‘Hey, Bounter!’ one of the footy blokes yelled out. ‘Hear you’re gonna take over as Police Commissioner now!’
Leigh drew in a breath.
Mark moved close and spoke into his ear. ‘Ready to go? Now would be a bloody good time.’
‘Nah, I’m not leaving because of Newell. He’s a fuckwit.’ Leigh looked over and noticed Damien was looking uncomfortable. Good. He wasn’t like the other small-minded dimwits in the group.
‘We all know that, but it wouldn’t be good to see our local mayor getting into a fight with a wanker, would it? Come on, drink up. Let’s go. There’s another pub just down the road. We don’t have to stay here.’
Leigh looked over to see Ray beaming with delight at his work and Damien edging away.
‘I’m not leaving,’ Leigh said. ‘Another round, thanks, love.’
‘He’s all high and mighty. Reckons our police should be better than they are,’ sneered Ray as he strutted towards them like a peacock with his feathers out.
‘Fuck off, Ray,’ Leigh said mildly. His tone was hiding what he really felt. The anger was so close to bubbling over, he’d have to be careful, because what he really wanted to do was punch this idiot in the face.
‘I’d be leaving,’ suggested Ian, getting up.
‘Come on, mate, let’s head home, hey?’ Damien was at his shoulder.
‘You never got over it, did you?’ Ray asked, getting into Leigh’s face.
Leigh could smell the whisky on his breath but just sat there, still and silent, looking into Ray’s eyes. He couldn’t be drawn into this. He had to be seen to be the better man.
‘Never got over the accident. Not sure why you keep blaming me though. Just like this shooting out there. It was an accident.’ He drew out the word. ‘Ac-ci-dent … ’
Leigh lifted his chin.
‘Come on, mate, don’t be a dickhead,’ Mark said, grabbing at Ray’s elbow. ‘Leave the man alone.’
‘Man? Is he? Is he really?’ Ray asked. ‘A man has a wife and a home. A man takes responsibility for his actions, doesn’t blame a poor innocent bystander. A man,’ he raised his voice and looked around the bar, ‘a man isn’t full of himself and think he’s God’s gift.’
‘Really?’ Leigh asked in a low voice. ‘You can’t be much of a man then. Accepting responsibility? God’s gift? Fuck off, Newell, you’re not worth my time.’
Ray swung the first punch and it connected with Leigh’s jaw.
Leigh staggered backwards, his fall stopped by Damien, then launched himself towards Ray.
‘Leigh!’ It was Mark’s voice that cut through the red mist of anger. With an effort, Leigh reined in his emotions, his chest heaving with exertion. He eyeballed Ray with his fists by his side.
‘Hey! Cut it the fuck out!’ Ian yelled, and between Mark and Damien, they grabbed Ray, wrestling him away from Leigh. Ian stood at the door, holding it open.
‘I’ll call the cops!’ screamed the barmaid.
‘They’re going to do fuck all,’ sneered one of the footy boys, coming closer. ‘Just ask the mayor here.’
Leigh backed away and touched his face; there was blood on his fingers. He got out his handkerchief and held it up to his nose.
Turning to the footy boys, he said, ‘Is this the type of example you boys want in a leader? Someone who picks fights and makes people feel small? Let me tell you what a good leader is. Someone who makes small people feel big. Who encourages and mentors. Who can bring people together and unite them. Someone you can trust. Not really sure that Ray here is any good at that.’
He walked to the door of the pub before turning back to Ray. ‘And for the record, Ray, all you had to do was apologise. Accept that you had a part in what happened and we would’ve been good. But you’re right. It’s too far gone. I’m not interested in any apologies you might have now. You wouldn’t mean them even if you said them. It’s best you stay out of my way and I stay out of yours. Including at footy.’
And at that he walked out, leaving the pub in stunned silence.
Chapter 21
Dave read the second paragraph of Geoff’s statement, but something wasn’t ringing true. He checked through the notes he’d written out at the scene with the two men yesterday.
Two guns, they’d said. One for Leigh, one for Charlie. Eddie was holding the spotlight and Geoff was driving.
