Coral Sea Affair

by Drew Lindsay

Inspector Martin entered the cavern with cautious steps. There was no mistaking the bodies on the ground towards the rear of the labyrinth of black lava rocks. Binda Spencer had seen dead bodies before, but only a few and never hacked up like these two. The dead people she had seen before looked asleep. As she moved closer to these butchered individuals, it was clear from the frozen looks on both faces that they had died in absolute terror.

  Peter Martin slowly shone the search light over each body. He also noted they were both aboriginal and from his own experience of dead bodies, had probably lain in the cave for a day or so.

  The sound of Bobby’s van retreated in the distance but was replaced with soft fluttering sounds in the darkness of the lofty ceiling. Peter shone his torch upward and thousands of leathery wings began to beat wildly as the bats were startled by the brilliant light. He moved the beam down to the cavern floor.

  ‘We have ourselves a very sickening crime scene Binda. Do you know either of these girls?’

  ‘Yes,’ said Binda softly. Glistening tears rolled down her ebony cheeks. The little one is Koorine Burton. The other is her Mum, Oola. They live out near Hope Vale but work for Mrs. Jerome down Quarantine Road.’

  Peter nodded slowly. ‘They don’t live near Hope Vale any more I’m afraid. They’ve upset someone quite badly by the look of things.’

  ‘I can’t understand,’ said Binda in a hushed voice. ‘These two didn’t cause trouble. They just cleaned for Mrs. Jerome and everyone loved them.’

  ‘Apparently not everyone,’ said Peter Martin grimly. ‘We’ve compromised the crime scene to some extent, walking up close to the bodies, as well as that little girl falling over them, so our next move will be to exit exactly the same way we came in. Touch nothing. I want Ruth out here as soon as possible. We’re going to need Harry up from Cairns on this one. Double homicide.’

  ‘Scientific?’

  ‘Yep. I’ll call Wal. I want this place photographed top to bottom, especially the dirt on the floor around the bodies. Then Ruth can do her thing. Can you ring her again and I’ll get on the mobile to Harry.’

  Binda nodded and carefully backed away from the grim scene. Peter Martin followed, thankful to reach the cavern entrance and the embrace of sunlight and fresh air. Back at their police vehicle Binda used her mobile phone to call Ruth Cruise. Peter Martin used his mobile to call the Cairns Detectives office.

  The man he wanted answered the phone. ‘Detective Keller.’

  ‘Harry. It’s Peter Martin. We got two deadens up here at Black Mountain. Nasty double homicide mate. Very nasty.’

  ‘Jesus Peter! Lousy timing. The bride’s got stuff planned. She’s going to spew.’

  ‘Won’t be the first time. Can you hop a flight today?’

  ‘You got the offender?’

  ‘No. We got nothing at the moment. No motive, no suspect, no witnesses and a little girl fell over the bodies so the crime scene is contaminated to some extent.’

  ‘Bloody hell Peter. You don’t need me. You need a damn miracle worker.’

  ‘Can you brief the Regional Crime Coordinator and I’ll get something on the system by this evening.’

  ‘Yeah Yeah. Are the deadens white?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Oh perfect. Why couldn’t they have been white? Everyone will be going ape.’

  ‘Harry, I need you up here.’

  ‘OK. OK, but you can call Sharon and explain why you’re dragging me out of the dinner party tonight and I’d be wearing bloody ear plugs during that conversation if I was you.’

  ‘Alright, I’ll text her.’

  ‘Like hell you will. You call her. She’s going to cane your arse Peter.’

  ‘This is a nasty one Harry. I need to move on this quickly.’

  Detective Inspector Darryl Keller sucked hard on what was left of the hand rolled cigarette poking from the end of his cigarette holder. ‘Alright. I’ll get some stuff together and be right up. I’ll bring Sutcliffe with me. He loves homicides, the sick bastard.’

  ‘I’ll be setting up lights at the scene later and clearing out the bats before Wal and Ruth do their thing.’

  ‘What bats?

  ‘The caverns are full of bats and I’m told some of them bite.’

  ‘I hate those bastards.’

  ‘You hate everything.’

  ‘I love the horses.’

  ‘Only if they win. If they don’t you hate them, their owners, trainers and especially their riders; with a passion.’

  ‘OK, I’ll get up there as soon as I can but we are both in huge trouble with the bride over this.’

  ‘You get caught betting on the nags in your office again by the Cairns OIC and I’d lay bets that Sharon’s temper will be nothing compared to his.’

  ‘You obviously don’t know my wife as well as I thought you did.’

  ‘You should have stayed in Brisbane. She hates the heat up here.’

  ‘But she loves the extra money I earn.’

  ‘To do what with in Cairns?’

  ‘She knows everyone in Cairns! I swear I’ve never been to so many parties in my bloody life.’

  ‘Ring me when you’re about to take off.’

  ‘You ring Sharon right now. OK?’

  ‘Alright Harry.’ The call was terminated.

