by Sarah Barrie
‘Yeah, Indy told you about it?’
‘Sort of.’ She opened the fridge, took out the sparkling water and a lemon. ‘She has a way of keeping everyone up to date without actually giving much away.’
‘Job requirement.’
‘I get it. The job’s not always easy.’
‘Last night it completely sucked,’ he said, stepping close. His gaze moved over her face, and she had a strong suspicion his eyes knew way too much about what was going on in her head.
‘But hey, you got the woman, didn’t you?’ she said, a little unsteadily. God, he had her trembling just looking at her. She wanted to jump him. How had she ever thought what she’d had with Aaron was anything other than mundane?
‘Not the right one.’
‘Oh.’ She held her breath as he lowered his head. The kiss buzzed through her system, the feel of his hands lightly resting at her waist seared into her skin and sent pleasant little jolts radiating through her entire body. She touched her hands to his chest to steady herself, felt the heat emanating from him and moved closer to slide her arms around his neck.
A knock on the door jolted her back to reality. She wanted to ignore it but Jared had already stepped back.
‘Damn,’ she muttered.
‘My thoughts exactly,’ he said, taking a deep breath and exhaling.
She opened the door. ‘Hi,’ Callie said, coming in. ‘I know you just came back from the horses but—oh, Jared. Hi.’
‘Hey, Callie,’ Jared said, then stepped around her. ‘I should leave you ladies to it.’
‘Don’t go on my account!’ Callie said. ‘I’ll work something else out.’
‘What’s to work out?’ Tess asked reluctantly.
‘I was hoping you could take four guests out on kayaks. Matt’s been held up at Cradle Mountain.’
Tess looked apologetically at Jared.
‘Go on,’ he said. ‘I’ll see you soon. I have something I need to do today, anyway.’
‘Okay. Bye.’ She closed the door after him slowly, then leant against it with a sigh. ‘Callie, your timing sucks.’
‘And you have no idea how sorry I am,’ Callie said dramatically. ‘None. So?’
‘Do you think it’s wrong to be feeling like this about someone so soon after breaking up with someone else?’
‘Not at all.’
She eyed Callie suspiciously. ‘Why not?’
‘Because you were never crazy about the first one, you just wanted to be. This is much more of a real deal, I can tell. And real deals don’t wait for perfect timing, they just happen. So …’ Callie smiled widely and dropped into a chair. ‘The kayakers can wait five minutes. Tell me everything.’
It was windy on the waterfront, not as peaceful as the first time Jared had visited the yacht club. The boats were restless, bobbing and tossing at their moorings. He drove slowly, past the yacht club, a sports field and the rowing club in the elbow of the coastline. The carpark the old fisherman had indicated was a long line of spaces facing a small, sandy beach. He pulled up in the farthest space and climbed out, then dragged on a jacket against the sharp sting of the wind blowing off the water to look around. The chances of him finding that dinghy were slim, but he hoped by some miracle it might have washed up somewhere close by.
To his left a fence ran either side of an inlet. He could see a couple of little boats pulled up on shore and decided to start there. It wasn’t going to be easy to get across with the high tide, so he changed tack, headed over a footbridge and onto the street. The houses that flowed up the steep hill were immaculately kept heritage-style homes on large blocks, most with wide verandas designed to take in the ocean views. Among them was a sprinkling of modern designs and, as though in mutual agreement, the residents all kept their little piece of the roadside gardened to near perfection. Just one building stood out, right on the corner by the water, an old barn-like building, weathered and rustic, with peeling paint and splintered, sun-worn wooden panelling. It belonged to one of the more modern residences and beyond it he spotted boats sitting upside down on a grassy verge between land and water. He found the gate to the front door and pressed the intercom.
No one answered, so he trekked the length of the street, knocking on doors and speaking to the few people who answered. He didn’t mind this sort of footwork usually, but he was freezing and he was getting nowhere. He tried the house at the bottom of the hill a second time on his way back to the car, just in case. Nothing. He’d have to go back to the station and—
‘Can I help you?’
