Curtain Call Episode 6- part 2

Curtain Call…..

If you want to purchase Curtain Call follow this link: https://www.huntakiller.com/tf

So here is my review…This link will take you to the full summary while this link will take you to the folder in my Google Drive which has all the documents, pictures and spreadsheets to connect to the summaries…

This summary was the longest by far so I will split it in half…Part 1 of the final episode of Curtain Call…

So the point of this box was to eliminate another suspect. However before we make that conclusion, we have to consider the Police Report & Most of the other evidence in this box…

We have three suspects and three alibis to check:

Olga Gaina:

To check her alibi, we should consider the Police Report, Newspaper Clipping, the Rap Sheet and the Arrest Records.

• Police Report:
  • Written by a Detective Shannon originally dated November 7, 1934.
  • Containing 5 pages of witness reports pertaining to the disappearance of Viola Vane as well as the Detective thoughts on the case.

From the police interviews we can determine that everyone mentioned that Olga showed up at the theater around 5:13pm, attacked her daughter Viola then was escorted out by Hector and Joe. When Hector left at 5:30pm she was still outside of the theater trying to break in. 

•  The Newspaper Clipping
  • Not Dated. Small articles about things happening around town.

One of the entries could possibly be Olga as she was possibly drunk and trying to break into the Cadence Theater. 

• Rap Sheet
  • Olga’s arrest report with Multiple arrests for public intoxication & violence

Although there are no arrests on her record for November 6, 1934, this helps establish a pattern that we can look for in the arrest record.

• Arrest Record
  • Multiple arrest records for November 6, 1934
  • Here is the original
    • I scanned the entire record and I found one arrest in particular that matches what is normally on Olga’s rap sheet

While the arrest doesn’t state Olga’s name directly, when combined with the newspaper clipping and the rap sheet then we can assume that after Hector saw Olga at the theater, she was arrested for public intoxication and then left in the drunk tank to sleep it off. This eliminates Olga as a suspect.

Evelyn Kittridge/Idler:

To check her alibi, we should consider the Police Report, Newspaper Clipping, the Rap Sheet and the Arrest Records.

• Police Report:
  • Written by a Detective Shannon originally dated November 7, 1934.
  • Containing 5 pages of witness reports pertaining to the disappearance of Viola Vane as well as the Detective thoughts on the case.

From the police interviews, Evelyn originally stated that after Viola retired to her dressing rooms, Evelyn followed with Viola’s belongings and Olga’s cane. Viola was extremely upset and Evelyn tried to comfort her but failed. She soon left after 15 minutes to grab her things to try to make her dinner plans. When she pasted Viola’s dressing room, she did hear an argument but she wasn’t sure if it was male or female voices. She caught a taxi and arrived at her dinner reservation shortly after 6pm

•  The Newspaper Clipping
  • Not Dated. Small articles about things happening around town.

One of the entries could possibly be a Woman choked on a ring during Proposal @ Excelsior Hotel. Knowing that Ira proposed to Evelyn in the month of November combined with the fact that Ira was at the Excelsior Hotel that night when his guest started to choke and required another guest to help out, this could be Evelyn. 

• Taxi Cab Receipt
  • A copy of a receipt signed by Evelyn Kittridge. Dated November 6, 1934 and timed at 6:08pm. Drop off location is the Excelsior Hotel

This confirms the information we received from the Police report, Hotel Records and Newspaper Clipping. Evelyn left the theater (with Viola alive) at or around 6pm, took a cab to the Excelsior Hotel arriving at 6:08pm and was with Ira the rest of the night. This eliminates Evelyn Kittridge as a suspect.

George Erickson:

To check his alibi, we should consider the Police Report, Newspaper Clipping, the Rap Sheet and the Arrest Records.

• Police Report:
  • Written by a Detective Shannon originally dated November 7, 1934.
  • Containing 5 pages of witness reports pertaining to the disappearance of Viola Vane as well as the Detective thoughts on the case.

From the police interviews, George stated that he was working on the theater’s accounts before leaving the theater at 6:15pm.

•  The Magazine Article
  • Dated Nov 2, 1937
    • One side was an article describing Hector Roland’s success with his first motion picture. Also includes a small section about Viola’s disappearance and a where-are-they-now section about Alders, Ericksons, and Viola’s mother.
    • Second side was a ad for smoking

At the bottom of the article about Hector is a small section about the rest of the people that were in Viola’s public life a few years after Viola’s disappearance. In the Article, George says that he still remembers the night Viola disappeared extremely clear. “I was checking the books the night she disappeared. She could have walked right past me and I might not have noticed.” This matches what he originally stated to the police.

