Before she could continue, the door swung open and Quick appeared. Gilda tried to hide her frustration and said, “What is it, Rod? I’m in the middle of something.”
Quick looked from Gilda to Roxy and back again. “Brent needs you down at the station, ASAP. He’s got the Kidlong girl and her father in there, and he wants you in on the interview.” He glanced at Roxy again.
Roxy got to her feet. “I’ll leave you to it.”
Gilda frowned and held a hand up to Quick, stalling him. “Listen, Roxy, this really is important. Can we meet up later? Maybe get a bite to eat?”
“Sorry, busy!” She wasn’t about to elaborate. Gilda was so anti-Sam, she didn’t have the energy to get into another argument about him now. Nor did she want to give Quick the satisfaction. “I’ll just see you tomorrow, okay, we’ll catch up then.”
Gilda sighed heavily, also darting glances at Quick. “No, I really need to speak to you before then. I’ll try your mobile later.”
Roxy smiled as she stopped at the door of the office. “Good luck with that. No network coverage, remember? See ya!”
As Roxy’s footsteps echoed down the corridor, Gilda had a sudden desire to jump up and chase after her, crash tackle her to the floor. And if it wasn’t for the fact that Quick was now watching her with wide-eyed curiosity, she would have done just that. Instead, she tried to focus on the fact that she was in the middle of a murder investigation and swallow down an encroaching sense of dread.
Something inside Gilda was telling her that her best friend’s life might now be in danger, and she had just served her up to the killer on a platter.
Chapter 38
The fire was roaring away, a fresh bottle of Merlot had just been opened, and Lunar was diplomatically slumped midway between Roxy and Sam on the rug in front of the couch.
“I loathed the guy,” Sam was saying as he swirled the red liquid around in his glass. “But I can’t believe someone would go as far as to chop his head off.”
“It wasn’t that gruesome, he was bludgeoned, apparently. Still, you play with fire...’”
“Yeah, yeah, you get burned.”
They both stared at the fire then, mesmerised by the flames. “Thanks for dinner, by the way,” Sam said, looking across to her. “I haven’t had anyone cook me a meal in a long time. Not since Sunny was around.”
She smiled back at him and his eyes grew watery. She had come over two hours earlier, laden with a green bag full of bok choy, broccoli, ginger and chicken to make a green curry, and a fresh bag of white rice. She also brought another bottle of Merlot, and two chocolate brownies from the café for dessert, although the way Sam was looking at her now, she wondered whether they would even get to them.
“You know, I haven’t cooked a meal for anyone in a long time,” she said, breaking the silence.
“So, no handsome boyfriend waiting for his dinner back in Sydney?”
She thought of Max in Berlin, felt her heart choke a little then said, “No.”
“How did that happen?”
“There was someone. It’s over. Can we leave it at that?” She didn’t want to ruin what had been a beautiful night.
He nodded and reached down to pat Lunar. She did the same.
“What about you?” she said softly, her mind going to Govinda or some other curvaceous goddess with a loose blouse and jangling limbs.
“Not for a long time. Nope, it’s just me and Lunar, hey, boy?”
The dog’s ears twitched, but he remained still, basking in all the attention.
“I wish I had a dog of my own,” she said.
“You can always share mine.” Sam flicked his eyes from Roxy to Lunar and back again.
She blushed, then turned her eyes to the fire and they watched it silently for a few more minutes, the air between them smouldering like the flames inside the woodburner.
Eventually, keen to break the silence, Roxy said, “So how often do you replenish the flowers at your sister’s site?”
He glanced at her, surprised. “Sorry?”
“The memorial site, by the creek?”
His surprise intensified. “What memorial site?”
She hesitated. “There’s a small cross, a bunch of flowers near where she died. Sorry, I thought you must have put them there.”
His face clouded over and his eyes watered up again. “No, I haven’t been back since ... well, for over a year. I hate the place. Gives me the creeps.” He swallowed hard. “Jed probably did that. Or Annika. On a guilt trip.”
She nodded. He was probably right. She tried changing the subject. “I really love open fires. Nothing better.” She glanced at the diminishing wood pile by the fireplace. “Need me to chop some more? I reckon I could give it a whirl.”
