Deadly Obsession

by Karen M. Davis

‘Lurch and Batman, you can start with Vicky Bruce, the victim’s flatmate. Patch, can you take Grace and conduct a second interview with Sasha Hemming?’

  Lexie cut in.

  ‘Fester and Ossie; go back to the pub and speak to Matt Talbott again.’

  Ossie nodded, although he didn’t look too pleased at being matched with Fester. Lexie had to admit working with Fester was as stimulating as watching paint dry, but he needed guidance. Ossie was a good operator and could provide direction, so unfortunately today he’d drawn the short straw.

  ‘The Boss is speaking to the media again today, appealing for anyone who saw anything to come forward. She is also going to speak with the victim’s parents, who have arrived from England,’ Brad told them.

  He glanced around.

  ‘Anyone got anything else?’

  Lurch looked down at some papers on his lap.

  ‘Grumpy and Cakes are on this afternoon but they asked me to forward this information to the team. Our victim was seen on CCTV withdrawing money from the Commonwealth Bank ATM near the hospital at 7.00 pm the night before she was murdered. That is the last transaction from her account.’

  ‘Thanks, Lurch. Have you got anything, Fester?’

  Lexie watched their newest detective stare at Brad blankly. They all waited patiently while he took his time picking up his notebook. She saw Lurch shake his head and gave him a warning glance.

  ‘Surveillance dropped off Zack Rogers at 9.00 pm last night,’ Fester told them in his monotone voice.

  Lexie breathed a silent sigh of relief. Thank God they hadn’t followed him to her place.

  ‘They picked him up again at 6.00 am but when they saw him arrive at the ambulance station they called it off. No point following an ambulance around all day.’

  Fester read word for word what was written on the page of his notebook.

  ‘Surveillance will keep us informed if they have the resources to pick him up later today. The only call he has made today, since the telephone intercept has been up and running, was to his mother.’

  Lexie knew following Zack was a waste of time, but said nothing.

  ‘Okay, I think that’s about it,’ Lexie said. ‘Does everyone know what they have to do?’

  The detectives’ heads nodded in response.

  She continued, ‘Can everyone get their e@gle.i taskings up to date: write up your actions and scan statements onto the system. Let’s not get behind in the paperwork department, okay?’

  As everyone moved their chairs back to their own desks, Lexie turned to Brad.

  ‘I want to find Little Gitt and ask him about Zack’s Medicare card. I want to know where he found it and get him to give me the description of the man he saw around the murder scene. Let’s see what he has to say. Knowing what Gitt’s like, he was probably the one who took the victim’s purse after she was killed. That would be the kind of opportunistic thing he would do.’

  Brad sighed loudly.

  ‘Still trying to protect the ex-hubby, are we? Gitt was questioned at the time. I think he said he was asleep on a bench near the beach when a noise woke him. He saw a man running from where the body was later found and he dropped something.’

  Lexie ignored Brad’s dig at Zack.

  ‘I have a feeling there is more to it. Let’s find him and see if he tells us the same story second time around. I want to chase up something else anyway.’

  Brad shrugged. Lexie guessed he was not game to argue with her any further today.

  ‘He frequents Clovelly Beach, so I suppose we can go for a drive, see if we can find him.’

  Normally Brad would make some sarcastic comment about Lexie’s ‘feelings’, but it seemed he didn’t dare push her too far after the ‘Josh incident’ this morning. Brad was funny. For one of the biggest cops she had ever seen, who could take on the world’s angriest men, he hated conflict and confrontation within the office. Yet out on the streets, he thrived on it.

  ‘What else was it that you wanted to do?’

  ‘I’ll tell you later,’ Lexie said mysteriously, knowing Brad would hate not knowing where he was going.

  Lexie was gathering her stuff together, getting ready to go out, when a text came through on her phone. Grabbing her phone off her desk, she saw it was from Batman.

  ‘I’m not sure how you are feeling with Josh back but I want you to know I’m here if you want me. And I mean that in a non-sexual way. Ha ha. I care.’

