STRANGE BODIES (a gripping crime thriller)

by Antonia Marlowe

  Marcus stood and walked over to the coffee pot and poured two cups. He handed one to Nicholas, sat, drank some coffee then continued.

  ‘Let me just say what happened to Verity in the hands of that fucking creature is …’

  Nicholas could see the rage building in him again and reached out for his coffee, clattering the spoon, and, hoping to distract Marcus, said, ‘I don’t know what to say. I’m guessing from what you haven’t said that he mistreated her physically, and quite badly.’

  Marcus’ colour subsided. He said quietly, ‘Fortunately I had someone close by watching over her. The day after he was found shot in New York, my watcher found her half dead. They had to operate on her, but it’s the mental scars that took so long to heal.’ He took out a handkerchief and dabbed under his eyes.

  ‘I love those girls. We never had children but I’ve always felt they are all as much my children as if they were born to Elizabeth and me. After she came out of hospital, Amy took her to New York and they stayed with Adelaide for a few months.’

  ‘Amy? Do you mean Amy Lightfoot? My sergeant knows her too. I gather they grew up together in Scotland. I met her at Miss Browne’s place.’

  ‘Yes, that Amy. Fortunately she and Adelaide hit it off and when Verity was ready to move on, Adelaide offered her a job and she jumped at it. I was sorry to lose her but happy she was staying in the family, as it were.’

  Both men sat in silence for a minute after Marcus finished speaking.

  ‘I almost wish you hadn’t told me all this,’ said Nicholas eventually. ‘I feel as though I’ve intruded on her privacy somehow.’

  Marcus said fiercely, ‘If he hadn’t died that night, he would have died very soon after.’

  ‘Don’t tell me that. I’m still a copper, Marcus.’

  ‘Ah, well, it’s maybe just wishful thinking now, hindsight talking.’

  ‘How do I deal with this? I don’t know … has she had professional help?’

  ‘Yes, she was seeing one of the top people here for a couple of years, I believe. She came straight to Sydney where I had a job and a therapist lined up for her. The complete change was good for her and she bought that house from me … wouldn’t let me give it to her, then threw herself into redesigning it from top to bottom. It’s an astonishing place. Simple, but full of surprises.’

  ‘Nicholas, I told you all this because I think you may be the one to get through to Verity. In spite of all you’ve seen and done in your job, you have a gentle soul and a generous heart. I know all about your late wife, and I also know how you cared for your mother during the last, lost years of her life.’

  ‘I don’t know whether to thank you or curse you, Marcus. You’ve given me two heavy burdens today, wealth and sorrow. Sorrow for Verity. And a smidgen of hope, too, I must admit. I’ll try one step at a time and hope she will learn to trust me. The money, I won’t even think about that yet. All of the income coming to me from my father’s trust fund goes to charities. I am quite comfortable now on the very generous salary I’m paid.’

  ‘You might consider buying a house, Nicholas—I strongly recommend it. And I would also suggest you supervise every step of the security arrangements if you do so. In fact I would get Verity to do that.’

  ‘What are you telling me or rather, not telling me? Is my apartment bugged? Don’t be ridiculous. Why on earth … ?’

  ‘No, it probably isn’t, but have it swept occasionally, is my advice. This is a society that takes the security of its citizens very, very seriously. The benefits are huge but we have to sacrifice some personal privacy. I’ll say no more … even here.’ He looked around the room and Nicholas could have sworn even he looked a little apprehensive.

  ‘This day just gets more and more confusing. And now I’d better get back to work.’

  ‘I’ll have to take you. The system is security coded to me and to Gray only.’ He slid up a small panel next to the elevator door and pressed his thumb on a concealed button. After giving his own name and ID number he asked Nicholas to speak. He slid the panel down then said, ‘Nick, my boy, you are now in. Take us down!’ He whispered in a conspiratorial voice, ‘Don’t tell Gray or Nash.’

  They entered the lift together and Adams placed his hand on the panel. Before the doors re-opened Marcus handed Nicholas what looked like a small lapel pin with the company’s logo etched into its silvery surface.

