After the job done, Steve the client paid the detective Greg via transfer, and Greg was surprised, since the payment of the job was too high, which was suspicious to him.  He was paid $500 only to spy a man! It’s illogical unless if Greg was also asked to arrest him along with the evidence of his arm-dealing. Greg, feeling curious, had sensed there’d be another case for him. “That was an easy job, but the payment is… Well, now this is what I’d call a peculiar event. According to my instinct, I suppose there’d be another case after this. I really am certain of it.” And he was right. A day after Greg spied the casino owner; he was found hanged with a chair RIGHT below his hanged body in his house by his servant.

There was a letter of testament found in the table near the hanged body. It was typed: “I suppose someone did try to kill me. Tell them: Bring it on! I’ve got cancer! I rather die than let myself killed! I hereby abdicate my bar and my casino to Steve. I too hope Steve was the one who found this letter.” Greg was firstly suspicious with the chair since it was peculiar to him, not to mention the position of the body was too high Mr.Castleburn to hang himself who had a short stature. He suspected it to be a murder, and the suspect that he thought of at the very first was his client.

He investigated the house to find some clues. Strangely, he found two cups of coffee and two cakes, which each cup and cake was located opposite, as he was with someone before committing suicide. The police, however, assigned the case as suicide. But Greg couldn’t just accept the police’s decision. “Sir, I don’t think this is a suicide case!” “If so, what do you have in mind of this case?” “A murder” “Excuse me? And how would you explain this testament?” “Well, officer, it is typed, and anyone can type it. But firstly, as you can see here, the chair, it’s suspicious!” “Oh, by the way, would you introduce yourself? By the look, you surely are a detective…… Oh! Wait a minute! I think you look familiar! Oh yes! You are Detective Gregory Whitewood! Oh thanks goodness!” “What? Why is it officer?” “Well, Mr.Whitewood, our best inspector should have been the one to solve this case.” “Where is he?” “He said he took a vacation, a bonus from his friend.” “Oh, I see. Then would you let me handle this case on his behalf?” “Oh, of course! It’ll be my pleasure! Just tell me if you need anything!” The case, then, was for Greg to solve.

This client who employed Greg to spy the dead casino owner was said to just arrive from his vacation. He inherited the casino as well as the halves of the owner’s wealth, which the other halves were inherited to his family. This, certainly, startled and puzzled the detective, due to the fact that he was paid $500 for a simple job: to silently tail a person, a rich man with no bodyguard. And then the one who employed him later took over the casino from his target, which came to the detective’s mind that the client had a quiet motive to murder his own superior. He started to suspect him even more; however, there was something in his mind, “Now I’m sure HE was the one who murdered the owner! That payment was too high for a simple job! There must be something behind this. I should ask him something about this.” He took his long coat, his cap and his walking stick. Then he turned his car engine on and rushed in to his client’s house that not even a horse could outpace him.

His client, seeing him from outside, had already prepared for this. He knew that the detective would suspect him. “Just as I thought, I was probably wrong employing him. He is one careful fellow just what people said of him. But, hah, I have anticipated this right off the bat!” He then went down to the front door, and welcomed Greg. “Ah! Mr.Whitewood! What a surprise! Please come in!” Then Greg came in, placing his hat and his coat on the place that Steve had provided for him. Greg was wondering when he saw a hat, a coat, sunglasses and a fake beard until Steve said, “You may have a sit, Mr.Whitewood.” “Oh! Thanks.” Greg sat in the classic couch of a classic luxurious house of Steve Blackwater. “What is it you need, Mr.Whitewood?” “Okay, Mr.Blackwater, say, elated to have made your acquaintance…” “Excuse my interrupting, but can we go the point?” “Well then. Forgive my rudeness, but may I ask you something about the murder? Because I’m afraid you are involved in this case.” “I’m sorry, do you suspect me or something?” “It’s not like that, but I’ll be blunt I was suspicious of your payment of the job you gave me before. And again, my apology of my rudeness, please understand it’s my duty to suspect.” Steve replied it slowly, “Ah, don’t mind it, Mr.Whitewood… But tell you what? It’s absolutely impossible that I am the culprit of the murder… As you know that I have my alibi, and I think I told you where I was when Mr.Castleburn hanged… I was just arrived this morning via plane… I too, was surprised that I’ve got to take over the casino and to receive my boss’ money. So, it’s impossible for me to murder my own boss.” “But, sir, that doesn’t explain of your illogical payment for such a simple job.” “Aah, yes, indeed.” Steve looked at the clock as he was like a busy man and it was alarming. “I’m sorry to interrupt our conversation. It’s been a pleasure as well to have your acquaintance. But as you know, I now am a busy man.” “Yeah, thanks for the time, mr.Blackwater.” Afterward, Greg took his hat and his coat.

