Deadly Diplomacy (34 page)

“He’s dead.” Langhurst’s voice broke her stupor. “He can’t survive in there with that bullet in his chest.” He put his arm around Jess and helped her to her feet. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

At that moment, a strong gust of wind blew, parting the clouds. A shaft of moonlight beamed down, lighting up the deck and Langhurst’s feverish eyes. The realisation hit Jess like a thunderbolt. “
Oh My God!
” She staggered sideways. “
It was you!
”

Langhurst stared at her, then sighed. “I had no choice, Jessica. Ellen was going to betray me.” His face twisted in pain. “After all these years. I
made
her. I
trusted
her.”

Jess couldn’t speak or move.

“She was
mine
until
he
came along… Anthony bloody Harris.” Langhurst stared into the night, as if seeing another time. “At first, I thought she’d tire of him and the affair would be over. But then Harris started talking about leaving his wife.” He gasped as if wounded to the core. “Ellen was going to leave
me.
After all I’d done for her.”

“But… your wife?”

He paused, as if searching for the words to explain. “I provide Linda with money and status to keep her in the style she’s used to. In return, she helps with my career. That’s all.”

Now Jess understood. “And with her connections, she’ll help with your political career too?”

Langhurst’s eyes never left Jess’s. “If you know about that, you’ll understand why I can’t leave Linda. Not yet anyway. But I always loved Ellen. Then
Harris
came along to ruin everything.” He sounded bewildered. “I didn’t
intend
to kill Ellen, Jessica. You
must
believe me. We had an appointment for eight o’clock on Sunday night. I just wanted to talk to her, to put things right. I arrived early and saw her leave the bar. I followed her down to the jetty.”

His face hardened. “But Anthony Harris was there waiting for her, so I hid in the bushes.” He took a deep breath as if it was hard to speak. “Ellen got angry when Harris said he still hadn’t told his wife about their relationship. That’s my girl, I thought, give him what for and the affair will be over. But then she started ranting about how she couldn’t rely on
any
man. I couldn’t believe it when she told Harris
I’d
taken bribes from the Chinese and framed
her
to take the blame.”

“You
framed
the woman you say you loved?”

“Only when I knew she was going to leave me for Harris,” he said, indignantly. “When I was tipped off that the Federal authorities suspected someone in Western Energy of taking bribes from the Chinese, I knew then how I’d get even with Ellen for her betrayal.”

“
You
set up an offshore bank account in her name,
knowing
the British authorities monitor large transfers into their Overseas Territories. And Chen, your partner in this I suppose, transferred the money via a traceless holding company. That’s what happened, isn’t it?”

Langhurst smiled. “Clever girl, Jessica.”

“How did you expect to get away with it?” she asked, quietly. “You framed Ellen for taking bribes, but the authorities know Chen was involved. He’ll be arrested.”

“Oh don’t be so naïve. Why would the Australian Government arrest Chen? That’s a sure way of scuppering the deal; and that’s the last thing they want. No, they won’t challenge the Chinese. Never. This will always remain a secret.”

Jess shivered at his words. “So simple and effective… until everything started to unravel.”

“Yes,” he said, wearily. “When Ellen told Harris on Sunday night that she was meeting me later, he gave her his voice-recorder to get me to confess secretly on tape. They planned to take it to the police together the following morning.” Agitated, Langhurst started pacing. “It was like something snapped inside me; something uncontrollable. Ellen was going to the police to destroy my whole life. After everything I’d done for her. How
could
she?”

“So you killed her; and hired DC Roberts to kill Anthony Harris.”

Langhurst huffed with contempt. “And what a psycho
Roberts
turned out to be. I thought he was an oddball when he came to review our Company security. He made it clear then he was for hire.” He paused. “Still, what a smokescreen all that serial killer nonsense was.
Bloody fool!
All he had to do was get the diary from Ellen’s hotel room, and silence Anthony Harris.” He took a deep breath. “Then that idiot Danny Burton tried to blackmail me. Turned out he’d been spying on us all at the jetty on Sunday night.” He stopped pacing and stared at Jess. “Danny signed his own death warrant… but you don’t have to.”