  ‘This is a special sat-phone, just like Verity’s, and it will signal me wherever I am on or off the world. It’s linked through my private satellite, untraceable and untappable. I leave for New Zealand in a couple of days and then the States after that. They’ve finally decided to expand the SunSat network right across the USA. If they’d done it years ago when Australia did, it would have cost them a lot less.’

  As they stepped out of the elevator he grinned wolfishly showing his big white teeth. ‘Serves them right. Australia wasn’t afraid to embrace new technology and that’s why we have such cheap, clean electricity here. Remind me to tell you that story one day.’

  He handed Nicholas a small silver wand and a sealed envelope. ‘On that are your trust fund details. There is another one in the envelope with more information about Verity and Maguire. Up to you if you listen. Goodbye and good luck, my boy.’

  They shook hands warmly. Adams nodded goodbye to Mrs Tennant as he left.’

  Lara Nash escorted him down to the foyer. She stepped out of the lift before saying, ‘It was real good to meet you, Commander. Any time you feel like a bit of hand-to-hand just give me a call.’

  As Nicholas set off back to his office he mused, nothing reticent about that young lady. He recalled the possessive grasp of Orlando Gray on her arm and guessed he wouldn’t have been too pleased with the idea of another man going hand-to-hand with Ms Nash.

  Suddenly he changed his mind and crossed the road to take a walk in Hyde Park where summer had come early this year and there seemed to be hundreds of people enjoying the fresh air and hot sunshine, the soft green of new foliage.

  Today had been … eventful. That was a good word. He could think of a lot of others but that would do. He sat on a secluded bench and stretched his legs out, closed his eyes and tried to blank his mind for a few minutes.

  He switched his mind to the astonishing news that he was a wealthy man. And also wondered if Marcus was telling him something about his apartment. He decided to arrange a security sweep as soon as he was back in his office. Did the government really keep such a close eye on its citizens? Or was Marcus just a little paranoid? He knew all computers were linked to BigSys, that all streets were monitored, that all citizens were on record. In his position he had access to most of it, but the constant surveillance didn’t seem to bother anyone except newcomers and a few dissidents.

  But what was Marcus telling him about Orlando Gray? It seemed odd that he didn’t want him to know that Nick now had access to the private elevator. And not forgetting the sat phone. He pulled it out of his top pocket and studied the design, marvelling at the fact that this tiny piece of metal could reach anywhere in the world or even to the moon and the satellites. Presumably Gray and Lara Nash had one of these, so why didn’t Marcus want them to know he had one? Mysteries for another time.

  He liked the idea of owning a house in Australia then he realised he’d had little idea of what was available and what prices were likely to be. Millions it seemed.

  He looked around at all the towering blocks where most people lived and decided he’d like to get out of the city completely.

  In spite of the grisly murders, his brief trips to the Blue Mountains had shown him the beauty of the countryside there, so very dramatic with soaring rocky peaks and lush green valleys. There were hundreds, thousands of houses there, many concealed behind semi-tamed bush gardens. The Western Motorway express grid was set at 150kph so the trip to his office would be quick. He could even use the tiny two-person jet-copter he’d passed the licence requirements for, but hardly ever used.

  Then he remembere
d that Adelaide Browne had a house, a weekender she’d said, somewhere up there. Maybe he could ask Verity to take him there one day. Something else to think about.

  Chapter 21

  Deep in thought, Verity followed the security guard out of the elevator; she needed to get home before Commander Adams and his expert arrived. Max spoke to her twice before it registered.

  ‘Oh, I’m sorry, what was that?’

  ‘I need your tag.’

  She unclipped it and handed it to him.

  ‘The security gate will open automatically for you, Ms Burne. Drive safely.’ He said,

  She nodded to him and started her car, heading for the exit. She glanced at her watch as she hit the street. Plenty of time. Maybe I can go home first and … no, better not. If I get there by four that should be time enough to do what I need to do.

