Dead Men

by Derek Haines

  Steve was spending his night in a cell. This was to be his routine for a few more days. His interviews had been painstakingly repetitive, with small and seemingly insignificant parts of his information questioned in minute detail. There was little choice but to cooperate with the interviewing officers, as his course had now been set. Steve was conducting his vendetta against Vince Walsh. In his mind, Vince was responsible for his arrest. Had it not been for Vince’s stupid idea, and insistence on increasing the volume of stolen cars and parts, he wouldn’t have been with Mick Green that day. Added to that was the threat delivered to him in Silverwater. That had convinced Steve that it was a matter of eat or be eaten. His other motivation, apart from the feeling of importance he now felt, was to try and reduce what could be a long prison sentence for himself. There was no guarantee, but the opportunity to cooperate with the police was his only possibility of gaining anything less than a severe prison sentence. He was confident that the charge of dealing would be dropped, so if he was lucky, he may only be charged with possession. His escape from custody could prove to be the more serious charge. Detective Superintendent Frank Williams had advised him that day, that once his interviews had concluded, he would be transferred to a small south coast remand facility. He would be placed under protective custody and kept separate from the other inmates. Williams had assured him, everything would be done to assure his safety until his trial. Steve had called a Sydney solicitor that day. He was coming to see him tomorrow to take over from Charles Stewart.

  Detective Superintendent Frank Williams had assigned three detectives to the case. Their initial enquires were a matter of checking banking, financial, tax and company records and details. They needed an outline of Vince Walsh’s business activities and connections. It was a paper and computer investigation at present. The link between Walsh and the death of Ted Murphy was to be investigated later. The first priority was to check Steve’s information, and see if there was any evidence of possible criminal activity in Walsh’s business affairs. They were looking for connections between Walsh and organised car theft, and links to the drug production facility. Williams was pleased with the accuracy of some of Steve’s information. Even though the investigation was in its infancy, some information was starting to prove useful.

  Separate to what his three detectives were doing, Williams decided to check some outstanding files relating to unsolved major crime in the Camden area and surrounds. He was an experienced detective, and often worked on following his nose. In reading some of Steve’s record of interview, he had a feeling this investigation could be productive. It was no surprise to find a few open major crime investigations in the area within the police computer database. Some dating back more than ten years. One murder, one arson and two missing persons had some mention of Vince Walsh in their files. He printed out a summary of each investigation, and checked on what other mention there was of Vince Walsh within the police system. Williams was not startled by how few entries there were. He just had a feeling about this case.

  The next morning was a wet and grey Sydney Friday. For David it was a miserable start to his day. From the moment he woke, it gave him something to complain about. By the time they’d both left for work, Tony’d had more than enough negativity from David. Tony had noticed David becoming despondent since Steve’s arrest. He knew it wasn’t the fact of Steve’s arrest that had been the cause. It was a combination of the past weeks' events. The pressure Steve had applied during his escape. The seeming demise of his job. The cancellation of his trip to India and Thailand. The loss of interest in his job. The menial task he performed at work now. The suspicions regarding Vince. The loss of his property. Many elements. And he was also aware that his own renewed contact with his wife and children was possibly a disturbance for David. Tony knew that they’d relied on each other during a very difficult time. But they both had to establish their own futures. Them sharing the flat was never going to be more than a temporary arrangement. For Tony, he was looking forward to meeting Tina later in the day. Any thoughts of reconstructing their marriage were for Tony, a matter for much more consideration. For him, the most important issue to agree upon, was his contact with the children. At least there was something positive to work towards.

  Tony met Tina for lunch in a café in Camden. The last two days had definitely taken away the awkwardness they had both felt at their initial meeting.

  ‘Oh the children were so pleased to see you last night Tony,’ she started. ‘They were still wearing huge smiles this morning.’

  ‘It went very well. It was a wonderful dinner. It was great to feel like a family again.’

  ‘Is that what you want Tony? Your family back together?’

  ‘If it’s possible. We’ll see.’

  ‘Tony. There’s one thing we need to discuss.’

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘The house. I mean, the auction of the house. What do you want to do?’

  ‘I’d forgotten about that,’ Tony said. ‘I’d agree to postpone it, or cancel it. I think that would be wise in the circumstances.’

  ‘Or…,’ Tina hesitated.

  ‘Or what Tina?’ Tony wondered what alternative there could be given the circumstances.

  ‘Or we could leave it up for sale. I mean an auction wouldn’t bring the best price. And, maybe…..maybe consider moving back to Fremantle. As a family,’ Tina said. She waited for Tony’s response. She knew she was asking him to jump a long way forward.

  ‘Tina, that’s a …...um, I think we’re getting ahead of ourselves a little. But…’

  Tina stayed silent during Tony’s long pause.

  ‘…it’s strange that you’re thinking about Fremantle. I must be honest; the thought crossed my mind last night after seeing the children. It’s a place that has happier memories than here.’

  ‘Yes it does Tony. Much happier. Would you consider something else Tony?’

  ‘What is it?’

  ‘Would you consider moving back into the house Tony? You could use the guest room if you’d feel more comfortable. We could work at putting your family back together. I’m sure the kids would be over the moon.’

