Challis - 04 - Chain of Evidence (8 page)
Read Challis - 04 - Chain of Evidence Online
Authors: Garry Disher
Tags: #Fiction, #Mystery & Detective, #General, #Police Procedural
Instead she did a stupid thing and
picked up the phone.
Al? Its me, she said in a small
voice.
Her husband didnt know how to read
it. Oh, hi, he said neutrally.
He was renting a flat in Frankston
now. She didnt know what his life was like. How are you?
All right. He was wary. Is
everything okay, Ells?
He hadnt wanted her to leave him.
She heard from his voice that he was a little encouraged that shed called. Im
fine, she assured him hastily.
You dont sound it.
No, honestly, Im fine.
I heard on the news they acquitted
Nick Jarrett.
Yes.
Bad luck.
Ellen tried to detect satisfaction
in her husbands voice. Like her, he was a cop, but he was also liable to be
pleased by any reversal that came her way. She changed the subject. I saw
Larrayne while I was in the city.
She told me.
Oh. She had a boy with her.
Travis.
So you know him. You could have
told me. Are they living together?
Why dont you ask her? Shes your
daughter.
No, said Ellen, feeling hurt and
nasty, shes her dads daughter.
They were silent. The past and the
present sat heavily. Ellen sipped her drink and said, I wasnt sure youd be
home.
He was attached to the accident
investigation squad. He rarely had Friday nights free. Meeting up with a
friend later, he said.
Code for a female friend, a lover?
Ellen wondered if he was telling the truth. It hadnt occurred to her to think
about his love life, for she hadnt wanted to sleep with him again. Now she
felt a faint twinge of something she hoped wasnt jealousy. Was it jealousy
because he had a love life, or jealousy because
he
had a love life and
she didnt? There was a world of difference between the two.
Oh yeah? Who?
Are you jealous, Ells? Lover boys
gone away and youre all on your lonesome?
Go to hell.
She almost cut the connection, but
found herself telling him about Katie Blasko. There had been a time, long ago,
when theyd talked over their days work, the hassles and triumphs. That was
before shed become a sergeant and hed failed the sergeants exam. That was
before hed decided she was sleeping with Challis.
I might be able to help there, he
said, when shed finished.
She sipped her gin-and-tonic.
Challiss sitting room began to take on warmer configurations. She liked its
plain furniture and simplicity, the mix of wood and leather, the CD collection
under the rows of books along one wall. How?
I dont know, Ellen, he said
impatiently, as though shed doubted his abilities. Check speed cameras in the
area, infringement notices, stolen vehicle reports.
Thanks, she murmured, oddly
touched.
Yeah, well...
Into the pause that followed, she
said, Dont be late for your date.
Oh, okay, he said mutedly, and she
didnt know if hed been hinting for an excuse to break his date, or keeping up
a pretence to make her jealous. She felt about sixteen again.
* * * *
As
she was getting ready for bed the phone rang, and Hal Challis said, Burnt my
house down yet?
Relief flooded her. There was no
cluttered history, he was rock solid and hed be able to help her. Then, just
as instantaneously, complications took shape in her mind. Her boss was a
thousand kilometres away. He had troubles of his own. Hed left her in charge.
She cleared her throat, trying to rally.
Burnt the toast, she said.
He laughed. Hows the grass?
Long, getting longer.
He said apologetically, Get someone
in to mow it for you. Ill pay you back.
They were far apart in the night,
the staticky murmurs of the atmosphere sounding on the line between them. Bad
news, she said. Nick Jarrett was acquitted.
Hell.
Tell me about it. McQuarries
steaming.
Ill bet. Look, dont beat yourself
up about it. Well get Jarrett on something else.
Yeah, something minor, no jail time.
They were silent, acknowledging the
frustrations of the job. Hal, theres something else, Ellen said, and told
him all about it: Katie Blasko, Katies home life, the delay, the indifference
of van Alphen, McQuarries grandstanding, and, more than anything, her doubts
and fears.
Youre right to treat it as a
worst-case scenario, Challis assured her. When its a kid, you cant afford
to take chances.
But I
did
take chances, Hal.
Instead of sticking around this afternoon and mounting a proper search, I left
Scobie in charge and swanned off to the city. What if shes dead because I didnt
take it that one step further?
But you have to cover the obvious
bases first, he said soothingly, and thats what Scobie was doing.
I know, but I feel guilty.
And youve made up for it.
She laughed without humour. Now
everyone thinks Im overreacting.
Youve got good instincts, Challis
said. Better instincts than I have.
Did she not believe him, or not
believe that he believed it? She was about to reply when he said, Get Kellock
and van Alphen on side. Theyll look out for their own interests first, but
theyre straight and theyre canny. Above all, dont let McQuarrie stage-manage
everything.
I know. Its just that I keep
imagining Katie Blasko somewhere dark, she said. Shes hurt. Shes scared. I
know you have to take a step back and not get involved, but its hard.
Actually, Challis said, I dont
think you can be a good investigator if you
dont feel
something.
Feelings are an essential part of imagination and intuition. You cant do those
things cold.
Theyd never talked like this
before. Perhaps it was the phone. She liked it. You think so?
Positive.
Thanks, Hal.
They lingered on the line.
Eventually she heard him say, Goodnight. Call me if you need me.
Hows your dad? she said, because
she wanted to know, and to prolong his voice in her ear.
* * * *
9
Early
on Saturday morning, Ellen was back at Katie Blaskos house, acting on the firm
principle that you always examine the home situation first. In this case she
wanted another look at Justin Pedder, the mothers de facto. His alibi for
Thursday afternoon was sound, but that didnt mean anything. For all that Ellen
knew, hed been sharing Katie with his mates, only this time something went
wrong and theyd killed and dumped the girl. Or hed stoked them with photos
and fantasies and theyd decided they wanted some of that action while he was
away at the races.
