DOUBLE IDENTITY: A LATERAL THINKING DRAMA & CONUNDRUM 

Issue No. 5 in the Whodunnit series. Tap into your inner detective by solving this case.

Note: This was previously a live case. The real identities of the people concerned have been changed

“I don’t see how they got away, Oliver.” Kaysen Forrest was a big man with a friendly smile for everybody, usually, Today, he was downright serious – a large sum of cash had been stolen from the office of his seedling and nursery business several days beforehand. “I spotted them at the end of the passageway, near the doors. Okay, it was a bit dark, but I clearly saw a pair of men, under six foot, dressed in company overalls. I could see that the one nearest me was carrying a doctor’s medical case. It seemed really strange, so I went after them, and I was through the doors myself in less than thirty seconds. But there was no sign of them at all. The only person out there was Chris Biddle. He heard them run off, but he didn’t see anything. The thing is, my stockyard must be a hundred yards wide, and I can see at least another three hundred yards clear. If they’d gone round the side, they’d have run straight into Chris, and besides, there are fences to climb that way. I’d have definitely heard that. No, they just vanished.”

Oliver James frowned thoughtfully. “It does sound odd. I don’t suppose they could have had a vehicle of some sort?”

Kaysen shook his head. “I don’t believe so, no. I can’t think of anything both fast and silent enough to get out of my line of sight up the road, let alone without making lots of noise. The police clearly thought I’d gone mad. They took the descriptions, and said they’d pursue all leads, but they didn’t seem optimistic. One even pointed out that stolen cash was difficult to recover.”

“Well, why don’t we try another angle. Who knew you had a decent amount of money on site at the time?”

“I bank on Tuesdays. That weekend was unusually good because those orchids I placed in the Imperial had created a lot of interest. So, anyone who was working over the weekend could have guessed – Heather Reeves, Aubrey Fenton, Isaac Brunson, Angelo Delgado, and obviously Chris. But on Tuesday morning, Heather was on the shop floor helping people, Angelo had Monday and Tuesday off, Aubrey was with me in the meeting room we’re in, going over the order lists, Isaac was on the tills, and Chris was tidying the stockyard. Besides, even if one of them had tipped off a couple of goons that it was going to be a good day to turn me over, it doesn’t explain the vanishing act.”

“No,” Oliver said. “It doesn’t, does it. Still, let’s stick with this for a moment. What can you tell me about the staff?”

“Heather’s a real sweetheart. She’s kind and helpful, no matter how rude or bossy the customers get. She’s been here for eighteen months or so. I’ll lose her to marriage one of these days, but I won’t mind, so long as she’s happy. Aubrey has been on board since the start. He’s my right hand. I’d be at sea without him. I can’t face the idea that he might have betrayed me like that. Isaac is a steady hand, if you know what I mean. Been here three years. A very calm and capable young man. He’s awfully sweet on Heather, but he’s too shy to chance his arm. I’m thinking maybe I should provide some better chances for nature to take its course there. He’d look after her, that’s for sure.”

“Chris has worked here for a year or so. He’s quiet, but he’s got deep waters. Surprisingly knowledgeable about all sorts of topics, on account of his being a bookworm. You’ll never catch him without at least something to read. Angelo, finally, has only been working with us for a month or so, but he knows his cultivation practices like nobody’s business. Green thumbs from here to midnight. Get him talking bulbs, and you’ll never shut him up. Where does that get us?”

“I’m not sure,” Oliver confessed. “How about a look at where these guys vanished?”

“Sure, why not?” Kaysen did his best to summon up a smile, but he was clearly finding it difficult to contain his dismay.

The passage from the meeting room led straight through the building towards the back. It was a long, dimly lit corridor of plastered stone, painted in a leafy shade of green. There were several doors along its length, on both sides. Near the end, the corridor met the hallway which ran from the stock entrance straight along the back to the heated storerooms. The staff restroom doors were opposite the end of the passage, separated by a wide mirror. When they got to the junction, Kaysen pointed right, along the back of the building.

“My office is up there. And that’s the stockyard door to the left of the conveniences.”

The wide double-doors out into the stockyard were open. Oliver stepped out and looked around. Kaysen had a point.  The yard was a good hundred yards across. It was dotted with saplings mostly, but none of them big enough to hide a man for more than an instant. The trade gate was at the far side, open, with the road beyond it.

“Kaysen,” Oliver said finally. “I think I know who did this.”

Who does Oliver suspect, and why?