Scorpio's Lot (6 page)

Forbes decided to try a different
tack. ‘Mrs Scanlan, you have a gate on your rear boundary fence which leads
directly to the scene of yesterday’s tragedy. Is it kept locked when not in
use?’

‘Heavens, that gate is
permanently locked and probably hasn’t been opened in years. The old lock is
rusted and goodness knows where the key is now.’

‘Just one last thing. When is
your husband due home?’

‘Kevin said he’ll be back in time
for dinner tonight. Does he need to contact you?’

‘No, not necessary. Well, thank
you for your time, Mrs Scanlan, and here’s my card should you need to contact
me,’ Forbes concluded.

~ * ~

Martha
Kellett, their final call in this trio of residents, happened to be in her yard
doing some gardening when she spotted the detectives walking toward her.

‘Miss Kellett, please excuse our
intrusion but we’re investigating the death of Jake Reynolds and you’re on
record as being a witness to this incident,’ commenced Forbes, flashing his
badge and introducing Marsh.

‘Yes, that’s correct, but I’ve
already given the details to Sergeant Burke.’

‘We’re aware of that, but we also
need to hear your story, given the grave nature of this case. Detective Marsh
and I have been given the responsibility of heading this investigation. Senior
Sergeant Whittaker’s men are at our disposal in a supporting capacity.’

Martha Kellett reiterated what
she had told the sergeant yesterday, being careful not to omit any part she had
witnessed from her lounge room window. Her detailed brief was clear and
precise.

‘Thank you for your attention to
detail, and in particular for knowing the exact time of the tragedy,’ said
Forbes with an air of approval.

‘It’s not easy, detective. Given
the choice, I would prefer not to have been a witness. Is there any news on
Brigit O’Neill’s condition?’

‘Apparently stable, so we hope to
interview her in a day or two. Miss Kellett, I have some questions. Did you see
any other people in the vicinity of the cliff when the ground collapsed?’

‘Not from my window.’

‘Does this same room have a
window overlooking the caravan park?’

‘Yes, but if you’re implying that
I saw people in the park, then the answer is no,’ Martha replied.

‘Were you home on Friday night?’

‘Yes. I sat and watched
television for the evening and was in bed by eleven.’

‘Do you ever use the gate on your
boundary fence adjacent to the cliff and beach area?’ asked Marsh.

‘Yes, occasionally, but it’s kept
locked when not in use. Why? Is there a problem I should be aware of?’

‘No, but it is a means of gaining
entry to the cliff side.’

‘That may be so, but I use it
sometimes if I feel like a walk along the beach, which is in the opposite
direction,’ she added dryly.

‘Miss Kellett, how well do you
know your neighbours?’

‘Simon Walters on the far side is
a fine, upstanding person. He’s the local pharmacist, you know. As for Sharon
and Kevin Scanlan, I find them both reasonably pleasant. They moved here around
a year ago and have a daughter living somewhere in town. They tend to keep to
themselves most of the time.’

‘I see you have a gardener
working in the glasshouse. May I take a closer look at your orchids? They’re
spectacular at this time of year. My wife has a passion for growing the
cymbidium variety,’ said Forbes, using this as an excuse to approach the man
handling the bark mixture.

Martha led the two detectives
into the glasshouse.

‘Sam Vaccaro is my full-time
handyman and gardener, whom I can’t do without. My body is not as young as it
used to be, so I leave all the heavy work for him to do.’

‘Yes, the garden is well
maintained. Mr Vaccaro, I’m told you live on this property,’ said Forbes.

‘Yes, in the bungalow at the rear
of the house.’

‘Did you witness or notice anything
unusual regarding yesterday’s incident by the cliff?’

‘No, I slept through the whole
thing. The two-storey house blocks a lot of noise coming from the other side.’

‘And Friday night, did you go
out?’

‘Only to do some shopping for
Martha and I was back here by nine-fifteen. I was in bed by ten o’clock.’

With that, Forbes concluded, ‘We’ve
taken up enough of your time, but please contact me if you remember something.’

Passing out their cards, the two
detectives departed and headed in the direction of Harrison’s Caravan Park.

~ * ~

In
room 127 at Pedley Base Hospital, Brigit O’Neill had regained consciousness.
Doctor Young was on Sunday duty, giving a nurse some instruction regarding
medication while Helen O’Neill sat at a comfortable distance observing the
procedures. With a concerned look, her eyes focused on her daughter sitting up
in bed with her left arm in a sling and some five pillows strategically placed
behind her back for support. Helen’s deep thoughts were suddenly interrupted.
She reacted with a slight jump.

‘Mrs O’Neill, may I have a word
with you outside please,’ said the doctor.

She followed him into an
adjoining room and listened nervously to Brigit’s diagnosis.

‘Your daughter regained
consciousness last night but her condition is still fragile. She had some
internal bleeding, which we now have under control, and there are a number of
deep cuts to both legs that have been taken care of. The humerus bone in the
upper left arm has been fractured, which explains the overhead support you see
above the bed.