So how come this report said there had been three?
He flicked over to Leigh’s statement. The mention of three guns was there, too. Leigh, Charlie and Eddie all had one. But that didn’t make sense. Why would they be saying three guns then and two now? And how could Eddie have held the third gun and the spotlight?
Getting up, he rubbed the whiteboard clean and started a list titled Inconsistencies, then he divided the board in half. One side was Report/Statement, the other My Findings. Under the first heading, he wrote three guns and under the second, he wrote two guns.
From that point he decided to listen to his gut and start the investigation properly.
He printed photos of Eddie and the other men who were in the ute that night and stuck them to the whiteboard. Writing down the details he had on each man, he realised there was hardly any information on Eddie. All he had was that he was Leigh’s employee, had worked for him for over six years and was originally from the south-east. His mother was still alive, he had one brother, and he’d been cremated, his ashes shipped to his mother in Mount Gambier.
Dave made a few notes, then started looking for Eddie’s mother’s phone number.
He wondered if he should have the local coppers in Mount Gambier knock on her door, asking for more particulars. In the end, he decided that would be better than a phone call from someone she didn’t know. A face-to-face, where the officers could offer sympathy while gathering as much material as they could.
He emailed the sergeant, requesting assistance.
Within minutes he had an email, the sergeant confirming he would send a couple of constables around that afternoon.
His phone rang and absent-mindedly he picked it up.
‘Burrows.’
‘Dave, it’s me, Andy.’
Dave looked up from his notes, surprised to be receiving a call from him. He took his time before speaking. ‘G’day, Andy, how are things?’
‘Good, mate, good. This detective course is really interesting. Having a great time.’
‘That’s good.’
‘Hey, I just wanted to check in. Have you seen those cases about the date-rape drugs reported on the news?’
Dave thought for a moment. ‘Can’t say I have. What’s going on there?’
Dave had barely turned on the TV since he and Kim had come back from Adelaide with the all-clear. Suddenly, TV and incidental things hadn’t seemed important. But spending time with her, talking, laughing and loving, was. He’d made sure he left work on time. They cooked together—Dave helped Kim plate up all the meals for her new venture, of feeding people who needed help. They’d started walking together after work. Not that Dave would admit this to anyone, but it’d been good for him—he’d even lost two kilos in two weeks! If he kept that up, he’d be trim, taut and terrific by Christmas!
The fact remained, the cancer scare had brought them closer together.
He tried to concentrate on what Andy was telling him as he flicked through his emails, checking for any alerts from headquarters regarding date-rape drugs.
Oh yeah, there was one.
Scanning quickly, he confirmed what Andy had just told him.
‘So the perp is using ecstasy,’ Andy said. ‘Putting it in their drinks. Of course, because that can make the girls all gooey and loving, no one really notices that there’s anything wrong. It’s not like one of the more common types, Rohypnol and GHB, where the girls get drowsy and end up being carted out, looking drunk.’
Dave had to hold his tongue again at Andy’s assumptions. Oh, he knew that it was mostly girls who were the targets of date rape, but not always. He could t
ell Andy, if he cared to listen, of at least thirty cases, just off the top of his head, of blokes who had become victims this way.
‘Trouble is we can’t work out where he’s taking them. We’re sure he has a foxhole somewhere—a house, or unit.’
‘What makes you say that?’
‘Well, he’s not gonna do them in a car, is he?’ Andy said scornfully.
‘What’s the MO? Are you sure they’re all the same?’ Dave paused, tapping his pen against his lips. ‘Actually, I’m curious. Why are you looking at this case? I thought you were at the course, not working cases.’ God help the police department if they’d let Andy loose already.
‘They’ve given these as case studies to all of us in the course. They’re happening now, and the detectives haven’t made any breakthroughs so they want fresh eyes over it. And that’s where we come in.’
Andy sounded so young and excited, it made Dave wish he could still guide him in some way. He was pretty sure that Andy wouldn’t come back to the Barker region, so there wasn’t any point in thinking like that.
