‘Good thinking. Have you given the straps to Harriet?’
‘I’m just about to. You know how you said they always come in pairs, well, we have five orphans here. A few were found lying around the place. Terry said they’re easy things to lose.’
Ryder thought for a few moments. Was one of the orphans the murder weapon, and was its twin sitting in somebody’s hotel room or ski bag? ‘Ask Harriet to test the orphans first before she does the others.’
‘Will do, Sarge. There’s something else.’
‘Go ahead, Benson.’
‘We’ve done the stocktake on the rental gear. Everyone’s garments were accounted for, except for one man. He’s missing a jacket and pants, size large.’
Ryder’s heart thumped, firing adrenaline into his system.
‘This bloke came up to me this morning. He said he’s been leaving the suit in the downstairs drying room at the inn all week. When he went in there yesterday morning, it was missing.’
‘Yesterday?’ The day of the chase.
‘Yeah. He thought someone had picked it up by mistake. Nothing strange about that, it’s easy to do when they all look the same. Anyway, he said he was feeling a bit tired and was happy to have a quiet day. He stayed inside while his wife took the kids out. He was hoping his gear would be back in the drying room this morning.’
‘I locked the resort down this morning.’ Ryder began pacing. ‘Did he even bother to look?’
‘Not until he found out we were checking off the rental gear. He went downstairs and had a look. The suit was still missing.’
‘Get the guy’s height and weight, Benson—’
‘Sarge, we found it in the upstairs drying room.’
Ryder stopped pacing and pushed a hand into his hair. ‘The upstairs room? That’s odd. If someone had taken it by mistake, they’d put it back in the same room.’
‘Yeah. That’s what we think.’
‘Bag it immediately and give it to Harriet. I know it’s a long shot, but I’m looking for a match with any DNA they might have found in Vanessa Bell’s room.’
‘Will do, Sarge.’
‘And Benson? Tell Harriet to hurry.’
Twenty-seven
‘This is quite a good story,’ Vanessa said, putting Lew’s novel in her lap. ‘I’m up to chapter six and it’s getting really good. I don’t mind reading romance.’
Lew snorted. ‘Give me a good western any day.’
‘Didn’t they have any westerns in the bookcase?’
‘No. Whoever chooses them has bad taste in books.’
‘Maybe the westerns are so popular they’re all out.’
He smiled. ‘You’re in the wrong job, you know? You would have made a good politician.’
Vanessa smiled. She was seriously considering relocating to Eva’s lodge. Not because she felt unsafe, but because she could tell Lew was frustrated at being stuck inside with her all day while the other detectives were searching, patrolling and chasing leads. Ryder hadn’t called to let him know what was happening with Bruno either, and with no TV in the room and the wi-fi shut down, they’d had zero interaction with anyone except for Di Gordon. She’d brought up their meals and organised for a couple of the young porters to take the desk out of the second bedroom and return the double bed. Vanessa sighed. At least Ryder wouldn’t have to sleep on the couch.
‘I was thinking,’ Lew said, ‘how about we try to get our hands on a pack of cards tomorrow?’
‘That’s a great idea,’ she said, surprised at how the prospect of a simple card game could cheer her up. But that’s what happened when death stared you in the face. You began to appreciate every moment.
Her thoughts were interrupted suddenly by the sound of a key sliding into the lock, and then the door opening. Vanessa jumped to her feet, the novel hitting the floor with a thump.
Ryder came in, the collar of his overcoat turned up, his dark hair standing up at the front like he’d been combing his fingers through it. He locked tired eyes on her, and Vanessa couldn’t help grinning stupidly, her spirits climbing at the sight of him.
‘Here’s the man,’ said Lew, clearly eager for news. ‘Did you find Bruno?’
‘He’s in custody in Queanbeyan.’ Ryder shook off his overcoat and tossed it on the sofa as he always did. ‘I thought we were going to have to let him go, but we’ve pushed the six hours out to twelve. I’ll be back there first thing in the morning.’
‘It’s reasonable you’d hold him until then,’ said Lewicki.
‘Henderson’s okayed it,’ Ryder loosened his tie knot, his gaze lingering on Vanessa’s face. ‘You’re still here.’