  Medea House was about twenty years old and had been built on the site of a couple of derelict buildings between Harbour View and Cliff Streets. They had been demolished amid strident objections from local residents, objecting to the proposed building.

  Marcus Havington had called a meeting to talk to the protesters and displayed a huge hologram of the proposed building in its setting overlooking Lavender Bay in Sydney Harbour. It was stunning, a masterpiece of architecture and engineering design. It appeared to be floating on its slender legs, set into a series of lush gardens complete with waterfalls, lily ponds, secluded seating nooks, small cafes and coffee shops that continued under the raised first floor. Glass elevators, escalators and travel ramps led up to the main foyer and atrium, itself ten storeys high and filled with trees and lush plantings. The building looked almost ethereal, light enough to float away and seemed oddly unobtrusive, the sky, the harbour and the park softly reflected in its glassy walls. Because of the huge base area, it was only forty floors high, unusual when most of the newer buildings in Sydney were narrow, though at least eighty storeys and some a hundred, the current limit.

  Objections faded away, especially when Marcus promised to refurbish the park opposite and supply a full-time gardener. So the once rather shabby and run-down Clark Park was now a showpiece. Some of the locals had proposed renaming it, calling after the benefactor, but he discouraged it, mainly for historical reasons. The local council had insisted, and by way of a compromise it was now renamed Clark-Havington Park.

  Medea House housed most of the Havington international media empire, including the AusNews and the magazine offices where Verity was heading. The broadcast and recording studios took up the middle ten floors, the public relations and advertising offices another four. The executive offices including Marcus’s private suite, two apartments, several conference rooms and a lavish dining room filled the top six floors; the newspapers and magazine staff were below them. The rest of the building was taken up with maintenance, engineering, security and a fully equipped gym and swimming pool. Two five star restaurants and a lavish ballroom filled the lowest levels. Basement parking took several subfloors.

  Traffic was not too heavy today, as the new double-decker bridge and the tunnels added in the last twenty years had made the original a less popular option for traffic. The various traffic network grids kept traffic flowing smoothly, only slowing down during the busiest times of the day. With most people telecommuting at least two or three days a week, the strain on the infrastructure was eased.

  Verity pulled up next to Clark-Havington Park to gaze at the sparkling waters of the Harbour and think about what she should do next. Nicholas Adams was no fool and she would have to be extremely careful how she handled things. She was determined to ignore the strong attraction she had felt to him and his obvious interest in her.

  She glanced at her work phone and realised it was off. She remembered now that she had switched it off before she went into the police car park and had forgotten to turn it back on. As expected there were messages waiting, which she didn’t feel like reading at the moment.

  As she drove into the car park she thought about what Oscar had said to her… ‘Don’t let past sorrows rule your life.’

  He wasn’t the first to have said something like that—Adelaide and Lucy were always telling her to get out more, go to parties, meet a MAN. As she parked she allowed thoughts of Nicholas Adams to intrude. She had to admit she was a little attracted to him and it certainly seemed the attraction was mutual. No, I’m not ready yet.

  Nicholas Adams would barely have recognised the smiling Verity who chatted and laughed with her colleagues as she worked her way across the room.

  ‘Hey, Verity, got a hot date after work? Lookin’ good, babe!’ one of the young bloods yelled.

  She finally made it to her shared desk and activated her Tyle. Nothing urgent. Milton had left a message to say contact him tonight, and that was all.

  She rang Adelaide’s private link, one she had set up for the two of them. Adelaide answered and smiled. ‘Oh, there you are. I didn’t want to call in case you were in the middle of something. What happened with Nicholas? Did he give you the third degree? Where are you now? Hey, you look very spiffy. That red jacket looks great on you.’

  ‘Shut up, for heaven’s sake, Addie. Spiffy, spiffy! What does that mean? I’m in the office.’

  ‘Yeah, right. Bullpoop. You never dress up for the office.’

  ‘Don’t be vulgar, Adelaide,’ Verity said primly. ‘Anyway, I do sometimes.’

