'How did you get my mobile number?' I asked and he smiled slyly and said I wasn't the only detective. He was probably younger than he looked; years of alcohol and living rough had taken their toll. He was well spoken, with the refined English-type accent that I'd associate with old-style ABC newsreaders. I wondered what had brought him this low. His eyes were blood-shot and his hands shook but he seemed sober as he told me what he'd seen the night Brett McKenna died. The moon had come out briefly. He'd got a good look at one face.
'Would you testify?'
'Yes. People shouldn't suffer like that.' His face opened for a moment and I caught a glimpse of some old unhealed wound. My mouth framed a question, then I decided against it.
'Thanks for rescuing me.'
'Think nothing of it.' His face twisted with a brief smile. He'd followed me from Karin McKenna's and, when he'd seen I was heading for the beach, made a call from the phone box and followed me into the bush. If it hadn't been for his presence I'd have ended up with far more than a bump on the head and bruising. He hadn't been close enough to identify my attacker but when he'd shouted at him, the man had fled. After Lou Chutney left I sat in bed thinking about the choices we make and how people can live their lives in silence until it destroys them.
Gina collected me the next day. It wasn't hard to track down Troy Harris and, as soon as I saw him, I knew all about the poor sad little sonofabitch. Born in a backwater of genetically impoverished stock, his dad had pissed off early, leaving mum to do it all alone. This, combined with impatient teachers, inadequate education and declining job prospects in rural areas had all made Troy a bored, stupid young man with poor self-esteem. Lou Chutney had seen three men attack Brett McKenna because Troy wouldn't have done it alone. Troy was like one of Hitler's innumerable henchmen who were 'just following orders'. No, there'd have been a leader, someone born cruel or made cruel by the world.
I had to let Troy go at the aquarium, but after he'd gone I stood there leaning against the shark's tank, listening to the relentless drip, drip, drip of the water and looking at the table covered in tacky little dolphin souvenirs - dolphin pencil sharpeners, dolphin fridge magnets, dolphins that doubled as both… I had doubts about Lou Chutney making a statement. Even if he didn't change his mind, the word of a semi-itinerant alcoholic was unlikely to carry much weight with unsympathetic cops. I climbed up the stairs and trudged back to the Sharkmobile. The sun was going down, throwing harsh gold light onto the waves as it sank beneath them. I put the top down on the Sharkmobile and drove back to the motel with the breeze in my hair, thinking that there was only one thing for it. It would have to be the boy, and I'd have to break him.
Last night I had the weirdest fucken dream. I'm in the water deep down in the sea and it's real bright blue, fulla light and beautiful. I'm swimmin around, lookin at the light shinin down through the water, swimmin and swimmin, but then there're clouds, shadows, above. I look up and all I can see is these big, pale bellies, blockin out the light. I can't see nothin else but then there's blood, great big streams of blood, swirlin all through the water and I see that the big pale things are sharks come after the blood. It's Brett's blood; there're his arms and legs turnin over like some great big fucken sacrifice. The sharks come nearer and nearer, nosin' through the water and I can see their big fucken teeth and suddenly, I know it's not Brett they're after, it's me. It's punishment for what I done.
Ya see, I knew it was Brett standin there that night: me mum's always said I've got eyes like a hawk and just for a second the moon came out from behind the clouds and I seen him. I shoulda stopped it. I coulda stopped it, somehow stepped in fronta Craigie and made out we was doin it for a joke. Hey, Brett, how's it goin, mate? Fancy abit o'me arse? and we coulda all hadda laugh and gone home. But, once Craigie started kickin him, I had to join in and, once I started, I couldn' stop.
So, it's my fault he's dead. In the dream the sharks are closin in, and the water's boilin with blood. Bits of hand and arm float past me like some sicko horror movie. Brett's eyes, 100 ks up, look at me like they did the night he died. I woke up sweatin and screamin, then lay there lookin out the little winda of me bedroom, thinkin about the dogs and who's gunna take care of 'em, 'cause that lezzo's onto me. She's out there cruisin in her big fucken Sharkmobile and she's come to get me.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Roxxy Bent
Mrs Wilcox's Milk Saucepan - 1st Prize Trophy 2003
Pecking Order - 1st Prize Trophy 2002
In between award 'shoes', South Australian writer, Roxxy earned a special commendation in 2003 for 'The Inaugural Case of Shazza McFlint'. Roxxy has written for stage, having 11 of her plays produced, she is a writer and script editor for television and film, and has worked as a feature writer for magazines. She is working on a novel and is now a Scarlet Stiletto judge.
