Deadly Obsession

by Karen M. Davis

  It’s not just alcohol diminishing your libido. It’s Lexie. It’s Jenna. It’s everything.

  Okay, so he wasn’t handling his sister’s suicide well. Guilt gnawed at his insides like acid rain, eating away the lining of his soul. He deserved punishment. Over the years, Jenna’s many emotional breakdowns had caused him to become complacent about how serious they could be. He was frustrated with her, impatient and even resentful. So ultimately, he had let her down. Maybe if he had been a better brother she would still be alive today?

  He had never been able to live up to his father’s expectations. Now he couldn’t even live up to his own.

  ‘I want you inside me,’ the girl moaned, pushing her hips against his leg, eagerly moving her pelvis back and forth in a slow, sensuous rhythm.

  That was not going to happen. He was dead from the waist down.

  ‘I think all the alcohol has taken its toll. I’m sorry,’ he apologised again.

  God, what was he doing with this girl when all he wanted was Lexie?

  You fucked up, Harrison . . .

  Josh didn’t realise he’d frozen until the girl, becoming impatient, grabbed his hand and guided it towards her breasts.

  The room began to sway. The painted Buddha on the wall tilted sideways. The wooden rafters along the ceiling became distorted, fuzzy, then blended together. He closed his eyes but that was worse. The room started spinning. He quickly opened them again.

  ‘Ohhhh Josh,’ she gasped, breathlessly, cupping her hand over his and rubbing it across her breasts. ‘I know I can get you hard, just let me—’

  Josh shot up into a sitting position as a wave of nausea washed over him. He felt the hot sweat break out across his forehead at the same time his mouth began to water.

  Oh no.

  The girl moved away from him, a disgusted look upon her face.

  ‘Are you going to be sick?’

  Josh had no time to answer. Naked, he jumped from the bed and bolted towards the bathroom. Shoving the door open and kicking it shut behind him, he lunged at the toilet. He made it just in time. Retching violently, he promptly emptied last night’s alcohol consumption into the bowl.

  CHAPTER 10

  In the office, Lexie jiggled her mouse to wake up her computer, then logged on to e@gle.i – the New South Wales police computerised case management system. This database electronically recorded all details of evidence: documentation, witness statements, forensic findings, exhibit and crime scene logs, briefing summaries, persons of interest profiles, and just about everything else relevant to building a brief of evidence that would eventually be produced in court.

  Once they’d initiated the case log and updated today’s events, Lexie and Brad, along with two other teams, headed to the Prince of Wales Hospital. When they arrived on the ward where Melissa McDermott had worked, it was instantly obvious from the sombre expressions on the faces of her colleagues that bad news had telegraphed with lightning speed.

  As Lexie glanced around at the medical staff robotically going about their business, tending to sick patients, as Melissa would have done every day of her working life, it occurred to her, not for the first time, how easily and suddenly life could be snuffed out. Melissa’s presence here was so strong Lexie could almost see the girl in her nurse’s uniform walking along the hallway towards her.

  Hang on, she could see her. Lexie’s heart began to pound wildly and she shook her head, blinking in quick succession to clear her vision. When she looked back the image was gone.

  Holy crap . . . It couldn’t really have been her, could it?

  A chill ran down her spine. Hospitals were not one of Lexie’s favourite places at the best of times. Of course, they were a necessity, and she had the utmost respect for all medical staff. However, walking into a hospital was like entering a compartment of her past she would rather forget. Too many painful memories: viewing her brother Lincoln’s body after he was killed and the times she had been a patient herself, after her stabbing, her shooting.

  Stop thinking, Lexie scolded herself.

  They had reached the nurses’ station. The head nursing sister provided a list of staff who usually worked with the victim. Patch, Ossie, Grace and Fester would start talking to work colleagues while Lexie and Brad interviewed Zack.

  Zack arrived a few minutes early, wearing his paramedic uniform, and Lexie made the introductions.

  ‘This is my partner, Detective Sergeant Brad Sommers. Brad, this is Zack Rogers.’

  They each nodded a greeting as they shook hands.

  Due to her prior relationship with Zack, Brad had suggested he do the interviewing in order to make things less awkward. As if that was ever going to be possible, Lexie thought.