Or he was completely innocent.
Certainly he was unknown to the rape squad, the child exploitation unit and the
various government agencies like Childrens Services.
But Ellen was thinking of the
six-year-old, Shelly. Was she next? Would Pedder groom her, too, and discard
her as easily as hed discarded Katie?
Had
Katie been discardedtoo
old?or had something gone wrong, shed been smothered to shut her up, or
strangled because someone failed to control himself?
Wanting answers to some of these
questions, Ellen knocked on Donna Blaskos door at eight oclock. Donna
answered, blotchy from weeping and sleeplessness, stale smelling, a tissue in
one hand, wearing a grimy towelling robe over mens pyjama pants and a green
T-shirt. The air was laden with odours: breakfast toast and bacon, and older,
fuggier layers that Ellen automatically sifted through, identifying cigarettes,
beer, marijuana and perspiration. She wanted to open up the house, every door
and window. A TV set droned in the background: cartoons.
Have you found her?
Ellen shook her head. Sorry, Donna,
and sorry to call so early. May I come in?
S pose, said Donna reluctantly.
They moved through the sitting room
to the kitchen at the back, skirting a pizza box, a bra, empty DVD case, the
Saturday
Herald Sun,
toys, and the little sister, Shelly, sprawled in
front of a wide-screen TV. Excuse the mess.
You should see my place, said
Ellen, then wondered why shed said it. She didnt have a place. Her old place
had been tidy, with Larrayne no longer living in it. Donna looked at Ellen in
astonishment, either because she thought the police were neat or she didnt
expect kindness. Cuppa tea?
Thank you.
Ellen sat, touched the sticky
tabletop, withdrew her hand into her lap. The sink was piled with breakfast
dishes, the fridge noisy, the floor grimy, linoleum tiles lifting here and
there. And apparently the cat liked to move its food from the bowl to the
floor. Ellen itched to get a scraper out.
Justin still in bed?
Donna shook her head. Out with his
mates.
Ellens disapproval must have been
apparent, for Donna added aggrievedly, Theyre looking for Katie.
Ellen got her notebook out. Bright
and early. Their names?
Theyre looking for Katie, Im
tellin ya.
I dont doubt it. We need to speak
to everyone whos had contact with your household in the past few weeks and
months.
I thought Katie was snatched off
her bike?
Were not absolutely sure what
happened, Ellen said. But lets not jump the gun. She paused. I saw you on
television, Donna. At no point did I state categorically to you that we thought
Katie had been abducted.
No, we had to hear that from the Evening
Update guy.
Ellen sighed. There are other
scenarios.
So? Shes still missing, no matter
what happened to her. Are the police actually doing anything to find her?
Search parties went out at first
light. From eight-thirty this morning an incident caravan will be parked at the
entrance to Trevally Street. Officers will be on standby to hand out leaflets,
answer questions and take statements. After school on Monday weve arranged for
a model to trace Katies movements.
Roslyn Sutton, in fact, Scobies
daughter, the same age, build and height as Katie Blasko. Do you have a photo
of Katie on her bike? Wearing her helmet? We need to match bike and helmet.
Somewhere.
And a spare school uniform we can
use?
Donna was looking alarmed and
confused. Yeah, but what do you mean, a model?
A child who resembles Katie will
ride slowly from the school gates to this house, taking Katies usual route
home. Then well do it again, taking alternative routes. Several police
officers will follow her, handing out leaflets. Well use a megaphone to
explain what were doing. The purpose is to jog peoples memories, either of
last Thursday or of other days when something out of the ordinary might have
occurred.
Like what?
Perhaps Katie spoke to an adult
along the way, a stranger or someone she knew. Or an unfamiliar vehicle was
seen in the area. Anything at all. Youll be surprised how well it works.
Ellen held no hopes whatsoever that
it would work, but couldnt say that, and in fact Donna didnt look gladdened.
Her face crumpled.
You think shes dead.
We mustnt give up hope.
I wish Justin was here.
A bit callous of him to leave you
alone, Ellen said carefully.
Im not alone, said Donna hotly,
pointing in the direction of the TV in the other room. Plus hes not far away.
Hes doing more than you lot to find Katie.
Guilt? Smokescreen? Genuine concern?
How well diddohe and Katie get along?
Donna sniffed. Not bad. Argue a
bit.
What about?
Oh, you know, the usual stuff,
noise, TV watching, homework, stuff like that. Katies always saying, Youre
not my dad. Shes got a temper on her. A sudden change came over Donnas
face. You think he done it, dont you? Well, he was with me on Thursday and I
can prove it. And if he was abusing her regular, or at all, would she shout and
yell and give him cheek? I dont think so. My uncle done stuff to me and I tell
you now, it makes you quiet and sad.
Ellen blinked away sudden tears. Im
sorry, Donna.
Yeah, well, so you should be.
Ellen said carefully, What about
his relationship with the little one. Shelly She held up a placating hand. I
have to ask, Donna, to get it out of the way. If I dont, someone harder and
more senior will come along and ask, she added, feeling nasty and small.
Shelly? Shell adores him.
She doesnt say, Youre not my
father?
Donna was disgusted. Justin
is
her
father. God. Get your fucking facts right, why dont you.
Ellen blushed. Forgive me, Donna, I
should have checked. Are you Shellys mum?
No. God. When we first met, I was
alone with Katie and he was alone with Shelly.
