A Conundrum

by P. J. Peacock

  Hera came bounding out the front door. Really, he thought to himself, her energy level was very trying. Meredith was following her with a huge smile on her face. Maybe he was missing something here. He really hated the fog that jet lag left him in.

  Martin was ambling in that loose-limbed way of his from around the back of the house, and Damian was following him like a little puppy, he thought irritably. He looked across at the outbuildings and saw Pete, that long-limbed foreman, or whatever he was, lounging against the door of his home. Really, did he do nothing around the property?

  The helicopter had landed, the blades had stopped spinning, and to his rage and consternation, he saw first Gabriel and then Bede step out. Hera was running toward them, and threw herself into Bede’s arms. She was jumping and almost shouting in her excitement. He looked at the tableau with exasperation. This was an unexpected hitch in his plans for Meredith. Hera, he could have managed, but Bede was a stubborn miss and always had been. He needed to be very careful about how he was going to manage these young people. He plastered a welcoming smile on his face and moved down the steps.

  Later around the table, after dinner, the energy was still high. Bede was still giving Hera and Meredith an account of everyone they had seen in Paris and London. Gabriel was quiet, which was unusual for him, sitting back and smiling whenever his eyes rested on Bede. He seemed indulgent at all the excitement around him. He and Martin had disappeared earlier, which still worried him. Neither of them had volunteered anything about what they had discovered. Bede seemed to be concentrating on the family. What had made them stay with Laurent for God’s sake, and why had Mette been there as well as those two old biddies?

  Gabriel suddenly turned to Justin. ‘Do you know, Justin, I think I caught a glimpse of George in Perth. Do you know what he’s doing in Australia? I thought he and Lucien had something happening in Prague. You’ve just left there, haven’t you? Do you know what they are up to?’

  Justin could feel his face blanking. ‘No, that’s impossible, you’re mistaken. George wouldn’t be here. Lucien had spoken of him just before I left Prague. He had plans that included George’s full cooperation, a project that Lucien thought George would jump at. Mind, I’m not sure exactly what Lucien’s motives were, and I didn’t actually see George. I don’t trust either of them, but I’m sure it couldn’t have been George you saw.’ Justin was quite pale, and ran his hands through his hair. A telling gesture, Gabriel thought.

  Bede looked up at that. ‘Justin, I saw him too, it was across the concourse, but it certainly looked like him. He saw me looking and quickly turned away and disappeared into the crowd. Both Gabe and I tried to find him later, but he’d disappeared completely.’

  Meredith, startled, turned to Gabriel. ‘Surely not, what would he want here? I don’t think he’s been here for nearly twenty years.’

  ‘I’ll make some enquiries, Meredith, but he could have business interests here.’ Gabriel grinned. ‘Because we don’t trust him, and assume that he wouldn’t venture into this hemisphere doesn’t mean he hasn’t.’

  Justin suddenly felt faint, almost panicky. What the hell was going on?

  Later that night, in Gabriel’s bedroom, Bede was sitting on the side of the bed, and Hera was lounging in a chair by the window when Martin slipped quietly into the room. Gabriel moved across and stood behind Bede with his hand resting possessively on the back of her neck.

  ‘Okay, spill all Gabe. What have you really discovered, if anything?’ He looked across at Bede, frowned, and then turned back to Gabriel. ‘What’s Justin up to, and did you really see George at the airport? Coming or going?’

  ‘Coming. And it was definitely George. I saw his face when he realised Bede had spotted him. He did a double take and lost that high colour of his. It was while we were going through customs control, and I was distracted for a moment by the customs officer. I couldn’t very well tell him to wait, and go tearing off. By the time I looked around again, he’d disappeared. We both looked for him later, but couldn’t see him. But if he didn’t have to collect any luggage, he could easily have grabbed a taxi. He was ahead of us by about five minutes.’

  Martin pursed his lips. ‘This is becoming interesting. We now have Justin and George here, and all we need now is for Lucien to turn up.’

