A Conundrum

by P. J. Peacock

  Both Gabriel and Martin looked amused by this speech, and Gabriel said, ‘Jakub, I suggest you just stop talking. It’s not your thing.’ He turned back to Bede. ‘What he means is that he’s a thug, Bede, but not a killer. Kamila is tricky, unscrupulous, and with very few morals, but she’s not a killer either.’ He met her eyes, and there was a depth of pain there she hadn’t seen before. He leaned toward her, but other than that, didn’t move. ‘Bede, I’m sure you’ve worked out over the last few weeks what we do within the Family. Martin and I are both capable of killing without remorse if the situation requires it.’ He kept eye contact with her. ‘But neither of us had anything to do with James’s death. We really are here to sort it out.’ He gestured to Jakub and Kamila. ‘These two idiots have just muddied the waters a little.’

  Suddenly, into the silence, Gabriel’s phone rang. He cocked an eyebrow, ‘Can I answer that?’

  Bede felt exhaustion pulling at her shoulders, and felt the nausea in her stomach rise. She wanted to believe him, she knew she had been falling in love with him over the last few weeks, but there really had been too many questions and no answers. They needed answers to the questions. Pete had seemed completely loyal and supportive, particularly over the last few weeks. Yes, James had always been secretive, even Penelope right up to her death had complained about James’s paranoia. The phone was still ringing. ‘Okay, answer it, but put it on speaker.’

  Gabe let out the breath he hadn’t realised he was holding. He pulled the phone from his pocket and switched to speaker. Pete’s voice came out loud and clear. ‘Gabe, where are you? Have you caught those two idiots yet, is Bede all right? Meredith and Hera are just about beside themselves. They’re so anxious about all this.’

  Gabe spoke clearly, ‘Yes, we’ve caught them, but there’s been a development. Pete, I need you to come totally clean about your role on the property since you’ve been here. Bede is freaked as Kamila confessed to knowing you.’

  ‘I knew this would happen. Bloody James and his need for secrecy, put Bede on.’

  ‘We’re on speaker, Pete, just talk.’

  As Pete talked, Bede relaxed slightly. The tension in her shoulders slowly releasing, and the tight band around her forehead unwinding slightly, so that she felt she could think properly. His gravelly voice rolled on, and many of the unexplained and puzzling incidents over the last few years became clear. Pete had arrived on the property just twelve months before her mother’s death. It had been a shock, an aneurism, not something any of them could have foreseen. Pete had supported James through his grief over Penny’s death and kept Meredith, Hera, and her stable in the months following. He had taken over the running of the farm, and even travelled overseas on one occasion when James had been unable to complete the contract. He had always been more than an employee. James had trusted him completely, but not enough to tell him what it was that he feared. Today really had been a day of startling developments. Drawing a deep breath, and trying relaxing her shoulders, she spoke to Gabe. ‘I want to talk to Hera. Ask Pete to put her on.’

  ‘Did you hear that, Pete?’

  ‘Yep, we’re all here including Justin. Damian is with Inspector Campbell and his young constable in the library. They arrived soon after you lot.’

  Bede felt the tension drain out of her body, and she signalled for the phone.

  Gabriel took the five steps across to her and handed her the phone. His eyes held such sadness and compassion. She could feel the sting of unshed tears, but simply shook her head and took the phone. Her finger still on the trigger of the rifle now held more loosely in her right hand.

  The phone, still on speaker, Hera’s voice came strong and steady. ‘Bede, everything here is fine. Inspector Campbell arrived about half an hour ago, he’d been on his way here anyway. Pete has a lump on his head, but he’s okay now. It’s all been a bit of a shock.’ There was a pause, then her voice continued, ‘I can imagine what you’re thinking, Bede, honey, but you need to get back here so we can start to sort it all out.’

  Bede switched the phone off and handed it to Gabriel. ‘Okay, everyone into the copter.’