A woman stood behind him holding the leash of a small spotted terrier. He absently dropped a hand to pat it as it excitedly sniffed at his trousers.
‘Morning. Detective Jared Denham. I was hoping to speak to the owners.’
‘I hope everything is all right?’
‘Yes, no problem. I’m looking for a small boat that was spotted out on the water several days ago. Was going to ask if any of theirs had gone missing, or if perhaps they’d acquired one by accident.’
‘A boat?’ Her gaze sharpened. ‘Wasn’t a little blue and white dinghy, was it?’
‘Ah … possibly. Why?’
‘My grandson and a few of the other local kids fished one out of the rivulet on Monday after school. Poor Jett took half the skin off his knee trying to climb down to get a rope on it, then they dragged it all the way from the Balmoral Street bridge back out to the beach and up to our place, ‘cause we’re on the water just up the street. It’s nothing special, but you know kids. It’s the fun of the find.’
‘Do you think I could take a look at it?’
‘Course. Just sitting on our lawn.’ She turned back up the street and he took that as a cue to follow. ‘Keith—my husband—wouldn’t let ’em clean it up or play with it until he was sure no one was going to come looking for it. He put an ad in the local paper this weekend.’
Her house was another pretty older-style building looking out over the ocean. The front yard was surrounded by a white picket fence. BOAT FOUND ENQUIRE WITHIN was painted in black on a piece of ply tied to the fence. She led him through the gate and down a narrow side path decorated with a pretty purple-flowered climber and gold pebbles to a terraced backyard. More gardens, and at the bottom of a couple of small sets of steps was a grassed area complete with a soccer net, netball ring and trampoline. By a small metal gate that led to the waterfront was a white fibreglass dinghy with a blue interior laid on its side.
‘That’s it there,’ she said unnecessarily.
He looked it over. It did look as though it had seen better days, but it was sturdy and just large enough for a couple of men. The oars were inside and one carried a suspicious brown stain on its handle. ‘Mrs?’
‘Oh, sorry. Hilary Kemp.’
‘Mrs Kemp, some people are going to have to come and take a look at this boat. I think it may be the one I’m looking for.’
‘No problem. Kids might be disappointed, but you can’t just assume finders keepers, right? And Keith will be relieved. He didn’t want an old thing like that around. Was it stolen?’ she asked, eyes curious.
‘It’s part of an ongoing investigation.’
He called it in, then waited at the property until it was taken away for forensics to examine and went home. No one was going to look at it on a Sunday. He’d have to wait. Besides, he had an interview with Bryce Cochrane to prepare for.
CHAPTER
23
Bryce Cochrane looked a lot like Jared had anticipated: a few years past his best with a cocky, boyish grin and a haircut he should have grown out of ten years ago. A charmer, Jared suspected, who used to have the looks to back up the attitude. But the eyes didn’t match the easy smile and relaxed demeanour; they were dark, calculating and cold.
‘S’pose you’re here about Maddie.’
‘You heard then.’
He sniggered. ‘Mate, it’s prison not another planet. Besides, Wilde came to see me.’
‘Wilde did? Why?’
<
br /> ‘Poor guy’s devastated. Came to tell me what’s going to happen to me when I get out if I had anything to do with it.’
‘Did you?’
Cochrane huffed. ‘As if. I don’t s’pose you got the bastard that done it yet, either, since you’re here talking to me.’
‘Suppose you’re right. Have you got any ideas on who’d want to kill Maddie?’
‘Who’d want to kill her?’ He laughed humourlessly. ‘Seriously, mate, no one would want to kill Maddie. She was a doll. A bloody legend.’
‘That’s a generous attitude. Considering.’
Cochrane dragged his hands over his hair. ‘I stuffed up. Got caught up with the wrong people. In over my head with that money-laundering business. It was only meant to be a one-off, then an occasional favour. Before I knew it, I couldn’t get out of it.’
‘Yeah, isn’t that what they all say?’
‘I’m saying I deserved it, okay? I don’t blame her for any of it, that’s why I dropped the assault charges. She fractured my jaw,’ he added as though proud of her. ‘Gentlest person I’ve ever met and she swung a tyre iron like a pro baseball player when she caught me outside the brothel. Guess she really did love me.’
