Diamond Sky Trilogy Box Set: Books 1-3

by David Clarkson

  ‘How do I rewind?’ he asked, eager for a repeat viewing to make sure his eyes did not deceive him.

  The boy knew at once the part of the clip Lucas wished to see again. He took the footage back a few seconds and returned the device to the policeman. When Lucas saw the chicken disappear into thin air for the third time, even he could not write it off as a mere trick of the mind.

  ‘Who else has seen this?’ he asked.

  ‘Nobody,’ replied the boy. ‘Except for Mrs Valerie and the sad lady.’

  Lucas rubbed the top of the boy’s head.

  ‘You’ve done well, but I am going to need to borrow this for a while. I know a man who just may be able to explain exactly what is happening in this video.’

  Chapter 25

  ‘You have to leave,’ said the Aboriginal man. ‘The scientists are very busy and cannot see you today.’

  ‘I’m not here to see any scientists,’ replied Lucy. ‘I am waiting for a friend.’

  ‘You have to go. I’m sorry.’

  She was becoming increasingly frustrated with the conversation. This man came out shortly after Davo had gone inside. He seemed unwilling to engage her in a reasoned conversation and just kept repeating over and over that she should go. If she were alone, she would gladly have obliged with the request, but she could not leave without the mechanic.

  ‘My friend is inside. If you go and speak to your boss, you will see this. He had an appointment.’

  ‘The professor is not to be disturbed. The only people inside are the scientists and the army men. Nobody else can come today.’

  She wanted to bang her head against the steering wheel. Why was he not listening to her?

  ‘How many times do I have to rep...’

  She stopped mid-sentence when she saw Davo running from around the side of the building. It was instantly apparent that her friend was alarmed and in a quite a hurry to leave. She tried to open her car door, but the Aboriginal was leaning against it and it would not budge.

  ‘That is my friend there,’ she told him. ‘He can explain everything, if you will only let me out.’

  The Aboriginal turned, but he did not look at Davo for long. Something else, over the far side of the observatory building caught his eye. Lucy followed his line of sight until she saw the second man.

  The newcomer on the scene was tall, shirtless and had a toned muscular physique. It took her a moment, but she recognised him from the Sly Fox. It was the arsehole that tried to pick her up and made her spill her father’s ashes. What did this creep want? She tried again to open the car door and that was when she noticed the gun.

  ‘Look out!’ she screamed, but it was already too late.

  She heard the bullet as it exploded out of the end of the soldier’s pistol and she heard it again as it impacted into the back of David Armareth.

  The stricken mechanic fell into the arms of the Aboriginal man.

  Lucy was finally able to force open her door and she rushed out to see what, if any, help she was able to offer.

  It was too late. Unlike her father, Davo had no last words, no final wish. She looked into his eyes and she knew that he had already gone. The only sound she could hear was of footsteps approaching from behind.

  ‘Put your hands where I can see them.’

  The Aboriginal made no attempt to move so she knew that the killer was addressing her. Very slowly, she raised herself to her feet and turned around to face him.

  ‘Who are you?’ the soldier asked.

  It was not the question she was expecting.

  ‘Excuse me?’

  ‘I said - who are you?’

  ‘You know who I am.’

  He lowered his weapon, but kept it in his hand.

  ‘What about the man I just shot; does he know you too?’

  ‘You mean, did he know me before you murdered him?’

  ‘Just answer the question.’

  ‘Not until Lucas gets here.’

  ‘Lucas won’t be coming. I’m in charge. Now tell me what your relationship was with that scumbag down there.’

  ‘No.’

  She half expected him to reply by putting a bullet in her head. Before he had the opportunity, the door to the observatory opened and a second soldier came out. She also remembered this man from the Sly Fox. He too was carrying a gun and when he saw that his colleague had lowered his weapon, he did the same. Unlike the first soldier, he actually holstered it too.

  ‘Was that the killer?’ the second soldier asked, seeing the body that lay between Lucy and the Aboriginal man.

  ‘That’s him,’ replied the first soldier. ‘He won’t be doing any more harm.’

  The second soldier appeared shocked.

  ‘You killed him?’

  ‘Yes I did, lieutenant. He was a murderer fleeing the scene and rather than let him get away, I took him out. Do you have a problem with that?’

  ‘No, Captain.’

  The lieutenant looked at Lucy and flinched. She could see he was uncomfortable with what had happened. The camaraderie that existed between the men back at the bar was no longer evident.

  ‘Where are the scientists?’ the captain asked.

  ‘Inside,’ replied the lieutenant. ‘They’re both safe. I told them not to come out until I give them the all clear.’

  ‘It’s best if they do not see the body. You go back inside and keep them busy while I deal with things out here.’

  After the lieutenant had gone, the captain gave the Aboriginal man instructions on where to take the body. He too, soon left and Lucy was alone with the man she had just witnessed gun down her friend in cold blood.

  ‘Give me your keys,’ the soldier demanded.

  ‘They’re in the ignition.’

  He leaned in to the vehicle and removed the keys whilst keeping his eyes on Lucy.

  ‘Are you going to kill me?’ she asked.

