The Murder Suite: Book One - The Audrey Murders

by Leonie Mateer

  She released the trailer from the car pushing it to one side of the driveway and turned on the garden hose to give it a good wash and let it drain dry.

  Audrey returned to her suite and set the alarm for four o’clock when she would drive his car down to the dock and leave it there. She had already packed all his belongings into his car. In the morning when she returned she would clean his suite and do the laundry.

  She reminded herself to give the dolly a good wash with bleach in case there was any DNA left on it. Audrey loved watching forensic TV shows and knew that traces of DNA could be found on almost anything. She should really wash off the tarpaulin as well. They would expect to find his DNA in the suite and in his car.

  At four in the morning, Audrey got into the driver’s seat and pulled it forward to reach the pedals with a reminder to put the seat back where she found it when she got out. She was completely covered from head to toe, wearing gloves, surgical footies and a baseball cap. There was no way she was going to leave any of her DNA in the car. That would be a disaster.

  She headed off down the driveway disguised in her masculine clothes knowing she would not be recognized in the dark. She made it down to the dock without passing one car. It was an hour too early to catch the early morning fishermen. She quickly parked the car, pushed the seat back to its original position, got out and locked the door with the key and headed back towards the Chalets on foot.

  As she passed Pearl’s place on the corner she noticed a light in her front bedroom. Pearl was a very early riser and Audrey was careful to keep to the shadows as she crept by. Once she turned into Wainui Road she knew she would be safe. If she heard a car there were many places on the side of the road she could hide. The road was lined with bushes and trees and ditches.

  It took Audrey an hour to make the three mile walk back to the chalets. It was five o’clock when she returned and it was getting light. She had not walked up her path but taken the route up the other driveway and crossed across the paddocks to the chalets. She didn’t want to be seen entering her driveway and, if seen on the hill, anyone would just think she was checking her cattle.

  Audrey spent the next two hours scrubbing and cleaning Suite C and everything she used the night before. When the laundry was in the washing machine she collapsed on her bed and passed out in a dreamless sleep.

  C H A P T E R 5 0

  Pearl awoke early on Thursday morning. She looked at the clock, four twenty. It was too early to get up but she had to go to the bathroom so she may as well make a nice cup of tea and take it back to bed. Pearl’s bedroom looked out onto the street. She pulled back one curtain and looked out into the darkness. In an hour it would be getting light. With her tea made she piled a couple of cushions behind her and sat up in bed thinking about her plans for the day. She had heard a car earlier going down to the harbor and wondered who would be up and about at that time of the morning. It was too early for the oyster farmers. They started around five o’clock on a Saturday, earlier during the weekdays. The first fishing boats didn’t take off until seven o’clock. Must be a local coming home after a night on the booze, she thought.

  She heard a noise outside. Sounded like footsteps on the footpath. She listened carefully. The noise stopped. She turned on the radio by the bed and tuned it to her favorite country station.

  When the sun came up Pearl got dressed and went into the kitchen. Her little dog was still asleep in his bed beside the fireplace. He didn’t even look up when she walked past. “Great watchdog you are,” said Audrey. “You are as deaf as a doorpost.” She picked up her knitting, sat at the kitchen table and opened the local newspaper. There was a picture of the truck upside down in the harbor and Pearl hungrily read the article. It was disappointing there was no mention of the bones. She presumed the paper had gone to press before the bones were found. It didn’t even mention the missing man’s name. She started knitting. Knitting helped her think and think is what she did. Pearl sat at her kitchen table for most of the morning, knitting and thinking. By mid day she had decided what she must do. She knew almost everyone in town. It was just a matter of elimination. Constable Driver was new to town. It would be a huge learning curve for him to know the ins and outs of the local residents’ lives. Pearl, on the other hand, knew pretty much anything anyone would need to know about anyone.

  She decided she would start with Smithy. He was the one who found the first bone. Then Audrey - she was the last one to see the missing man alive. Finally she would have a word with Dolly and Bruce. She would bring them all some of her home baked afghan biscuits. Pearl put down her knitting and picked up a pen and paper and started making two lists. She wrote two headings: “opportunity” and “motive”. She figured the culprit had to have both of these in order to carry out the murder. And if there one thing Pearl was sure of, it was a murder and she was going to find who did it.

