by Ray Smithies
He continued. ‘We’ve erected the boundary line you requested and haven’t allowed any unauthorised person to pass.’
‘Good, now get rid of this crowd!’ said Burke. ‘They’re a damn nuisance. I need room to inspect the whole site without this inquisitive lot looking on. In the meantime I’ll try phoning their next of kin.’
There was no response from Jake’s father, Phillip.
‘I can only surmise that he’s been contacted and he’s on his way,’ Burke said to me.
Similarly there was no answer from the O’Neill’s residence, except for a recorded message stating that Helen, Brigit’s mother, was interstate and about to return home.
Martino and Jennings continued to disperse the onlookers.
‘Tom, come over here, I want you to clarify the boundary lines of your property,’ said Burke.
I proceeded toward the cliff edge. To my right, the conspicuous partition tape stamped its authority and ominous warning: POLICE LINE - DO NOT CROSS. Within its extensive perimeter, a gap in the safety fence appeared to have been forced open by wire cutters.
Burke continued. ‘In my report I need to define boundary lines and ownership of property in case there are grounds for suing based upon negligence.’
‘For goodness sake, there’s a high wire fence three metres in from the cliff’s edge. It runs all the way down to the bottom of the hill,’ I protested, then added, ‘We’re talking about my niece here, Darren.’
‘Tom, you’re not answering my question.’
‘Legally my property is to the edge, but as you can see there are danger signs everywhere. I can’t be held responsible. Surely not.’
‘Settle down, Tom. I’m not accusing you of negligence. It’s simply routine procedure.’
Following an instruction for me to remain beyond the tape, Burke then entered the restrictive area and commenced to comb the immediate vicinity. He strolled to the edge and peered down, then squatted to study the spot where the ground had given way. Frowning, he stood up again and started stepping out the perimeter of loose soil. He then bent down, gathered some rocks, walked to the edge and proceeded to roll them down the slope. How strange, I thought. He continued to stand motionless by the edge as if studying the path the rocks would roll down. By this time the inquisitive crowd had departed, with Martino and Jennings returning to their superior’s side. The three men were muttering to each other at some length, deliberately out of ears’ reach.
My thoughts again focused on Jake and Brigit. How were they holding up? Would they both survive this ordeal, and would life resume without any major setbacks? I tried to convince myself that they would both pull through, being young and strong. I would contact the hospital following these formalities.
The three officers’ discussion now incorporated some distinctive sign language. Arms were pointing in all directions - at times upon the collapsed ground or in the direction of the rocks beneath the cliff’s edge. What were these three on about?
Burke called for my attention. ‘Tom, you can return if you wish. There are no further questions for the moment.’
I decided to stay put, or at least wait for a while in case there were further developments. After all, this was my property and it was important to learn how such a catastrophe could have happened.
~ * ~
Martino produced a lengthy rope, wrapping the pleated cord around his waist to secure a firm knot.
‘With your assistance,’ Burke said to Jennings, ‘we’ll lower Martino to the bottom first. I’m the lighter weight so I’ll go next with your help.’ ‘What do you hope to find?’ asked Jennings.
‘We need to determine how the ground could suddenly give way.’ Martino was cautiously lowered down a twenty-metre drop, being careful not to disturb any ground directly affected by the collapse. The sergeant followed with his seventy-kilogram weight, which felt more like one hundred when the rope became rigid.
With both men safely at the bottom, the sergeant called back, ‘Hey, Pete, allow around half an hour.’
Keeping vigilance from above, Jennings looked down upon his two colleagues going about their business, chattering here and there, pausing to examine some obstacle, then more mumbling police lingo. The collapse had clearly transferred a vast amount of ground to the bottom of the cliff. Sifting through the soil and debris, they came across an assortment of clothing, some discarded beer cans, a timepiece that may have belonged to Jake Reynolds and a number of disused syringes. Despite Pedley’s tourist appeal and its supposedly clean public image, there was also a dark side to this township that reputedly carried the infamous slogan of ’drugs and thugs for mugs’ by those in the know.
Burke looked around. If I didn’t know better this mess could pass for a garbage tip, he thought. He focused back to the matter in hand. He happened to be momentarily distracted by two magpies fighting over some discarded food under a low-lying branch. Upon further examination he noticed a number of rocks were accumulated in an unnatural arrangement, giving the impression they had been carefully camouflaged beneath the foliage.
He moved in closer and could see the rocks had been gathered together in a shape similar to a pyramid. There was no sign of soil or growth between the rocks, which immediately suggested they had been stacked here recently. He looked around. Why only this place, he thought. The fall of rocks would never settle in this way. His line of thought was interrupted by the sound of a mobile phone.
‘Sergeant Burke speaking.’
‘Doctor Richards from the hospital, sergeant. I need to inform you that Jake Reynolds has unfortunately died upon arrival. He will be taken to the morgue in around an hour’s time for your routine inspection.’