  The soldier laughed.

  ‘Why would I kill you? I’m one of the good guys. All I am doing is upholding the law.’

  ‘Isn’t that a job for the Australian Police Department rather than the US Army?’

  ‘I’m acting under special orders. This facility is under my control. As far as your legal system is concerned, it is now part of US soil.’

  She did not know whether to believe him. It would only be a matter of time before Davo was noticed as missing and then Lucas would come anyway. If anybody could sort this mess out it would be Lucas.

  ‘So what about me; am I under arrest?’

  ‘Not unless you have committed a crime. Until that has been established, I will need you to remain at this facility in order to aid with our enquiries.’

  ‘So I am under arrest.’

  He gestured for her to start walking. Rather than take her through the main entrance where his comrade had gone, he led her to the door that he had come out of earlier. Upon closer inspection, she could see that it was a fire escape. Once inside, she was directed down a long corridor with many doors leading off of it. He stopped her when she got to the final door.

  ‘You will not find any cells in this facility. This will be your quarters for as long as I deem it necessary.’ He briefly closed his eyes in order to focus completely on his thoughts for a moment, before adding; ‘I think you will find it more comfortable than the guest room at the Sly Fox.’

  ***

  Bradley stood over the body of the man who murdered the great Jackson Fox. The personal effects of the deceased gave away little about the killer’s character. There was a wallet, a packet of chewing gum and a set of numerous keys that covered more than one property; perhaps a house and a business of some sort. There was also a crumpled receipt from a bottle shop for a bottle of whisky dated the previous day although there was no hint of alcohol on the body itself.

  As Bradley opened up the wallet to learn the man’s identity, he was joined by Mike.

  ‘What have we got?’ asked the captain.

  ‘His name was David Armareth; aged forty three, alt
hough he looks much older. Perhaps death adds a few years.’

  ‘Anything else?’

  Bradley quickly thumbed through the wallet.

  ‘Usual stuff: driver’s licence, bank and MediCare cards, expired video club membership and a ticket stub for a gig in Alice Springs. It doesn’t say which band, but the date is twenty years ago. It must have been one hell of a gig for him to have kept it, although I cannot think who would actually take the trouble to play at that dustbowl.’

  ‘What else?’

  ‘That’s it, no – wait; there is something else tucked in behind the driver’s license. It’s a photograph, looks a lot like our favourite lesbian with a PhD’

  He glanced up at Mike, who did not look amused.

  ‘Come on,’ he added. ‘She must be. How else could you explain why a chick so hot has not been banged in such a long time?’

  ‘Keep it professional, lieutenant.’

  ‘Jesus, Mike, what’s up with you today? I know a lot of shit has gone down, but you’re gonna be okay. I’ve got your back with the shooting. There’s no way they would try and court marshal you for that.’

  Mike ignored Bradley and took the photograph.

  ‘Whatever you do, I do not want the scientists to hear about this - do you understand?’

  ‘You’re the boss.’

  ***

  Lucas had been trying to reach the professor on the phone for an hour without success. He decided to try Emmy’s mobile.

  You have reached the voicemail of Dr N. Rayne. I’m sorry that I cannot take your call right now. If you would like to leave a message, please do so after the beep.

  Lucas replaced the handset without speaking. He was sorely tempted to take the pick-up and go directly to the observatory to meet with Professor Fox in person. It would not take him long and he could be back at his desk within an hour. The problem was that on the day of his first homicide case an hour away from his desk was more than could justifiably be spared. Instead, he took another look at the reports he had laid out in front of him.

  A murder committed in cold blood and an accidental fire may appear to share nothing in common on the surface, but the fact that both of these events might have been pre-empted did provide a common thread; albeit an extremely thin one. What Lucas needed was concrete evidence of a link. If he could tie the incidents with the snake and the kangaroo, he could then try and tie them in with the murders. The only connection he could think of was a chemical one. If there was something in the water, some kind of poison, which had affected the animals, it may now have spread to humans. He needed the toxicology report from the professor’s research on the captured snake. Anything unusual found in the animal’s bloodstream may also show up in that of Wally.

  He tried the professor’s phone one more time; still no answer. There was nothing else for it; he had to visit with the professor in person. Everything else would have to wait. He grabbed his hat and headed to the door.

  ‘Val, I’m heading up to the observatory. If you get any urgent calls, I want you to contact me right away.’

  ‘Can this not wait, Lucas? Once word of the killings gets out, there is going to be chaos.’

  ‘This is important. It may be the key to unlocking why Wally did what he did. It’s just a hunch, but I think that there is a real danger lurking around the corner. If it’s not dealt with soon, we could all be in serious trouble.’

  Chapter 26

  The shouting was coming from outside. The voices were dulled by the walls of her room, but the words were still clear. It took her a while to realise that one of them was Mike. Since the tragedy, he had lost a lot of his cockiness and started to show more of his aggressive side. The other voice she recognised straight away, although it too carried much more aggression than what she was used to hearing.

  She did not want to deal with this now. It was too soon. Her grandfather was the one constant in her life; both personal and professional. Now he was gone, she did not know what she would do. He left a legacy for her to follow, but with their research now in the hands of the Americans, she feared how little of that legacy would survive.