‘Don’t look so surprised. I wouldn’t leave without telling you.’
One corner of his mouth curved. ‘I hope not.’
‘Did he ask for a lawyer?’ demanded Lewicki, seemingly oblivious to the moment passing between Vanessa and Ryder.
Ryder raised his hands, as if to ward off an onslaught. ‘Can we all just sit down for a minute?’
Vanessa moved to sit on the edge of the sofa, and Ryder sat close by, but not too close. Lewicki remained standing, folding his arms and looking down at the two of them. ‘I’ve been sitting all day.’
Ryder gave a sigh. ‘Bruno hasn’t asked for a lawyer. Flowers has stayed in Queanbeyan. I came back because I got a call from Benson. One of the guests here noticed that his rental gear was missing from the drying room yesterday morning.’ He turned and looked at Vanessa, concern deepening the furrow between his eyes. ‘I’m guessing it was stolen by the bloke you chased down the mountain.’
Vanessa drew in a breath. ‘Why would he do that? To disguise himself?’
He nodded.
‘Where’s this leading?’ asked Lewicki.
Ryder shook his head a little. ‘On the surface Bruno looks guilty, but there are some things that don’t ring true. One, he’s definitely been leaving posies on the grave. We found a packet of wire ties hidden in the kitchen when we searched his house. That shows remorse. Killers rarely, if ever, show remorse. And in the case of Libby’s murder, when I asked why he accosted Vanessa the night of the flare run, he said he wanted to warn her to be careful. Even though I pressed him, he wouldn’t say who she needed to be careful of.’
‘If that’s even true,’ Vanessa said, ‘why didn’t he come right out and tell me that?’
‘Maybe you didn’t give him a chance, which is understandable in light of his approach. Still, my gut feeling is that he’s telling the truth, about that part at least. But he clammed up and wouldn’t say any more. Now, if Celia and Libby’s cases are linked, and the same person murdered both women, we have to consider the possibility there is someone else involved besides Bruno.’
‘The bloke who flogged the suit?’ asked Lewicki.
Ryder nodded. ‘It ties in with Libby being mistaken for Vanessa. The motive could have been to stop Vanessa telling Terry, or us, that he’d been up there near the grave, which is a designated crime scene. He’d know it would raise our suspicions, and he’d be doubly nervous if he was someone we’ve interviewed and he was wearing that rental suit as a disguise. He’d know we’d want to question him about it. As it turns out, Vanessa didn’t catch him, and she can’t identify him.’
‘Do you think he’d take the risk of going into Long Bay with the intent of murdering her on the slim chance she might know who he is?’
Ryder shrugged. ‘Normally, I wouldn’t be too worried about someone ignoring ski patrol signage, but skiing close to where a body’s just been dug up, and with police crawling all over the place, that’s something else.’
For a few moments no one spoke, each lost in their own thoughts about the case. Finally, it was Lewicki who broke the silence.
‘On the surface, it looks bad for Bruno, running like that, but I have trouble seeing him as a murderer. He came from a nice family. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree—well, not often.’
Ryder shook his head. ‘I don’t think Bruno murdered Ce
lia, but he might know who did, and maybe he was even involved. With luck, a night in the cells might convince him to talk.’ He turned then, shifting his attention away from Lewicki to Vanessa. To her surprise, he took her hands in his, sending ripples of pleasure through her body until a mass of heat settled in her lower belly.
‘Can you go over the chase again with me?’
She’d go over the Himalayas if he wanted her to. ‘Of course. I’ll do anything to help you find the person responsible for murdering Libby … and Celia.’
His smile was brief, and he gave her hands another squeeze before releasing them. When she had taken them through her recollection up to the point where she saw Bruno, Ryder stopped her. ‘Could the skier have slipped past Bruno without him knowing?’
‘The only way Bruno wouldn’t have heard us coming is if he had earbuds in. And Bruno’s not into music. Coming down through the trees, you’re pole planting pretty hard. Your skis are hitting sticks and twigs and scraping over icy patches. I got whacked on the helmet a couple of times by some low branches. We would have been making a fair bit of noise, and that area is quiet.’