“No, no, that’s okay.”
“Really, it’s no bother. In fact, I’m very impressed that you think that I’m up for the job. Most men would turn all macho on me.”
She went to stand up but he was shaking his head emphatically.
“No!” he said, more forcefully this time. Then he blushed, glanced away and back at her. “Sorry, it’s just that ... well, I was thinking maybe we could ... you know ... keep each other warm?”
The smile Sam gave her then was a little wry, a little devious, and she couldn’t help laughing.
“My my, is that an invitation, Mr Forrest?”
He blushed again. “Do you need one?”
When Roxy didn’t respond, Sam moved his hand across Lunar’s back and closer towards her fingers and she felt a shot of electricity as their hands touched, then intertwined. He leaned towards her and placed a very gentle, tentative kiss on her lips. Roxy hesitated just for a second before she leaned in closer and kissed him back, while Lunar thumped his tail on the rug below their feet.
Several glorious minutes later, Roxy was just starting to feel her shoulders relax, just starting to wonder what took them so long, when Lunar suddenly growled and leapt to his feet. They broke apart and Sam was about to joke that Lunar must be jealous when he, too, got to his feet.
“There’s a car coming,” he said.
Roxy swept around to look through the front window, but couldn’t yet see it. She listened hard and eventually she, too, heard the distant sound of an engine cut across the property.
Lunar’s ears were now twitching and he was stalking back and forth across the threshold. Sam tried to placate him, patting him with one hand as the other reached for the door. The second it was opened, Lunar shot off down the driveway towards the sound and Roxy joined Sam at the door, peering out into the darkness.
The outside light was very dim and the night was dusky black, but Roxy had a dreadful feeling she recognised the car that was now barrelling down the driveway half obscured behind the trees. Within seconds she knew exactly who it was and she exhaled loudly.
“I’m so sorry, Sam. I’ll take care of it.”
“What do you mean? Who is it?”
Before she could answer, Gilda’s hire car was screeching to a halt out the front of the cottage, Lunar bounding along close behind.
“Is that Gilda?” Sam asked.
Roxy nodded. “She’s checking up on me. I’ll see if I can get rid of her.”
“She’s welcome to come in—”
“No!” Roxy said. She had enjoyed that kiss too much. “Just give me a minute, okay?”
He shrugged, then plunged his hands into his pockets and returned to the fire. Roxy strode towards Gilda who was now flinging her car door open and jumping out.
“Your timing’s bloody dreadful, Ms Maltin,” she began, but Gilda was already cutting her off, waving her closer with one hand and darting looks back to the cottage.
“I knew I’d find you here,” Gilda was hissing, her voice barely audible. “You didn’t answer my calls!”
“My phone doesn’t work here, you know that. What’s up?”
“Where’d Sam go?”
“I asked him to give us a moment. Why?”
Gilda
looked relieved. “I’ll explain it all later. Just grab your bag quickly, don’t say a word, just get in the car and let’s go.”
Roxy took a step back, folded her arms across herself. “You’re kidding me, right? This is some kind of joke?”
Gilda shook her head firmly. “Nope, I’m dead serious. You need to come with me.”
When Roxy snorted at this, Gilda strode swiftly past her; pausing at the door to take a quick look around. Once inside she saw Sam standing by the fire, staring at her. He waved but she ignored this, spotting Roxy’s handbag by the stereo and scooped it up before returning outside.
“Come on,” she said firmly. “Let’s go.”
Roxy stood her ground. “I’m not going anywhere, Gilda. I don’t know what you think you’re doing, but you’re behaving like a crazy person. You’re going far and beyond what a good friend should do. If I want to stay here with Sam, I will bloody stay here. Just accept it, build a bridge and get over it.”
Gilda sighed loudly then strode back to the car, pulled the passenger side door open, and flung Roxy’s bag inside. She then strode back to Roxy and took her by the arm.
“Please, Roxy.”