  Hera had used their childhood signal for ‘it’s okay to come home, Dad has calmed down’. Bede had a sudden memory of the time Hera had stayed hidden in the bush for two days when she’d really strained his patience. She had taken the short wave radio apart, convinced she could fix the crackle that annoyed her so much, only to discover she’d damaged one of the valves, and they had no replacement. She never had managed to fix the crackling.

  ‘I take it “honey” is a code word between you two,’ Gabe spoke softly into her ear, making sure no one else heard him as he climbed in.

  ‘You really don’t miss much, do you?’ she said frowning slightly.

  He didn’t answer, but gazed deeply into her eyes, then nodded slowly, his expression sombre.

  Before getting into the helicopter, Bede removed the remaining clip from the rifle and put it into her pocket. She was the only one of this lot able to pilot this thing. She felt quite certain no one wanted to cause an accident here in the middle of nowhere, but was taking no chances.

  They were gathered in the living room. Bede sitting quietly in her favourite chair, watching and listening, she could almost see the emotions roiling through the ethers. Would they ever get to the bottom of James’s death? It seemed to be submerged beneath a miasma of peripheral events. But someone had ordered his assassination, she was as sure of that, as she was of sitting in this chair. Did it have something to do with Damian’s research? Was he trying to produce a new designer drug, and had James been somehow involved? She really didn’t believe that for a moment, but at this point, she was prepared to look at any and all options.

  She looked across the room and frowned. What exactly was Justin doing here? He had still not said. She was suspicious about his motives and didn’t trust him, but so far, she hadn’t shared that with anyone, not even Hera. She looked thoughtfully across at Meredith and wondered. And then these other two inept thieves; it seemed obvious they were connected to George, who was now dead, murdered too. This seemed to suggest another player or players somewhere. She was so confused. The events over the last few weeks had shaken her. She had always felt herself to be a good judge of character, but in the last twenty-four hours, things had been moving so fast, she felt she couldn’t quite trust her reactions to either the events or the people involved. She felt there was some undelaying affair, some sinister motive, or events that would explain everything!

  Looking around the room again, she managed to catch Gabriel’s eye. Did she really trust him and Martin? Hera certainly had reservations about Martin. And added to that, Gabe’s confession that both he and Martin were capable of cold-blooded murder had shaken her. But being honest with herself, she had known deep down that he was dangerous, but not to her or Meredith or Hera, she was quite sure about that.

  At that moment, Gabriel caught her eye. He smiled slightly, not that she would call it a smile exactly, that slight curve of one side of his mouth and the lift of one eyebrow, but it was so familiar now that she felt the warmth of the familiar expression wash over and around her. She felt herself relaxing, and with a slight tilt of his head, he indicated the door. She nodded and climbed slowly to her feet.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Inspector Campbell Is Concerned

  Inspector Campbell looked around the room. He took note of Bede and Gabriel moving out of the room, but ignored them at this time. He had done some very intense checking through official channels including Interpol on that young man and his brother. And although the small amount of detail he’d managed to uncover had startled him, he was confident they both had the three ladies interests at heart.

  He cleared his throat loudly and looked around, as all eyes focused on him. ‘Well, I think it’s time that a few facts were made clear to all of you present.’ He paused. ‘Firstly, these two thieves.’ Ka
mila bristled and opened her mouth to say something, but Jakub elbowed her in the ribs; and with a sulky scowl and a shrug, remained silent. Inspector Campbell continued mildly, ‘These two thieves are well known to several of you.’ He turned first to Justin who nodded his head in agreement, then Martin, and finally Gabriel, just leaving the room. They all acknowledged the statement, and he continued, ‘We know they arrived in Perth in company with Mr George Caruso-Kern and his friend about three days ago, and have been staying in the same hotel in Perth.’

  He turned to the two Czechs and raised his eyebrows.

