by T. J. Beach
Glenn extracted himself from a conversation with one of the middle-aged helpers. “About time, Gary. What’s so damned important that it couldn’t wait?”
“You’ll find out soon enough. Austin’s in the office?”
Glenn scowled at Debbie. “Hello. You didn’t say you were bringing visitors, Gary. Is it something to do with your contract?”
Hollins ignored the question. He waved to Josh as he barged into Austin’s office.
“Morning, Gary,” Austin said. “I hope you can make this quick. We need to get to Busselton. Oh, hi, Debbie. Good to see you.”
Hollins took one chair at the little coffee table. Debbie took another and put her bag on the floor at her feet.
Glenn burst in behind Hollins.
Josh followed a moment later. He leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, inscrutable behind his aviator sunglasses. Austin pulled his typing chair over to the meeting table. Glenn leaned against the desk behind him.
“Would anyone like coffee or a biscuit?” Austin pulled out the drawer where he kept his snacks — always the attentive host.
They’d see if he felt so generous in a few minutes.
“I’ll get right to it,” Hollins said.
“We’d appreciate it,” Glenn replied.
“You two have been telling porky pies.” Hollins paused for effect.
Austin and Glenn exchanged glances.
“I stood right there.” Hollins poked a finger at the wall next to his chair. “While you two told the police Sophia was on her own when she met Keith Tupaea.”
“She was,” Glenn said.
Hollins continued as if Gloomy Glenn hadn’t opened his mouth. “You fed Detective Sergeant Reilly a load of crap about how she told you afterwards, and you had no idea what might have happened.”
Austin glanced at Glenn, eyebrows raised.
His campaign manager took the cue. “We told the absolute truth.”
“Of course you did.” Hollins threw up his hands in mock relief. “That’s why you had a ten-minute shouting match as soon as Stu left the building.”
Austin gave Hollins a disappointed frown. “I told you. There was a misunderstanding—”
“What the hell is this? What does it matter?” Glenn asked.
“Oh, it’s vital. It’s the root of everything that’s followed. It’s why Keith and Sophia are dead.”
“Gary—” Austin began, but Glenn cut him off.
“I’m not listening to this. Sophia was alone here. The proof’s on your damn camera tapes, for Christ’s sake.”
“It is,” Hollins agreed. “The proof one of you was here — maybe both.”
Glenn snorted. “We don’t have time for this, Austin.”
He made to rise, but the star of Warrior of God waved him down with an outstretched palm and a concerned twitch of the corner of his mouth that Hollins had seen in a dozen episodes. “I think we should hear what Gary has to say.”
The actor playing his part to perfection.
“Sophia walked straight in,” Hollins said.
“Of course she bloody did,” Glenn spluttered. “What else would she do?”
“Unlock the door,” Debbie said.
Glenn and Austin shifted their gaze to the other participant in the meeting.
Debbie cleared her throat. “If she arrived first, she’d have to unlock.”
“She had keys,” Glenn said.
“But she didn’t use them.” Hollins took up the reasoning in the mildest, most matter-of-fact tone he could manage. “The door was already unlocked. It’s really clear in the video. We’ve got it cued up on a laptop if you’d like to see.”
She reached for her bag.
Austin leaned forward, curious, but Glenn pulled him back, saying, “That won’t be necessary. It’s irrelevant. We all know the tape also shows that no one else came into the office.”
“Not through the front door, but half of Bell’s Landing could have come through the back door from the alley, the way you guys come into the office.”
Austin leaned back in his chair, frowning.
Glenn clenched his fists, ready to argue the toss.
Hollins snapped his fingers. “Oh, that’s right, half of Bell’s Landing couldn’t have come through the back door because they don’t have the keys!”
Austin flashed a worried glance to Glenn.
“Who’s got keys, boys?” Hollins asked.
“Sophia had them, for a start.” Glenn spat the words. “This is bullshit. Get out of here. I’m not taking this from you.”
“Who was here? Which one of you? Or was it both?”
