“Yep. Don’t use or like the stuff myself.” He replied. Steve brought it to use during our fishing week. I have no idea where he got it from”.
“O.K. then. You know if you had less than five grams your sentence would be just two to four years whereby a kilo is classified as a commercial quantity and carries from twelve years and up to a lifetime sentence. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Is there anyone you want me to call? Your wife?”
“No. There is nothing she can do – or would want to do.” He replied.
Ben knew he needed to get in touch with Frankie. But how? What would he say? By now she would know they had picked up the stash. Did she know they were arrested? She was a mean bitch. If anything or anyone came in between her and her business they would be wiped off the face of the planet. Fuck, he needed to come up with a story before she tracked him down. She had friends in the police force. Many were customers. He knew Steve and the guys would keep their mouths shut. They would use their contacts in the prison system to find out who took the stash and who grassed on them. He guessed they were one and the same. He hoped they would come up with some answers before Frankie and the cartel tracked them down.
He lay back on his bunk bed and stared at the ceiling. So this is what it feels like on the inside?”
C H A P T E R 1 9
The tide was coming in and access around the shoreline to the Hihi main beach was no longer an option. Frankie’s only route to dry land was to climb back up the steep access to the cabin site. She hoped that the site was still deserted. It was almost four o’clock. She hadn’t realized how long she had been searching.
As she reached the opening to the cabin site she made her way back to Steve’s cabin. She was sure she wasn’t seen as she climbed the steps to the wood deck and attempted to open the door. Shit, it’s locked! Looking through the window she noticed that the suitcase was gone and the cabin had recently been cleaned. There was a welcome note sitting on the small table by the window. “They’ve left. I’ve missed them! Now what?
“Can I help you?”
Frankie spun around to face a blonde, middle-aged woman with a stack of towels.
“Are you looking for someone?” she asked
“My mate said he was staying here. Steve Mills. He and his friends are on a fishing holiday. I am sure they said they were staying here for a week. I was going to join them.”
Audrey looked at the masculine, heavy woman with suspicion. “Steve Mills? Is that who you are looking for?
“Yes. I was supposed to go with them but I was needed at work until today.”
Joan said someone slept in there last night. It must have been her.
“Where did you park? Audrey diverted the conversation.
Frankie was defensive and blunt. “I parked on the street. I wasn’t sure if this was the correct place.”
Audrey didn’t trust her one iota. “I am sorry but the guys all checked out yesterday. Something urgent came up they said.“
She is lying. His bag was still here this morning. “Did they say where they were going?” She asked.
“They left in such a hurry. They even left a few of their bags behind. I have put them in storage. Do you want to take them? Otherwise they will be donated to charity, “ Audrey asked politely.
Frankie thought for a moment. “They left without their bags? Yes, I will take them. I’ll just get my car.”
“Fine. I’ll see you over at the office by the cottage.”
Audrey stopped by Joan’s cabin on the way back to the office. “Would Ben know a woman called Frankie? She asked. She seems to know Steve. A masculine looking woman with short black hair.“
“I have no idea who she is.” Joan replied. Maybe she’s one of his druggy friends. You say she is butch, masculine?
“Frighteningly so.” Audrey replied. And I don’t trust her. More likely she is looking for the stash. I need to be careful. “She has offered to take all the guys’ bags back to Auckland with her.”
“Are you going to give them to her?
“Do you want them?”
“No. As far as I am concerned she can take the lot – I don’t want anything to do with them or their drugs. Just leave me out of it.
That suited Audrey just fine. The woman would have no reason to return or bother them again. “Thanks.” She said picking up two of the bags.
Joan reached for the other bags. “Here, let me help you.”
Audrey wished she could confide in Joan about the stash in the water tank but Joan had made it quite clear that she wanted no part of the drug scene. Shame really as Audrey would have liked a partner in crime. Imagine what a life we could have with thirty million dollars in the bank?
C H A P T E R 2 0
Why would the guys go somewhere without their luggage? Something is not right here. Seeing the “Vacancy” sign at the entranceway Frankie had made a quick decision.
“I see you have a vacancy. It is a long haul back to Auckland. I might as well stay a night or two if that is OK?” she asked Audrey as she entered the office.
Audrey hesitated. She didn’t really want this woman hanging around. Sooner or later she would find out the guys had been arrested. She had a decision to make. Should I just tell her now or wait for her to find out?
“Fine.” She handed her the keys for the Kiwi Cabin. There are fresh towels in the bathroom and complimentary bottle of wine in the fridge. Please let me know if there is anything else you need.” Why tell her anything. Let her find out for herself.” “Shall I help you put the guy’s luggage in your car?” she asked. “Or do you want them taken to your cabin?”
“Yes, take them to my cabin.” Frankie ordered and strode out into the sunshine. Audrey watched the heavyset woman stride out to her car and speed off to the cabin site. She had only one choice. She picked up the phone and called Detective Bromley.
Frankie turned on the TV and waited for the bags to be delivered. She would search through the luggage for any clue of their whereabouts. Maybe she could find their cell phones. What she heard next changed everything.