The detective Greg, however, still dissatisfied. He had realized it was Steve’s plan to extrude him when Steve interrupted his politeness from the start and when he replied slowly to have it timely exact with the time of the alarm. He, too, had realized something. “So I myself was the one who strengthen his alibi. There MUST be trick or something of his alibi. Wait, what if he didn’t really take the vacation? I think I’ve got to check it out myself.” Thereafter, he rushed to the airport and asked some of the worker there, whether Mr.Blackwater did take the vacation or not. He was disappointed; he learned Mr.Blackwater DID go to his vacation according to a ground crew he asked. However, he also learned that Mr.Blackwater was in incognito. As he learned Mr.Blackwater’s condition on Airport, he remembered about the fake beard he found at Steve Blackwater’s house.

As he sat and started to smoke with his pipe, he overheard a conversation between a ground crew and a pilot. “Yo homies, you just been to Hawaii, haven’t you?” “Yes, what is it?” “I heard someone brought a gun! Trying to hijack the plane! Is that true?” “Yes! I was terrified you know! Good thing the cop was on the flight too! He was on vacation he said. And he was right behind the dude; then he tackled him.” “Hey, you saw what happened?” “Nope, a passenger told our crew.” “If I was there, I’d kung-fu his ass and arrest him myself!” “What? You learn Kung fu?” “I can Kung fu! Ain’t nobody got time for learning that!” “Don’t tell me you learn it from movie.” “Ah! Screw you!” Their conversation ended as well as Greg’s smoking, and he smiled. “Now this is interesting.”

He then asked the chatting crews. “Excuse me, gentlemen. I’m Detective Gregory Whitewood, on duty for the police. May I know the name of the police who capture the hijacker?” “Oh, sure, Sherlock. Anyone in Las Vegas knows who he is. And I suppose you know him as well. He is Inspector Tommy Towngate.” “Now he’s the real kung fu fighter in town. He was a gangsta back in Brooklyn by the way. And then someone from Las Vegas befriended with him.” “A white gangsta?” “Sorry for interrupting the chat, but is Inspector Tommy’s ticket is not his name?” “From what I heard from my crew, no, it isn’t. It’s name is someone else.” “What? Isn’t it against the law?” “Well, Sherlock, a few people thought he was that gentleman bartender of Castle Bar, Steve Blackwater. But I realized when he said ‘You’re arrested’ like he is a cop. Then we recognize him to be Inspector Towngate. Well, since he saved us from the terrorist, our crew didn’t mind him being the wrong passenger.” “Is that so? Very well then, gentlemen, thank you for the information.” “Anytime, Sherlock!” He walked away, leaving both of them as the pilot started to wonder. “Wait, man, I think I know that dude.” “What? That detective? You don’t recognize him? Nigga, you serious? He is Gregory Whitewood!” “What?! Aww, heck! I should have asked for an autograph! He is like a hero in this town!” “Yeah, much like that Tommy you mentioned.”