Glenn stood up. He pointed to the door. “I will not have you accuse Austin of lying in his own office. This is slanderous, insubordinate rubbish. Out now!”
Hollins looked at Debbie. She nodded.
He took that as agreement to go for the jugular. “Something happened in that meeting that sparked two murders. At least one of you was here, and you’ve lied about it. I think you’re lying about the meeting afterwards, as well. Either it didn’t happen, or it went down very differently from how you told Detective Sergeant Reilly.”
“No. It went exactly as we said.” Glenn stuck out his jaw.
“Austin, you said Sophia was supportive, understanding, and yet she went around to Harry Vickers and made a deal of some sort. She went to Derek Loughnan and the other dirty scumbags in that photo as well, for all I know. She also came to my cabin and spent an hour trying to persuade me to stop you from meeting Keith. She was desperate to keep him away from you.”
Austin’s shoulders dropped. “No. No, it wasn’t like that.”
“She wanted him out of the way so much that she put a belt around his neck and pulled it tight.”
“No. I won’t have it. How dare you, Gary?” Austin slammed his palms down on the table, just like D’Arcy Shawcross in at least one episode of every series. “Harry Vickers killed Keith Tupaea.”
“He hasn’t been charged with murder,” Hollins said.
“He hasn’t?” Austin floundered for a moment but regrouped. “The belt, the murder weapon. They found it at Harry’s house.”
“Did they?” Hollins asked.
Austin frowned at Glenn as if seeking confirmation. “Yes. The police announced it.”
“No. You’re wrong there. They did find it—”
“There, like I said. Harry—”
“The police haven’t revealed what they found at Harry’s house. Stu Reilly told me privately it was the belt that killed Keith. Publicly, the police have only announced they removed items after a search.” Hollins paused for effect. “How did you know it was the belt?”
“Well … I don’t know … Detective Reilly must have told us, as well.” Austin looked to Glenn for support, but his campaign manager shook his head. Austin’s brows furrowed in a glare.
The candidate and his campaign manager were falling out. Precisely as Hollins had expected. He hid his satisfaction by going in for the kill. “That proves you knew that Sophia killed Keith Tupaea and tried to shift the blame to Harry by planting the murder weapon.”
“No.” Austin’s hands went to his head. “She couldn’t have.”
“And you were so incensed when you realised what had happened — how was that? Was it the belt? Was it you who hid it at Harry’s, Austin, or did Sophia tell you she’d put the belt there?”
“Gary! No, I—” Austin beseeched him, his hands spread.
Hollins hadn’t seen that on Warrior of God, which meant he’d rattled the actor into being himself, plain old Joe Singleton who took advantage of Wendy Tupaea at Jetty Autos all those years ago. It made the next bit all the sweeter.
“You were so enraged that your beloved Soph had murdered your son, that you had her killed.”
The desk rocked as Glenn jumped to his feet. “Out! I’ll ruin you for this.” He gestured to the M&M man. “Josh, get these two out of here.”
The chocolate man’s cheek twitched. Nothin
g else, not a word, not a hint of reaction behind those pretentious, wannabe sunnies until he took a single deliberate step away from Hollins and Debbie to block the exit door.
Glenn sat down so hard the computer screen rocked on the desk. He stabbed his finger at Josh. “I’ll destroy you, as well.”
Hollins pushed for a reaction. “She lied to you, Austin, didn’t she? She played you for a fool. Did she even love you? You broke up a few months ago. It was in all the papers. How did she weasel her way back into your bed? She got you involved in this political stunt, promised you the world, a kickstart to your career, and she wasn’t going to let anything get in the way.”
Austin sank over the table, breaking eye contact.
The coward.
“But, Gary, you can’t possibly think …” he said. “I loved her. You know I loved her. I was in the car with her when … We were singing. So happy.”
“I’ve got to hand it to you. You’re an incredible actor.”
Austin’s eyes flicked up, filled with anger that he shook away. His hand went to his forehead.
Yet another standard D’Arcy Shawcross move. The guy couldn’t help himself.
