by Bob Goodwin
Rae put the paper down for a moment. ‘Maybe she is. So then, to state the obvious, what about talking to the police?’
‘Hmm... I’m not their favourite person at the moment. They think I’m a raving lunatic, and they’re a bit trigger happy.’
‘I can go with you.’
‘That would be nice. I need a taser buddy,’ he laughed.
‘Well, we can’t go hunting around thirty square kilometres, checking hundreds of houses looking for a mystery person who, if we happen to find, would likely kill us anyway!’
‘Thirty-five.’
‘What?’
‘There are thirty-five properties in that area. It is quite rural, but I take your point. Let’s try the police first.’
‘Tomorrow then?’
‘Sure, how about morning after an early gym session?’
‘Whatever suits you, James, will be fine with me.’
‘I may want to borrow your car for a little while before that.’
‘Yeah?’ she said, both agreeing and posing a question at the same time. Their eyes met.
‘There’s something I need to check on. And yes, I am probably being a tad paranoid; but as I prefer to say, just being careful. When I confirm things, you’ll be the first to know.’
‘As long as there are no weapons involved, it’s all good with me.’ James blew her a kiss. Rae gave a half-smile.
Chapter 30
10 days, 13 hours & 14 minutes
Tien and Mary sat close together on a shaded seat facing Mooloolaba beach, about two hundred metres from where Jessica was last seen. They had their shoulder bags with leaflets beside them. It was ten in the morning; the sky was clear and the sea breeze was keeping the temperature at a comfortable 24 degrees. There was already plenty of activity both on and near the beach with joggers, swimmers, sunbakers and picnic groups.
For now, the two just sat quietly, observing passers-by and watching the waves push themselves over an outcrop of low, flat rocks.
Just a little down from where they sat, a grey Honda Accord was fortunate to find a rare parking spot on the narrow side street. A tall middle-aged man wearing jeans and a black Led Zeppelin T-shirt jumped out and moved up to them. He sat next to Tien.
‘Good morning, my friends.’ He patted Tien on the back then reached out and clasped Mary’s hand warmly in both of his. ‘How are you going with the handouts this morning?’
‘Hello Mr Hunter,’ said Mary. ‘We have given out about fifty so far.’
‘We thank you for help.’ Tien shook his hand. ‘You are good man. You bring news of my daughter?’
‘I do not. Not yet,’ he tried to sound reassuring. ‘But we are following some leads and talking to lots of people. The police have interviewed James Champion. They say he is mentally ill and that he is currently of no interest to them in the investigation.’
‘Do you think I make him more crazy?’
‘With the Charlie Chan thing?’
‘Yes. I think he maybe go crazy or he get scared and lead us to Jessica. I make him react some way. See what happen.’
‘Your plan was a bit rough around the edges, but I understand completely that you just needed to do something. The police may not be interested in him anymore, but he’s still on my radar. He does behave strangely and not just because he is mad. It’s a good thing Ying contacted me.’
‘She nice girl, Mr Hunter. We meet many new friends who offer help. You businessman, help for nothing. I need pay something.’
‘Please, call me Jason or call me Hunter. No one calls me Mister. And don’t concern yourself with money. Ying told me your story. I have an eleven-year-old daughter of my own. I want to do this. My other two colleagues, Daniel and Lisa, are on board too. We will do all we can.’
‘Many thanks.’ Tien nodded his appreciation three times. ‘So, James Champion. What strange things he does?’
A group of noisy teenagers, some with skateboards, came along the footpath. Jason Hunter stopped talking. They were shouting, laughing and pushing one another around in a boisterous, but playful way. Three were smoking. Two others were throwing back energy drinks from green cans. They fanned out, some going behind the beachside chair and others in front. Then they started using the seat and its occupants as a barrier. It was a game of dodge as they danced around the seat. Tien moved closer to Mary and put his arm around her shoulder. Jason slowly stood up. His 193 centimetres towered over the youths.
