Smoking Gun (Adam Cartwright Trilogy Book 1)

by Dennis Debney

  Toni Swan answered hesitantly as though she was reconsidering what she should reveal to me. “Well, at first they tried to maintain the fiction about an anonymous informant. But that fell over when we played the video of them planting the packages. Then, after two days of ‘no comment’ they came up with the most bizarre explanation of all. They now claim that they were sent the packages by an anonymous informant who said that he had stolen them from the under-floor locker on board your yacht. In a fit of remorse he surrendered them to D I Hargreaves who then decided to return them from where they had been taken. Hargreaves then claimed it would have served the cause of justice for them to be discovered on your yacht.”

  I was flabbergasted. Hargreaves had already demonstrated that he was not making logical decisions, but this story was truly a sign that he was on the verge of mental instability.

  She watched me silently process what she had just told me before adding. “Yes, he has crossed the line. His sense of reason is so distorted that he was angry that we did not accept that his explanation was credible. I fear that his mental condition is collapsing to the point that he may not be mentally competent when we bring him to trial.”

  ***

  Friday April 22

  Red Rock Gold Mine

  The Opening Ceremony for the mine would take place today, at eleven a.m., six weeks after my conference call with Toni Swan and her staff at the Crime and Corruption Commission. The closing stages of the project had gone well. Very well in fact. All the production targets had been comfortably achieved which reflected well on the equipment design and manufacture.

  Christine had flown up from Sydney on the previous evening. I had met her at the airport and had driven her to the Mantra Esplanade where we drank coffee and talked until early morning. I stayed the night on ‘Irish Mist’ for the first time in the past two months. The only other occasion that I been back since the fiasco with the planted packages was to make a quick day trip to make sure that everything was in place and secure.

  This morning Christine and I caught one of the many charter flights from Cairns to the mine site carrying the influx of visitors to attend the Opening Ceremony. While we had been waiting at the Cairns airport terminal, Christine looked around at the predominantly male crowd waiting for their flight to Red Rock and asked, “Who are all these people?”

  I glanced around and replied, “Well, the important looking persons being trailed by acolytes, similar to pilot fish trailing sharks, are politicians who are here for a photo opportunity. The guys moving around, working the crowd and swapping business cards, are equipment suppliers here to advertise their involvement in a successful project. The bored looking individuals are probably members of the Media resenting that they have been sent out to the back of nowhere for the day as a punishment that they didn’t deserve.”

  Christine laughed, and then added in a quieter voice. “And who is the fellow who has just spotted you and is now heading towards us?”

  I looked up in time to see Ewan Ryan about ten metres away, threading his way through the crowd in our direction.

  Before I had time to respond to Christine he had arrived and thrust out his hand. “Good morning Adam.”

  I grinned and shook his hand. “Good morning, Ewan.” Then turning to Christine I said, “Christine, This is my boss, Ewan Ryan.” Then looking at Ewan Ryan I gestured towards Christine. “Ewan. this is Doctor Christine Moore. A friend of mine from Sydney.”

  Christine smiled and said, “Please call me Christine.”

  As they shook hands Ewan responded, “Please call me Ewan.” Then added ruefully. “Sadly, I’m soon to be Adam’s ex-boss.” He paused, glancing back and forth between Christine and me before adding. “So Adam, I’m guessing that Christine is one of the attractions that Sydney has that Brisbane hasn’t?”

  I glanced at Christine and grinned. “I think that you might say ‘the’ attraction, rather than one of the attractions.”

  Looking at Christine, Ewan Ryan smiled playfully and said in a light hearted manner, so as not to be taken too seriously. “So, Christine, how would you like to come and work in Brisbane?”

  She smiled graciously and shook her head. “Sorry.”