  Lexie watched Brad mentally size up Zack, perhaps comparing him to Josh and weighing up the differences. Both Zack and Josh were tall. As Lexie herself was 177 centimetres, she was restricted to tall men. Both men were athletic and good-looking, but that was where the similarities ended. Josh’s hair was short and dark, where Zack’s was longer and sandy blond. And although Zack’s baby blues were nice, Josh’s piercing green eyes could melt ice. And when Josh smiled he displayed the most perfect set of dimples . . .

  Don’t think of Josh. She repeated the mantra but it didn’t seem to be working very well.

  ‘I’ve arranged for a quiet place where we can talk,’ Zack told them, clearly doing his best to be cordial as he showed them into a bland, featureless room Lexie guessed was usually reserved for bereaved relatives or doctors’ consultations. Taking a seat in one of the four chairs arranged around a small coffee table, she quickly set up her laptop and got down to business.

  ‘Brad will be asking the questions today, Zack. Since I’m faster, I’ll be doing the typing.’

  Brad immediately started by reading out the pro-forma statements and questions that were a necessary part of the process, however repetitive and boring they might be.

  ‘I’m going to ask you some questions relating to the death of Melissa McDermott and your association with her. You are not obliged to do or say anything unless you wish to, but whatever you do or say may be later used in evidence. Do you understand that?’

  Zack instantly panicked.

  ‘I thought you were just going to ask me how I knew Melissa. Am I a suspect? Should I have a lawyer?’

  His eyes darted around the room as though searching for an escape before his accusing gaze settled on Lexie.

  ‘I can’t believe this is happening.’

  Brad held his hand up in the air.

  ‘Calm down, Mr Rogers. I caution everyone before asking questions. It’s just the way I do things. You may say something or give me some incriminating information without realising it and if you have not been cautioned that information is more than likely inadmissible in a court of law, therefore it is useless to us. If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to worry about.’

  Deciding when to give an official caution was an individual officer’s call. Some police preferred to deliver it at the beginning of an interview. Others waited until it was likely the person of interest was about to divulge some form of admission of culpability. All circumstances were unique and the decision had to be left to the discretion of the officer.

  Lexie and Brad had agreed in the case of this investigation to caution prior to commencing all interviews. Too many violent offenders had walked free due to a technicality. That was not going to happen in this case.

  ‘Can you please state your name, date of birth and occupation?’

  Zack supplied them with his details.

  ‘And you have been an ambulance officer for twelve months, you say? Where are you stationed?’

  ‘I am stationed at Waverley.’

  ‘Can you tell us where you were last night?’ Brad asked, rather abruptly.

  Zack appeared uneasy.

  ‘I have absolutely nothing to hide,’ he said firmly. ‘I worked until 7.00 pm then went to the Royal Hotel straight after that. I left the pub a
round 10.00 pm and jumped into a cab out the front. I was in bed by 10.30 pm because I was working again today.’

  ‘Alone? You caught the cab alone?’

  ‘Yes,’ Zack confirmed. ‘The other people I was with stayed longer.’

  ‘Do you live alone?’ Brad fired the next question at him in the same manner.

  Lexie shot him a look. It was clear he didn’t like Zack, too clear, and she hoped her expression spoke a thousand words.

  ‘Yes, at the moment. My flatmate is overseas on holidays.’

  ‘So nobody can verify when you got home or if you stayed there?’

  Zack gave Brad an incredulous stare.

  ‘I suppose not.’

  Brad huffed quietly, then continued, ‘How did you know the deceased and when did you last see her?’

  ‘I knew her through the hospital and the pub. The last time I saw her was last night, at the pub.’

  ‘Did you speak to her?’ Brad asked.

  Zack shrugged.

  ‘I spoke to her in passing. She was blind drunk when I saw her. She wasn’t making much sense.’

  ‘Did you ever have a sexual relationship with the deceased?’ Brad asked.

  Zack stiffened in his seat. His eyes darted at Lexie. His body language instantly confirmed what Sasha had told them. He had not been expecting that question, it seemed.

  ‘Why does it matter who I had any kind of relationship with?’ Zack shot back, defensively.