Margaret Bevege
The Super Murder - Malice Domestic 2001
Margaret is a long time member of Sisters in Crime Australia, and Partners in Crime Sydney. She is represented in the Queen of Crime anthologies and has self-published the Detective Elizabeth Ludowski series, which is set in Brisbane.
Ronda Bird
Ripe Red Tomatoes - Malice Domestic 200
As a mature-age student at Melbourne University in the 1990's, Rhonda discovered a flair for writing short stories. After graduating she began entering competitions. This prize was her first important success, but since then Rhonda has won more than 50 short story prizes in Australia and Britain, both crime and open theme; and had stories published in UK magazines.
Bronwyn Blake
Dead Water - Best Lesbian Protagonist 1995
Bron writes full time, has eight young adult books published, and has an adult and a non-fiction book in the pipeline. She has lived or travelled in many of the world's wild places, but the Australian bush, which usually provides the environment for her writing, remains her greatest love.
Liz Cameron
Shifty Business - 3rd Prize 2002
A long-time member of Sisters in Crime Australia, Liz has entered the Scarlet Stiletto competition and been shortlisted four times. Her 2003 story earned a highly commended. Liz has made her second sea-change from the Mornington Peninsula to the Gippsland Lakes.
Louise Connor
Divine Intervention - 3rd Prize 1995
A founding member of Sisters in Crime, Louise has twice won 3rd prize in the Scarlet Stiletto awards. A former publicist and freelance journalist, Louise is the Victorian Secretary of the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance, which is the union and professional association for media and arts workers.
Sarah Evans
The Bodyguard - 2nd Prize 2005
An English ex-pat and former news journalist, Sarah writes short stories, novellas, novels and poetry and is published in Australia, New Zealand and the UK. Her latest book is Seasons and Seasonings in a Teapot: an anthology of rural life. Although Sarah writes across most genres, chick-lit crime is her favourite.
Liz Filleul
Brought to Book - 1st Prize Trophy 2004
Liz gave up being a Convenor of SinC-Oz so she could enter the Scarlet Stilettos. She won two commendations before her big win in 2004. Her first crime novel, To All Appearance Dead, was published in the UK in 2007. Liz has also written true crime for the anthologies Meaner Than Fiction, Outside the Law 2 and 3.
Dianne Gray
Still Life - 2nd Prize 2000
Dianne's first short story won the Cairns Post Writers Award and since then she has won three Scarlet Stiletto category prizes, and other national writing awards. Dianne's first novel Let Sleeping Gods Lie won second prize in 2007 IP Picks 'First Book' Award.
Jacqui Horwood
Slasher's Return - 1st Prize Trophy / Police Procedural 2003
Jacqui grew up on the mean streets of Frankston, reading the Famous Five and Nancy Drew and 'hoping to smash international spy rings'. She worked as a project officer for 10 years at Victoria Police where she learned to decipher police
jargon and recognise the difference between GBH and GHB.
Cate Kennedy
Everything $2 On This Rack - 1st Prize Trophy 1994
Habit - 1st Prize Trophy 1995
In her first attempt at writing crime fiction, Cate won the inaugural Scarlet Stiletto Award in 1994; and also won 3rd prize for 'In Off the Black Ball'. After her second Scarlet Stiletto win in 1995, she was 'forced' to give up entering and become a Stiletto judge. 'Habit' also won The Age Short Story competition for 2001. Cate has since published a short-story collection Dark Roots; and a novel The World Beneath.
Christina Lee
Thursday Night at the Opera - 1st Prize Trophy 1998
Luisa - 1st Prize Trophy 1996
In 1997, the year between her first-prize wins, Christina - a professor of psychology at the University of Queensland - also won the Scarlet Stiletto 3rd prize for 'Current Affairs'; and a special commendation for 'Friends'. With two winning shoes on her shelf, Christina is now a member of the Scarlet Stiletto judging panel.
Tara Moss
Psycho Magnet - Young Writer's Award 1998
Tara won this category during her transition from international model to crime writer. Canadian born, now proud Aussie citizen, Tara is the author of four bestselling novels featuring Makedde Vanderwall: Fetish, Split, Covet, Hit and Siren; and the paranormal series The Blood Countess and The Spider Goddess. Tara's research has taken her to the FBI Academy at Quantico and into squad cars, courtrooms, morgues and criminology conferences around the world.