  ‘Let me think about it Tina. This’s all happened very suddenly for me. Perhaps you’ve had a little longer to consider things.’

  ‘Yes, I have Tony. I’m sorry. I’m rushing into things,’ Tina said apologetically.

  ‘The one thing I’ve realised Tina, is that I’ve blamed you entirely for all this since I left. And you know I’ve felt very bitter towards you during this time. Seeing the children last night made me realise that I must share some of the blame. I did take you and the children for granted, and treated the business as the only important thing in life. I remember the day when you came into the office and said, oh so this is where you live. You were right. I did forget my family. But, a lot has happened. Many awful and painful things.’

  ‘Tony. I…..’

  ‘It’s ok Tina. There’s no need for us to go into all that now. Can we agree to have dinner as a family? As a start. I’ll think about what you asked.’

  ‘Yes, of course Tony. Dinner as a family is a good starting point. Tonight?’

  ‘If it’s ok, yes.’

  ‘Yes, it’s very ok.’

  As their meals were being served, Tony looked at Tina, and wondered whether he could forgive her. If the Pilletto family were to be put back together, he’d have to leave all the pain, bitterness and anger behind. Could he do that? Could he forgive, and forget his wife’s adultery? Could she forget his violent attack on her? What would his parents think? How would they react to Tina after all this? There was a lot to consider. There was nothing he wanted more than his family. There was nothing more important. He could feel that Tina had made up her mind. It was now his decision.

  ‘Penny for your thoughts.’

  ‘Oh, just everything Tina. It’s been a very difficult six months.

  ‘I wish you could know how sorry I am Tony. I know what I did. I wish I could’ve talked to yo
u sooner. But once the solicitors got involved, everything just snowballed out of control. It felt like everything had been taken out of my hands.’

  ‘Yes, I know how that feels,’ Tony agreed.

  ‘On my first visit to my solicitor, she was talking about divorce like it was some goal to aspire to. You know, I did tell her what’d happened. And do you know what she said?’

  ‘What?’

  ‘She said, it didn’t matter what had happened. Just to forget about the causes or reasons. The court wasn’t interested. She said her job was simply to get the best deal for me.’

  ‘I received basically the same advice,’ Tony said. ‘Told it was just basically a financial and property settlement. And not to get emotional about it. Can you believe that?’

  ‘Yes Tony. Can we sort this out ourselves now? No more solicitors?’

  ‘If we can Tina. But there are already legal agreements in place. Child support for instance.’

  ‘Leave that to me Tony. I’ll see my solicitor one more time, and have all that straightened out. I promise. No more Family Court,’ Tina said emphatically.

  ‘It’s a stupid name isn’t it.’

  ‘What is?’

  ‘The Family Court. It single function is to destroy families. Perhaps it would be more fitting for it to be called the Court of Family Destruction.’

  ‘Maybe just simply the Divorce Court would be more honest with everyone?’ Tina posed.

  ‘Yes, I think that is it’s true function. So that’s what it should be called.’

  ‘I’m your wife Tony. I want to stay your wife.’

  ‘Let’s take it a step at a time huh?’

  Tina understood Tony’s caution. All she could do was be as honest and supportive as she could be, and hope Tony had it within his heart to forgive her. It would be impossible to forget, but time she hoped, would help heal the wounds. At least enough to have their family back together. She didn’t expect miracles. She knew she’d have to be patient.

  ‘Tony, I would’ve sent the letter to you directly, but I didn’t know where you were living.’

  ‘Oh, I’m sharing a small flat in John Street with a bloke who separated from his wife about the same time as we split. He’s had a rough trot. I think he’s lost almost everything.’

  ‘To his ex wife?’

  ‘Some of it. But I think some of it was his own fault. Some problems with the Tax Department. He is ok though. Just a bit depressing to be around sometimes.’

  ‘Well, at least you haven’t been alone,’ Tina said, not really knowing what to say. As soon as she had said it, she thought it had been a silly thing to say.

  ‘It’s been interesting to say the least. There are some strange people out in the world Tina. David, that’s my flat mate’s name, and I became friendly with an accountant who looked after our Triple T account. He was such a nice fella. We both liked him. He was from Perth, like David and me, so we had a few drinks from time to time. Got to know him quite well. Turned out he wasn’t such a nice fella after all though. He’d been in jail in Perth, and got back into his old ways here. He’s back in jail now for drug offences or something.’

  ‘He didn’t get you into any trouble did he?’

  ‘No. No trouble,’ Tony answered as he looked at his watch. ‘Tina, I’m gonna have to get back to work.’

  ‘And the kids and I will see you for dinner?’ Tina asked.

  ‘Sure. What time?’

  ‘Anytime Tony. It’s your house. You don’t need to make appointments. Ok?’

  ‘I’ll see you about six then.’

  ‘Well, I better go and find something special for dinner,’ Tina said as they made their way out of the café.

  Tina gave her husband a kiss on the cheek, as they parted. ‘See you tonight. I love you Tony,’ she whispered, and quickly turned and walked away to do her shopping. Tony stood, and watched her walk away. After a few seconds, he turned and went back to work.