“No!” Roxy yanked her arm free. “You’re being ridiculous. I’m a grown woman. If I want to sleep with this man, I’ll sleep with—”
“This has nothing to do with that,” she hissed. “This is about your safety. You need to get in the car, now.”
“Safety? What are you on about?”
“Just trust me, please! We need to leave. I’ll explain everything later.”
There was something about Gilda’s tone that made every hair on Roxy’s body stand on end. She felt a prickle of fear, a wave of confusion, but before she could question her further, Sam appeared at the doorway, scratching his head.
“Roxy? What’s going on?”
Gilda’s frown deepened and she glanced behind her then back at Roxy who was now looking at Sam.
“I have no idea! Gilda’s turned into a psycho Mother Hen. She’s trying to force me to leave.”
“Why?”
She shrugged just as Lunar began barking wildly again. The roar of a second vehicle could be heard coming down the driveway, followed closely by a third, and Gilda looked almost relieved.
“What the hell is all this?” Sam asked, his hands bunched into fists by his side.
Gilda turned back to him. “Please, Sam. If you have any decency, at all, you’d let me get Roxy out of here before it all turns to shit.”
“Shit?” Roxy said. “What do you mean?”
Just then a dark grey sedan came screeching down the driveway and pulled in beside Gilda’s vehicle. Brent Wiles was behind the wheel and Quick was leaping out of the passenger seat before the car had even come to a complete stop. He made a beeline for Sam. Right behind them a patrol car pulled up with two uniformed officers who also leapt out and started rushing towards Sam.
Quick had an unsettling look of deep satisfaction on his face.
Roxy glanced from Quick to Sam and then glared back to Gilda. “Gilda ... what the—?”
Gilda was now pulling Roxy towards her car. “He’s in big bloody trouble,” she whispered. “Just get in!”
Roxy knew not to argue now. She shot Sam an apologetic look and dropped into the passenger seat, then buckled up as Gilda put the car into reverse and began to back out of the driveway. As she backed away, Roxy watched the horror play out in front of her. With the two officers nearby, Quick was strapping handcuffs onto Sam’s wrists and mouthing something into his ear. Roxy saw Sam’s expression turn from confusion to disbelief then horror.
Sam yelled something at Quick then turned to seek out Roxy’s eyes as she swiftly disappeared back down the driveway.
And as the forest began to gobble up her view of the cottage, the last thing Roxy heard was Sam’s voice, desperate and imploring: “Roxy, I didn’t do it! Roooooxy!”
Chapter 39
Gilda was stony faced as she straightened up her vehicle and turned out onto the main road. Roxy had dropped into a moody silence, confused about what was going on and not at all sure she wanted to know. It was clear Sam was being arrested, and she wondered what new evidence they had found. She felt an icy sensation run down her spine. Eventually she said, “I was having a really beautiful night, in case you were wondering.”
Gilda nodded without looking at her. “Good,” she said flatly. “Hold onto that.”
Roxy frowned. “You want to tell me why you’re arresting Sam? Or am I supposed to guess.”
“He’s not officially arrested. They’re just taking him in for questioning.”
“In handcuffs? By four police officers? Why?!” When Gilda didn’t reply, Roxy said, “Can you at least tell me, is this about Jed? Is this about Macker? What the hell is this about?”
“It’s about both of them.”
Roxy cocked her head to the side. “You don’t honestly think Sam had anything to do with either of those murders.”
“Wiles does.”
“Wiles is a fool! First he was pointing the finger at the poor old farmer couple then he was trying to pin it all on Alistair. Now he’s got Sam in his sights. He might have dreamy blue eyes, but the guy’s as blind as a bat.”
“We’ve got good evidence this time, Roxy, for all three murders. I’m really sorry.”
“All three?” Roxy’s frown deepened. She stared at Gilda who was not meeting her eyes, just focusing on the road ahead, her hands tight around the wheel. “You don’t mean...” She stopped. “No way! You can’t think Sam had anything to do with his sister’s death... do you? Surely not!”
Gilda finally slowed the car and looked deep into her sorrowful eyes. “Listen, let’s get back to the B&B and I’ll explain it all to you properly.”