  Lexie looked around in the direction of Batman’s desk and found him watching her. Not knowing what else to do or say, she mouthed the words ‘thank you’ and smiled, before turning back to her computer screen. Did Batman really care about her or was she just a resistant potential conquest he was determined to nail?

  It was terrible to think that way.

  Batman was a nice guy. His text would have been designed to make her feel better, like she had a friend. However, it was having the opposite effect. Lexie felt worse, as though she was being pulled in too many directions all at once.

  Batman, Zack, Josh.

  Not that her inner turmoil was Batman’s doing. He was just a peripheral distraction. And Zack . . . he was more an annoyance who wouldn’t take no for an answer. No, there was no point in fooling herself. What was eating her was the shock of seeing Josh again and the re-surfacing of all those emotions she had tried hard to forget.

  Was it possible to hate a guy for being in love with him?

  Josh had looked fit, tanned and gorgeous. It wasn’t fair. Just thinking he was doing fine without her made Lexie want to break down and cry like a baby. Her mind was spinning all over the place and she felt suddenly exhausted. Why couldn’t life and love be straightforward? Was it really supposed to be this hard? Whatever happened to boy meets girl, they fall in love and live happily ever after . . . ?

  CHAPTER 29

  Lexie parked the police car on High Street at Randwick, right across from the emergency entrance to the children’s hospital, and was just getting out of the car when her phone buzzed. Plucking it out of her pocket, she checked the caller ID.

  ‘Hey Dani, how are you?’

  Lexie was dying to know if her friend had heard from Rod Bream but didn’t want to appear too blatantly keen by asking the question immediately. Dani was not stupid. She would twig that they wanted Bream for more than just trying to obtain a witness statement from him. However professional Dani was, there could be a risk that, if Bream did get in touch with her, she would give away too much information.

  ‘Hi, Lex, I’m fine. Have you heard from Rod yet?’

  ‘No, I haven’t,’ Lexie said. ‘Is it normal for a doctor to turn his phone off for a few days? Not tell anyone where he is? Has he got a best mate? Someone he might have notified as to his whereabouts?’

  Dani’s sigh was audible down the line.

  ‘He does tend to go into hibernation when he’s not working. I didn’t want to ring Rod, but I wanted to help you out, so I rang the only mate of his I know and he hasn’t heard from him either. Rod works all the time. He doesn’t have a big circle of friends. I think most guys find him intimidating.’

  Lexie could understand that. Being friends with Rod Bream would be a hard task. As his mate you would always be the side-kick. It would be pretty much impossible to compete with his looks and credentials.

  ‘Did you try his parents? His holiday place?’ Dani asked.

  Lexie kept her voice calm.

  ‘Yes, we have. He’s not there. Don’t worry about it, Dani. He’ll call in eventually.’

  I hope.

  Lexie continued, ‘Just promise me you’ll call if you hear from him. And if he turns up at your place, don’t let him in until you’ve spoken to me, okay?’

  There was silence for a long moment on the other end of the line. Lexie knew she had said too much.

  ‘I know you are not telling me everything, Lexie, and I understand you may not be able to, but just answer one question: do you believe Rod to be dangerous?’

  As she
thought of an appropriate reply, a number of scenarios spun through Lexie’s head simultaneously: Dani warning Bream he was a suspect; Bream taking Dani hostage; Dani with a syringe dangling from her neck.

  ‘We honestly don’t know, so I want you to be cautious. I can’t say any more than that, but if you speak to him do not repeat that. Please just do as I say until this is all over.’

  ‘Of course I won’t repeat anything. What do you think I’m going to do, tip him off?’

  Dani’s voice was cold and distant.

  ‘I’ll do as you say, but I don’t believe Rod could be dangerous in any way.’

  The click of Dani’s phone going dead alerted Lexie to the fact she had been hung up on.

  Wow, that was a first.

  Whether Lexie liked it or not, it was very clear that Dani was still in love with Rod and would probably defend him to the death. But even so, Lexie was sure Dani would not betray her in any way.

  Brad was standing on the footpath waiting for Lexie to finish on the phone.

  ‘Is everything okay? Any word from our missing Doctor Dreamy?’ Brad asked, as Lexie got out of the car.