She felt an icy chill in her heart.

“The first time I saw you at The Palms, Jessica, I thought Ellen had come back to me. You’re so like her, you can replace her.”

Jess stared in disbelief. Was he completely mad?

“I know all about your husband and child,” he said. “You’ve come through it all, Jessica. You’re strong and focused. And working for me, you’ll have everything money and power can give you. Look, let’s go and get that diary,” he said, reasonably. “We’ll destroy it. Then everything will be down to Roberts.” He searched her face. “Now he’s dead, there
is
no other evidence to connect me to any of this.”

Except for me, she thought; he’ll kill me, and Susan, if I don’t go along with him. She didn’t think twice. “All right,” she said, calmly. “We’ll go and get the diary together. And, well, I’m sure I would find working for you interesting.”

He smiled, broadly. “And lucrative.”

“And lucrative.” She did her best to smile back. “But we must help Susan. Quick,” she said, moving towards the door, “she’s been shot, but I think she’s still alive.”

“
No.
” He stood in front of her. “
Susan
has to be collateral damage, my dear. She’ll tell the police I killed her sister.”

Jess could scarcely breathe. “How can she?” she asked, quickly. “Only you and I know that.”

“As soon as she sees me, she’ll know. I’m supposed to be in Canberra, don’t forget.”

“
Please
, John. She’s just a young girl.”

He picked up the oil lamp and took off the glass cover. “Here!” he said, pushing it towards her. “Set fire to the yacht. Destroy all the evidence.”

Jess recoiled. “But Susan,” she whispered.

“Do it, Jessica,” he said, angrily. “Destroy all the evidence
and
Susan.
Prove
you’re with me now.”

“I
am
with you, John,” she said, desperately. “But we don’t have to kill Susan. I’ll talk to her; I’ll get her onside.”

“
Do it!
” he barked.

Frantic, she looked from him to the safety rail. Could she push him over? It was so close.

“Don’t even
think
it,” he shouted as he held the naked flame of the oil lamp up high. A whoosh of flames ran up the petrol-soaked sail cloth.

Jess jumped back in shock.

“It’s your
own
fault.” Langhurst’s voice was hard now. “When you told me how Ellen recorded everything so neatly in her schedule, I
knew
you had the diary. I tried to get it back without hurting you. I made sure you were at breakfast before Roberts searched your room. Remember? I rang you?”

Her heart quickened as his hand tightened around the gun. She looked up at the flames spreading across the sails, lighting up the sky. “
Why
, John?
Why
take bribes from the Chinese? You don’t need their money. surely?”

“Oh, but I do, Jessica. For my election campaign. You see, once I’m elected to the seat of Flinders, I’ll soon become party leader. Then, in time, Prime Minister.”

“
You? Prime Minister?
”

A loud crack sounded. The rigging and a flaming sail came crashing to the ground, igniting the deck.

Jess jumped away from the scorching flames, and rushed to the door to get Susan.

But Langhurst blocked her way.

“
Susan!
” she screamed.

Suddenly, in the smoke and confusion, a figure jumped onto the deck. “
Drop the gun, Langhurst!
”

Tom!
Jess stumbled as the yacht rocked about. An arm grabbed her round the throat from behind; the barrel of a gun dug into her temple.

“Don’t move,” Langhurst shouted at Sangster, “or I’ll kill her.”

Sangster stood still. “Let her go, John. There’s been enough killing. You can’t get away.”

“Throw the gun on the floor, Inspector, and kick it away.”

“
No, Tom!
” Jess choked as smoke enveloped them. “He’ll kill you.”

“I’ll kill her if you don’t.” Langhurst gripped her throat tighter to shut her up, and dragged her back from the flames creeping along the burning deck.

Still Sangster didn’t move. “We have the diary, Langhurst. We know you framed Ellen.”

Langhurst’s whole body tensed. “You know nothing.”

“You’re wrong.” Sangster shook his head. “We have your bank account, with 20 million dollars the Chinese paid
you
to get them the deal they wanted. And we have a photo of you and Chen at the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. You told me you had no
personal
contact with the Chinese? Everything is done at
official
level, you said. But Ellen caught you both red-handed on camera meeting secretly amongst the crowds.”

