‘Kaelee.’ A whisper of sound. ‘Is she … alive?’
‘I don’t think so.’ Georgia’s voice was toneless, a monotone. ‘I tried to feel … a pulse … but …’
Ben stepped forward. He spoke calmly, ‘Georgia, put the knife down and come over here.’
Abbie gasped. She hadn’t noticed, she’d focused on the girl on the bed, on the blood. The stillness of the scene. She hadn’t seen the knife in her daughter’s hand, the knife from the kitchen, the one she used to chop vegetables.
Chapter 19
When Rupe arrived at Abbie’s, the house was silent. Only one car, Georgia’s, was parked at the front, which meant no other police had arrived yet or the place would be swarming. Lucky Gazza, arriving late to training, heard Rupe’s phone buzzing in his kitbag or he wouldn’t have got Ben’s message and after that Georgia’s, until they had a break. As it was he was in the car and on his way with a quick stop at the station to collect the cruiser and call in an alert for Abbie’s car.
All senses on alert, he got out and closed the car door quietly. Nothing moved in the gathering dusk. He headed to the back of the house where access was easier given the fire damage in the hallway.
Abbie fell into his arms, sobbing as he rounded the corner.
‘Rupe. It’s Kaelee.’
‘Where?’ He held her away, spoke calmly. ‘Take deep breaths, tell me what’s happened.’
‘She’s dead. There’s a knife … she’s dead. Blood … so much …’
‘Is anyone else in there? Is anyone else hurt?’ Dead? Murdered? Christ almighty. What was going on here?
Abbie sucked in air and closed her eyes for a moment, visibly collecting herself. ‘No … only Kaelee … Georgia and Ben are there...’
‘Wait here. More police will arrive soon.’
Rupe pulled the screen door open and stepped cautiously inside. ‘Georgia? Ben? It’s Rupe.’ The fire smell still permeated the air. He pulled gloves on, watching for movement.
Ben appeared in the hallway, his face drained of colour. ‘Thank god, Rupe.’ He was shaking, close to tears.
‘Okay, Ben, backup will be here soon. Go and wait outside with Abbie. Try not to touch anything on the way. Where’s Georgia?’
‘In the bathroom. She had blood …’ He stopped, eyes wide and stricken. ‘She shouldn’t have washed it off, should she? But there was so much of it.’
‘It’s okay, Ben. I’ll take care of her.’
Ben remained stuck in place in the doorway, incapable of movement. Rupe said gently but firmly. ‘Ben. It’s okay. Go outside to be with Abbie.’
He nodded vacantly but started walking, robot-like, for the back door.
Rupe let out a shuddery breath. ‘Georgia?’
He found her in the bathroom, motionless, with a towel in her hand. Blood streaked her wrists and her T-shirt had red smears over the stomach area.
‘I can’t get it off,’ she said.
‘Georgia, come outside to your mother and Ben. Come on. It’s okay. I’ll take care of this.’
He extended his hand and she stepped forward obediently. He led her out into the darkening yard. Abbie and Ben huddled together, her arm around him. Abbie had stopped crying and stood silent and composed. Both came to enfold Georgia, who clung to them, helpless.
‘Wait in my car,’ Rupe said. ‘Abbie, can you take them?’
He put in a call for an ambulance on Abbie’s landline on his way to the spare bedroom. He hesitated in the doorway. If she was dead he should stay out of the room but if she wasn’t...
Close up it was obvious she was gone but he placed a finger on her neck anyway. Nothing. He retreated to the doorway and surveyed the scene. Stabbed multiple times, by the amount of blood. He’d seen stabbings before, in the city. Gang fights, brawls, domestics, but rarely a murder scene. A knife lay on the floor by the bed. A kitchen knife. No doubt one of Abbie’s.
The cloying smell of blood clung to his nostrils. Stronger in her than the fire. Hard to forget. Always sickening.
Not much he could do and the less time he spent in the house the better for forensics. What a nightmare. He shook his head and left the house the way he’d come in.
The trio sat in the rear of the police car, bundled together with Georgia in the middle. He sat in the front, switched on the inside light and turned around.