  Kamila almost squirmed in her seat, but lifting her chin, looked directly at him. ‘Yes, you’re right of course. We arrived with George and Edmondo on the same flight. George wanted those two books.’ She indicated them, now lying on a small round antique piecrust table across the room. ‘I have no idea what or how he knew about them.’ She continued thoughtfully after turning to Jakub, ‘He knew where they were kept and the spring to release the secret compartment. He warned us they were fragile, and to be very careful with them, which is why he gave us that special backpack.’ She indicated the leather satchel/backpack on the floor. It was open, and they could all see the padded interior divided into two sections.

  Jakub now took up the tale in his strangely accented English. ‘I didn’t realise they would be as large as they are until George arrived with the satchel. He explained exactly what they were, but couldn’t tell us much more.’ He drew a long breath. ‘I searched online to find more information, but didn’t get much except an estimate of their value, which is quite substantial.’ He looked around the room, particularly at Justin. ‘But in my opinion, there has to be more to it than the money. It’s quite a bit, but not enough. I wouldn’t have thought to justify bringing us all this way, let alone a murder or two. George paid us really well, but not enough to go to jail for him.’ He slumped back onto the couch beside his wife, and picking up her hand, kissed it absently.

  Kamila patted his hand in a familiar and somehow touching gesture. She spoke now, ‘I think somehow Lucien is involved with those books. He laughed when he talked about Lucien, and we both got the impression that George was up to something devious again. You could never trust him, that’s why we insisted on half our money before we left Prague.’ She gestured at Justin and almost snarled. ‘He probably knows more than either of us. Lucien told us before we left that he had something planned with Justin.’ She looked defiantly across at him.

  Justin, now looking startled, spoke, ‘Well, not planned exactly, at least nothing concrete. Lucien did intimate that he had a plan involving George and suggested that it would finally compensate him for the many times George had lied to him, and tried to double-cross him. He also said I would be delighted when I heard about it, and he would call on me at some point. He didn’t give me any details, so to say that his plan involved me is technically incorrect.’ He was looking a little hunted now, but continued, ‘He laughed when he talked about it, and said he didn’t want to disclose any details just yet. I thought from the little he did say that it would be embarrassing more than dangerous, something George wouldn’t be able to talk his way out of, and would finally expose him as the scheming bastard he really is. I didn’t get the impression that Lucien was planning anything violent. It’s not the way he works. He’s devious, but tries to stay inside the radar of the law. Killing someone even in Prague is problematic.’ He looked across at Martin who was standing quietly, leaning against the wall.

  Martin studied him thoughtfully. ‘Lucien may have thought no one would ever suspect he was working with George.’ He turned to Inspector Campbell and continued quietly, ‘You may have realised by now that George has pissed off so many people over the years. It’s not surprising he’s finally been killed, and to be honest, I don’t think too many people will miss him. It’s possible one of his old adversaries may have spotted him and Edmondo in Perth and decided to get even.’ He shrugged. ‘Edmondo was as bad as George at pissing people off. It’s even possible he was the initial target.’

  There was silence in the room as the inspector surveyed them all. Christ, what a family, he thought; and he probably wouldn’t get much more out of this lot tonight, he may as well deal with the Czechs.

  Straightening his back and rising from the chair, he turned to his young constable. ‘Let’s get these two back to the station and question them more fully there.’ He could have sworn there was a combined sigh of relief at this announcement, but he felt sure that those two young fellows would start to put the screws on their uncle now.

  Gabriel and Bede wandered back into the living room. No one had moved since the police had left with their two grumpy prisoners in tow. Bede moved across to sit beside Meredith, and took her hand gently. ‘Meredith, this has been very trying for us all and particularly for you. I know you didn’t care for George, but he was a relation, and you had known him for a long time. Do you want to talk about it now?’