This was not a conversation Gilda wanted to have while barrelling down a bumpy road at seventy kilometres an hour in the dark of night.
Roxy was furious but sat in rigid silence until they found their way back to Bindi’s Hideaway.
It was now 10:25 p.m., and Bindi was still up when they walked in. She could tell from their expressions that something serious was afoot and didn’t bother with her usual platitudes, instead simply ushered them into the empty guest lounge where the open fire was still burning, and pointed them towards the sideboard.
“Help yourself to herbal teas and biscuits, ladies. If you need anything else, just ring the lobby bell. I’ll stay up as long as you need me.”
Gilda looked at her, surprised. “Thank you,” she said. “That’s very kind.”
Bindi bowed her head and walked out, softly closing the lounge room door behind her.
As Gilda set about making them a peppermint tea, Roxy collapsed onto the sofa, tucking her legs beneath her, nibbling ferociously at her lower lip.
“Here you go,” Gilda said, placing the cup on the table in front of her. “It’s not my favourite brew, but it’s probably just what we both need. Calm the nerves a little.”
Gilda chose the armchair across from her and sat down, taking a moment to gather her thoughts before deciding the best approach was a direct one. She said, “Sam Forrest has a clear motive for all three murders now, and no alibi to speak of. I’m sorry.”
“Oh, so you finally agree Sunny’s death was murder, do you?” Roxy’s voice was laced with sarcasm, but Gilda let her get away with that. “If you’ll recall, it was Sam who kept saying that to you, to everyone who would listen. Why on earth would he kill his sister then demand you all look into it? Huh? Bloody ridiculous idea, or have you all turned as stupid as Quick?”
Gilda sat forward. “I’m not the enemy here, Roxy. I don’t need your attitude.”
“Fine.” Her tone softened. “Sorry. Just tell me what you’ve got.”
She sat back again. “As you know, we did a search of Maroney’s property yesterday. We found some photos.”
“Yeah, yeah, of Asha and Alistair at the hutch, doing a drug deal. What’s that got to do with Sam?”
>
“Well, we found some other photos too. I was trying to tell you about this yesterday but I didn’t get a chance. Quick came in and I didn’t want to mention it in front of him. He’s smug enough as it is.”
“Don’t tell me, they were of Asha and Jed Moody, right?”
Gilda shook her head. “Once in Jed’s dreams, perhaps.” She stopped and explained: “Wiles and I interviewed Asha Kidlong late this afternoon with her father and a lawyer present. Daddy Mayor is fuming and I reckon Al better watch his back. So yes, it turns out Asha did buy MDMA—Ecstasy—off Alistair Avery. Had been buying it off him for months; apparently all the young girls do. Some in exchange for sexual favours in the stables, some just for cash.”
“That’s gross,” Roxy said, now recalling the pretty redhead who had been shaking hands with Alistair outside the stables the day she interviewed him. That must have been a drug deal. She also recalled the shifty phone conversation she had interrupted in the house. It was most likely Al organising yet another sale. “I wonder if Annika knows,” she said, then added, “So no pix of Jed and Asha together then?”
“No, and there wouldn’t be. Despite the rumours, Asha tells us she was never having an affair with Jed Moody, or with Alistair, for that matter. In fact, she found the whole idea quite revolting, and I quote, ‘Ewwegh! Are you, like, serious? They’re so old and crusty!’” She half laughed. “Juicy Jed clearly wasn’t as juicy as he used to be.”
Roxy would have laughed along too, if she wasn’t feeling quite so apprehensive. “So what other photos did you find then?”
Gilda’s smile dropped in the face of Roxy’s apprehension. “Macker had files and files of nude photos of lots of different women. It was a little sideline he had going. Sold them onto girlie magazines like Picture and Ralph. We found an e-mail trail.”
Roxy crossed her arms over herself. “So, he was a sleazebag, that’s not illegal, right? And what’s any of this got to do with Sam?” Even as she asked it, Roxy knew she didn’t want to know.
“Amongst his digital files, we found pictures of Sunny Forrest. Naked pictures.”
Note Before Dying (Ghostwriter Mystery 6) Page 25