“This is ridiculous. Keith was still alive when Sophia died. Hell’s teeth, it could have been Keith who killed her, by accident trying to hit me. I don’t know what’s got into your head, but you’ve got it wrong.”
“Ah, yes. The text message.” Hollins glanced at Debbie, who rolled her eyes theatrically. “Just one problem with that. It came from Keith’s phone, all right, but it was sent shortly after Sophia was shot. Keith was covered in dirt in Ludlow Tuart Forest at the time. The killer sent it.”
Austin rocked back in his chair.
“You sent it, didn’t you?” Debbie asked.
“No.” It came out as a desperate whisper.
“What was that, Austin?” Hollins asked. “I didn’t catch it. It’s all an act with you, isn’t it? Another brilliant performance. You put yourself out as the man of the people, everyone’s pal, an ear for every problem, nothing’s too much trouble, but there’s a hard edge you keep hidden.”
Austin stirred.
“You don’t like people to see it, but there’s violence in you. You know about guns. Don’t deny it. It’s there for everyone to see. That Warrior of God episode where D’Arcy grabs the deserter’s pistol and takes him out.”
“But …” Austin raised an eyebrow in confusion.
“Or the one where he sneaks a rifle out of the police station and shoots the bad guy from three hundred metres. Where did you learn to do that, eh?”
Austin shook his head. “It’s a TV show. I haven’t a clue about firearms. They show you what to do.”
Hollins tensed involuntarily. He had Austin just where he wanted him, but the edifice he’d built on the spark of inspiration watching re-runs the night before, his house of cards, would stand or fall on the next answer. “Who showed you how to do it?”
Austin turned a despairing, wide-eyed ‘save me’ look at Glenn.
The campaign manager held his gaze but offered no escape.
“Was it colonel whatever, the military adviser?” Hollins asked.
Austin shook his head.
“No? How silly of me. I bet it was the armourer, wasn’t it? The guy who looks after the explosives and the weapons and keeps everyone safe. The guy on set who knows firearms back to front.”
Austin’s jaw dropped.
“I watched a lot of re-runs of Warrior of God last night. Dozens,” Hollins said.
Austin shut his eyes and pressed the bridge of his nose with his fingers.
“I’m getting hooked on it. Last night, at frigging ten o’clock, when I was completely stuffed, I noticed something in the credits. I checked back three seasons. It took me another two bloody hours. The armourer on Warrior of God was Glenn Braithwaite.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
“GLENN’S A MAN of many talents. He was a Warrior of God script editor, but he doubled up as the armourer,” Hollins said.
Austin nodded. “But …”
“Glenn’s a firearms expert.”
The campaign manager crossed his arms. “Where are you going with this?”
“The sort of guy who knows how to hit a moving target with a sniper rifle. Knows how easy the shot was as we slowed to make that turn.”
“Glenn?” Austin asked.
The campaign manager flared. “This is total bullshit.”
“Do you own a rifle?” Hollins asked
“Of course I do!”
“A New Ultra Light Arms Model 40?”
Glenn glared.
Hollins waved it away. “Of course you don’t. Not any more. You left it under the tree after you’d fired at me. Keith Tupaea was going to ruin Austin’s campaign. No one would look at a political operative who couldn’t get a TV star elected. Your last big chance was going tits-up like all the others. You lured Keith Tupaea to a meeting. I’m guessing you tried to talk him out of searching for his father, maybe tried to pay him off, but he wasn’t buying, so you strangled him with your belt and buried his body in the Ludlow Forest. But Sophia knew all about your meeting. She could finger you if someone found Keith’s body, so she had to die.”
Austin sucked in a sharp breath.
“Who opened the office the day Keith met Sophia?” Hollins asked.
Glenn pursed his lips.
“Was it you, Austin?”
The actor glared at his campaign manager and trusted friend. “No. I was with you, Gary, on the way to Busselton for a breakfast meeting.”
Hollins snorted. “Shit, I’d forgotten that. Who had keys?”
“Sophia and Glenn.”