  ‘Why do you call him Harry?’ Binda walked to the passenger side door of the police vehicle.

  ‘His family and close friends call him Harry. I have no idea why.’

  ‘I thought his name was Darryl?’

  ‘It is, but I would suggest you call him Detective Inspector Keller. He doesn’t know you all that well.’

  ‘I met him last year with that deceased in the rain tank. I don’t think he likes me.’

  Peter pointed to the driver’s seat. ‘I need to make some calls. You take us home.’

  Binda moved around the back of the police vehicle and slid behind the steering wheel. Peter climbed into the passenger seat and slammed the door. ‘And why would you think he doesn’t like you?’

  Binda turned the key and the motor roared. She engaged first gear and eased off the clutch. A cloud of red dust rose as they headed for the highway.

  ‘Something he said?’ asked Peter.

  ‘Never looked at me. Never spoke to me. Totally ignored me.’

  ‘Probably just having one of his days.’

  ‘Ignored me for 3 whole days.’

  ‘He gets these moods….’

  Binda turned right onto the highway towards Cooktown and stamped her foot hard on the accelerator pedal.

  Bobby Gumtree was waiting outside the Cooktown Hospital. Peter Martin approached with Binda close behind. ‘How things go here Bobby?’ asked Peter.

  ‘Dr. Cruise is with the girlie now. That poor kid’s had a dreadful fright. Dreadful.’

  ‘And the others?’

  ‘They say it’s my fault. Say I should have warned them. I did warn them boss. I couldn’t keep my eyes on every one of them.’

  ‘My name is Peter. You call me Peter from now on. Got that?’

  ‘Yes Bo….. Yes Peter.’

  ‘Take them back to their hotel and refund their money. I’ll have the Police Department reimburse you tomorrow.’

  Bobby nodded.

  ‘This is going to blow up big time but I want to get the experts in before the media descend. If the little girl talks, then she talks. You say nothing, OK?’

  Bobby nodded again.

  ‘Alright, I’m going to have a chat with Ruth when she’s free. Can you get the tourists out of here ASAP?’

  Bobby looked confused. Binda made a quick hand signal which Peter Martin didn’t see. ‘Oh sure,’ said Bobby. ‘Like lightning out of here. I get it.’

  Dr. Ruth Cruise was the town’s senior resident GP for Cooktown Hospital. She was also the area Forensic Pathologist. Originally from Melbourne, she had moved to Cairns and thence to Cooktown following t
he painful and drawn out separation and ultimate divorce from a high society neurosurgeon. He claimed she didn’t fulfil his ‘needs’. She claimed he was a narcissist, obsessional, jerk. Fortunately they had no children. Ruth’s parents were dead and her only brother lived somewhere in Europe. She was in her mid 50’s, of medium build and extremely fit from hours of running on a home treadmill and maintaining a whirlwind work schedule. She had short cropped blond hair, fair complexion and a freckled covered nose. In her 30’s and 40’s she was considered stunning, other than by her husband. Now her beauty had matured into the warm elegance which only age produces. She should have looked haggard and worn, having spent hundreds of hours at horrific crime scenes and in air conditioned (and sometimes not air conditioned) morgues. Her demeanour and beauty defied the odds.

  Peter Martin pulled off his hat as he entered the air conditioned hospital. The Quinn and Price families studied him silently from the waiting area. He glanced at them briefly and continued to the admissions desk.

  ‘Hi Peter,’ said the young Aboriginal receptionist.

  ‘Kirra…you’re looking lovely as usual.’

  ‘You are so full of it Mr. Martin silver tongue. Suppose you’re looking for Ruth?’

  He nodded.

  ‘She’ll be out in a moment. In with the girlie from that mob over there. Would you like a cup of tea while you’re waiting?’

  ‘You don’t serve tea. I swear I don’t know how you even got a job here.’

  Kirra laughed loudly, drawing the attention of the waiting families. ‘You got me the job and stop trying to deny it. I know stuff about you Peter Martin.’

  ‘Inspector Martin to you. Show some respect for the badge.’

  Kirra laughed again, her dark face wreathed with smiles. ‘You come on through here and wait out in the prep area. Ruth won’t be long.’

  She buzzed him through a metal and glass security door. Peter winked at Kirra and walked down the linoleum hallway to the prep room. He saw Binda walk through the reception area and stop to chat with Kirra.

  Ruth ushered a young girl, barely 10 years of age, to the waiting room and spoke with her parents for some time. Janice Price looked decidedly unhappy. She held her daughter close and stroked her hair. Bobby Gumtree stood to one side. He looked extremely uncomfortable. Finally, Ruth approached Bobby and had a brief conversation. He left the building quickly. She moved to the admissions counter, nodded at Binda and asked Kirra to arrange two taxies for transportation.

  ‘What was that about?’ asked Peter as Ruth entered the prep room and dropped heavily into a chair. ‘They didn’t want Bobby driving them anywhere. They wanted taxies.’

  ‘The little girl?’