‘Whatever you say. Do you recognise this man?’ Jared showed him the photo of their main POI.
Cochrane reached for it, looked closely. ‘Seriously? I’ve been in here for eight years. That guy looks like he still woulda been in school back then.’
He had a point, so Jared nodded, put the photo away. ‘Thanks for your time. And just a friendly warning: if I find out you’re impeding a police investigation in any way whatsoever, you won’t be getting that parole.’
He turned to leave, heard, ‘Wait!’
‘Yes?’
‘I said I didn’t know anyone who would want to hurt Maddie. But maybe I might know of someone who’d kill her to get their hands on the diamonds.’
Jared pulled a face at the wall and sat back down. ‘Go on then.’
‘There’s a guy down that way that did some work for me—unofficially. I didn’t always launder with casino chips, detective. Sometimes it was gems, and he was always pretty good at moving them for me.’
Jared concentrated on keeping the urgency out of his expression. ‘And who is this mystery man?’
Cochrane sat back, smiled. ‘When my parole goes through, I’ll let you know. I just, ah … hope it goes through fast. So you get him first.’
Jared leant on the back of the chair. ‘First? What does that mean?’
‘It means Wilde and I had a similar discussion. If he hasn’t figured it out, I’d be shocked.’
‘If Wilde’s figured it out, and anything happens to our POI because you withheld information, you can forget about getting out of here.’ Jared saw the smug expression slightly waver. ‘So for your sake, I hope you’re wrong.’
‘I want my whiskey,’ Evan told Jai for the second time, his voice rising.
‘You’ve had it, Pop. It’s time for bed.’
‘Liar! I need my whiskey!’
‘Pop, you—okay. Fine.’ He poured a dash more into the cup. ‘Here.’ He knew it wasn’t good for Evan to drink much, but what was one more nip in the scheme of things?
‘Thanks,’ Evan muttered, and settled into his recliner.
Jai went back to the kitchen to lock the bottle away, then sat at the table and considered pouring himself one.
‘Hey.’ Pax’s voice floated in through the window.
‘What are you doing here?’ Jai demanded. He got to his feet and let Pax in.
‘Just got a call. Cops are getting too close. Boss is pissed. I need you to do something for me.’ Pax took his backpack off his shoulder and dumped it on the counter. He took out a small black velvet bag. ‘I need you to take this to the shop tomorrow, put it in the front drawer under the till. Got it?’
‘Why?’
‘I’m keeping the cops off our back, okay?’
Jai snatched the bag and opened it. A stunning diamond bracelet fell into his hand. It had to have come from the boat. He shoved it back in. ‘By putting the stuff where I work? Do you think I’m a complete idiot? Forget it. You’re setting me up!’
Pax’s expression was genuine confusion. ‘Huh?’
‘Like not giving me gloves at that first break-in. The cops found my fingerprints, and the gun you got me to shoot—where is it?’
‘Didn’t want to hold on to it—if it’s found on us, we’re toast. Wiped it clean before I left it there. This is Tank, right? Putting ideas in your head.’
‘Yeah, like the one about the knife, and the other one where you tricked me into shooting that Sash guy.’
‘And because you did, the rest of what’s in here’s for you.’ Pax pushed the backpack across the bench. ‘Look at it.’
Jai eyed Pax with suspicion before pulling the bag open. Cash. Hundred dollar notes in thick, neatly packed rows. It was more money than he’d ever seen in his life.
‘That’s twenty grand for knocking off the boyfriend,’ Pax said. ‘Boss is very happy with you.’
Twenty thousand dollars? He couldn’t believe it.
‘So you ready to cooperate?’
Was he? Would Pax take the money back if he said no? ‘Yeah, maybe, but I still don’t get it.’
‘You don’t need to. Just do what you’re told.’
Guilt and worry nudged his conscience over the light-headed elation of holding twenty thousand dollars in his hands. Putting the bracelet in Tank’s shop made no sense. Was this going to come back on Tank? Damn it, he wanted the money. He needed it. But … ‘I’m not doing anything else until you tell me why!’