‘Oh no ... that’s tragic... and at such a young age. I’ll be over around midday to address the matter. Any news on Brigit O’Neill?’
‘She remains unconscious but in a stable condition. We have assigned a full-time nurse to her room,’ responded the doctor.
The sergeant hung up, thinking that the doctor was a bit blunt. This was not the news he had anticipated. Poor young Jake. Then he realised that Jake’s father Phillip must be informed before he learned of the tragedy through a second source. This would be tough, for Phillip was very much the devoted and protective father since the breakdown of his marriage. If there was one job Burke detested, it was the unpleasant duty of informing the next of kin. But first things first, this preliminary inspection would need to be completed. He summoned Martino to advise him of Jake and Brigit’s situation, in addition to his discovery of rocks hidden under a branch some short distance away.
‘Chris, I need you to climb up one side of the collapsed embankment while I tackle the other. If you look up and study the rock formation on either side, you can just make out it’s been tampered with. Notice how they protrude further than they should? We’ll climb up and take a closer inspection.’
The incline was around sixty degrees and no place for the faint-hearted. Slowly but surely the two men struggled up the steep embankment, stopping momentarily here and there to dig a makeshift hole with their boots to secure a foothold. Around two metres from the top they paused to study the rock formation. There was sufficient evidence to suggest that someone else had been here quite recently. Prominent skid marks left by a person or persons unknown were clearly visible, including the clumsy attempt to cover up their telltale trail. The shoe size indicated adult and probably male, for it would take a person of reasonable strength to accomplish this feat, let alone the rearrangement of rocks that were quite large and heavy.
‘All these marks are quite fresh and there’s been no rain in the past twenty-four hours,’ observed Martino, a little out of breath.
‘Yes,’ replied Burke. ‘Notice how the soil has been dug away and the rocks have little or no support all the way to the top. I’m surprised more ground didn’t give way.’
Whoever was responsible had even gone to the trouble of loosening the foliage growing up the incline. Given all before them, it was in f
act a disaster waiting to happen. There was certainly foul play at hand. The sergeant cast a keen eye around the site and pondered for a while, thinking through all they had uncovered. It just seemed ludicrous that someone would contemplate such an idea, let alone carry it out, unless the intent was there, in which case this could only be described as a ruthless premeditated act. He could only conclude that Jake’s accident was connected to his untimely intrusion into the drug-related murder scene.
The two officers continued their upward climb, careful not to hold and depend upon the foliage for leverage. Nearing the top they could see Jennings peering over the edge looking concerned for their safety.
‘Here, let me help. Grab my arm and I’ll pull you up,’ he called.
Upon reaching the top, a little worse for wear, the two uniformed men brushed themselves down and caught their breath, with Martino reaching for a smoke to settle his nerves following an exhausting ascent. Wasting no time, Burke retrieved his mobile and dialed forensics, instructing a team be sent immediately to carry out a routine inspection of the site. Formality had become a necessary procedure, given the suspicious circumstances that now surrounded the incident.
‘Pete, sadly there have been further developments since we last spoke. Young Jake Reynolds has died and Brigit O’Neill is in a serious but stable condition in hospital. She’s also unconscious, so any attempt to interview her will have to be postponed for now,’ said Burke.
‘Bloody hell... I didn’t expect to hear that.’
‘I’ll inform Phillip about his son as soon as I’m done here.’
‘This accident should never have happened, with all the warning signs and safety barriers in place. So unlike Jake, who was a very responsible person,’ Jennings stated.
‘But this was no accident. Someone deliberately disturbed the foundations beneath the cliff’s edge,’ responded the sergeant. He added, ‘The sheer scale of the disturbance is very concerning. Someone’s gone to a lot of trouble to make sure this section of the cliff would collapse with any wight-bearing load. The location is puzzling, though, because the public would rarely venture on the cliff side of the safety fence.’
‘What are you trying to tell me?’
‘I believe Jake Reynolds was murdered. I’m not sure if he was the intended target, but they are the cold hard facts,’ replied Burke.
Jennings stared in disbelief. This wasn’t right, for Jake didn’t have an enemy in world. He was admired by all, including competitors.
‘Perhaps a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time,’ continued Burke.
‘Death from a fall, yes, but murder, surely not.’
‘I’m afraid that’s the situation. This will now become a homicide investigation and I daresay my superiors will send two city detectives down here to take charge of the case. Unless they ask for our assistance it’s out of our jurisdiction once I’ve filed my report and the city replacements arrive.’
~ * ~
I had been watching the police in deep conversation from a short distance. It was time to interrupt and get an update on things.
‘What’s happening, Darren?’
Shocked to learn of Jake Reynolds’ death and Brigit’s fragile condition, I knew a visit to the hospital was necessary to establish the extent of her injuries. After all, Brigit was my niece and with Helen interstate she at least needed a family member by her side.