‘Stop!’ He raised his big hands. ‘Take it elsewhere. Please.’
‘Fuck off!’ shouted an older boy. ‘Fucking geriatrics think they own the fucking place.’
Jason took one slow step forward then his big hand shot out like lightning and had the boy by his Funkrush T-shirt. He pulled him in close so their noses touched.
‘Don’t fuck with the fucker!’ he bellowed. ‘And stop smoking. It makes you stink.’ He pushed the boy backwards. He stumbled and fell. The other eight friends stopped their antics, two going to help their friend back to his feet. Another boy began dancing around in front of Jason, bouncing up and down like he was on a trampoline.
‘Motherfucker!’
‘I have fucked a few mothers,’ said Jason casually. ‘But if your Mum looks anything like you, I think I’ll give her a big swerve.’
‘Come on,’ called his friend. ‘Let’s go.’
‘Later bro!’ the boy danced away. ‘And Led Zeppelin sucks!’ The group moved on with numerous finger and arm gestures as they went.
Tien and Mary relaxed. ‘Well, that was not very nice,’ said Mary. ‘A good thing you were here.’
‘I don’t think they meant any harm.’ Jason watched them disappear up the footpath, causing others to move out of their way. ‘But I suspect they’ll be keeping the jail wardens in employment down the track.’
‘This James Champion,’ asked Tien. ‘What you think? Maybe he know about my Jessica?’
‘I honestly can’t say. But he is up to something. We believe he’s been using a scanning device. He could be secretly listening in to someone else’s conversation; he could be tracking a vehicle. He’s very watchful. One clever cookie is Mr Champion. Everything is not quite as it seems.’
‘I think Charlie Chan maybe make him more careful,’ said Tien with some consternation. ‘I think now it bad idea.’
‘He was already careful. Maybe it will help. He’ll be on the lookout for Charlie instead of me,’ smiled Jason. ‘If there’s nothing else I must get going,’ he looked at his watch. ‘Jessica has been missing for ten days, thirteen hours and fourteen minutes; and I need to find her.’
They said their farewells. Tien and Mary shouldered their bags and moved down to the beach. Jason Hunter returned to his car. He paused for a moment and watched the two hand out leaflets to a few beachgoers. He felt reasonably confident about finding Jessica, but he just couldn’t bring himself to tell the Changs that the chance of their daughter still being alive was less than five percent.
Chapter 31 — 1996
Personal Growth
Ten-year-old Claymore Finn swung the axe. The narrow piece of wood, standing on its end, split down the middle with both pieces flying off in opposite directions. A smile beamed across his face. His father, standing nearby, clapped slowly in admiration.
‘Very good, Claymore,’ said Morgan happily. ‘Now, if for any reason, you no longer had control of the axe?’
Claymore slowly lifted his T-shirt and displayed the large sheathed knife strapped to his waist. He removed the shining blade and turned it in front of his face. An engraved crucifix at the hilt shone in the sunlight.
‘Fully prepared and genuinely talented. And that’s seven in a row right through the middle. The best yet. I am very proud, and I think you’ve earned yourself a cold, home-made lemonade.’ He put his arm over his son’s shoulder and the two walked up to the Finn house.
They sat on two of the dining room chairs, alongside a rickety wooden table, i
n a cemented area outside the laundry. They were both dressed the same. Army-style camouflage pants, a green T-shirt and heavy brown boots.
Morgan raised his lemonade. ‘Here’s to you. A Finn of the finest with a great future.’
The two touched their plastic cups together and drank.
For a ten-year-old at 135 centimetres, Claymore was tall. He was thickset and strong, thanks to his father who took the boy through an assortment of training after school and on weekends. Long walks with running sprints were made to be fun, and father and son would camouflage themselves and stalk each other through the bush. At least once a month, armed only with knives, they would hunt feral pigs, returning home exhausted but satisfied and covered in pig’s blood.