  Lexie shook her head and started up the street towards the florist. Brad had little choice but to trail behind, because he had no idea where they were going. Lexie hadn’t told him and he hadn’t asked. He had probably assumed they were going back to the hospital. But not today!

  A small, chubby-cheeked, dark-haired girl, who was standing at the counter arranging a bouquet of flowers, greeted them as they entered the shop.

  ‘Hel-lo,’ she said in a sing-song voice. ‘How can I help you?’

  Lexie pulled her badge out of her pocket and made the introductions.

  ‘I’m Detective Rogers and this is my partner, Detective Sergeant Sommers.’

  ‘I’m Ashley.’

  ‘Hi, Ashley. We are conducting an investigation into a murder and I was wondering—’

  ‘The nurse from the hospital found on Clovelly Beach?’

  The girl’s eyes were wide as she cut Lexie off.

  ‘That was terrible. I didn’t know her; I saw her photograph in the paper. I know some of the hospital staff because they come in here sometimes, but I didn’t know her. Horrible.’

  Lexie took a breath. This one was a talker.

  ‘Yes . . . it is terrible. Now can I ask you . . . ?’

  ‘You can ask me anything. I love cops. I wanted to be one but I wouldn’t pass the physical.’

  Lexie smiled.

  ‘I can see you have CCTV cameras installed inside this shop.’

  Lexie pointed to the devices mounted in the corners of the ceiling.

  ‘Do you know how long the footage is kept?’

  ‘They’ve had a few hold-ups here over the years, you know.’ Ashley’s eyebrows shot up. ‘Not while I’ve been here, luckily. I think the owner only keeps the footage for forty-eight hours unless there is a reason to keep it longer. Otherwise she tapes over it.’

  Lexie had been expecting that answer, but she still felt the letdown. It had been a long shot to hope for footage of Bream ordering flowers over six weeks ago, but it was worth a try.

  Lexie looked down at the card she had found on the dining table in Jenna’s apartment. It was this florist’s business card. It had no date and no message on it.

  Ashley followed Lexie’s gaze, to the card in her hand.

  ‘Why don’t you tell me what you’re after? I might remember something important,’ she said excitedly.

  Why not? Lexie thought.

  ‘This is a bit of a separate issue. A friend of mine died over six weeks ago. She received some flowers only a few days before she passed away and I wanted to let that person know of her death, but there is no name on the card.’

  Lexie handed Ashley the business card as if it was some sort of proof of what she was saying.

  Ashley narrowed her eyes and sucked on the side of her plump cheek as she studied it.

  ‘What date do you think the flowers may have been delivered?’

  Lexie gave the date the pictures on Jenna’s phone were taken. Ashley typed something into the computer to her right.

  ‘What was the address?’

  Lexie relayed the Maroubra address and held her breath. An idea struck her. If Rod Bream ordered a rose, it was unlikely this girl would forget him, so she posed the question.

  ‘I think a doctor, a very good-looking doctor from the hospital, may have sent them.’

  The girl shook her head.

  ‘No, it’s here. I remember. I did the deliveries that day. I remember the address because my friend lives in the building next door. The girl was tall with long black hair, looked like a model.’

  Lexie nodded.

  ‘That’s her.’

  ‘She was so excited to get the rose . . . did you say she died?’

  Lexie nodded.

  ‘Oh that’s horrible.’

  ‘Do you remember who ordered the flowers? Do you have the credit card details or a name?’

  ‘No, the order was paid by cash so whoever it was would have had to come into the shop. There is no name recorded. Blast. Sorry about that,’ Ashley said, clearly upset she couldn’t be of more help. ‘That day it was only me and Lily in the shop and she took the orders while I did the deliveries.’

  Lexie was about to ask if Lily was available but Ashley beat her to it.

  ‘Lily is now in Europe on holiday.’

  That would be right!

  Disappointment weighed heavily on Lexie’s shoulders as she handed the girl her card. It was another dead end.

  ‘Thanks for your time. You’ve been very helpful. If you remember anything else, please give me a call.’