  Brad sat back in his chair, crossed his arms and drilled Zack with a stare. It was enough to get him to answer the question.

  ‘I was with her once, after a night out,’ Zack said, keeping his eyes downcast. ‘Half the hospital had been with her. I was drunk. I don’t even remember it, really.’

  ‘Did you have a problem with her? Do you know anybody who would want to harm her?’

  Zack nervously drummed his fingers along the table in front of them.

  ‘No, I didn’t have a problem . . . I hardly knew her. Are you sure I don’t need a lawyer?’ he asked, his eyes boring into Lexie.

  Brad didn’t hesitate.

  ‘Do you think you need one?’

  ‘Are you for real?’

  Zack’s voice rose as he pushed himself back in his chair.

  ‘I haven’t done anything wrong.’

  He turned on Lexie.

  ‘You know me, Lex. I may be an idiot for stuffing up our marriage but I’d never hurt anyone. I’m an ambo. I help people. Why are you doing this?’

  It was Lexie’s turn to speak.

  ‘Calm down. It’s okay, Zack. This is a murder investigation. We are just doing our job.’

  Zack looked stunned, as though the enormity of the situation had suddenly struck home.

  ‘Murder?’ he gasped.

  Lexie saw his hands were trembling.

  ‘Why would anyone want to murder Melissa?’

  Lexie glanced at Brad, who for a long moment stared Zack down while sucking on the end of his pen like it was a cigarette.

  ‘That is exactly what we are trying to find out,’ Lexie replied.

  *

  ‘He’s hiding something, mark my words,’ Brad stated, as they made their way out of the hospital.

  Lexie turned on him like a warrior ready to defend her family.

  ‘Oh, he is not. You just had him on the defensive because of your attitude towards him. I felt like we were playing good cop, bad cop.’

  ‘I think you still have a soft spot for your ex-husband. Am I right?’

  Lexie whacked him, hard, with the back of her hand. It bounced off his gut as he let out a groan.

  ‘Trust me, there is nothing there between Zack and me – as far as I’m concerned, anyway. Mark my words. I’ve known him since I was five. Zack is not our killer.’

  ‘People can change, although it appears one thing that hasn’t changed is that he’s still hung up on you,’ Brad informed her. ‘I could see it in his eyes, the way they devoured you, mentally undressed you.’

  ‘Oh, shut up, Brad.’

  For the first time since they had been working together he was starting to seriously annoy her.

  ‘He was literally shitting himself. And you didn’t exactly help. What was that all about?’

  ‘Not sure,’ Brad laughed, trying to defuse the tension between them. ‘I just felt a bit protective, wanted to give him a hard time. The bastard did the wrong thing by you.’

  Lexie groaned and shook her head in frustration.

  ‘You don’t know anything about what happened between Zack and me. What are you talking about?’

  Brad shrugged his large shoulders.

  ‘He said it . . . “I stuffed up our marriage.” I don’t need to be the incredible detective that I am to figure out he did something wrong by you.’

  ‘You didn’t figure out anything. I told you he played up on me,’ Lexie stated.

  Brad shrugged. ‘Well, he was arrogant. And smug.’

  Lexie shook her head in frustration and walked towards the exit of the hospital.

  She had almost reached the glass doors when she heard someone call her name. Spinning around in the direction of the voice, Lexie was surprised to see Doctor Rod Bream heading towards her.

  Rod didn’t walk. He floated on a cloud of undeniable confidence acquired from knowing he was movie star level good-looking. Manoeuvring Lexie into a bear hug, he kissed the side of her cheek a little too tenderly. From the corner of her eye she noted Brad take in the scene. He looked almost awestruck by the presence of the young doctor.

  When Rod finally let her go, Lexie politely made the introductions.

  ‘Rod, this is my partner, Brad Sommers. Brad, Doctor Rod Bream.’

  As they shook hands, Rod said, ‘Now, you’re what a cop should look like. I’d feel safe just standing next to you.’

  Brad beamed and let out a gruff little laugh as Lexie explained her association with the doctor.

  ‘Rod was the doctor who treated me after the “search warrant incident”.’