  Two days later, all sitting around the breakfast table, Meredith turned to Justin and spoke quietly with a smile in her voice. ‘Justin, you seem to have finally recovered. I suggest an excursion for today. Lunch at the club is called for. You didn’t manage to get there the last time you were here, and it’s become very civilised over the last few years. The food is delicious.’ She looked across at Bede. ‘Gabriel and Martin would enjoy the day as well. We can arrange for you all to go sailing with the Wellards. They seem to be there every day now they’re retired, and Justin might enjoy a trip on the lake. It’s a very peaceful way to spend a few hours.’

  Hera and Bede grinned, then Bede spoke, ‘We can drive. It’s only a couple of hours, and that way, you’ll get some idea of the country around here at ground level.’ She looked across at Gabe and then Martin.

  They exchanged glances, and Martin slowly got to his feet. ‘Sounds an excellent idea, this is west we’re talking about, toward the coast?’

  Hera grinned. ‘Yes, very different country to that around the waterhole.’ She turned to Meredith. ‘I’ll let Robbie know we won’t be here for lunch, and maybe dinner either. We can drive back in the cool of the evening. It’s quite beautiful at that time, and the stars are absolutely stunning, I love it.’ She looked across at Damian. ‘Do you feel confident showing your face at the club?’

  ‘Well, I can’t hide forever, so yes, a day swimming, sailing, and eating good food sounds great.’ He drew a deep breath, but was frowning slightly as he stood up.

  Gabe gazed across the table at him, them murmured, ‘Take heart, Damian, it’s unlikely any of your crims will be members of the club, so you’ll be fine.’ He continued thoughtfully. ‘We will need to draw them out at some time in the future though.’ He paused, and looked at everyone sitting around the table. ‘And while we’re all here, might be a good idea.’

  Bede turned quickly toward him, frowning now as well, but didn’t speak.

  Justin looked around at the breakfast remains littered across the table. He wasn’t sure he wanted to drive for a couple of hours through what was virtually desert for a swim in a lake and a questionable lunch. He preferred the cool of the house and the chance of a quiet word to Meredith. He was feeling increasingly frustrated, and needed to get her somewhere on her own, so they could talk. There would probably be no chance at the bloody club. He turned, smiling brightly. ‘That sounds wonderful. I just need to make one phone call, and then I’m ready.’ Getting up, he moved around the table and left the room.

  ‘He’s not all that pleased,’ Martin turned to Meredith. ‘I know that overly bright smile of old. What’s going on, do you know?’

  ‘No, I’m puzzled. He’s not easy to read. I thought the trip might push him in some direction.’ She was thoughtful. It was obvious to her that Justin wanted something. There had to be a reason for him to make this trip, and this particular time seemed suspicious. She was starting to feel almost anxious. There was a feeling of tension in the air, almost like the build-up to the wet season farther north. This day, away from the property in a pleasant non-threatening environment, would be perfect. Getting up from the table, she turned to Bede. ‘Will you let Pete know we’ll need the Land Rover for the day, and make sure he monitors the phones.’ And left the room.

  They were gathered in the living room, ready to leave, when there was the sound of a vehicle drawing to a halt at the front steps. By the sound of the engine, Gabriel thought a large 4W drive. He listened to doors slamming and footsteps mounting the front steps. Then as one, they turned and looked in expectation toward the front door.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

/>   Inspector Campbell

  Meredith wandered out to greet their unexpected visitors. Bede looked across at Hera. ‘We’re not expecting anyone, are we?’

  Hera shrugged. ‘Not to my knowledge, and that sounded like the police Land Rover.’

  At that moment, Meredith came back into the room, followed by Inspector Campbell and Sergeant Morris. She was very pale and tense; Bede and Hera, looking puzzled, stood up. Meredith spoke quickly, as if to interrupt anything they had been about to say. ‘There’s been an accident out on the Wills Track early this morning, and the driver and passenger were both killed.’ She looked across at Justin, then stated baldly, ‘The passenger was George!’