“Six men have been arrested and charged with importing a commercial quantity of cocaine in Northland.” Said the announcer. “They are being held at the Kaikoe corrections facility awaiting their court appearance. At this time we have no further details but they were arrested early last evening in the possession of the drug.”
It’s over. They have arrested the guys and confiscated the coke. Jose will kill me. I can’t sell it now and I will owe him millions. She reached for her iPhone and searched for more information. How the hell did the cops find out about the haul? Who ratted? Do they know about me? I bloody hope not. The guys wouldn’t dare talk. Finding nothing on the web she called her office to ask if anyone was looking for her. No one out of the ordinary had stopped by. But no one could call her. Using disposable cell phones so she wouldn’t be traced was a blessing and a curse. Her business iPhone was strictly off limits.
She would wait until the bags arrived and leave for Auckland as soon as possible. Sticking around here was definitely not an option now. Where the hell is that woman. I need to get out. Now!
Finally Audrey’s car pulled up in front of Frankie’s cabin and she began to unload the luggage. Audrey couldn’t help but notice the woman was extremely agitated. She knows. “Sorry it took so long. I got held up on the phone.”
“I need to return to Auckland. Please put the luggage in my car.” Frankie’s mind was spinning. She was already too involved with the guys and she needed to get the hell away from here. Jose had warned her about keeping her distance. What was I bloody thinking? I should never have come here?
Audrey took her time loading the bags into Frankie’s bright yellow Nissan. When the last bag was squeezed into her boot they heard a car coming down the ridge towards them. It was a police car. It’s about time.
Shit! The bitch called the cops!! Frankie climbed into the driver’s seat and immediately started the engine. The detective walked in front of the car
and leaned in her window.
“Nice to see you again. Audrey tells me that you are a friend of Steve Mills. He looked at the luggage. A lot of luggage you have there. Planning on staying a while?”
“Actually I am just heading back to Auckland.” Frankie replied.
The detective looked at the windscreen. “Can I see your ID?
Frankie reached inside her purse and extracted her driver’s license.
“You know your friend is in some serious trouble. Cocaine possession and distribution holds a lifetime sentence.”
“Actually officer, we are just fishing mates. He had asked me to join him on his fishing trip. I had no idea he was into coke or he was arrested until I heard it on the news a few minutes ago. I am shocked. She looked at Audrey. Because this bitch never told me.
The detective ran her registration and license information into the system. She was clean. You are still at the same address Frankie Perkins? He asked.
“Yes.” She replied
There was no reason to hold her.
Frankie looked in the rear vision mirror as she drove away. The detective and Audrey were deep in conversation. She wondered how long it would take for him to find out she operated the country’s largest prostitution network. She felt for the gun in her bag beside her.
C H A P T E R 2 1
Detective Bromley didn’t know what to make of Frankie Perkins. Running a background search he learned of her reputation in the prostitution business. She owned high-class brothels from Whangarei to Dunedin. He wondered how she had managed to fund the operation. It would have taken mega bucks to establish the network. Her website apparently generated millions of dollars a year in revenue. She paid her taxes and her business met all the legal requirements of the New Zealand Prostitution Reform Act. Her sex workers were all over the age of eighteen years and she held the appropriate certificate required to operate a prostitution business. She had no history of drugs. In fact, she was known for her strict no-drug rules for her sex workers and clients.
He couldn’t understand her association with Steve Mills. He was a hardened criminal. He had been in and out of prison throughout his life. He called the prison and asked for them to keep him informed of any visitors Steve Mills and the other guys received. If Frankie Perkins called on the guys, that would be a red flag.
The guys weren’t talking. Ben Williams had lawyered up and his lawyer was representing the whole crew. Where the hell did they get a whole kilo of cocaine?
Gangs commonly distributed drugs. New Zealand has the highest number of gang members per capita in the world. Not a statistic to be proud of. He had heard that the tip came from the Paremoremo prison where Ben was a corrections officer and Steve was an inmate. Obviously there was a gang at the prison who had a problem with them. Did they steal drugs from the gang? Were they trying to set up a distribution network that pissed off the other distributors?
He picked up the phone and talked to Superintendent Peter Barton. He learned that he was right. It was a known drug dealer who grassed on the guys. He had just been arrested for importing and selling meth and was hoping to get a lesser sentence for giving up the guys who were planning on distributing cocaine in New Zealand. The guy didn’t have any details: how much, where it was coming from, or who was running the business. He was a mate of one of the guys on the so called fishing trip and heard that it was going down in the far north. He gave the name of Ben Williams, one of the guards at the prison and two ex inmates, Steve Mills and his mate, Barry “Buster” Andrews.
Detective Bromley hoped that they had snuffed out the cocaine business before it started. The guys were in jail and the drugs locked up and off the street. The super didn’t think there was any more to it. But Bromley had a nagging feeling that it wouldn’t be the last of it.