They would do push-ups, sit-ups, star jumps and lift bricks and try to set personal bests. Morgan would reward Claymore with trips to the beach, visits to the cinema and takeaway snacks. On Sunday, they never missed attending church. The two kept a low profile and were never actively involved in any church functions. They were simply there to worship God and learn from the scriptures. Claymore Finn knew he was destined for something special and accepted that he was different from other children and, despite being somewhat of a loner, he did well in school and excelled at sports.
‘Father, do you think Mother would have been proud of me?’ asked Claymore.
‘Unfortunately, that’s difficult to say. She didn’t share in our knowledge of righteousness. She didn’t understand the significance of the slaughtered one I call the Beast. This is why I believe she left.’
‘Was she possessed by a demon?’
‘She was a good mother to you for the best part of six years,’ explained Morgan. ‘Whatever became of her remains unclear. A demon? Possibly. But we must remember her for the good times. She used to be a very beautiful and loving person.’
‘She was never a Finn though?’
‘No, she was not. She remained as Erica Blunt up until the last day I saw her.’
‘I think this is the way God planned it,’ said Claymore nodding his head. ‘You and I working together against evil. Instruments of the Lord.’ Morgan raised his lemonade. They toasted each other again. ‘When will there be a sign?’ the boy continued. ‘When will I be able to serve?’
‘The sign will come when the Lord is ready. It will all be clear to you soon enough.’
As he drank, Morgan looked up the hill of the property. The lantana, wattles and scribbly gum trees had grown well and what laid behind them were well-concealed. Claymore was only permitted up there with his father and thus far had only assisted in preparing chemicals in container three, Redemption, and cleaning out container one, Damnation, once it was empty.
The middle container, Salvation, his father had told him, will be your reward when the time comes for you to serve the Lord.
Chapter 32
Statistics
It was approaching midday when Raelene and James entered the empty reception area at the Kawana police station. James held the ring binder with the transparencies and an envelope with copies of the missing persons list. They stood at the long counter waiting and looking at a partial reflection of themselves in a mirror with horizontal lines that enabled those inside to see out. To the left of the mirror was a poster with the words “HAVE YOU SEEN JESSICA CHANG?” and the same picture that appeared in the newspaper.
‘Do you really think she is still alive?’ said Rae.
‘I’d like to think so.’ James looked at the young oriental face. ‘She is so young. She was near some water along with hundreds of other people. Maybe it was opportunistic but I doubt it. Maybe it was because of something she did, said or how she looked or who she with.’
‘Too many variables I’m afraid,’ said Rae.
‘Whoever took her must be into surfing, sailing, fishing, water sports or swimming. It must be something like that. Or maybe he just likes to hang out near the beach and that’s all there is to it.’
‘These abductions have been happening for years; you would think this guy is a getting on a little in years, which doesn’t totally discount sporting activities, but it does make me lean towards fishing or sailing. Like fishing for people maybe. I have wondered if there are some religious angles here, James.’
‘Me too. Storms, lightning and thunder. And there’re plenty of biblical references to fishing.’
‘And plenty of references to the number seven,’ added Rae. James raised his eyes and nodded.
‘Whoever this person is, they need to be caught and punished before anyone else goes missing, before there is another storm,’ added James. He stretched out over the counter trying to see if anyone was around. ‘Do you think anyone is working here today?’ The words had no sooner left his lips than a uniformed policewoman appeared.
‘How can I help you? Are you both together?’ she asked sharply.
‘Yes, we are together,’ answered Rae. ‘We need to speak with someone about Jessica Chang.’ She looked over at James.
‘Do you have new information?’ The middle-aged lady looked at them both with a degree of suspicion.
‘We most certainly do,’ declared Rae confidently. There was a brief pause before the policewoman replied.
‘Okay, I’ll see if Detective Riley can see you. Please fill in your name and details.’ She pushed a clipboard across the counter then left the reception area.