‘Oh, right. You must think I’m kidding.’ Pax pulled a gun from the back of his jeans and stalked into the lounge room where Evan had passed out in his chair. He put the gun to Evan’s head.
‘No!’
‘I’d keep my voice down if I were you. If he wakes up and sees me, I’ll have no choice.’
‘He won’t remember you five minutes later, he has dementia!’ Jai hissed as desperate panic curled in his gut.
‘Not taking the chance. You’re going to agree to do what you’re told or I’m going to start repeating myself. Every time I have to do that, my voice is going to get louder and louder until dear old Pop wakes up, understand?’
Jai’s heart sank as Evan stirred, but he didn’t open his eyes. ‘Yes! Please leave him alone.’
‘If you don’t do this, if you stuff it up, I will kill you. After I kill him. And Riley. I’ll do Riley like I did Madison. You know I can. I will. Got it?’
Jai wished he could believe Pax was bluffing. But he didn’t. He knew what Pax had done to Madison and how easily he’d brushed it off. The guy didn’t have feelings. Didn’t care. So he nodded, desperate for Pax to leave.
‘Good. Make sure that stuff’s where it’s supposed to be when it’s supposed to be there. Or else.’
Jai sat staring at the velvet bag long after Pax left, barely slept and took it with him to work in the morning, still not sure he should follow through. Tank could be a bastard, but he’d helped him. Jai had a feeling this wasn’t going to end well. Then again, that twenty grand was a lifesaver, and if he didn’t do it, he had no doubt Pax would follow through with his threats. What choice did he have?
‘Morning, boss,’ he said as Tank walked in.
‘Jai. Mind the front for me, would you? I’ve got some work to do in the office.’
‘Sure. Let me just put my stuff away.’ He raced into the office, grabbed the key to the locked drawer he needed to access and slipped it in his pocket.
He’d almost made it to the till when Riley burst through the door. ‘Hi,’ he said, instantly worried by the look on her face.
‘Aaron has pulled out of the hiking trip!’ she blurted.
‘What! Why?’ He wanted to sound sympathetic, but he could feel the nervous trickle of sweat down his left temple. The bracelet was burning a hole in one pocket, and the keys he w
as worried Tank would realise had gone missing were burning a hole in the other.
‘I don’t know. He just said something came up. He sounded like a complete jerk. Said I should ask Tess Atherton to take us.’
‘The one who gave you a hard time over the hike at the police station?’
‘Yeah.’ She sighed heavily. ‘We’re screwed.’
‘Maybe—maybe it’s just not meant to be.’
‘How can you say that?’ Riley cried, her eyes suspiciously wet. ‘We’ve been planning this forever!’
‘I know.’ He needed to give her a hug, but his pockets were full of stuff that shouldn’t be in there. ‘Why don’t you go talk to Tank about it? I’ll be there in just a sec.’
‘That’s it?’ She looked incredulous. ‘You don’t care, do you? You never really wanted to go!’
‘That’s not true,’ he lied. Because regardless, he would have gone—for her. But the odds just kept stacking against them. ‘And I’m not giving up yet. I’ll finish what I have to do here, then I’ll be in the office. We’ll call Tess Atherton and see what she says. She might be able to help, right?’
Riley still looked deflated but nodded. ‘I suppose.’
Without having time to worry any more about what he was doing, he opened the drawer under the till and shoved the jewellery inside.
CHAPTER
24
Jared glanced at the time and stifled a yawn. Half an hour left of his shift. He had plenty of work to do, it just wasn’t getting done fast enough. And it wasn’t what he wanted to be doing. Tess would be here soon and they were heading out to dinner. He was looking forward to it. When a string of emails came through he checked for anything interesting and clicked on lab results. He scanned them, then took them to Indy’s office.
‘They found traces of blood on one of the oars of the dinghy. It’s a match to Sash. No matching prints. Some made by kids. Likely the smeared marks on the oars were made by gloves. Anything back on Cochrane?’
‘It’s going to happen. Should be signed off on by close.’
‘What’s in the package?’