‘Mrs O’Neill, please be assured
that we have both the medical expertise and equipment to deal with this in
Pedley, so there’s no need to have her transferred to a city hospital. Given
time, Brigit will make a full recovery but she’s still in shock, and learning
of Jake Reynolds’ fate has not helped her situation. The best advice I can give
at this stage is rest and plenty of it. I anticipate her being in hospital for
the next week, primarily for observation and around-the-clock attention. By all
means see your daughter now but keep the visit brief and not too much talking.’

When Helen returned, the nurse
had just completed transcribing some medical data onto a chart at the end of
the bed. Helen chose a visitor’s chair beside Brigit.

‘All done. I’ll leave you two
alone now,’ said the nurse in a chirpy sort of way.

Helen turned to her daughter, who
looked pale and deteriorated. ‘Brigit, can you hear me?’

Brigit nodded in response.

‘I’ll keep this short. The doctor’s
told me you’ll make a full recovery, which is wonderful news. You need plenty
of rest, so they’ve decided to keep you here for the week. I’ll call in again
tomorrow and bring some fresh clothes and personal things. Take care and do try
to get some sleep.’

Helen O’Neill leaned forward and
kissed her daughter on the cheek. She then arose from her chair and left the
room. It would not be fair to force conversation.

~ * ~

Forbes
and Marsh entered the office of the caravan park and rang the counter bell.
They could hear a distant voice and then the sound of approaching footsteps on
a wooden floor. Emily entered the office to be confronted by two gentlemen who
looked like accountants in their somber, grey-suit attire. With the customary
display of police badges Emily immediately knew otherwise.

Following the introductions,
Forbes asked, ‘Mrs Harrison, is your husband in? We need to speak to both of
you.’

‘Yes, of course. He’s out the
back cleaning the shower block. I’ll go and fetch him.’

With four people now gathered in
the office, the detectives commenced their briefing.

‘The death of Jake Reynolds is
being treated as a murder investigation,’ Forbes began, ‘with Senior Sergeant
Whittaker and his men assisting us in the case. We’ve been given the
responsibility of bringing the guilty party to justice. It’s unfortunate the
crime scene took place on your property, which means the bulk of our initial
enquiries will focus on this immediate area. I therefore ask for your full
support and indeed your perseverance during this time. We will endeavor to
carry out our investigations with a minimum of disruption to your business.
Firstly, would you both give me a rundown on your movements from Friday night
through to Saturday morning.’

‘We spent Friday evening here at
the park,’ I began. ‘My outdoor work was finished around six and I drove
downtown to purchase some washers from the plumbing store. I came back for
dinner about six-thirty. Afterwards I fixed the leaks in the shower block and
then did some reading while Emily did some office work. We were both in bed by
ten. The next morning I was awakened by Sergeant Burke ringing the front door
bell at eight o’clock.’

‘Speaking of which, Burke
informed us you are Brigit O’Neill’s uncle,’ Forbes probed.

‘That is correct.’

And Mrs Harrison, please retrace
your steps yesterday morning.’

‘I was up at seven, showered and
then made myself breakfast. At around seven-thirty there was a bit of commotion
outside so I left the kitchen to see what was happening. I noticed some people
had gathered by the cliffside and then I heard the sound of an approaching
ambulance. At this point I met up with Martha Kellett, our neighbour, who told
me about the tragedy.’

‘We need details on the tenants
who resided here Friday night. They’ll be interviewed shortly so please put
together a list to assist us,’ instructed the detective.

I reached for the book and
proceeded to write. ‘Being winter, there won’t be many names,’ I said. ‘Most
folk can’t handle the cold weather in these parts. Business tends to peak during
the warmer months due to Sapphire Bay.’

I handed the completed list to
Forbes.

~ * ~

‘Not
many tenants,’ he responded. ‘Could you briefly describe these people for us,
Mr Harrison?’

I described each individual, but
with more emphasis on Ruth Evans and Kurt Muller. Perhaps there was a need to
forewarn the detectives about these two for varying reasons.

‘Tell me, do you hire a security
firm to patrol these premises?’ asked Forbes.

‘No, it’s not necessary. We
seldom have trouble.’

‘I believe we’ve covered enough
ground for the moment. Mr Harrison, would you please accompany us to these site
numbers.’

‘Certainly, but I have one
question. Do you have any leads at this early stage?’

‘There is the likelihood that a
local drug syndicate is responsible. Jake Reynolds’ fate was possibly decided
as a result of witnessing the parkland murder on Thursday night. I cannot
elaborate any further at this stage,’ responded Forbes.

I purposely stood in the
background while the two detectives conducted their interviews and stepped
forward only when called upon. Predictably, most tenants offered their full
cooperation, and contrary to my earlier thoughts, the residents felt reassured
in having the police on site. As I expected, Kurt Muller was rude, impatient
and simply had no time for the law. He had the audacity to demand the case be
resolved within three days, to enable life at the park to return to its former
tranquil state.

‘As I’ve already told you,’
grumbled Kurt, ‘I spent some time at the Esplanade Pub and around eleven I went
for a walk by the beach. In the morning the noise from all the commotion woke
me up, so how in the hell can I help you?’