  ‘In shock. Understandable. I’ve arranged a session with her and Roy first thing tomorrow. I’ve said we’ll pay. That OK?’

  ‘Yeah. Yeah.’

  ‘She said that she tripped over two sleeping people in the cave. She said that they were covered with sticky stuff and smelt horrible, like when her cat died under the house last year.’

  ‘We got two dead Aboriginal women,’ said Peter. ‘Binda knows them. Oola Burton and her daughter.’

  ‘God no,’ said Ruth softly. ‘How?’

  ‘Hacked up with an axe by the look of it. Both naked. Both on their backs in the dirt. Both missing their right hands.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Sliced off at the wrist with something heavy and razor sharp. The bones don’t even look splintered.’

  ‘And dragged into a cave at Black Mountain. What’s the significance?’

  ‘No idea Ruth. We’ll have to dig bit by bit from square one. So much for a quiet start to the year. This is going to be a damn nightmare, especially when the press get wind of it.’

  ‘Who knows?’

  ‘The two families if that kid blurts stuff.’

  ‘I don’t think she will just yet. I’ve sedated her actually. The parents know she will be out of it for much of the next 8 hours. Tomorrow will be another story.’

  ‘I’ll be getting Wal to set up for crime scene examination this evening and Harry is also on his way.’

  ‘My day has just sunk into the bog,’ Ruth moaned.

  ‘He’s our chief homicide investigator. He has to be involved. He’s bringing Ian Sutcliffe.’

  Ruth clapped both hands to her head. ‘Not the dynamitic duo. Couldn’t you just give me a paper cut and pour lemon juice over it?’

  ‘Ruth…’

  ‘He’s an obnoxious bore and the only reason Sutcliffe loves a death scene is because he’s probably sussing out all the good ones so he can create a masterpiece of his own.’

  ‘That’s not fair. They have a tough gig up here in the far north. I still don’t know how you handle these situations so calmly.’

  ‘The outside doesn’t always reflect the inside Peter.’

  ‘Obviously not.’

  The two said nothing for a while. Ruth squirmed in her chair. ‘You still bluing with the Missus?’

  ‘What’s that got to do with anything? Who told you that anyway?’

  ‘This is Cooktown Peter. We got less than 2,000 in this town. I even know what type of underdaks you wear.’

  Peter sat up straight and fumbled with the hat on his knees. ‘That’s crap. Sandra and I are getting on just fine, and my underwear is none of your damn business.’

  ‘Don’t puff up your chest at me Mister. This is a tough part of Australia and our jobs are even tougher. No-one wants our jobs, as if you didn’t notice, but our jobs are important.’

  Peter studied her blue eyes. ‘Where is this leading?’

  ‘We got two dead Aboriginal ladies out at Black Mountain. From what you say, someone hacked them to death. They don’t have a voice now. They can’t say who did this to them. They can’t cry for justice.’

  ‘Will you talk sense Ruth?’

  ‘Like all the other horrible crime scenes you and I have worked up here Peter, this one will rob us of just a bit more of ourselves. It will take over our lives. Those around us will also suffer because of what we go through.’

  ‘I think perhaps you should book a session with Roy tomorrow. He’s the best shrink north of Cairns so I hear.’

  ‘Why am I even talking to you? OK, I’m not going to talk to you any more, other than about these two dead girls. Any personal affect their murders have on you or me as we work this case will not be discussed. Are we clear?’

  ‘We’ve never discussed how we personally felt about deaths up here.’

  ‘That’s a damn lie! We’ve got drunk and cried all over each other….’

  ‘What’s gotten into you Ruth?’

  She jumped to her feet and glared at him. ‘Nothing you dumb copper. Nothing!’

  ‘You’ve never called me that before….’

  ‘I’m sorry Peter. I didn’t mean that. It’s been a tough day.’

  ‘I’m afraid it’s going to get somewhat tougher. I need you at the crime scene this evening.’

  Tears were forming in Ruth’s eyes. She turned her back to Peter and wiped them away with her hand. ‘Just give me an hour. I need to go home and get my overalls and stuff.’

  He got up. He felt uneasy. This was not how he usually felt with Ruth. ‘Are you going to be OK?’

  ‘Yep. Sorry. You run along and I’ll be at the Police Station in an hour.’

  ‘Bugger,’ exclaimed Peter. ‘I forgot to ask you to get a DNA sample from that little girl. I’ll need it for elimination.’

  ‘Already done it,’ said Ruth. ‘I’m not just a pretty face you know.’

  ‘I can see that,’ said Peter and he walked down to the reception area.

  Kirra buzzed him out. Binda joined him as he walked down the front steps of the Hospital and climbed into the driver’s seat of the police vehicle.

  Binda slipped into the passenger’s side. She studied his face for a moment. ‘Someone slap you Sir?�
��

  ‘Pardon?’

  ‘You look a bit shell shocked.’

  Peter started the engine. ‘Yeah, it’s been a tough day so far.’

  “****”

  BLACK MOUNTAIN AFFAIR

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