‘I’m surprised,’ Dave mused. ‘But it’s undoubtedly good training. So, going back, why are you looking for a house or unit?’
‘Once they leave the pubs, there’s no sign of them until the vic turns up dumped somewhere, beaten and bruised.’ He was silent for a moment. When he spoke again, his voice was low. ‘Dave, you should see the photos of some of these vics. I haven’t seen anything like it before.’
Pursing his lips, Dave suddenly wondered if Andy was cut out for the job. Was he too soft? Maybe that’s why his investigative skills weren’t up to scratch. He didn’t want to dig too deep, afraid of what he might find.
‘Injuries?’
‘Too many to mention. Not just around the head and face. Everywhere.’ The emphasis he put on the word made Dave understand straightaway.
‘Bastard!’
‘Too nice a word for the fucker.’
‘Is the perp using the same pub, or striking all over?’
‘The city centre and a few outlying suburbs. But you know what I find interesting? The vics are being dropped mostly on the northern side of town. I reckon that’s where his den is.’
‘That’s a good call. Told anyone that? Probably not wanting to drive too far with a body in the back of his vehicle, in case he’s pulled over.’ Dave nodded as he thought it through. ‘Makes sense. I’m assuming no one has died?’
‘Not that we’re aware of at this stage. But I reckon he’s escalating.’
‘He?’
‘Piss off, Dave. You know that in ninety-nine per cent of these cases it’s gonna be a male. White, between the ages of twenty and sixty. You know this shit. You know the profile. Why’re you making an example of me?’ He exhaled, clearly annoyed, and Dave had to hold the phone away from his ear.
‘You’re right. Sorry,’ Dave said. Andy was spot-on. It wasn’t his job anymore. He should be supporting and encouraging him. ‘Tell me why you think he’s escalating,’ he prompted, even though what he really wanted to be doing was writing more notes and compiling more facts on Eddie’s case.
An email dinged and he saw it was from his boss, Steve. Double-clicking to open it, he realised it wasn’t anything important. Just Steve wanting to know how the investigation was progressing.
He didn’t really have much to tell him yet, other than there were a few inconsistencies between the report and what Dave was hearing now. Still, that wasn’t going to be a surprise to Steve. He focused on Andy again.
‘… and now we’re seeing a lot more injuries.’
‘Sorry, back up. What did you say at the start?’
‘At the start it was mostly rape. The injuries began as beatings, but now there’s grave physical damage.’
‘Holy crap,’ Dave whispered. How had he not heard about these attacks? ‘How many are there?’
‘We’ve got reports of four, but the media officer is going to put a call-out next week for other victims who haven’t reported it to us.’
‘I’ll keep my ear to the ground.’
‘Cheers, Dave. And, mate?’
‘Yeah?’ Dave could hear him swallow before speaking.
‘I know I fucked up that case. I’m sorry, man. I’m trying to do better now.’
Dave gave a half-smile. ‘Mate, that’s all I wanted to hear. And that’ll go a long way to making you a better detective. Here’s another tip.’
‘What’s that?’
‘Check the days, dates, weather from when the women were dumped. There might be a pattern there. That’s what you need to look for—patterns that keep occurring.’
Andy was quiet. ‘Thanks, mate. Catch you later.’
Dave put down the phone, feeling pleased. Andy recognising the balls-up he’d caused was a huge step in the right direction for him. Maybe he’d make a detective yet.
There was a knock on the door and Dave stifled a sigh. Was he ever going to get back to these guns!
Jack stuck his head in.
‘What’s going on, Jack?’
‘Just heading out to do a few DUI checks. Any places you want me to go in particular?’
‘You’re in charge of that! I’m just the detective.’
‘Thought I’d check. See if you had anything that correlated with what you were working on.’
That stopped Dave in his tracks. ‘That’s a bloody good point. Why don’t you take a drive down to Booleroo? Maybe do a bit of a run along the main street and the likes. See what you can spot. Pull up a few random people.’
‘Cool bananas. See you later.’