  She was very pale. ‘I’ve told the inspector that George is a relative, and he thinks we might know the driver as well. His name was Edmondo De Amis.’ She automatically gave the name an Italian pronunciation.

  The assembled company turned and looked at the inspector with varying expressions of shock and confusion. He quietly surveyed them all, and there was no doubt from the shocked expressions on all their faces that they were stunned.

  Meredith now slipped quietly into a chair, while Gabriel shot to his feet. ‘Good gods, are you sure?’

  Inspector Campbell looked at the young man facing him. He saw a tall, dark, obviously very fit man in his late twenties or early thirties. There was an aura of command about him that he noted as he spoke, ‘And you would be, sir?’

  Bede spoke quietly from where she was sitting. ‘I’m so sorry, Inspector, this is Gabriel, a distant family connection.’ She indicated Martin, ‘His brother, Martin’, and turning to Justin, ‘and this is another family connection, Justin. You know Damian of course.’ She indicated the policeman standing just inside the door. ‘Inspector Campbell, everyone, and Sergeant Morris from the local police.’ She drew a deep breath and turned back to Gabriel. ‘Inspector Campbell is the detective who investigated Dad’s death.’

  ‘To answer your question, yes, we’re sure. We’ve checked both passports and various documents they had on them.’

  Gabriel, still on his feet, moved around to stand behind Bede’s chair. ‘Inspector, Bede and I have just returned from Europe. We thought we saw George at the airport in Perth, but he disappeared before we could speak to him, so we thought we must have been mistaken. He lives mostly in Paris.’ After a short pause, continued, ‘Or Prague?’ He turned to look with enquiry at Justin.

  Justin looked up. He was pale with a faint sheen of perspiration on his forehead and cleared his throat. He looked uncharacteristically confused for a moment. ‘Yes, George was in Prague recently, and of course, I knew Edmondo. He’s a long-time associate of George.’ He looked for a moment, as if he would say more, then cleared his throat and looked away.

  The large policeman frowned around at them all. ‘Perhaps you can all tell me the last time you saw and or spoke to either of the two victims.’

  Gabriel, still standing behind Bede with his hands resting gently on her shoulders, spoke again, ‘Can we assume there is something suspicious about the deaths, Inspector, and that’s why you’re here?’

  ‘The grapevine will spread the news fairly quickly, so yes, they were both shot with a pistol, point-blank range between the eyes. If this was Sydney, I’d say a gangland killing without a doubt, it was very professional, but this is Western Australia.’ He looked around at them all and continued, ‘Old Jerry Harding, taking his camel train across country, found them very early this morning. He saw the car as he crossed the track. It was parked at an odd angle, so thought he should have a look. He sent his young son overland to the Drummonds place to make the call to me. This is definitely not the usual scenario we’re used to out here.’ He spoke coldly and succinctly and waited for a reaction. There was a stunned silence, and when no one spoke, he turned to Justin. ‘You said you knew both of these gentlemen. When was the last time you saw them, and where would that have been?’

  Justin was not his usual calm, controlled self. His hands were shaking slightly, and despite the early hour, he moved across to the drinks table and poured himself a hefty glass of brandy. Then turning around, spoke quietly and sincerely, ‘As Meredith said, George is a family connection, probably closer to me than anyone else here. But I haven’t seen either George or Ed for quite some time, probably months. I can’t remember exactly. They live in Paris for most of the year, but have been in Prague quite recently.’ He paused briefly at that point, then continued, ‘Prague being my home city. Ed is Italian from Genoa, I think. I’ve always thought of him as being slightly shady, but he was a long-time friend of George’s. Was there any indication of what they were doing there?’

  ‘No, nothing, they hired the car at Perth airport, but it had been booked from Paris, France. They apparently arrived on an Emirates flight three days ago, and picked up the 4WD immediately. We don’t know where they’ve been, or what they’ve been doing since.’ The inspector turned now to Bede and Gabriel. ‘You said you thought you saw him at Perth Airport. Tell me exactly what you think you saw and where?’

