by C T Mitchell
He thought of his daughter Melissa. If only she was as easy-going as this little girl appeared to be. He and Sandra had done their best and managed to raise her past her teenage years, but… He put an end to his personal thoughts and concentrated on the present.
Meanwhile, Sarah was glad to get home. Laurent Friedens had come with her to collect his own car, which he’d left safely parked in her garage. A good excuse, she thought rather cynically. He took her in his arms in spite of some stiffness on her part.
“I hope you’ll let me comfort you, Sarah,” he whispered in her ear, snuffling into her neck and then trying to kiss her.
“I-I’m not in the mood. Sorry, Laurent. All I want to do is curl up and veg out.” She gave him a slight push and he took the hint.
“Okay. If that’s how you feel.” He sounded vindictive. “I guess I’ve wasted my day!” He squeezed her arms tightly, hurting her. “I’ll leave you to it.”
Sarah was amazed at his reaction. What a selfish fool he was. She rubbed her arms.
“I’m sorry, Laurent. I didn’t realise you had that sort of relationship in mind…”
She was glad when he turned away abruptly and got into his car. She flinched as he closed his door with a bang. Not good for his poor vehicle, she thought. She was glad he had gone, but pitied his tyres as the rubber burned the air behind him.
She wondered why he was so demanding. Possessive even. She remembered some incidents which hadn’t struck her at the time. The way he took over conversations she was having. How he never wanted to join in with friends on date nights.
“It’s a wonder he even came to the Bar Mitzvah!” But, of course, he’d had his own plans, which she’d thwarted…
She sighed as she entered her home. How good it was to be able to relax finally after the horrible day. Food. Comfort food. Well, okay, who cared? She thought she deserved comfort – like the cherry and apple pastry waiting for her in the pantry. Tucking herself into the soft cushions of the couch, she turned on the television and crunched into the tasty snack.
All she needed now was a glass of wine. But maybe not. She mightn’t know when to stop…
CHAPTER 4
“Good morning, Sergeant.” Jack always tried to acknowledge his team members. The squad room was almost empty, which was good. He was glad his team was busy doing their job. There were so many guests from the Bar Mitzvah to follow up. Any of them could have a motive for killing Samuel, he supposed, but it was heavy going. Detective Sergeant Boston-Wright paused at her computer and greeted her boss with a damped-down smile.
“What have you found out about our victim?” Jack turned his own computer on and waited for Jo to give him something to work with. They couldn’t do much until they knew a lot more.
“Not a lot, boss. Except that Mr. Samuel Rosenthal was as ruthless in business as he was with his divorce.”
“Business?” he queried.
“Ah.” She clicked various keys. “Real estate. Looks as though there was plenty of shonky stuff going on with that.”
Privately, she thought it was typical of the real estate crowd – not that she’d had any experience with them. She pressed her lips together. It would be nice to need the services of a real estate agent. Would she ever be able to afford her own home? She stiffened as her boss spoke to her.
“And the divorce – what happened there?” Jack could never understand why people who had loved each other enough to have children together could turn so bitter and malicious.
“Yeah, he literally blackmailed his wife during the custody battle.”
Jack frowned and sat back in his chair. Could this have been a motive for the man’s murder? He was sounding like a man who might have a lot of enemies. “How did he do that?”
Jo checked her file on the screen.
“Well, in order for Kathleen to have custody of their son and daughter, he retained most of the family’s assets and sent a thousand dollars a month to his wife for the children’s upkeep. She doesn’t get anything – not the house, not the car, no allowance, nothing. But she can keep the kids and live in the house unless she remarries.”
“Mm. Pretty ruthless, as you say. It’s not as if he was short of money.” Jack brooded over the information as he clicked through his own files. Nothing much there.
“Nice guy for sure.”
But was he any better, he wondered? Of course, he was. Although he realised that people didn’t know how they would react in traumatic circumstances, he was sure he would never treat his wife like that. Sandra certainly would never accept such terms anyway. And his daughter Melissa would never miss out as Daniel and Ruth would.
He and Sandra had been through too much to throw it all away. Like the need to move cities to be closer to better medical facilities so Melissa could have the extra care she needed. They had needed to work together to help their daughter live as normally as possible. Maybe Samuel’s family had been complacent.
“What provision has he made for Daniel when he grows up and needs more education? And Ruth, too, for that matter.”
“Kathleen says he was maintaining a trust fund for each of the children to cover their educational needs primarily. And separate funds they’ll have access to when they graduate.” T
The Detective Sergeant had not been impressed with the provisions of Samuel Rosenthal’s estate, but the wife seemed to take it as a matter of course.
“So, Kathleen gets nothing but the worries of raising two children on her own for a thousand a month.” He reclined his chair.
“Unfortunately, that gives her the perfect motive for killing her charming husband.”
“Well, there’s more to come from the real estate angle. Looks as though he had his finger in a lot of pies.”
“Examples?”
“That development over by the lake? Seems he had sole rights for selling the finished complex. That wouldn’t go down well with the other real estate guys around here.”
“Anything else?”
“There’s just a bad smell about some of his deals, boss.”