Ryder nodded, a distracted expression on his face. ‘What happened after that?’
Vanessa drew in a deep breath. ‘From the snow fences he cut across the bottom of the cordoned-off area, beneath the gravesite, the same way we went on the snowmobile after we’d looked at the tree well. He got into a skid when he went through that line of trees bordering the tube run. He got out of balance for a couple of seconds. I was hoping he’d fall over.’
‘So, there was nothing about this bloke that would make it easy for you to recognise him again?’
‘Not really. I thought he was older, and that seemed strange. Usually it’s the brash young snowboarders who break the rules.’
‘Why did you think he was older?’
‘Well, people who ski with that close parallel stance, that is with their feet really close together, like this—’ She held her hands out in front of her, palms downwards, with roughly an inch separating them. ‘They would have learned at a time when skis were designed with a straight edge.’ She lowered her hands. ‘The newer, parabolic skis have a curved edge. Because of their shape, they turn with less effort from the skier, so technique needed to change. We began teaching people to have a more open stance, with maybe a foot between the skis. This guy didn’t have an open stance. And, when he got out of balance, he used a blocking pole plant.’
Ryder smiled. ‘Okay, I’ll take your word for all that. It’s helpful to know this wasn’t a young person out there breaking the rules.’
‘Hang on, it’s not so cut and dried,’ Vanessa said. ‘Loads of people who learn to ski nowadays have a naturally close stance. It’s not something that’s purely a characteristic of older skiers. And lots of older skiers have bought and adapted to the new parabolics. Many of them now ski with an open stance.’
Ryder nodded. ‘But, on the whole, people who learned years ago ski with a closer stance?’
‘On the whole, yes.’
He rubbed a hand around the back of his neck as though trying to free up taut muscles. ‘The rental suit I mentioned was found in the drying room upstairs, so it’s likely whoever took it is staying in this building.’ He paused, then finished: ‘This wasn’t a thrill kill. Vanessa was the target.’
There was a long silence and Vanessa’s heart ached for her friend who this time yesterday was alive and vibrant and getting ready to enjoy a few drinks and listen to music at the inn.
‘Have you eaten anything?’ Lewicki asked, breaking the solemn silence.
‘We had lunch in Cooma, and I grabbed a sandwich at the station before I left.’ Ryder slapped his knees then stood up. ‘I need to get up to the investigation room. I have a few questions for Nigel Miller, and if I sit here any longer, I’ll nod off.’ He looked at Lewicki. ‘I don’t know what time I’ll be back, Lew. I’ll be as quick as I can.’
‘That’s okay. We’re all right here, aren’t we, Vanessa?’
She nodded, not wanting to add to Ryder’s stress, but she’d made up her mind. When he came back tonight, if he came back, she would tell him she would leave and stay with Eva.
‘I’m glad everything went okay today.’ Ryder’s gaze shifted from her to Lewicki and back again. ‘Even so, in light of what we know, I’m stationing another officer in the hallway tonight. I’m not taking any chances.’
Twenty-eight
‘Anything you want to run by me, Benson?’ Ryder asked when he reached the kids’ club.
Benson stood up from the adult-sized chair he had commandeered from the office. ‘I’ve given the boys the okay to use the snowmobiles that the mountain operations people normally use. They can get around the village a lot quicker.’
‘Good idea. Just make sure they don’t leave the keys in the ignition.’
‘Not a chance. And Flowers phoned. He’s spoken to Angela Lombardi. She’s devastated her brother’s been taken into custody for questioning. She wasn’t aware he’d left Charlotte Pass or that he was planning on going to Thailand again. She also confirmed the scrapbook was his.’
‘Good work. Have we heard anything from Burt Crofts?’
‘Yep. It took him longer than he expected to find the slides in his shed, and ages to get through on the phone. He can’t see them properly. Some of them are damaged and his eyes are bad. He’s tracked down a magnifying glass and is going through them as we speak.’
‘Good. If you don’t hear from him by ten tomorrow chase him up.’