  He shrugged and smiled. Then turning to me he said, “I had hoped to see you before we got to the mine. An old friend, John Segal, we go back to University days, might approach you sometime today. John is CEO of Consolidated Mines of Australia, CMA, and will be at the Opening Ceremony. He is looking for someone to head up their project development and corporate acquisition team at their head office in Sydney. It’s a senior position. One step down from the Board. I told him of your background and your outstanding performance at Red Rock. Much as I regret seeing you go elsewhere I recommended you highly.”

  I felt Christine’s hand briefly tighten on my arm. Glancing at her I saw that she was smiling. I smiled at her in return, before looking back at Ewan Ryan and saying. “Thank you. If he does talk to me, I’ll be interested to hear what he has to say.”

  Ewan clapped me on the shoulder in response and nodded farewell to Christine saying. “I think my plane is now boarding. See you both later.”

  Watching him walk briskly away I said, “Well that was unexpected. Based in Sydney too. Maybe I won’t be unemployed for long after all.”

  Christine laughed. “As if that was likely.”

  ***

  Light refreshments had been set up in the workers’ dining room at the mine site when we arrived. It was functioning as a collection area for visitors to wait in the shade. Later we would walk about a hundred metres to the rows of plastic chairs lined up in front of a podium that had been set up by the Processing Plant. It was ten o’clock when Christine and I arrived at the dining room. We had forty five or so minutes before we needed to start walking across to witness the Opening Ceremony.

  The previous weeks had been a succession of saying farewells to fellow workers. Most of those that were still on site approached me and Christine to be introduced and to say farewell. It was that anti-climatic moment in the life of a project where there are no more clearly identifiable goals to be achieved. It was like struggling and risking everything to get to the top of a mountain, and then when you achieve the peak, you suddenly ask yourself why. We all felt it to one degree or another. I was glad that Christine was there with me, otherwise I might have felt rudderless.

  Feeling a little deflated or not, everyone was friendly and upbeat. Leonie Wran, Tony Payne, Lex Robertson and Heino Pops all sought us out and had kind words to say. As did Derek Crowther and Phil O’Brien. As we walked across to the seating area for the ceremony, Christine squeezed my arm and said, “It was like I was royalty. Everyone wanted to meet me….”

  I interrupted and said, “That was because you are the most beautiful and elegant woman here today. Who wouldn’t want to meet you.”

  Christine tugged on my arm and said, “Thank you for your compliment, kind sir, but if you will let me finish… And they all wanted to tell me how much you were respected and admired by everyone here.”

  I was suddenly at a loss for words. And said nothing.

  The Opening Ceremony consisted of rather long-winded speeches by both Members of Parliament, State and Federal, followed by the Chairman of Red Rock Gold Mine Limited who cut a ribbon and remotely switched on the plant. Almost immediately after the ceremony was concluded we were approached by a tanned, fit looking man in his fifties who enquired whether I was Adam Cartwright. When I confessed to my identity he smiled and held out his hand. “Pleased to meet you. I’m John Segal.” Then turning towards Christine he smiled and added. “And you must be Doctor Christine Moore from Sydney.” Seeing us exchange glances he chuckled and explained, “Ewan Ryan pointed you out to me and said who you were.”

  Looking back at me, John Segal continued. “I understand that Ewan has explained that I am looking for someone to oversee CMA’s project development and corporate acquisition activities. I understand that you plan to be in Sydney within the
next few weeks. If you are interested in hearing more why don’t you call me when you arrive in town and we can have a discussion over lunch.”

  I nodded. “Yes. I’d like that.”

  John Segal smiled and said, “Good. I’ll give you my business card. Give me a call a couple of days in advance.” Then extracting a business card from his wallet he handed it to me and added. “For your information, Ewan Ryan told me how much you have been paid while Construction Manager. I have to admit that I was surprised that it was so high but he said that you are worth every cent of it. But, if our discussions work out then I would not expect to offer you less than your current salary. It is more likely to be higher. But I have to tell you that there will be a bureaucratic hurdle to clear. All CMA personnel have to score in the top ten percentile of a range of IQ and aptitude tests before they can be offered a position.”