As he walked to the park, he called the inspector who investigated Mr.Castleburn’s case. “Yes, mr.Whitewood?” “Inspector, may I know the name of the inspector who’s got the vacation? Is it Inspector Tommy Towngate?” “Yes! Yes, it is!” “Is he a friend of Steve Blackwater?” “Yes he is! He was the one who made that punk into a police officer. Oh God, to think Inspector Tommy was a punk back then. By the way, when I went to Castle Bar, I mistook Mr.Steve Blackwater to be Inspector Towngate. I suppose they are like twins or something.” “Okay. One more question, inspector, did he just get home today from Hawaii?” “Yes. And, how do you know this all exactly, mr.Whitewood?” “Just intuition. A detective intuition. Anyway, thanks Inspector!” As he hanged up his phone, he laughed, laughed of victory. People around him were startled of him, thinking he was going crazy, even though some of them recognized who he was. “Oh wait, I shouldn’t have laughed just yet. I should make sure of it to Mr.Blackwater. Hah, it seems now the wood is going to absorb the water.”

Afterwards, he raced his Porsche to to Steve Blackwater’s house to strike him down with his analysis. He called him while driving, which was actually forbidden by law to call someone while driving, not to mention on how fast he drove. “Mr.Blackwater?” “Yes?” “Are you home?” “I am.” “May I go to your house?” “Yes, of course.” “Well, I’m going in.” Steve prepared some tea, Britain tea, to show his guest his respect, before his guest arrived. Steve, however, was not aware that the detective he asked to spy his boss would arrest him and would drag him to prison. He was certain that his plan went smoothly.

Steve had waited him and welcomed him. The condition was just like when Greg came to his house to accuse Steve. “Oh, a tea of my homeland! How kind of you!” “It’s the very least I can do to respect you, Mr.Whitewood.” “Yes, thank you kindly. But sir, would you like to hear my analysis on this case of Mr.Castleburn?” “Of course! It’d be an honor to hear an analysis from detective such as you. But as you know, my boss is assigned to commit suicide. What else do you want to analyze?” “It is NOT a suicide, sir.” “Then how did you know that Mr.Castleburn was killed?” “When I arrived, the first thing which was peculiar was the chair.” “The chair?” “Yes, the chair. I felt something was strange. Well, the chair was right below the hanged body of Mr.Castleburn. How could a man hang himself with a chair right below him? It should have been moved back a bit.” “But he would climb it with chair, since he is one short fellow.” “That IS it! His stature made it difficult for him to hang himself, unless he jumped. But if he did, his hanged body would slowly swing forward and backward after he hanged himself, making the chair for him to stand to fall on the back and a bit further, not right below it. If he put the chair in reverse, it’d fall right below it, but the chair was unfortunately on the back, not on the front. Then I’m sure, somebody with tall stature would hang him up to the rope.” “Magnificent analysis, Mr.Whitewood. So, who’s that culprit?” “I’m afraid it’d be you, sir.”

Steve, looked calmly as calm as the lake can be, replied him. “That’s quite a confidence you showed to me. I told you, my friend, it was impossible for me to be the culprit, the murderer. Beside, I heard there was a testament there. It’s clear he committed suicide.” “It is typed, isn’t it? The testament?” “Well, yes.” “Anyone can type the testament, even by me, or by you.” “Then how would you explain my alibi? I DID take my vacation by plane.” “Are you sure, Mr.Blackwater?” “Of course! You may go to the airport to make sure of it.” “In that case, let me ask you if you really are sure you took your vacation. There was something happened in your vacation while you were on flight, wasn’t it?” “Well, there was nothing happened on the flight.” “I’m sorry then. I do have to arrest you.” “What? Why?” “The plane you flight with was hijacked.” “Oh yes! I forgot to mention it.” “No, you didn’t, Mr.Blackwater. If you did, tell me what happened to the hijacker. Don’t tell me you also forgot it as well.” “Well, I…” Steve started to look worry and was speechless.