‘Tell me what happened. Abbie?’
‘I went to the studio to go through my things, you know?’
He nodded. ‘Go on.’
‘I heard a noise, a thud, somewhere in the house. Not very loud but I was scared and I raced straight outside. Georgia and Ben were watering the vegetables. We decided to leave, but as we were going round the side of the house Aaron came out and asked us for help. We sent Ben to phone you. Aaron said he didn’t know where Kaelee was and that he’d escaped from her and was frightened. He came here because he didn’t know where else to go.’
‘Did you believe him?’
‘Not really but we weren’t sure. I didn’t trust him. We thought we should tie him up and I went to find rope in the shed. When I came back Georgia heard something in the house and went to see. That’s when Aaron punched me and stole my car. Ben came back and we went inside to find Georgia and call the police about my car and Aaron.’
‘Georgia was in the bedroom and Kaelee was on the bed … with all that … she was dead.’
‘Did you check for a pulse?’
Abbie shook her head. ‘Georgia said she was dead.’ She glanced at her daughter.
‘Did you see a weapon?’
‘A knife. From the kitchen … my vegetable knife.’ She gulped in air.
‘Where was it?’
‘On the floor. Rupe, there was so much blood …’ She covered her face with her hands.
‘Georgia dropped it,’ said Ben suddenly.
‘The knife?’ Rupe watched Abbie surreptitiously. Had she expected Ben to blurt out that contradiction of her own words? Hard to tell with her wiping at her eyes.
‘She was holding it when we came in and she dropped it when I said put it down.’
‘Georgia, why did you have the knife?’
‘I knocked it on the floor.’ She looked at him then, her eyes blank, shocked.
‘Where was it when you went into the room?’
‘On the bed but I didn’t see it … I just saw …’ A gulping sob swallowed her words.
‘What did you do next?’
‘I tried to … she was dead.’
Abbie pulled her close. ‘It’s okay, darling.’
‘So the knife fell on the floor and you picked it up. Why did you do that?’
Georgia opened and closed her mouth, groping for words. ‘I don’t know. I just did. Then Mum and Ben came and I dropped it.’
‘Did you see her drop it, Abbie?’
‘I … I don’t know. I was behind Ben.’
Rupe let it slide for now but the bitter taste of disappointment soured his mouth. Had she just lied to cover up for Georgia or had she genuinely come in a fraction later than Ben? Had Ben reneged on an agreed story? Either way, forensics would provide answers.
‘What happened next?’
She looked at him steadily. ‘I heard the car, your car, and came outside. I was so glad to see you …’ A flicker of a smile appeared. ‘Really glad.’
He held her gaze for a moment. ‘Did you touch anything in the room?’
She shook her head.
‘Did anyone touch anything?’
She shook her head.
A police car roared into the clearing, closely followed by a second and the ambulance. Rupe went to meet them.
DS McGrath sprang out, face stern. ‘What have we got?’
Rupe filled her in and she began issuing directives to her team.
‘Any witnesses to the murder?’
‘No. I’ve only talked to them briefly. Georgia and Ben are in shock.’
‘Any injuries?’
‘Abbie was punched on the jaw
but nothing that I can see on the other two.’
‘I hope you didn’t go clumping around the crime scene.’ She glared at him.
He maintained his professional blank expression, gritting his teeth against the insult. ‘No. I checked for a pulse and I wore gloves. That’s all.’
‘Weapon?’
‘A kitchen knife on the floor by the bed.’
‘Okay. Thank you. We’ll take it from here. Forensics will want to process these three. I’ll send someone back with you when you go. Get them checked out by the paramedic and I want to talk to them all before you go. Take their statements back at the station.’
‘Yes ma’am.’
Forty-five minutes later, Rupe drove Abbie back to town in her car while a WPC drove Ben and Georgia in his police cruiser.
‘You’ll have a nice bruise tomorrow,’ he said.
‘I’ve got one now. What on earth makes people take up boxing?’ She spoke listlessly, exhausted.
‘No idea.’
Night had fallen stealthily during the aftermath of the tragedy and the ribbon of road was inky black with just the headlights slicing a path. Curves and dips appeared from nowhere but he knew the road well. The police woman driving his car had dropped back, being careful on an unfamiliar road.