  *

  ‘Well, I’m thinking that whoever ordered the flower for Jenna didn’t want to be known. What do you think, Brad?’ Lexie asked, as she drove the car towards Clovelly Beach.

  Brad adjusted the seatbelt around his wide girth.

  ‘It could be all very innocent, you know. Jenna had not long come out of hospital. It could have been a friend of Jenna’s sending flowers as a bit of support, encouragement. You know, girls do that kind of thing.’

  Lexie stopped at a set of traffic lights and turned sideways to give Brad a sharp glare.

  ‘Girls do that kind of thing, do they?’

  Brad nodded.

  ‘They do.’

  He pointed to the signal box in front of them.

  ‘Are you waiting for a particular shade of green or what?’

  Lexie saw the lights had changed and laughed.

  ‘You are such a smartarse sometimes.’

  She accelerated and veered right into Clovelly Road.

  ‘You might be right, but a girlfriend doesn’t usually send another girlfriend a red rose in a cylinder.’

  ‘You have a point there,’ Brad agreed.

  They had arrived at their destination.

  ‘Nice day for a stroll along the beach,’ Brad commented, facetiously. ‘If Gitt has any brains at all, he won’t be out in this weather.’

  Lexie sighed. A fine drizzle had just started to fall. The temperature had dropped and the wind had picked up, whipping leaves and sand into a twirling midair frenzy.

  ‘Come on, let’s get this over and done with,’ Lexie suggested, pulling on her coat and jumping out of the car.

  Brad pulled on his overcoat and followed Lexie to the northern side of the beach. Little Gitt was known to frequent the sheltered picnic huts that overlooked the inlet. Today, not surprisingly, he was nowhere to be seen. The place was deserted. There were no swimmers in the water, the bitterly cold conditions keeping even the diehards away. No one walked the coastal pathway. There was not a soul in sight anywhere.

  ‘He’s not here. No one is stupid enough to be out in this weather,’ Brad grumbled.

  ‘You’re right, let’s get back.’

  They walked back along the desolate beach in silence.

  Brad finally spoke.

  ‘I�
��ve been thinking . . . We should ask Josh about the rose. He might have some idea who sent it to Jenna. She may have mentioned something to him. You never know.’

  He glanced at Lexie.

  ‘Why don’t I ask him to meet us down here? We can get a quick coffee and something to eat.’

  ‘It’s okay,’ Lexie replied firmly. ‘You can ask him later.’

  Brad didn’t push it.

  ‘We should check the methadone clinic on the way back to the office. See if Gitt’s been in to pick up his dose for the day,’ Lexie suggested.

  ‘Why don’t we just get the uniform guys to keep a look out for him and bring him in when they spot him? We’re wasting time out here.’

  Lexie realised Brad had a point.

  ‘Okay, let’s head back to the office. I have heaps of computer updates to do.’

  ‘Me too; I just want to stop off and get something to eat. A healthy roll, I promise.’

  It was 2.40 pm and Lexie hadn’t eaten anything for hours, so she was also a bit peckish. Her stomach rumbled instinctively at the thought of food.

  ‘Okay, Brad, sounds like a plan.’

  Lexie couldn’t get back into the warmth of the car quickly enough.

  *

  At 5.00 pm all the detectives who were on shift and working on Strike Force Thimble gathered together once again to share and dissect the events of the day. It was an uneventful meeting. There were no new leads, nobody had remembered any information of any significance, and there was still no sign of Little Gitt and no contact from Bream.

  ‘I suggest everyone finish off what they’re doing and knock off for the day,’ Lexie advised. ‘We need to be back in the office at 8.00 am tomorrow.’

  A few people, including Lexie, hung around to finish off bits and pieces. She was surprised to see Brad stand and gather his belongings together in preparation for leaving for the day.

  ‘I’ve already missed the first part of Mitchell’s second birthday. If I bolt I can make the last part.’

  Lexie’s shoulders slumped with guilt.

  ‘Why didn’t you say something, Brad? You could have ducked off earlier.’

  ‘It’s okay. Stuff happens. Besides, I think I’d rather be here trying to catch our baddie than being harassed by a bunch of two-year-olds.’