  Not long after starting at Bondi Junction detectives’ office, Lexie had been involved in a search warrant on the Devil’s Guardians bikie gang’s clubhouse. During a scuffle, Rex Donaldson, the then sergeant-at-arms, had assaulted her by ramming her into a wall. It had been an unfortunate collision that had left him feeling extremely remorseful. However, Rex had later made up for his recklessness tenfold by saving her life.

  At the time of the first assault Lexie had suffered concussion and needed stitches. During her time in emergency, which she couldn’t remember due to the concussion, her best friend Dani had sat by her side and at some stage managed to slip the handsome doctor her number. Dani and Rod had gone out together for six months and had only recently broken up when she had discovered Rod was cheating on her. This part Lexie decided not to mention to Brad.

  ‘What brings you to the hospital?’ Rod Bream asked, with a cocky smile.

  She suspected this was to conceal his awkwardness regarding the ‘Dani situation’.

  ‘Unfortunately, we have what looks like a murder to investigate; one of your nurses.’

  Rod Bream looked shocked.

  ‘Oh, that’s terrible. Who was it, what was her name?’

  ‘Melissa McDermott. Did you know her?’ Lexie asked.

  Doctor Bream seemed to think about it for a moment, rubbing his temples and then blinking a few times.

  ‘I can’t say the name rings a bell, but that is just horrible. I hope you catch . . .’

  His voice drifted off as his mobile phone interrupted his words. Rod pulled it from his pocked and glanced at the number.

  ‘I have to go. Catch you later, Lexie. Nice to meet you,’ he gestured to Brad. ‘Good luck,’ he called over his shoulder.

  Brad stood and watched the doctor disappear around a corner.

  ‘He is way too good-looking to be trusted,’ he said.

  Lexie laughed, reached up and tickled Brad’s cheek.

  ‘You are just soooo jealous.
’

  ‘Me? Jealous?’ Brad scoffed, sarcastically. ‘Why would I be jealous of someone like him?’

  CHAPTER 11

  At the station Lexie was busy updating the computerised operational policing system (COPS) when Brad appeared at her side and placed a steaming cup of coffee on the desk in front of her.

  ‘There you go, another caffeine hit,’ he stated, taking a sip from the mug in his hand. ‘We’re thinking about ordering pizza so we can eat while we finish up our paperwork.’

  Memories of the last time Lexie had sat at her desk eating pizza jumped into her mind. She had been working late with Josh and it had been the first night they’d kissed, in the gun safe locker room, of all places. She still couldn’t set foot in that room without thinking about it, which was really annoying because she had to go in there at least twice each shift; to get her gun and lock it away.

  ‘Any preferences?’

  Lexie looked at Brad as though he’d sprouted two heads.

  ‘What?’

  ‘Pizza? Earth to Lexie. What type of pizza do you want?’

  ‘Oh, I don’t care. Anything is fine.’

  ‘I take it Gus Riley still hasn’t returned our calls?’

  Lexie shook her head.

  ‘No, but I have a feeling he’ll turn up very soon.’

  While Brad had been getting the coffee, Matt Talbott, licensee of the Royal Hotel, had called to say his friend was on his way to the station. Not that Lexie told Brad that; she’d decided to have a little fun.

  Just then the phone on Lexie’s desk let out a shrill ring. Looking at Brad, she said, ‘Bet that’s him.’

  She reached for the phone.

  ‘Bondi Junction detectives, Lexie Rogers speaking.’

  ‘It’s Paul McPherson from downstairs in the station, Lexie. There’s a Gus Riley here to see you.’

  ‘Great,’ Lexie said, smiling at Brad and mouthing that Riley was here. ‘Can you bring him up please?’ she requested, before hanging up.

  Brad gave her a strange look. ‘You are spooky with that sixth-sense stuff sometimes.’

  Lexie struggled to keep a straight face. ‘What can I say? I’ve got the gift.’

  A few minutes later they were sitting in the interview room preparing to take another statement. Here we go again, Lexie thought, trying to ignore the ache in her neck and the burning behind her eyes. Exhaustion was starting to set in and Lexie needed to fight it for as long as she could. There was no telling how long this night might last.