‘She didn’t deserve to die,’ said Abbie softly.
‘She did murder two people. But no, she didn’t.’
‘She had a sad life.’
‘Did Aaron do it?’
He sensed the rapid turn of her head as she faced him. ‘Of course he did. Who else?’
He didn’t reply.
‘It wasn’t me and it wasn’t Georgia or Ben. I can’t believe you’d think that.’ She was angry, her voice taut as fence wire despite the low volume.
‘I don’t think anything,’ he said quietly. The lie hovered between them. Why did Abbie say that about the knife?
‘Why ask that question then?’
‘Did Aaron have blood on him?’
She was silent for some time before saying, ‘I didn’t see any. He could have washed. She could have been dead for hours.’
‘Yes.’
He left it there, unspoken—washed the way Georgia did. Or attempted to. The blood was still wet. She hadn’t been dead for very long by his estimation. Aaron’s shirt should have blood spatter on it. Hard to miss.
‘Georgia felt for a pulse. That’s why she has blood on her. There was so much …’
‘Yes.’
‘They can tell who stabbed her, can’t they? And when she died. The forensics people?’
‘Yes. They can tell all sorts of things.’
‘My fingerprints will be on that knife. It’s mine. And Georgia used it too when they made us cook for them.’
‘Abbie, don’t worry. Of course yours and Georgia’s prints will be there and in the room. It’s your house. We’ll take your prints for elimination.’
But not Ben’s. Ben’s shouldn’t be anywhere except on the phone and perhaps doorways. Ben had no motive for killing Kaelee. He was only here by chance and had never met her. The boy didn’t have much of a clue about what he’d so valiantly volunteered himself into but, Rupe figured wryly, he’d at least pick up some experience to bring to his acting.
His manner was straightforward and he had no reason to lie—if there was anything to lie about. Rupe had him down as someone who wouldn’t deceive the police even if his skill as an actor made that possible. He hadn’t met Georgia when her father was arrested and put on trial and hadn’t known about her past until now. He still didn’t fully comprehend what was going on and he’d come out with that bit about the knife spontaneously, straight after Abbie said the opposite …
He’d driven from Melbourne at a moment’s notice to pick Georgia up. How far would he go in defence of Georgia, a girl he loved, by all accounts? Love made people do extraordinary things.
Rupe reined in his thoughts. Ben wasn’t a killer and it was useless to speculate on other scenarios. Aaron was the obvious suspect and when he was caught he could answer all the how’s and why’s. Forensics would provide all the evidence they needed to make a case against him.
Why had Georgia handled the knife? That was the other thing that bothered him, beyond Abbie’s clumsy lie. She said she knocked it to the floor from the bed when she tried to check if Kaelee was alive. Georgia was clever. Despite being shocked and horrified, her initial reaction was to check for a pulse. She was thinking rationally. She didn’t run out screaming and hysterical. Why would she pick up the knife?
How far would Abbie go in defence of her daughter?
Stop it.
Why was he being so suspicious? Wait for the forensics. He’d only had a cursory look at the scene, hadn’t seen Aaron and he wasn’t a homicide detective. DS McGrath was. She’d successfully investigated two murders in the area in the last few years.
Rupe slowed as the town sign came into view. Taylor’s Bend. Abbie had teased him about the lack of criminal activity to deal with only a week or two ago, outside Laurie’s store. Who’d have thought something like this would shatter the country idyll?
He exhaled, deep and tired.
‘I’m sorry, Rupe.’ Her voice startled him, breaking into his reverie.
‘None of this is your fault.’
‘It is, kind of.’
‘No. You’re one of the victims. Don’t start blaming yourself. Aaron and Kaelee caused this.’
‘Actually it was my ex who caused it, and the legal system for letting him get away with it,’ she said harshly. ‘Or some idiot who stuffed up somewhere along the way.’
‘Whoever it was, it wasn’t you.’ As he spoke he hoped like hell it was the truth, not that she’d set in train this whole mess—her husband was responsible for that—but this most recent part of the tragedy. Was Abbie complicit in a cover-up? Was she protecting her daughter from a murder charge?