Sangster’s words hung in the flaming heat and smoke.

Jess heard a desperate gasp in her ear. Langhurst moved the gun from her temple and pointed it at Sangster. His finger tightened on the trigger.

She pushed his arm upwards.

Unbalanced, Langhurst released his grip on her throat.

She spun round and shoved him hard.

Sangster fired.

The bullet slammed into Langhurst’s forehead. As he fell backwards, his own gun fired.

Excruciating pain seared through Jess. Stumbling sideways, she grabbed the safety rail before toppling over the side. Hanging on grimly, her head spun as she felt her legs sinking into the cold water.

Hands grabbed her. “Hold on, Jess,” Sangster shouted.

“
Susan?
” she whispered, as she started shivering violently. “
Amy.
” She couldn’t breathe.

“Hold on, Jess. I’ve got you.”

Uncontrollable shuddering racked her body. She heard more voices; saw more faces. What was going on? Something pressed against her face.

Exhausted, she sank back, succumbing to the darkness.

Jess struggled to move. Her limbs felt heavy. When she opened her eyes, everything looked a blur through the mist. She could see pale winter light, casting the room in dark shadows. She could make out metal equipment, and the dull gleam of wooden floors.

She could hear women’s voices around her. She blinked and tried to focus. She couldn’t think. Her throat hurt and her mouth felt dry. Then she started to see the room more clearly. She looked down at the starched white sheets. She was lying propped up in a bed, a hospital bed.

Hearing rhythmic breathing, she looked across and smiled. His pale face looked peaceful in the glowing light of the bed lamp as he dozed in the chair next to her. He was so close, she took his hand. “I
knew
you’d come,” she whispered.

Simon jumped and gave her a huge smile. “Thank God you’re all right.” He leant towards her and pushed a stray tendril of hair back from her face with tenderness. “You’ve been shot in the chest. I thought…” He couldn’t finish the sentence.

Then it all came flooding back to her and she struggled to sit up. “
Susan?
”

“Don’t move,” Simon said, trying gently to keep her still. “Susan was shot in the stomach by Roberts. She’s recovering in intensive care, but she’ll be all right.”

“And Tom? Is he all right? He saved us, didn’t he? On the yacht.”

Simon nodded. “He’s fine. He’s down the corridor, with the High Commissioner. We’ve all been waiting for you to come round.”

“The High Commissioner’s here?”

“Yes. He’s on the phone to London, trying to get clearance to waive Nigel’s diplomatic immunity.”

Jess frowned. “Waive his immunity?”

“The Federal Police want Nigel to help them with their investigation.”

“Why?” She tried to sit up again. “What’s he done?”

“Apart from almost getting you killed, you mean?” Simon unclenched his fist, then shook his head. “We’ll talk later; you’re still too weak.”

“No,” she urged. “
Please
Simon. I have to know.”

“All right.” He sighed. “Well, it seems Nigel and Anthony Harris go back a long way. They’ve been friends since their student days at Oxford.”

“
Really?
”

“Yes. Nigel tipped Harris off about that intelligence report. He
knew
the British and Australian authorities were onto the gas deal corruption.
And
he knew the police had found out about Ellen Chambers’ affair with Harris. But the Australian authorities didn’t
tell
Harris they knew about the affair, because they wanted to find out if he was involved in corruption too.”

“I see,” Jess said, wearily.

Simon nodded. “The Head of Australian SIS personally briefed Nigel about it, and specifically asked him not to divulge the information to anyone except the High Commissioner.”

“Are you saying Anthony Harris knew
nothing
until Nigel told him?”

“Exactly.”

“And Nigel actually
gave
Harris a copy of that intelligence report?”

“Yes.”

“
Oh my God!
” Jess started coughing.

Simon jumped up and held a glass of water to her lips.

She took a sip and swallowed.

“You need to rest now,” he said.

“No! Please keep going, Simon. I
am
okay.”

He sighed again. “Remember that phone call Nigel took when we were in his office on Monday morning?”