• Bloodstained Letter
  • Dated November 6, 1934
  • 1 page, double-sided, written in cursive, most of letter is encoded
  • Writer and recipient names are encoded

Although this was originally written by Viola to Hector, it does reveal that George was probably the last person she talked to right before she died.

George doesn’t have a confirmed Alibi.

Conclusions: 

• Viola was killed with a jewel-encrusted cane.
  • Evidence to confirm: Blunt Force Trauma to the skull, fracture was 8cm in diameter and a single cabochon-cut ruby (3cm in length, 3cm in width, 2cm in height) was found in the wound.
  • According to inventory: one cane was found in the attic: Wooden Shaft measuring 3ft. Circular metal head, 3in diameter. Cabochon gem inserts, measuring 3cm in length, 3cm in width, 2cm in height, with a gem missing
• Motive? Personal or Crime of Passion
  • Evidence to confirm: According to the Forensic Report all of her cash and cards were still in her purse which was found on the body.
• Joe Sampson is not the killer:
  • Alibi confirmed in a previous box
• Ruth Erickson is not the killer:
  • Alibi confirmed in a previous box
• Hector Roland is not the killer:
  • Alibi created from evidence in the previous box
• Ira Adler is not the killer:
  • Alibi confirmed in the previous box
• Evelyn Adler is not the killer
  • Alibi confirmed in this box
• Olga Gaina is not the killer
  • Alibi confirmed in this box

So throughout this case we have confirmed the alibi for every suspect except George Erickson. Let us ponder his “alibi” and motive before we determine if he is the killer…

Motive: George was the first to hire Viola Vane after her mother introduced them. He reportedly spent tons of money and time to promote any and all productions this young actress touched in the hope to make her a big star and bring in money to George’s dying theater. He seemed to have strong feelings towards Viola, was extremely upset that Viola disappeared the first time and even hired a PI with Viola’s mother to follow Viola after continuous weekend disappearances after she returned in August.

Alibi: While George stated that he was working on the Theater’s books, there is no entry for that night, nor did he state where he was while working on it. Ira already stated that he was in the office alone until 6:15pm and there is no other private office or room where George could have been working on them. No one saw George after Joe left to get the flowers for Viola and when Joe returned after 6:20pm all of Viola’s belongings were gone. There is no way to know exactly George was doing that night since this is a cold case at least 80 years old but it is possible that George was not working on the books that night.

What we know: The night of November 6, Viola decided to leave the public theater life to settle for a quiet life in the country somewhere with her son. If she truly try to speak to George about letting her out of her contract early, it can be assumed that George was extremely angry. He already started advertising that Viola was going to star in it and possibly spending money he didn’t have doing so. He probably didn’t mean to but got so angry that he grabbed Olga’s cane in the hope to either scare her into staying or “accidentally” swung the cane too close and hit Viola in a fit of rage. 

Due to lack of evidence to clear George, we have to assume that he is our killer. I sent our guess on the murderer and we received this reply…

jadler@cadencetheatre.com

9:35 PM

You did it. You figured it out.

George Erikson killed Viola Vane. It’s the only explanation that makes sense. Olga was in jail, and Evelyn wasn’t in the building at the time of Viola’s death. That leaves George. Viola wanted out, and he couldn’t let her go. They must have argued, and he hit her with Olga’s cane. He put her in the trunk and brought it up to the attic. The missing trunk made the police think she’d run away, so George got away with it.

Even though George never faced justice, killing Viola still ruined the rest of his life. George’s daughter finally got back to me, and according to her, he died broke and alone, having spent most of the rest of his life obsessively rewriting the same film script for a movie that was never produced. He killed Viola because he’d rather destroy her than see her free and happy without him, but, in the end, he was destroyed by his desires, too

Viola finally has the justice she deserves. And I know my grandparents weren’t murderers. I couldn’t understand why they’d want to devote their lives to a place that held such painful memories, but I think buying the Cadence was a way for them to honor Viola’s memory. Everything I’ve devoted my life to—this theater, my family—is a testament to Viola Vane.

Viola had one last legacy to leave me, too. I finally found the lockbox, hidden under some paneling in the Grace Note. There are enough precious jewels in here to buy out the Board several times over.

My only regret is that I can’t thank Viola for saving us. I wish she’d lived to realize her dreams of starting a new life with her son. Things would have been so different, for all of us, if George hadn’t taken that chance away from her. But if all those terrible things had to happen, then at least the Cadence is going to live on because of her. And because of you.

I don’t know what I would have done without you. I can’t thank you enough for all your help. If you ever make it out this way, there will always be a ticket waiting for you.

I’ll make sure you get the best seat in the house.

Julia

Attachments:

George’s Script

Jewels

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9:35 PM nejardin@yahoo.com

George Erickson the false bottom of the liquor cabinet at the Grace Note bar