C H A P T E R 2 2
Jose caught the next plane out of Sydney airport as soon as he heard the news! Stupid Bitch. She has fucked up big time. He had heard about the bust on the news and tried to call Frankie. She was not picking up. Where the fuck is she? He was responsible for the New Zealand operation. He had trusted Frankie and they had taken their time setting up the whole business. Now it was fucked.
He arrived at the Auckland airport and took the commuter flight up to Kerikeri. An hour later he pulled into the Tiromoana Cabins - the last location of the boys and the drugs before they were arrested.
His contact on the inside had informed him that the boys only had a one kilo bag on them when they were arrested. Where the fuck are the other ninety kilos? He would find the coke before the cartel found out. Then he would crucify the fucking drug dealers who grassed on the guys. The stupid cops thought one kilo was the whole stash. If they knew how big the stash was they would be swarming the countryside with drug dogs.
He had noticed the vacancy sign on the gate and pulled into the empty carpark. The cabins were deserted. Even the office had a sign “Back in thirty minutes.” The location was certainly isolated. No neighbours within a mile. The property overlooked a couple of rocky beaches. Jose knew one of the beaches was the drop off location. He would check out the beach as soon as he had secured a cabin for the night. He turned as he heard a car pulling into the lot. A couple of women greeted him. “Hello, can I help you?” asked the blonde.
“Saw the sign. I’m looking for a place to stay.”
“We do have a cabin available” said Audrey as she made her way into the office. “How many nights?”
“I am not sure. At least tonight.” He said
“Two hundred a night” she said giving him the pen to fill out the registration form.
“No problem,” he said pulling out two notes from a wad of money in his pocket.
Audrey looked at the name on the form. “Welcome to Hihi Mr Serrano” she said. You are in the Kiwi Cabin. Please let me know if you need anything during your stay. She paused “By the way would you please sign the guest book. We are always interested where our guests are visting from.”
She watched him look over the names of the previous guests. She could see he recognized the names. He scribbled Jose Serrano, Sydney, Australia.
Jose took the key and made his way over to the cabin. He watched as a good looking dark haired woman entered the cabin next door. She didn’t give him even a glance. Jose knew he was not a particularly good looking man. At only five foot five he always had trouble getting the ladies. Growing up in Mexico and later in California, he had worked in the drug business since he was fifteen years old. His reputation as “The Chopper” was well earned. Fuck with him and you literally lost your head. He knew some heads would roll with this screw up. First he had to find the drugs. He threw his bag into the corner of the room and opened the fridge. Nothing! Just a small container of milk. I need a beer!
C H A P T E R 2 3
Audrey knew who he was the moment she set eyes on him. He looked like a mean bugger. She had wondered how long it would take before he realized that only one kilo of cocaine was confiscated leaving the rest either stolen or stashed somewhere. Not long, obviously. He was here and she needed to deal with it.
No one but she knew where the drugs were. She had to direct the little shit away from her property and out to sea and she knew just how to do it.
If Audrey was good at anything, she was good at reading her guests. It was a hot day and she knew her Hispanic friend would be dying for a cold drink. She made her way into her cottage and carefully prepared her favorite cocktail – five grams of the knock out drug, GHB combined with tequila, lime juice, and Cointreau. Once he was out cold she would take him on a little trip out to sea.
She heard him on his phone “Yeah, yeah, I’ve just arrived. No sign of anyone. How the fuck do I know where it is? I’ll head off to the drop off point soon.”
Audrey waited until he finished his conversation and knocked at the door. Her welcoming smile and cool cocktail did the trick. Mr. Serrano didn’t hesitate. He accepted her hospitality with a grunt and with a grimace of a smile he grabbed the gla
ss and shut the door in her face.
Audrey went to tell Joan that she had booked her into the Beauty and Health Salon in Mangonui for a two-hour massage as a special treat. Joan was ecstatic. She hugged Audrey so tightly it seemed to surpass gratitude. They were fast becoming close friends.
With Joan out of the way, Audrey put her plan into action. She backed her car loaded with all the necessary equipment up to the front entrance of the Kiwi Cabin. She had waited fifteen minutes for the GHB to take effect. He would be unconscious and totally unaware of his pending demise.
The property was totally deserted. She placed the comatose Mr. Serrano and his overnight bag on her dolly and wheeled him into her car. The new road down to the first beach provided both complete privacy and easy access to her small dingy. She rowed them both around the rocky shore to Honeymoon Beach. She thought it appropriate that he should be tangled in a red rope by the drop off location. The beach was completely hidden from view. The peninsula on the other side of the bay was in the far distance. It was getting late in the afternoon and the fishing boats would not be returning for a few hours.
It was not difficult to wind the heavy thick rope around the small mean man and drop him over the side of the boat. She watched as the tide pulled his body out to sea. Slowly he sank out of sight in the distance. Jose Serrano was dressed like a trussed fowl wrapped in rope and fishing line as he sunk deep into Doubtless Bay.
Now she just had to get rid of his bloody rental car. It was always the car that was the problem. She decided to drive it down to the Hihi beach and park it at the entrance to the rocky beach access path.
The Murder Trail: The Audrey Murders - Book Three Page 4