  ‘Not particularly,’ she said with asperity. ‘There was a time when both James and I considered ways of disposing of George. I told you about that, but over the years, we, or at least I, put him consciously out of my thoughts. I forgot about him. It now seems that perhaps James had something to do with him, but I find that very hard to believe.’ She looked down contemplating the glass in her hand, almost as if she didn’t really see it. ‘How did he know about the books, and who told him how to open the secret compartment? I didn’t even know about it until you girls told me, and that was only recently.’

  Bede worriedly took the glass from her and placed it on the coffee table. Meredith was suddenly looking pale and fragile, something she had never been.

  Hera crossed the room and sat down on the other side of Meredith, putting her arm around her shoulders. ‘Come on, I think this night has gone on long enough. It’s time for bed, we can continue this discussion tomorrow after a really good breakfast.’ She looked hard at Justin for a moment. Both Bede and Hera drew Meredith to her feet, and quietly left the room.

  Chapter Thirty

  Justin Confesses

  It was very late now, the sound of the police Land Rover pulling away from the house created a disturbance for a moment, and then all was silent again. The room was lit softly. They hadn’t turned on all the lights. After the noise of the helicopter, the arrival of the police, and the anger and rage of everyone concerned in the attempted theft, keeping the lights low had seemed a way to reduce the furious outbursts and accusations flying around.

  Justin suddenly lurched to his feet. He hadn’t liked that look from Hera. ‘What exactly is going on here Gabe? Have you any idea?’

  ‘Not so much’, he quietly replied, ‘but I think it’s time you come clean, Justin. Just why are you really here, what do you want, and what do you know about James’s death?’

  ‘The reason I’m here is none of your business, and I know nothing about James’s death, or George’s either.’

  Martin, slowly straightened away from the wall, and moved casually to stand beside Gabe. ‘Justin, neither Gabe nor I believe you for one moment, and we need to know what you’re doing here. We suspect it’s something to do with Meredith. Do you have some plans of resurrecting your earlier relationship with her, moving in on her now that James is dead?’

  Justin spun around snarling, ‘Don’t you dare try to pressure me. I knew more about extracting information from people before you were born, so don’t think you can manage me. This whole situation has got completely out of hand.’

  Martin, still relaxed, regarded him thoughtfully. ‘I’ve never seen you lose your cool before, Justin, and believe me, we’, he nodded towards Gabe, ‘are very aware of what you’re capable of.’

  Gabe slowly straightened beside Martin. There was something cold and unyielding in his eyes, and finally, Justin realised these boys he had known since their birth had moved well beyond his influence. He wondered when he had stopped seeing them as they
were, instead, seeing only what he wanted to see. He reminded himself he was twice their age. He would be able to manage this, he wasn’t ready yet to give up. He’d been planning this for too long, had invested too much, and he’d be dammed if he’d let these two sidetrack him. He would tell them as much as he thought they would accept.

  He sat back down, steadying his breathing, and pulling his control around him like a blanket, raised his eyes and looked at Gabriel. He would have to tread very carefully here. Keeping his expression bland, he gestured for Gabriel to continue. At all costs, he needed to keep these two relaxed and directed away from his ultimate goal.

  ‘Start talking, Justin, you told us in Prague that you knew more about James’s death than you’ve let on to Meredith. We suspect you also know something about George and Edmondo, and why they were in Western Australia? And even perhaps what’s been going on here on the property for the last few years.’

  Gabriel watched Justin’s eyes very carefully. They had always been his most vulnerable point. Even when lowered as they were now, they told him a lot. For a moment, he thought Justin was going to continue with his protestations of innocence, but then, he lifted his eyes and slowly relaxed. His shoulders lost their rigidity, and he slumped against the back of the sofa.

  ‘You’re right of course, about most of that. I shouldn’t have come here when I knew the two of you were involved with the investigation, but I’ve been planning this for a number of years. And in the end, I decided I would continue with my plans.’ Pausing for a moment, ‘I’ve kept an eye on Meredith for a long time now. I’ve paid for information for the last few years from various sources, but the most recent was someone that worked here for a while.’