  Bede spoke slowly, ‘Inspector, as Gabriel said, he and I arrived three days ago from London. We thought we saw George at the airport, but later couldn’t find him and assumed wrongly, it seems, that we had been mistaken. At the time, we couldn’t understand why he would be here. He hasn’t been to Australia for years, and he certainly didn’t contact any of us.’

  The inspector glanced around at the assembled company then turning to his sergeant, ‘We’ll need to get statements from everyone here.’ He turned back to Meredith. ‘Can we use the library? We’ll need to interview each of you separately. It’s routine really, nothing to worry about.’

  Meredith, still pale, but recovering quickly, ‘Of course, I’ll ask Robby to set up the desk for you. And would you like anything? Tea, coffee?’ She now grinned at him. ‘Water, whisky?’

  ‘Tea would be great, thanks.’

  The inspector and his sergeant followed Meredith from the room, leaving silence behind.

  Justin, very pale, but with his face set, turned to Gabriel. ‘Do you know anything about this at all?’

  Gabriel, now sitting quietly beside Bede, drew in a deep breath and climbed slowly to his feet. ‘No, as far as I know, George had no financial dealings with anyone in Australia.’ He continued thoughtfully, ‘But knowing George, he could be involved with someone as a silent partner. He’s done that sort of thing in the past, and last time, it took some fairly deep digging for me to uncover what he was up to. Since then, he’s made it a point to avoid me completely.’ He raised his eyebrows and smiled slightly. ‘I suspect you’ve probably seen him more recently than either Martin or I.’

  Justin leaned forward with his arms on his knees. ‘We all assume that his reasons for being here were financial, and the fact that he’s been shot seems to confirm that. Before I left Prague, Lucien was talking about some financial deal he had going with George, or a potential of a financial deal with George. He was gloating, really, that he had something that would really tempt George to commit himself for a change. But as usual, he gave no real information.’ He looked up and across at Martin first and then Gabriel. ‘I didn’t take much notice, as you are all well aware. Lucien and George have been rivals for years. It was obvious from that stupid abortive break-in at my place by Kamila that Lucien was up to something, but I didn’t get to the bottom of it. Lucien just apologised, said it was information gathering because both you and Martin were in Prague. I didn’t pursue it, as I thought his explanation was feasible.’

  ‘Whatever, it’s obvious Martin and I will have to investigate this. George might have been a devious shit, but he’s our own personal shit.’ He was thoughtful for a moment, glanced across at Martin. ‘Any thoughts?’

  ‘Yes, but in fact, it will be a little complicated. We have no authority here, so we’ll have to cooperate with the police. In the meantime, I think we should give Lucien
a ring.’ He continued thoughtfully, ‘Perhaps we shouldn’t mention Lucien yet to the inspector, or the fact that we’re here to investigate James’s death on behalf of the family. Locals don’t like private investigators at the best of times. They definitely won’t like our particular brand.’ He quietly left the room.

  Bede, looking worried, glanced searchingly at Gabriel. ‘This is starting to be worrying. I don’t remember much about George, but I don’t like the sound of this at all.’

  Gabriel drew Bede into his arms briefly then turned around to Hera pacing again. ‘Don’t get too agitated, Hera, until we have more information. We just need to take it easy. I’m going to talk to Meredith and see where we are with the inspector.’ He left the room, thinking, thinking, this was starting to have a very definite Family feeling about it. He and Martin had worked with Justin for years, and in fact, Justin had trained them both to some degree, so he knew how he worked. He had been genuinely shocked by George’s death, but there had been that calculating gleam in his eyes. He was up to something, and it had something to do with either Meredith or the two girls or both, was something he would not countenance. It was something personal he had no doubt. But knowing the subtlety of Justin’s mind, made him very uneasy. The way he felt about Bede, the protective feelings he had for her meant he would put her well-being before anything the Family dreamt up, and the realisation shocked him more than a little.