  She used calming techniques similar to those that aided her in the acceleration chamber to tune out the soldier’s voice. The other, no matter how much she tried, would not go away.

  ‘Where is she?’

  The voice belonged to Lucas. He had looked up to Pops almost as much as she. It was natural that he would now look to her for answers. She had a lot of time for Lucas, but did not possess the strength to face him. Her door was locked from the inside and if he tried to get her attention, she decided that she would do her best to ignore him.

  ‘I am not leaving here without her.’

  Why did he have to try and be so valiant? When she felt ready, she would turn to Lucas, but what she wanted first was for him to forget about her and just do his job. Although he did not say it directly, it was obvious from Bradley’s body language that her grandfather’s killer did not make it off the observatory grounds. In her heart, she also knew who it was that had taken Pop’s life. She felt no sorrow, no remorse for him and a part of her even hoped that one day she would face him on one of her astral journeys. If such a place existed, she would personally escort him to Hell.

  ‘If she is under suspicion then there is even more reason why she should be taken into my custody and not yours.’

  Under suspicion? She felt her body temperature rising. It was no longer possible for her to ignore the conversation. She staggered towards the door. Whatever Mike was accusing her of, it was best to face it head on, with Lucas there to back her up and make sure everything was said on the record. She flicked the bolt and yanked the door open, interrupting the two men and drawing their attention at the same time.

  ‘Emmy, I didn’t realise that you were in there,’ said Lucas. ‘I just heard about your grandfather, I’m so sorry.’

  ‘You can save the sympathy for later,’ she told him. ‘If I am being accused of any wrongdoing, I want to put that to bed right now. I loved my grandfather and the only person that should be under suspicion is that bastard who took him away from me.’

  Confused, Lucas stepped forward to put his arm around her, which she shrugged away.

  ‘Emmy, it’s okay. Nobody is accusing you of anything. You know that I will do everything in my power to help you get through this. I will handle the case personally, no matter what anybody else may say; do you understand?’

  Mike seethed next to them, with clenched fists.

  ‘There is no case,’ the American said. ‘The killer has been dealt with. This facility is under my jurisdiction and nobody is talking to the witness without my permission. As I have already made it clear, that permission is denied.’

  Emmy looked to Lucas.

  ‘What does he mean “under his jurisdiction”?’ she asked.

  ‘Show her,’ said Lucas.

  Mike unfolded a sheet of paper and handed it to Emmy. She was too worked up to take the document in, but she instantly noticed that it was printed on her grandfather’s letterhead and carried his signature at the bottom. As the contents of the document gradually began to seep in, she could not bring herself to read further.

  ‘This is a fake,’ she said. ‘There is no way that Pops would just give this place away after spending his whole life building it up.’

  The soldier would not look her in the eye.

  ‘Your grandfather was a patriot and he did this to avoid his research falling into the wrong hands. Imagine if the Chinese got hold of this technology.’

  ‘You are forgetting that Pops was Australian, not American. If he was a patriot, his allegiance was to our flag, not yours.’

  ‘We share a common goal.’

  Frustrated, she turned to Lucas.

  ‘You can stop this, can’t you? I mean, surely it cannot be legal. These people bullied Pops into signing the observatory over to them.’

  Lucas averted his eyes from her gaze. It seemed that no man was willing to act
ually look her in the eyes.

  ‘Unless you can prove that the professor was not of sound mind, I am afraid the document is binding. I am sure he had his reasons.’

  Emmy looked back at Mike.

  ‘If this is true then everything has been a waste of time. I will no longer help you to destroy everything Pops and I worked so hard to achieve. As for the equipment and records of the experiments, I will tie them up in such a legal mess that neither will be seen again in either of our lifetimes.’

  ‘What exactly were you guys getting up to here?’ asked Lucas.

  ‘That is none of your business,’ said Mike.

  ‘It’s my business,’ said Emmy. ‘Maybe I will go to the press and then he can read all about it along with the rest of the world.’

  ‘You wouldn’t dare,’ said Mike.

  ‘Are you willing to take that risk?’

  The soldier sighed.

  ‘What do you want?’

  ‘Nothing much, just the right to have a say in my grandfather’s legacy. And I also want Lucas to perform the interrogation, not you.’

  ‘What interrogation?’ asked Mike.

  ‘Don’t play dumb. I just heard you both shouting about it in the corridor. You think I had something to do with that creep who killed Pops.’

  ‘I think you have made a mistake,’ said Mike. ‘You are the last person that either of us would wish to drag into this mess. It would be inconceivable to even consider you as a suspect.’

  ‘He’s right,’ added Lucas. ‘I don’t know why you thought we were talking about you.’

  She began to doubt her own memory. The words were still fresh in her mind and she was sure they had referred to her.

  ‘If not me, then who else is a witness?’

  ‘Her name is Lucy Skye,’ replied Lucas. ‘She was a tourist from down south who ran into car problems and had to stay back at the town for a few days. Armareth was fixing her car and your soldier friend here also knew her, although for different reasons.’