The very thought turned his blood to ice.
***
By the time Rupe and the WPC had finished taking statements and the forensics man had taken fingerprints, samples and carefully put Georgia’s top in a plastic evidence bag, Abbie was convinced it must be after midnight but it only turned out to be nine-fifteen, to her amazement. Dinner was long overdue.
Georgia went straight to the bathroom when the police finished with her and spent twenty minutes, Abbie knew, scrubbing at her skin. Removing the memory would be much harder, scrubbing the image of Kaelee lying in a pool of her own blood would be impossible, and going to bed taking that with her forever was the stuff of nightmares.
‘I called the local Chinese,’ said Rupe when he joined Ben and Abbie in the kitchen. ‘We should eat.’
‘Thanks.’ Abbie looked at Ben, drooping with exhaustion as he stood uncertainly by the table. ‘You should eat with us then go to bed.’
‘I don’t think I can eat anything,’ he said.
‘Try,’ said Rupe. ‘You’ll feel better.’
‘When can I go back to Melbourne?’
‘DS McGrath will have to tell you that. Sorry. Not tomorrow though. Maybe the next day.’
Ben nodded and pulled out a chair, defeated.
‘I’m sorry you got dragged into our troubles, Ben,’ Abbie said.
He smiled faintly. ‘I’ll see how Georgia is, tell her about dinner.’ Instead of sitting down, he left the room.
Abbie got up and found plates and cutlery to set the table. More for something to do than out of necessity, something to occupy her thoughts.
‘He should stay here tonight,’ she said. ‘It’d be awful being alone in that hotel room.’
‘He can have the couch or the cell,’ Rupe said. ‘Unless Georgia wants to share with one of you.’
‘She might.’
Rupe’s mobile rang.
‘Perry.’
As he listened his expression went from interested to grim to sorrow.
‘Right. Thanks. Yes. Bye.’
‘Who was that?’
‘DS McGr
ath.’ He moistened his lips and drew a deep breath. ‘Aaron had an accident. He went off the road and hit a tree about a hundred kilometres towards the coast on the Alpine Way.’
‘Oh.’ Abbie collapsed onto a chair as her legs gave way. ‘Is he hurt?’ She knew by his expression what the answer would be.
‘He died at the scene. Witnesses said the car accelerated and it looked almost deliberate. It wasn’t a dangerous stretch of road.’
Abbie closed her eyes. Tears leaked out and dribbled down her cheeks. ‘It’s horrible. That poor boy.’
Rupe sat down heavily. ‘It is, it’s tragic, the whole thing.’
Someone banged on the back door.
‘That’ll be the food.’ He hauled himself upright.
Abbie groped for a tissue and wiped her eyes, blew her nose. Georgia and Ben came in and sat down. Georgia looked fresher but her eyes were dark and haunted.
‘Rupe’s getting the food,’ Abbie said.
‘I’m not hungry,’ said Georgia.
‘You should eat, both of you.’
‘Ben’s going to stay here tonight.’
‘Okay. Good idea.’
‘Has something happened?’ Ben leaned forward, frowning.
‘Aaron crashed the car. The detective just called Rupe. He was killed.’
Georgia gasped and Ben put his arm around her.
Rupe reappeared with two white plastic carry bags.
‘Aaron’s dead,’ said Georgia.
Rupe put the bags on the table and unpacked the contents. ‘Yes.’ He took the lids off the containers. ‘Eat.’
Abbie’s stomach growled in anticipation as the spicy aromas filled the kitchen. She spooned rice onto her plate then added Mongolian lamb.
Rupe served himself a generous helping.
Georgia and Ben sat unmoving.
Abbie picked up Georgia’s plate and dolloped on a spoonful of rice followed by a small serve of green vegetables and chicken. ‘You’ll feel better, darling. Your body needs nourishment.’
Ben silently took rice, lamb and chilli prawns and ate a few mouthfuls. Georgia followed suit.
‘We’ll never know why he stabbed her,’ Abbie said.
The Secrets that Lie Within (Taylor's Bend, #1) Page 25