  As he was about to say goodbye he stopped and said, “By the way, Ewan showed me Cartwright’s Cutting and told me the story behind it. I am very impressed.”

  I was puzzled. “Cartwright’s Cutting?”

  John Segal blinked in surprise. “You don’t know? There’s a sign by the cutting through the saddle to the north. It says, ‘Cartwright’s Cutting’.”

  For a moment I did not know how to respond. My hesitation gave Christine the chance to take the initiative. She grabbed my arm and said, “Come on, Adam. Let’s go and have a look.”

  As soon as John Segal left, Christine and I walked across towards the cutting. I could see a sign fixed to a post near the cutting but was not yet close enough to read it when Jack Gilmore and Ted Brennan jogged up to join us. They both had big grins. Jack called out when he was still a few metres away. “So, you’ve heard about the sign. What a pity, I was looking forward to telling you myself.” Still grinning he held out a hand to Christine. “Hi, I’m Jack Gilmore and that is Ted Brennan. We know who you are. It’s our great pleasure to meet you at last, Christine.”

  Ted stepped forward and also shook Christine’s hand. Then they both led her to the sign. It was a large professional-looking notice in large black letters on a white background proclaiming ‘Cartwright’s Cutting’. The sign was painted on steel and bolted to a steel post concreted into the rock. Whoever put it there intended it to stay there.

  My first response was to stand looking at the sign, grinning and shaking my head. Then I raised my hands in the air and gave a muted cry. “Yes. I’m famous at last.”

  We all laughed.

  After ten minutes or so of friendly banter Christine and I left, hand in hand, to walk up Lookout Hill. We were due to fly back to Cairns in about an hour’s time. Christine had to fly back to Sydney the next day as she had to be back on duty on Sunday as she had swapped a shift in order to have Friday off and make the trip to Red Rock.

  Standing on the top of Lookout Hill, Christine and I looked down at the rest of the world going about its business below us. The Red Rock Gold Mine had been officially opened. The speeches were over and the photo opportunities had either been taken or were lost. It was now time for gossip and networking. The gathering had lost its sense of purpose. Or perhaps it would be better to say that its purpose had been fulfilled and the residual gathering, now lacking something to justify its existence, had degenerated into a meaningless cocktail party type collection of people.

  After a few minutes silently scanning the complete panorama Christine’s eyes came back to settle on the crowd gathered around the refreshment tables. Tucking her arm back under mine, she asked in a contemplative voice. “Adam, what do you think of functions like today’s Opening Ceremony?”

  I was silent for a moment before answering. I did not spend any time wondering about why she had asked the question, I opted instead to express the thoughts that had passed through my mind during the various self-serving speeches and the largely meaningless ritual of cutting the ribbon and turning the switch to start the plant operating. “I felt like I was in an episode of the Twilight Zone. We were all gathered together, suitably dressed for an important occasion, pretending that the turning of the switch to start the plant had any meaning. I know that it was a symbolic gesture but it was as though we were all pretending that the plant had not been running for more than five weeks already. It’s not like the launching ceremony for a boat. Now, that would have real significance.” I hesitated momentarily before deciding to continue relating the thoughts that had occurred to me. It was something that I had wanted to say before but didn’t know how to broach the subject. “Today’s function reminded me of an all too frequent ceremony in today’s world. An elaborate wedding ceremony for two people who have been living together for some time. The couple now want everyone to pretend that the wedding ceremony was something more than just an opportunity for the bride to wear an expensive dress and for the couple to be the centre of attention for the day. The guests are expected to pretend that the ceremony marks one of the most significant moments in the couple’s lives. The point when they make the transition from a life as an individual to a life as part of a couple. As far as I can understand they had squandered their once in a lifetime chance to have such a special day. As an occasion to mark a unique milestone in their lives, it is a pretence. A sham. Just like today’s Opening Ceremony.”