  ‘You still haven’t told me about the interrogation. Was it awful? But how could it be when you’re sitting there with that gorgeous man, who, incidentally, seems very struck with you, Ms Burne. Half your luck.’ She pulled a face. ‘Well?’

  ‘If you ever let me get a word in … nothing happened. Well, he got a bit annoyed with me because I wouldn’t tell him my sources. How can I tell him when it’s just me getting around you-know-what. I gave him some stuff and the photos and emails I got, but that was after he showed me some recordings from the original reports. God, that was ghastly …’

  ‘The bastard … how could he do that to you?’

  ‘No, no. He was so apologetic I thought he was going to burst into tears when he saw my reaction. He rushed off and got water; his PA brought in coffee. I was okay after a minute or two. It wasn’t the photos so much it was the fact that the bodies were moving, twisting and swaying in a slight breeze, I guess.’ She shuddered at the memory.

  ‘Oh, my poor darling. Are you sure you are alright now? I can see you’re still in the office … I’m upstairs rehearsing for a while longer but I can come down. We could go for coffee or a drink. The coffee shop in the Plaza downstairs has some new chocolate cakes, best ever.’

  ‘Thanks, Adelaide, but I’m going home shortly. I haven’t told you the next bit. He’s coming at about five he said, bringing some cyber detective. He’ll try and track those emails, so I want to make sure no one finds anything except what I want them to find. I’ll see you at home later tonight. Oh, and if you and whoever else is around just happens to drop in, say about six or even a bit earlier, I won’t be at all surprised.’

  Adelaide laughed. ‘I’m sure I can round up somebody. Amy’s a dead loss—seeing her copper tonight, I think. That’s one smitten kitten. I know Lucy’s working at home today.’ Adelaide flicked her hair back. ‘I think she’s working on something new but she won’t tell me what it is.’

  ‘Look, I’ve really got to get on. See you later.’

  ‘Bye, sweetie. See you at home.’

  Verity cast her mind over her security arrangements. She didn’t anticipate any problems but it paid to be prepared. This geek, the c-tec, was an unknown factor, and she had no idea how good he would prove to be. But CECI had an excellent reputation she’d heard.

  Chapter 22

  At four-thirty Mrs Halifax buzzed. ‘DS Blanchard is here, Commander. Shall I send him in?’

  ‘Yes, please.’

  A pleasant looking young man dressed in jeans and a gaudy shirt printed with bright tropical birds, entered Adams’ office. His fair hair was almost sho
ulder length, clean and well cut. He smiled slightly and said in a distinct American accent, ‘Commander Adams. Hi, I’m DS Jeffery Blanchard. Most folks call me Jet.’

  He stuck his hand out as Adams rose to meet him. They shook across the desk.

  ‘Good afternoon, er … Jet. Have a seat. Has DCI Lucas filled you in on what we’re doing?’

  ‘Yes, sir, but not in detail. Just that we need to track some information sent to someone’s personal computer. Should be a piece a cake. I thought you woulda been able to handle that yourself, sir. Heard you were pretty hot stuff with a computer.’

  ‘No, I’m what you might call slightly above average but I think you’ll find this lady is well above the average user. In fact, I suspect her skills would at least match yours, from what I’ve been told. But we’ll see.’

  Jet looked sceptical but said nothing more. He hefted a backpack and said, ‘I’ve got all I need here so we can go as soon as you’re ready, sir.’

  ‘Wait for me out in the reception area, if you would. I need to finish off here first and I’ll be there shortly.’

  Nicholas closed his computer down and code-locked it and his console. He shrugged into a light jacket and tucked his personal phone into the pocket and left his office, sliding his hand over the security plate to lock the door. He contemplated taking a weapon but decided against it; he had one in a concealed lock box in his car anyway.

  ‘We’re off now, Mrs Halifax. Full security tonight and every night from now on, please. And leave whenever you’re ready.’

  They headed for the elevator and car park, each silent with his own thoughts, the tall commander, and the younger sergeant.

  And Adams was thinking, Half an hour, less than half an hour and I’ll see her again. I’m like a bloody teenager with an overactive libido. Concentrate on the case.