“Plenty to look into then. I’ll leave you to go deeper into that. We need to suss out motives for murdering him, ASAP.”
Jo nodded, setting her blond hair swinging.
Jack gave her an encouraging smile; glad he could finally rely on her. It had taken a while to trust the much-younger detective when she had first been given the job. Age and seniority aren’t the be-all and end-all, he reminded himself. Her quick mind and computer skills were a great advantage. He had no doubt she would have some possible suspects with a motive for killing Samuel Rosenthal before the day was out.
The sooner the better. He wanted to get this case solved quickly and get back to Brisbane for the weekend. Sandra and Melissa needed him – and he needed them and the comfort of home.
The sterile apartment at Cabarita Beach that he rented during the week didn’t count as home. He wasn’t even using it much. Had he done the right thing by making the beach his center of operations? Well, one good thing was that when he was at home in Brisbane, he could draw a line under his work week. He also had to admit that he enjoyed the coast with its small towns and water-based doings.
CHAPTER 5
Sarah tensed as her mobile rang. The display showed her the call was from Kathleen. Grabbing it up, she opened the line. She had a feeling this would not be good news.
“Kathleen, what’s the matter? How are the kids?”
The short time since Samuel’s murder seemed like years, with the reduced family finding it difficult to cope. Especially Kathleen. Though why she should be so upset, Sarah didn’t really understand. After all, she and Samuel had been divorced. A wail of despair erupted from the phone.
“They’re gone.” Kathleen sobbed. “They’ve left. Daniel has taken his backpack – the big camping one – and his laptop and phone. Ruth’s carry-bag is gone, too, and some of her clothes. They’ve gone! Left me. Left home.” Her sister’s despair tore through Sarah’s heart. She couldn
’t believe what Kathleen was telling her.
“Maybe they’ve just gone for a hike? A day trip? Have they said anything?”
“No. And Daniel wouldn’t take Ruth on a long walk like that.” Kathleen was trying to control her sobs. “What am I going to do?”
“Kathleen, listen to me. Call 000 right now. Don’t waste any time. The sooner the police know what has happened, the better. Then call Rabbi Joshua. I’ll call Mum and Dad right away. Okay?”
Silence. Sarah wondered if Kathleen had understood through her despair.
“Sh-shouldn’t I call Detective Creed instead of 000?”
“Good idea. You’re right.” She was thankful Kathleen was thinking straight now. “He and his team are in charge of your case. Maybe they can hurry things up. The sooner they get onto it, the less distance the kids can cover.”
“But what if the children didn’t act on their own? What if–”
“Don’t go there, Kathleen. Let’s just concentrate on getting a search under way, okay?” Anxiously, she waited for her sister’s reply, hoping the other woman would be able to rein in her imagination.
“Okay, Sarah. Thanks. I’ll call the detectives right now.” Although her voice was still a bit shaky, Kathleen was calmer. Sarah was reassured that she would make the call.
Now it was Sarah’s turn. She wasn’t going to phone her parents just yet. There was someone else who might be able to help.
“Hi, Cam. Sorry if I disturbed you.” Cameron was a friend – and a lawyer. Not only that, but one of the best legal minds in the state. And well-connected.
“I wouldn’t call you unless this was an emergency, Cam.”
“What’s the problem, Sarah?” This was trouble, he could tell. He groaned and found his shoes, searching for his jacket. So much for his quiet evening at home.
“I saw on the news about Kathleen’s husband being murdered. Is this anything to do with that?”
“It could be.” She hadn’t thought of that angle before. “But not that we know of at the moment.
I’m ringing because Kathleen’s kids have gone missing. Daniel’s just had his Bar Mitzvah and Ruth is only four years old. Too young to have left home willingly. Their mother – my sister – is going crazy.”
“Any idea who might kidnap them?”
Picking up his keys from their blue bowl, which lived on a cabinet beside his front door, Cam prepared to leave after giving a glance around to check that the TV and everything else electric had been switched off.
“I think I have an idea. But I don’t want to discuss it over the phone. Could we meet? You might have some ideas, too. I sure hope so.”
Facing each other with steaming cups of coffee in front of them, the pair skipped the pleasantries.
“What’s your idea as to who might be behind this, Sarah? If it IS a kidnapping!”
Sarah scoffed at his skepticism.
“Those kids wouldn’t just walk off. Although some of their clothes and things are missing. Someone has gone to a bit of trouble to get them away.”
“So – who would want to do this?”
Sarah pondered her words. Once her suspicions were out, there would be consequences. She might be completely wrong. But there was a good chance her suspicions were correct, so she ploughed ahead.
“Dr Friedens is – or was – a friend of mine.”
“The psychiatrist in town?”
“Yes.”
“And you know him – how?” Cam’s gaze penetrated.
Sarah felt herself blush, and chided herself. How ridiculous!
“Not from a patient’s point of view, I can assure you. Just a-an acquaintance. But he’s been trying to rope me into some kind of relationship. Since I wouldn’t play ball, I think he might be taking revenge now.”
“That’s a bit far-fetched as a motive for kidnapping your niece and nephew isn’t it?”
Sarah clenched her fingers into fists.