  I turned and looked at Christine. She stood still, silently staring at me for an extended moment before squeezing my arm gently and saying in a quiet voice. “Adam, for such a well-informed, modern man you have some old fashioned principles.” Then with tears glistening in her eyes she said, “I could not have expressed it better. I agree with absolutely everything that you have just said.”

  ***

  Monday May 2

  Hotel Jen, Brisbane

  It was ten days since the Opening Ceremony for the Red Rock Gold Mine. I lay in bed for a few minutes after I awoke contemplating the day ahead. Today was the first work day, in more than five years, that I was actually unemployed. In the past, ever since I was first engaged as a construction engineer by Gibson Construction, I had been fortunate enough to have a new contract in place when the current one was completed.

  The previous week had been spent wrapping up Red Rock Project matters and checking the as-built plans at the head office of Gibson Construction in Brisbane. Curiously, many of the Gibson employees who had been less than friendly towards me previously, were now quite the opposite. It seems that once I had resigned that they saw me as no longer being a competitor for status in the organisation. Or perhaps in light of the rumour going around that I was off to a big job with CMA, they thought that I might be a good business contact to have. Especially Tom Barton who was almost fawning in his attempts to be friendly.

  On my last day, Ewan Ryan took me out to a convivial lunch. At least with him I did not feel that he might be cultivating me as a future business contact as CMA’s CEO, John Segal was a close friend.

  Today was the day of the Coercive Hearing at which I would be interrogated. I was looking forward to telling my tale and hopefully putting it all behind me. Even though the persons responsible for the attacks on me were known, there was not the evidence available to convict them. I still felt like I was walking around with a target on my back. For the first time in my adult life, my work was not my top priority. There had been a moment when I was standing on Lookout Hill talking to Christine, after the Red Rock Opening Ceremony, that I had sensed the moment was right to talk about marriage. But, the thought of inviting her into the danger zone prevented me.

  The upcoming Coercive Hearing had stimulated my thoughts about the attacks on me and how, on the balance of probabilities, they must be linked to the Mount Godwin robbery and murders.

  Several times during the night I had woken to find myself thinking about the possible links between me and the robbery. Now that I was awake I made a decision. I would do what I should have done right at the outset. I would apply the rigorous logic of engineering problem solving to the matter at hand.

  When faced with an engineering problem I us
ually managed to convince myself that if a solution existed then I could find it. The next step was to assume that a solution actually did exist which, of course, meant that I would find it. This process worked well for me. It was all based on confidence. A self-belief that I could do it.

  Now that I had made the decision, time had become critical. Glancing at the clock, I saw that I had almost four hours before I was scheduled to attend the Commission’s Hearing at ten. I would forgo my usual early morning run along the Brisbane River and through the Botanical Gardens.

  Fifteen minutes later I was showered and sitting at the desk with a coffee in hand. I was staying at the Hotel Jen, next door to the Roma Street train station and transport hub. I stayed here often. I liked its handy location and buffet breakfasts. Plus of course the Nespresso coffee maker and coffee capsules provided in each room.

  Extracting a notebook from my briefcase I started jotting down notes. The key to solving an engineering problem, that had resisted initial attempts to find a solution, was to challenge all assumptions that had been made. This was not as easy as it seems because I needed to decide what was actually a fact and what had been deduced, or assumed, to be a fact.

  It is human nature for humans to jump to conclusions and accept them as facts. It is in our DNA. Without this leap to judgement, mankind probably would not have survived and reacted to danger before it was too late. But in logical decision making it can lead to mistakes.

  At the top of the page I wrote, ‘Previous Assumptions’ and underlined it. It was easy to start the list. When Peter Williams had been describing the known facts regarding the robbery, he had used the word assumed three times. So the first three items in the list of ‘Previous Assumptions’ were:

  Stolen gold transported to air strip in supervisor’s vehicle.

  Stolen gold removed from mine site by plane.

  Harry Hawsall assumed to be in Townsville.