“I’m not listening to this.” Glenn made to rise, but Josh shook his head, and Glenn dropped back onto the desk.
“Debbie?” Hollins asked.
“Yes?”
“Do you remember Glenn’s reaction when he found out there were security cameras on the wall outside?”
“It was a nasty shock to him.”
“That’s how I remember it. Austin knew the cameras were there, but he hadn’t mentioned it to Glenn. I thought Glenn must have been horrified because he knew Chopper and his mate had been caught red-handed, but it wasn’t that, was it, Glenn?”
The campaign manager crossed his arms and scowled.
“Remember how keen Glenn was to get the original recordings?” Hollins asked.
“I do,” Debbie said.
“He wanted to obliterate all evidence of Keith Tupaea visiting this office, but then he looked at the pictures and realised he could use it to cover his tracks. You weren’t here that time, Deb, but I can tell you Glenn couldn’t wait to get the police to look at the security camera tapes again.”
“I bet.” Debbie played the straight man with aplomb — as slick as the other actors in the room.
“Glenn?” Austin asked. “You were with Soph! Why did you lie to me?”
“Because meeting Keith with Sophia put him in the frame for Keith’s murder,” Hollins explained. “He wanted people to believe Sophia was alone with Keith, as his backup if the police didn’t fall for the Harry Vickers set-up. Austin? Who told you the police found the belt at Harry’s house?”
“Glenn.”
“Bullshit! We heard it from Reilly. Or the news.”
“When Stu Reilly first interviewed you about Sophia’s murder, Austin, you raised the theory Keith committed suicide, didn’t you?” Hollins asked.
Austin nodded sadly.
“Who put that idea in your head?”
“Glenn.”
“This is insane.” The campaign manager raged at Hollins. “You’re twisting everything.” Then turned on Austin. “It wasn’t like that. It was your idea!”
“I have to be honest,” Austin said. “Glenn brought up Keith, and I jumped to the conclusion, so — strictly speaking — it was me who wanted to blame Keith.”
“But Glenn fed you the line,” Hollins said.
A
ustin nodded.
“Same with the SMS message?”
Another nod. Austin shifted his chair and turned it to face his campaign manager, joining the prosecution.
“You don’t believe this, do you?” Glenn roared. “He’s making it all up.”
“Did you get all that, Deb? Glenn was at the meeting. Glenn’s a firearms expert. Glenn pointed the finger at Keith. Glenn knew about the belt before the police mentioned it. Glenn and the tapes.”
She nodded.
“It’s all circumstantial crap. Pure coincidence,” Glenn said.
“But it adds up, mate.” Hollins shook his head. “And there’s more.”
“For God’s sake!” Glenn threw his hands up.
“Partly it’s my own fault,” Hollins said. “I told Stu half the state knew the schedule, so anyone could work out we’d be on the Yallingup road at that time. But Glenn changed the plan to bring us back to Bell’s Landing for the ABC interview. If we’d stuck to the published schedule, we’d have been in Gracetown. We’d have taken a completely different route to Yallingup. So, the only ones who knew we’d drive through that turn were me, Glenn, Sophia and Austin.”
Austin gasped.
“And the car,” Hollins said.
“What car?” Glenn slammed his fist on the desk.
“The white SUV seen after Sophia was shot. Your hire car is a white SUV, isn’t it?”
“He’s losing his mind.” Glenn appealed to Austin. “I took my car in for the police check. They cleared it. You can’t have forgotten!”
“No. That’s true.” Austin frowned.
Hollins chuckled. “We all remember. You made a fuss about it when the police made the announcement.”
“There, you see? This is slander.”
“Which car did you have checked?”
Glenn bared his teeth.
“Austin?” Hollins asked.
“Yes.”
“Glenn wasn’t around the day after Sophia was killed.”
“No.”
“Where did he go?”
“A strategy meeting in Perth. The party called him up to discuss how we’d respond to the tragedy.”
Hollins snapped his fingers. “That’s right.”
“You can check with the APP,” Glenn said.