‘Perhaps that was just a slight embellishment of the facts,’ said James.
‘Well, yes. But it guarantees us a hearing.’
‘Indeed, but with Detective Riley. He thinks I’m a raving lunatic. This could be awkward.’
It was several minutes after they had filled in the form when Riley emerged from a side door.
‘Oh look, it’s Mr Champion. What a surprise.’ He looked at the paperwork. ‘And Ms Watson. Please, come on through.’ He extended his arm towards the open door. ‘Second room on the right. I believe Mr Champion knows the way.’
The three sat around the bare office desk. Riley stretched himself back with his hands behind his head. ‘Is this office satisfactory for you, Mr Champion?’
‘It appears to be,’ replied James. Rae gave him a look.
‘I believe I asked you about Jessica Chang only two days ago. And as I recall, you told me then that she was alive and plotting things with her Chinese comrades. Do you have something else to add to that statement?’ Riley tilted his chair backwards.
‘I was not thinking clearly at the time.’ James looked to the floor. ‘I have been in hospital. I had a psychotic episode.’
‘And now?’
‘And now,’ said Rae firmly. ‘We have some very disturbing information that you should take extremely seriously.’ The detective let his chair drop forward and put his arms on the desk.
‘I’m all ears, Ms Watson.’
‘James, show him the folder and give him a copy of the list. Explain it to him just like you did to me.’
* * *
It had been ten minutes. James had gone through everything in detail, and Riley had kept quiet throughout the presentation. Now there was silence. James looked at the detective.’
‘Well? What do you think?’ he asked.
‘Very detailed work. I’m impressed,’ said Riley unconvincingly. ‘Our main lead now, as you probably know, is a fit-looking man around twenty-years old, with long, dark hair. In fact, not unlike you Mr Champion. No disrespect or accusation intended.’
‘That’s fine. Go on,’ said James.
‘If your information was sound, which I will get to in a moment, we would be looking for someone aged at least sixty.’
‘There are plenty of fit sixty-year-olds.’
‘Perhaps, but most of them don’t look like twenty-year-olds. Now, let me ask you, do you know how many people are reported missing in Australia every year?’
‘I know it’s a big number.’
‘Over thirty-five thousand. That’s one every fifteen mi
nutes.’
‘But surely most of them are found,’ said Rae.
‘Yes. But there are at least sixteen hundred long-term missing every year.’
‘And they’re the ones we need to focus on,’ said James.
‘You have a list here of eighteen names over a period of close to forty years. During that time, there have been thousands of long-term missing persons.’ Riley was using his hands to emphasise his point.
‘What about Kings Wood?’ asked Raelene. She tapped her finger on the dark blue patch in the open folder. ‘That is the focal point here.’
‘To be frank with both of you,’ said Riley, opening his hands, trying to show sincerity. ‘If I had storm maps from all over the country and lists of all these thousands of missing persons, I’d be investigating coincidences from Perth to Cape York Peninsula for the rest of my life.’
‘You are a detective,’ said James. There was an element of annoyance in his voice. ‘You are not a mathematician. This is no coincidence.’
‘Pardon me for saying so, Mr Champion, but you are a man who has paranoid schizophrenia. You had a recent psychotic breakdown and admission to the funny farm. You were crawling around my desk looking for bugging devices only forty-eight hours ago. Despite my limitations in the mathematical department, I don’t believe you to be a reliable source of information.’
Rae bounced to her feet.
‘James has more knowledge about weather details than anyone I know.’
James stood and put his arm over her shoulder.
‘It’s okay, Rae. This was completely predictable.’
‘You should be careful, detective.’ Rae pointed her finger harshly at Riley. ‘This might come back to bite you.’
‘Both of you can be on your way.’ Riley now stood and moved to the door. ‘And I caution you both from doing anything silly like annoying the good residents of Kings Wood.’
James grabbed his folder and they moved out the office door. James turned back with a last word for the detective.