“You don’t know him. I think he is all about his own ego. That’s why, after I knew him a bit better, I didn’t want to take the acquaintance any further.”
“But he didn’t get the message?”
“More like he didn’t accept the message.” She risked a glance at Cam’s expression and realised he was becoming perturbed by the scenario she was painting.
“What – if it IS him behind this – what do you think he intends to do with the children?” Cameron queried.
“I’m not sure. But I think anything is possible. Remember, he deals with a lot of unstable and even criminal people. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was thinking of-of using them in some underhand way. Some sort of abuse, maybe? I just can’t bear to think!”
“What?” Cam’s horrified exclamation lifted Sarah’s head.
“Yes. I know it sounds incredible, but I think he could be one of those monsters we think are so far away but who are actually right under our nose. I might be totally wrong, Cam, but I think Laurent Friedens is crazy. He’s possessive, jealous and he loves kids – quote, unquote.” Her fingers made the quotes.
Sarah dropped her eyes to the table. Putting her thoughts into words made the scenario seem all too possible.
Coffee. She needed it. But if she lifted her mug, she was afraid he would see her hands shaking.
“Sarah.” His voice was soft and she felt his warm fingers covering hers.
“You know I’ll help you all I can. Now, “he became brisk and business-like, “I’ve got quite a few good contacts around the place. I’ll put out some feelers straight away and get back to you this evening. Okay?”
He stood and held Sarah’s chair as she got to her feet and picked up her handbag. She had some serious thinking to do. Could the two crimes be linked in some way?
“Okay, Cam. I can’t thank you enough. Kathleen has let Detective Creed know the children are missing, but if you could find out anything more, it would be great.” Her tremulous smile was enough reward, Cam thought.
Detective Inspector Jack Creed and his team would be doing their best. The murder of Samuel Rosenthal would be a priority, but police gave top priority to missing children, he thought. It would be worth having a word with him. No need for everyone to go through the same processes.
CHAPTER 6
Jack Creed saw who the caller was and answered quickly.
“Hello, Cam. What can I do for you?”
“I’m calling about the Rosenthal children. I might have a bit of information from one of my contacts. It could involve a motive for the murder of their father. I wondered whether you would be interested in meeting with us when he and I have a chat?”
“Sure! Anything you can give us would be great. Who are we meeting with?”
“Can’t tell you over the phone, mate. Let’s just say a long-established member of the judiciary.”
“When and where?”
Jack made a note of time and place.
“I’ll be there, Cam.” A strange time to be meeting, he thought. And Cam was being pretty secretive. What was going on?
Judge Freeborn would meet them at the Pottsville Gentlemen’s Club at the only time they could all make it.
“One o’clock in the morning?”
Sam, his hands-on hips, shook his head at Detective Superintendent Jack Creed as he unfolded his 6ft-plus frame from his sleek two-door Ford Mustang. It looked like the 1967 model, Cam thought. Strange car for a policeman. Nicely unofficial though and the dark blue colour made it almost unnoticeable at night.
“We do keep strange hours, us law workers!”
“I’ve only just left the office. And the Judge wants our meeting to be discreet. Not just for the sake of the children.”
“Not a worry, Cam. I only hope we can find out something that may help. There are a lot of things going on around Bangalow – only rumours, of course, but I’m afraid they may turn out to be more than rumours.”
It was far too soon, Jack thought, to leap to the conclusion that the children might be targets for the rumoured pedophile
ring operating somewhere in the state. Maybe Judge Freeborn could add something relevant.
CHAPTER 7
“You mean there’s a child sex ring operating here? In BANGALOW?” The disbelief in his colleague’s tone riled the Judge.
“I’m afraid so, Cam. In the Northern Rivers anyway. But there’s a pointer to Bangalow itself.”
He turned to Jack. “Have you had any information about that, Detective?”
“No, Judge. I’ve heard the rumours but nothing concrete. And nothing centered on Bangalow – it’s such a small place. Hard to believe there would be something that big there.”
“Population doesn’t have much to do with criminal happenings these days. The internet is everywhere.” Judge Freeborn nodded over his clasped fists.
“If Dr Friedens is involved, I would hold grave fears for the children.” Judge Freeborn leaned forward in his comfortable club chair to speak quietly.
“I’ve had a look through his file. He has a record and a series of aliases associated with his different activities.”
His silver hair and short beard gave the Judge a formal appearance very much in keeping with everyone’s idea of a judge. But instead of his usual smile that women found so charming, he was frowning as he leafed through a folder.
“He’s a slippery fish. He’s never been caught because he never gets his own hands dirty. He pays for what he wants done in cash. Or sells his “product’ for cash.”
“You mean he could SELL the kids? As ‘products’?”
Sam’s voice had risen a notch. Jack put a hand on the man’s arm. Even though Cam had heard Sarah's voice just such a concern, it was difficult to believe. But Judge Freeborn obviously thought it was a possibility.
“Quiet down, Cam.” Jack tapped Cam’s hand. “Rumour has it that there are high-end professionals mixed up in it. But there are no clues as to who is involved. No proof of what’s going on.”
If Jack hadn’t been so sure of the Judge, he might have suspected even him.