Knowing this, Greg started to take a deep breath. He was going to explain the whole of Steve’s doing. “So, the procedure of your crime is like this: firstly you ensure Mr.Castleburn to get out of the casino, dealing with the arm-dealer like you said, whether it’s true or not. Secondly, you have your bonus of vacation from the boss, which for you was the perfect time to kill him. After you had it, you gave it to your look-alike friend, who is surprisingly a cop, Inspector Towngate. This one was what confused me most until I make sure of it myself at the airport. You did this to strengthen your alibi against the casino workers and of course me, Gregory Whitewood. Thirdly, you hired me to spy Mr.Castleburn to make sure he was okay but then he committed suicide a day before you, or exactly Inspector Towngate going back to Nevada, without involving you at all, which is why your payment to me spying him was illogically high. But the thing is, Mr.Castleburn died at the third day of me spying him. The one I spied was not Mr.Castleburn, but someone who looks like him you might hire to fool me, and asked him to wear the hat, the coat, the fake beard, and the sunglasses at your house upon my first visit to your house. You killed Mr.Castleburn at the third day I spy him.” “Well, all those 3 are actually true, I admit. But it’d be nothing without…” “…evidence. Well, mr.Blackwater, you DID not take the flight to Hawaii yesterday. It was your friend, Inspector Towngate. May I know what were you doing at 3 days in this town?”

“Outstanding, detective, very outstanding. I suppose you also know that I went to his house from the living room which had two cakes and two cups of coffee.” “Aww, I forgot that point.” “Well then, you got me. Fine, I admit, I AM the murderer of Mr.Brian Castleburn. You may arrest me now.” “My pleasure, Mr.Blackwater.” “Anyway can you tell me what happened to the hijacker? Did he manage to hijack the plane?” “Fortunately he didn’t. Your friend who flied replacing you took care of him.” “Tommy? Thank goodness.” “Impressive, Mr.Blackwater, you tricked for your alibi well. You used me and Inspector Towngate to strengthen your alibi of Mr.Castleburn’s murder, or exactly using me to strengthen your alibi against Inspector Towngate, and using Inspector Towngate to strengthen your alibi against me. Simply amazing, you confused me out there.” Greg handcuffed him with the handcuff he got from the inspector. They gazed to each other, one looked as if to say, ”Elated to make you acquaintance, but I win this battle of wits, my friend” while the other one looked as if to say, “Elated to make you acquaintance as well, congratulations on your winning.” They then went to the Police.

Greg started another conversation with his custody. “Well, Mr.Blackwater, I think now is my turn to ask you something.” “Sure. What is it?” “The motive of you murdering Mr.Castleburn is more than his wealth, isn’t it?” “I knew you’d realize it.” “Then you would surely explain it.” “Sure thing. Well, I talked to my boss that I wished to turn the bar I run into a restaurant. I also wished to be free from him.” “Free? From him?” “Yes, my boss had two bodyguards, one was me, and the other was Inspector Tommy.” “Is that so… Wait! What in the world…?!” “At 20, He escaped to Brooklyn, New York.” “And be a gangsta there.” “That’s right, and, how did you know it?” “Don’t mind it, continue it.” “I met him when my boss and I were on our business trip to New York. He told me he wished to be a police. I gave him some money of mine for him to go back to Las Vegas and motivated him to be a police officer.” “That’s good of him.” “When I was 24, I heard he was promoted into Officer. I was truly grateful. 4 years later, he was promoted into Inspector and was known to be a hero like you in this city.” “Then let me guess, Mr.Castleburn was angered due to Tommy’s betrayal and he wanted to send an assassin to kill him, which your motive was to protect Tommy from this?” “Exactly.” “Wait, so Mr.Castleburn is a mafia boss?” “And why didn’t you realize right off the bat?!” “Oh my God! I should have arrested him before you murdered him!” “Yeah, my apology. When I killed him, I was also planning to turn the casino into a school.” “Too bad for your failure because of me. I somehow felt guilty because of it.” “Hey hey, don’t mind it, it was your job after all.”

Arriving at the police headquarters, Greg turned Steve in to the police. Tommy was the one who took care of Steve, he didn’t realize he was used as tool of alibi to murder his former boss and was upset knowing this fact. He, however, did his job professionally disregarding it was his friend who was the culprit. Steve then whispered something, while at the same time, Greg also whispered something: “Elated to make you acquaintance.”

Story based on Detective Conan