  Walking into the dispatch office, Tony took the delivery dockets from his tray, and went to load his ute. On his way, he passed Vince Walsh, coming the other way down the corridor. Tony politely said hello. Vince walked straight past Tony as if he was invisible. It didn’t bother Tony, but it did prompt him to think that there was no future here. Any fear of leaving Vince was unfounded in Tony’s mind. ‘I just want out of all this shit,’ Tony thought to himself.

  Vince had far more pressing matters on his mind. He hadn’t noticed Tony as they’d passed in the corridor on his way to his car. He had a meeting to attend, and he was running late. In less than an hour he had to explain to the directors of the investment company that owned most of As New Spares shares, why he’d closed down operations. His explanation would place the blame at the feet of Steven Sharp. He was reading part of the letter he would table at the meeting as he walked to his car.

  ‘………Mr Sharp was employed after leaving a reputable accounting firm in the local area. I was unaware of his criminal record and prison sentence at the time of hiring Mr Sharp. This type of check would not be considered normal in the circumstances. It is regrettable that this information was not available to me at that time, as Mr Sharp has caused great damage to our investment. It is now clear from both the initial police investigation, and my own extensive checking of his activities within our company, that he was using the company as cover for his own stolen car and car parts operation. The tragic and senseless death of our manager, Mr Ted Murphy has as yet to be fully investigated by the police. On the surface it appears he has committed suicide. I cannot say at this stage if Mr Murphy was working with Mr Sharp in this scam, but there is every possibility. Mr Sharp has caused great damage to the reputation of As New Spares. So much so, that I suggest to the Board that it be liquidated at the earliest opportunity………’

  Vince arrived at his car, and put the letter back in his document pouch. He was confident he would get approval to liquidate As New Spares. One serious problem remained for him. Steve Sharp had vanished. No one had any idea where he was. In Vince’s mind he was certain Steve was grassing on him. The only course to take was to assume that this was what Steve was doing. At least Vince could attend to any outstanding matters in the meantime to cover any small trail that could lead to him. As he drove to his meeting, he recalled how much damage that one office manager had done in the early days of his business. Most of the damage was done because it took six months for Vince to find out what was going on. At least this time, he could take immediate action to minimise the damage, and his own exposure. Vince was confident that he had covered his tracks very well. Steve Sharp was just a small annoyance. It had created a business set back, but as his mainstream businesses were operating smoothly and profitably, he could afford to be patient and wait for all this fuss to blow over. There would be other high return opportunities in the future.

  David arrived home from work to his own company in the flat. He felt alone, and lonely. The new friends he had made and relied on in the last six months were disappearing. Steve to prison and Tony back to his family. In his own mind he knew Tony would go back to his wife sooner or later. As had been the case so many times in David’s life, he was losing his friends. Again. At nearly forty-two years old, David was finding it difficult to find the energy and enthusiasm to start his life over again, yet again. ‘What do I have to show for forty two years of life?’ he asked himself. A look around a small flat gave him his material answer. The answer was depressing. His companion for the evening was a two litre cask of cheap red wine. David drank himself to sleep by nine o’clock. An hour and a half before Tony arrived home with a smile in his heart. He’d had another wonderful evening with his four children.

  On the Move

  Tony didn’t rush into his decision. He knew exactly how Tina felt, and how his children felt, but Tony wanted to be as sure as he could that he was making the right decision. It had now been over three weeks since he’d first met with Tina following her letter. Almost every evening since, he’d been at home for di
nner with Tina and his children. There was some normality about dinner and a family evening starting to appear. The children had relaxed enough, and felt at ease enough to argue with each other at the dinner table. They were even starting to make moaning noises about helping mum in the kitchen. Tony was happy to see this normality. This was just a normal family. Tina had not put any pressure on him to make any decisions. She welcomed him with a kiss when he arrived, and said goodbye with a kiss when he left. Their conversations were becoming more about the present than the past. Tina had done as she had said she would. All matters relating to separation, AVOs and child support were being stopped or cancelled. Next week, would be his last enforced child support payment.

  Tina and he had agreed to cancel the auction of the house. For the time being, they agreed to take the house off the market all together, until they had a clearer idea of what the future held. Tony wasn’t happy in his job, but as it was an easy job, and reasonable pay, he decided to stay until there was some clarity about his own future.

  After what was now becoming a normal evening in the Pilletto family, Tony had his dinner with his family. It was a Saturday night, and he’d been at the house since just after lunch. The afternoon had been most enjoyable, as for the first time they had gone out as a family, to the Menangle Markets. They bought fresh fruit and vegetables, and the younger two children enjoyed the entertainment. The older two appreciated the importance to their parents of the family day out. With dinner over, Tina and Tony sat with their younger two, watching television. The older two had gone out on dates. A little after ten, the children went to bed. Tony sat with Tina. Quietly, comfortably. Tina laid her head on Tony’s broad shoulder. He held his arm around her. No words were spoken, none needed to be. It was a half an hour before Tony said quietly, ‘I don’t think I’ll go back to the flat tonight.’