‘Tom, you would be wasting your time going to the hospital,’ Burke said. ‘They won’t allow visitors at this stage. I suggest you phone for an update.’
‘How in the hell could something like this happen?’
‘There appear to be suspicious circumstances, Tom, but I can’t elaborate further. In the meantime I need you to repair the safety fence once forensics has completed the inspection this afternoon. It would be too dangerous to leave unattended, particularly with unsupervised children who may wander from your park.’
‘Certainly,’ I replied, wondering what suspicious circumstances lay beyond the police line.
Burke then departed, leaving his two constables to reside over the site until forensics arrived.
~ * ~
Sergeant Burke had the unenviable task of informing Phillip Reynolds of his son’s death. Predictably, he took the news badly. Burke stayed for around fifteen minutes, trying to comfort the man but to no avail. His intentions were honourable but Burke failed in the art of condolence, for he seldom had to express the empathetic side of his character.
‘Mr Reynolds, there’s an unpleasant task to be done either today or tomorrow. You will need to accompany me to the town mortuary to make a positive identification. If there’s anything we can do to ease your pain, please don’t hesitate to ask. In the meantime we’ll do everything in our power to bring the guilty party or parties to justice. We’ll be in touch with you shortly, so until then ...’
Phillip Reynolds said, ‘Sergeant, I’ll go to the mortuary today. These matters are best handled earlier rather than later. What time should I be there?’
‘I’ll meet you at twelve.’
As he departed the Reynolds’ homestead the sergeant looked at his watch, which signaled ten-thirty. There was enough time to pay Martha Kellett a visit. It was essential not to delay this matter, since the Kellett woman was reputedly a witness to the incident and for that matter the very person who alerted the police.
The Kellett residence was a large, rambling house, probably built back in the fifties when double-brick dwellings were the order of the day. It was a two-storey structure that was obviously built this way to maximise the splendid views over Sapphire Bay. Her small property was positioned on the high side, adjacent to Harrison’s Caravan Park. A tallish woman of around sixty years with a thickset build and inquisitive eyes opened the front door. She greeted Burke with a warm smile.
‘Mrs Kellett?’
‘Miss Kellett, officer, and it’s about time you arrived. Please come through.’
Martha Kellett, a retired headmistress, was held in high esteem by the local community for her tireless work in assisting the under-privileged of Pedley. She had been a successful teacher in her working days and was still acutely intelligent, for she had invested well over time and now lived comfortably in her retired years.
‘I’m Sergeant Burke from the Pedley Police Station. I would’ve been here earlier if not for my preliminary investigations -’
‘Yes, I know who you are,’ Martha interrupted.
She showed him through to the lounge room, which boasted a large bay window providing splendid views over the harbour and distant ocean. The two sat down facing each other. It was the sergeant who broke the silence.
‘Miss Kellett, I’m told you witnessed the incident this morning and alerted the police. Is this correct?’
‘Yes, a very unfortunate incident,’ replied Martha gravely.
‘Please describe what you saw carefully.’
‘Well, I happened to be standing by this window looking down at the fishing boats when suddenly I heard screams coming from the cliff’s edge beside the caravan park.’ Martha stood up and pointed. ‘Looking across, I could see the ground give way beneath two people who then disappeared out of sight. It was all over in a matter of seconds. I couldn’t quite make out who they were, except that one was female and the other male. It was at this point I phoned the police. Then I went over to the caravan park to see if they had survived the collapse. By the time I arrived, a number of onlookers had gathered and it was then I learnt that Jake Reynolds and Brigit O’Neill had fallen. I spoke to Emily Harrison for a short moment, stayed for a bit and then returned home,’ Martha concluded, looking somewhat distressed.
‘Would you know what time the incident happened?’
‘It was precisely seven twenty-five because I immediately turned to the lounge clock after the accident.’
‘Unfortunately, matters have turned for the worst. Young Jake has died and Brigit lies unconscious in hospital. Sadly, this was no accident, for we are now treat
ing it as a murder investigation given the evidence that has since come to hand. My superiors will now send two city detectives to handle the case.’
Martha Kellett slumped back into her chair and appeared to be in a state of shock. She then covered her face and let out a distressed cry. It was the sergeant’s cue to leave.
‘Thank you for your cooperation, Miss Kellett. You may be contacted again soon. It has been a difficult morning for all.’ Burke arose from his chair and started to walk toward the door.
‘Just a moment, I’ll be all right. It’s the initial shock of learning that Jake was murdered. I’ll see you out. There’s a matter in the garden I need to attend to anyway.’
Burke had commenced saying his parting pleasantries from the front verandah when suddenly a figure from around the side of the house appeared. He had a dark-olive complexion, short-cropped, greying hair, and was muscular and fit looking. He was probably in his mid-fifties and of southern Italian decent.