Siobhan Mullany
Floating in a Live Circuit - 1st Prize Trophy 1997
A Sydney solicitor specialising in criminal law, Siobhan has represented clients in murder trials where the facts were more incredible than fiction. The short story is her favourite form and she hopes to submit more stories for publication that are as interesting as her work.
Kerry Munnery
Concealer - 2nd Prize 2003
A Melbourne writer who enjoys experimenting across a range of genres, Kerry has been placed in short story competitions including The Age, the Glen Eira Literary Awards, and the Greater Dandenong Short Story Competition, as well as the Scarlet Stiletto. Kerry has published children's fiction and was shortlisted for the Silver Brumby Award for children's stories in 2005.
Phyl O'Regan
What We Do Best - Funniest / Crime in Verse 2002
Phyl has won first prizes for poetry competitions; has written for nursing journals and hospital centenary books; and has had short stories published in anthologies and in the Australian Women's Weekly. Her greatest kick was winning this double at the Scarlet Stiletto awards. She is working on a mystery novel for young adults.
Ann Penhallurick
After Azaria - Police Procedural 2004
Writer, psychologist and mother of three, Ann runs solar-powered eco-friendly accommodation in the Blue Mountains bush. Of all of her activities she loves writing by far the best, and is working on a novel.
Josephine Pennicott
Birthing the Demons - 1st Prize Trophy 2001
After winning second prize for 'Bait' in 2000, Josephine won the eighth trophy; then went on to win the 2003 3rd prize and Malice Domestic for 'Hail Mary'; the Malice Domestic again in 2004 for 'Tadpole'; and two special commendations in 2006 for 'Love Me Tender' and 'Children's Hour'. Josephine is also the author of three dark fantasy novels: Circle of Nine, Bride of the Stone and A Fire in the Shell.
Margaret Pollock
Froth and Trouble or Sun Hill Blues - Crime in Verse 2003
Melbourne writer and long-time member of Sisters in Crime, Margaret has entered the Scarlet Stiletto three times. Each of her stories has won either an award or a special commendation. She has written two crime novels, which are as yet unpublished.
Inga Simpson
Operation Bluewater - 3rd prize / Police Procedural 2006
Inga worked for a time as an investigation officer for the Commonwealth Ombudsman; picked up a Masters in English, and a PhD in Creative Writing looking at detective fiction. She runs the Olvar Wood Writers' retreat in Queensland and has a published crime novel Fatal Development.
Janis Spehr
Vermin - 1st Prize Trophy 1999
Dead Woman in the Water - 1st Prize Trophy 2000
The third writer in seven years to win the Scarlet Stiletto first prize twice, Janis won her first shoe for a story about murderous homophobia in country Victoria; and its pair for a tale of murder and development in the Western District. Janis' stories have appeared in a number of literary journals, and in 1999 she came equal first in the Canberra National Short Story Competition.
Julie Waight
Dust Devils - 1st Prize Trophy / Malice Domestic 2005
Julie has been a teacher, storyteller and exercise instructor. She studied professional writing and editing through Victoria University; won first place in the 2002 Science Fiction Writers of Earth Competition; and is undertaking a screenwriting course.
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First edition: MIRA Books 2007
Published in Australia 2011
by Clan Destine Press
PO Box 121, Bittern
Victoria 3918 Australia
Copyright © Sisters in Crime Australia
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. The Australian Copyright Act 1968 (The Act) allows a maximum of one chapter or 10 per cent of any book, whichever is the greater, to be photocopied by any educational institution for its educational purposes provided that the educational institution (or the body that administers it) has given a remuneration notice to Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) under the Act.
National Library of Australia Cataloguing-In-Publication data:
Scarlet Stiletto The First Cut edited by Lindy Cameron; contributions by Scarlet Stiletto Award winning writers as selected by Sisters in Crime, Australia.
The moral rights of the authors have been asserted.
Edition: 2nd ed.
ISBN: 9780987160454 (pbk.)
ISBN: 9780987160362 (ebook)
Subjects: Crime—Fiction Detective and mystery stories, Australian—Women authors. Detective and mystery stories—Women authors. 823.0872
Cover Design © Rae Cooper [email protected]
Design & Typesetting Clan Destine Press
The First Cut Page 31