Ryder looked up as Nigel Miller appeared in the doorway. Dressed in black pants and parka, black après boots and a woollen beanie, the musician looked like a cat burglar from an old-fashioned comic book. All he needed was a balaclava.
Ryder waved Miller in. ‘Take a seat. Thanks for coming in.’
He took a seat opposite. Miller looked even thinner than he had the other day, if that were possible. ‘During the pathologist’s examination, an item was discovered on your wife’s body.’
Miller frowned. ‘What kind of item?’
Ryder took the cigarette case out of the evidence bag and held it up for Miller to see. ‘Do you recognise this?’
Miller stared at the piece. For a while he said nothing, just rubbed his jaw thoughtfully. Eventually he nodded. ‘Yes. Celia had a case that looked just like that one.’
‘It was in her jacket pocket, which helped to protect it. Was it a gift from you?’
Miller’s eyebrows shot up. ‘Me? Good heavens, no. I couldn’t afford Tiffany on the money I made from gigging.’
‘You’re aware it’s Tiffany, then? Where did Celia get it?’
Miller nodded, the strain on his face evident. ‘That was a gift—from Aidan.’
Alarm bells buzzed in Ryder’s head and he sat up straighter. ‘How well did Celia know Aidan Smythe?’
‘Pretty well.’ Miller’s gaze was steady. ‘We all knew each other back then. Still do, but it’s not the same. People change over the years.’
‘Who exactly are you talking about?’
‘The old crew. The folks who worked here, like Aidan and the Gordons.’ He shrugged. ‘This is the last time the band will play here, though.’
Ryder stared at Miller, suspicious of every word the musician uttered. Vanessa had overheard Di Gordon telling someone to get his gear and get out as soon as their gig was over.
‘Yes. Someone overheard Di Gordon telling you the band aren’t welcome anymore.’
Miller’s eyes widened, clearly surprised that Ryder knew about this. ‘Yes, she didn’t appreciate me telling you about our old arrangement.’
‘Why did you? To cast suspicion on her?’
‘Maybe.’ Miller shook head, his eyes shifting from one side of the room to the other. ‘I don’t know. As soon as I saw Roman Lewicki, I knew I’d be in for it.’ The musician straightened in his chair, his gaze returning to Ryder. ‘Anyway, I couldn’t come back now, not after this.’
‘Wh
at about Bruno Lombardi?’ Ryder asked, changing tack ‘Was he part of the old crew?’
‘The groomer? No, he’s mountain staff. They were never part of our circle.’
Ryder turned the cigarette case over in his hand. ‘It’s an expensive gift.’
Miller shrugged. ‘You’ll have to ask Aidan about it. I remember Celia being thrilled when he gave it to her. Carmel had one too around the same time. She didn’t have it the other night though, when we had a smoke out the back. Me and all the other pariahs who still smoke.’
Ryder would have been one of them, months ago. He stared unwaveringly at Miller. ‘Did you and Smythe keep in touch over the years?’
‘Oh, no.’ He looked at Ryder like he was daft. ‘Every now and then I’d spy him on the cover of a ski mag. I’d buy it to see what he was up to. And people down here like to reminisce about the old days, but we didn’t phone each other, or write letters.’
‘What’s your relationship like now?’
‘Fine.’ Miller raised both hands. ‘He’s still skiing. I’m still jamming. We’re doing our thing, living the dream.’
‘Do you get out on the hill much when you’re down here?’ Ryder asked.
‘Sure do. The free lift pass is the best thing about this gig.’ Miller stared hard at Ryder, as though expecting a retort about him sleeping with Di Gordon.
Ryder let it go. ‘Did you leave your room at all last night, or in the early hours of this morning?’
Miller flushed an indignant red. ‘No, I did not.’
‘Can anyone vouch for that?’
‘No,’ he said with a tight smile. ‘I was alone in my room all night.’
‘I’m sure you’ve heard that a woman was murdered in Long Bay this morning. There’s every possibility the person who murdered your wife is still in the village. It would be advisable to remain in your accommodation.’
Miller nodded, the strain evident in the tight lines around his mouth. ‘I did hear the news. It’s a terrible thing to have happened.’
Charlotte Pass Page 24