‘Cool bananas? Good cop talk, Jack.’ With a smile he turned back to his computer, deciding to run a background check on Eddie.
Well, well. It seemed Eddie had a rap sheet. ‘Ah,’ Dave breathed as he started to read. Three counts of soliciting a prostitute … and one for DV. Domestic violence. ‘Nice character,’ Dave muttered, reading on. He’d lost his licence for driving under the influence and had got it back just before the accident. But he’d been clean for the six years he’d worked for Leigh.
Getting his life back on track, obviously. Then the poor bastard gets killed.
He wrote the particulars up on the board and turned his attention to Charlie. He didn’t have a rap sheet; neither did Geoff. Leigh, however, had one charge against him.
Dave gave a whistle as he read that report.
‘Leigh Bounter was charged with discharging a firearm in public after he pointed a .22 towards Mr Ray Newell’s ute and fired it into the door. It is alleged that Mr Newell was involved in an incident on the football field which saw Mr Bounter’s neck broken. He had to forfeit his career as an AFL football player and was very angry with Mr Newell. The incident took place at Mr Newell’s depot on the outskirts of Booleroo. Mr Bounter claimed it was an accident, and we were unable to prove otherwise. He was fined $2000.’
‘Sixteen years ago and not a thing since,’ Dave muttered. ‘Exemplary record. Everyone is entitled to a brain freeze.’ Still, he was surprised Leigh had been allowed to keep any firearms. The department usually looked at firearm offences very seriously. Dave wondered if the police of the day had gone a little easy on him, since Leigh had only just got out of rehab.
An email dinged again and this time it was from the sergeant in charge of the Mount Gambier Police Station.
Opening the statement, he scanned it quickly, realising there wasn’t much in it. It covered Eddie’s birthdate, schooling and work history.
He was such a good boy, Eddie’s mother was quoted as saying. But he got into a bit of trouble after he left school. He joined a shearing team and got stuck into the drugs. Married a woman much older than he was. That didn’t last. She reported him for hitting her, but he swears he didn’t. Of course I believe him. That woman was a nasty piece of work. Had a string of affairs and drained his bank account.
‘Of course she was nasty,’ Dave muttered sarcastically. ‘There’re two sides to every story, Mum.’
&nbs
p; Jotting down the main points on the board, he couldn’t help but feel there was more to Eddie. Still, he would find it.
He picked up the phone and dialled Leigh’s mobile. After introducing himself, he started to ask Leigh about Eddie.
‘How did he come to work for you?’
‘I put an ad in the paper, he was the only one who replied. I was desperate at that point. Needed someone to help out with the sheep work while seeding was going on. He proved himself to be quite handy in the yards. Turns out we became mates as well as work colleagues. He stayed on and became an integral part of my operation.’
‘Did you know much about his personal life?’
‘I knew he’d been married and divorced. But as for women, in the time he worked for me, there never seemed to be any. He was content with heading to the pub, doing a bit of shooting—he shot kangaroos to supplement his income, you know. And he loved camping. He’d head off for days, up north, by himself. He was happy in his own company.’
‘Kangaroo shooter, too, huh?’ Dave jotted that down. ‘Did he go by himself or have someone with him?’
‘No, always by himself unless I went along for a shoot.’
‘Did you go often?’
‘Not as much as I would’ve liked. There always seem to be meetings in the evenings.’
‘Okay. Now, Leigh, you would’ve known I’d find the firearm charge against you? Do you want to tell me about it?’
‘It was a long time ago. It shouldn’t come into this!’
‘But I’d like to hear your version, not just rely on what I’m reading.’
‘I was angry,’ Leigh said in a flat tone. ‘I always felt it was Ray’s fault that my neck broke. I’d gone to pick up some barley seed I’d bought off him and he’d pushed my buttons. I never meant for the gun to go off, but it did and went into the door of his ute. Of course he reported me.’
‘Right. Well, thanks for your help. I’ll be in touch.’
Dave hung up the phone and sat back in his chair, thinking about what he’d found out.
Chapter 22
Sapphire Falls Page 17