  C H A P T E R 5 1

  The captain of the Seawalker looked at his watch for the tenth time that morning. He had called the chalets but there was only an answerphone. He cursed himself for not getting the man’s cell phone number. It was seven thirty and he couldn’t wait any longer. The other two guys on board were getting restless. They had paid good money for the day trip and were eager to get out into the ocean and start fishing. Captain Todd called the Chalets for the last time and left the message they were sailing without him and he could rebook for another day. He added he would lose his deposit, as it was too late to replace him on the boat. Not a good start to the day, he thought. “We’re taking off!” he shouted to the guys already downing their second beer. “Won’t be long and we can catch you a fair beauty”.

  They left the dock and headed across the still waters of the harbor and out towards the mouth. Captain Todd liked to talk about the history of the harbor. He was proud of the area and was a third generation resident of Whangaroa.

  “Whangaroa means long or wide harbor” he began. “And, despite its enormous size, Whangaroa Harbor’s narrow entrance is obscured by Stephenson’s Island and was not discovered by European sailors until twenty-two years after Captain Cook’s first voyage. Captain Cook had passed the opening to the harbor three times and never saw the opening even though he stayed at the Cavalli Islands close by.”

  As the boat headed out to sea the passengers looked at the two huge rock faces that towered over the harbor. St Paul and its twin pinnacle, St Peter, faced each other across the water. Maori legend has many stories relating to the dominant structures. “Whangaroa was called ‘a singular and beautifully romantic place’ by Captain Cruise whose ship HMS Dromedary sailed into the harbor in 1820.” The Captain went on to inform. However, his passengers were not interested in the harbor’s history they just wanted to know what fish they were likely to catch. Thirty years running charter boats, the Captain knew what they were likely to catch. In the deep water, hapuka, bass and bluenose. Big game fishing during the summer months offered marlin, tuna shark and mahi-mahi – which were what the guys were after and why they were here.

  Captain Todd was puzzled by the absence of Campbell. He had asked the lady at the Chalets to confirm the meeting time of quarter to seven. Maybe he didn’t get the message. Oh well. That’s life. The day was going to great. The weather was good He just hoped the fish were biting.

  C H A P T E R 5 2

  Audrey awoke to the sun streaming in the windows. “Shit!” she cursed as she looked at the time. It was eleven thirty. She hadn’t gone to sleep until almost seven am. Audrey needed her sleep and four and half hours was definitely not enough. She knew she had to go up to the pigpen and check if the pigs had been. She didn’t want any bits and pieces disappearing down the hill again.

  Audrey wondered why this morning she didn’t feel the same elation as she did last time. The excitement and satisfaction didn’t last as long this time. She felt confident Campbell wouldn’t be missed for a day or so. She may even move the car late tonight. If the car was seen during the day it would fit in with his scheduled boat trip
. Even if the Captain said he didn’t make the trip he might have just gone out on his own somewhere.

  Audrey had to think to where she might move the car. She could ride her bike down and put it in the back of the car so she could bike back. Of course, she could just leave it there the police would eventually check it out and have it towed if the neighbors complained. The car was always the bloody problem. It was easy to get rid of the body. The car was always more difficult. Then she remembered the cliff off Radar Hill. People dumped cars and trash over the cliff. No one would find it there. It was a few miles away but it was all down hill on the return trip and she could ride her bike. The road had been tar sealed now which would make the trip much easier. She wished she had thought of that before. Oh well.

  Audrey donned her gumboots and headed up the hill towards the pigpen. It was a steep climb but she was extremely fit. Years of weed whacking the hills, cleaning the suites and gardening acres of tropical plants had made her fitter than she had been for years. She couldn’t understand why she wasn’t slender and thin. Instead all the exercise just made her bigger and more muscular and less feminine.

  As she came closer to the pen she noticed the pigs had been rooting around the area. Pigs make a mess digging up the ground looking for roots to eat. Farmers hated the mess they made of their fields. She got close to the pen and the scene was horribly gruesome. Audrey gasped as she saw pieces of Campbell ripped apart. She turned away and decided to go back at sundown. By then the pigs should have cleaned the mess away. She headed off down the hill and when she reached the path above the Chalets she saw Constable Driver standing outside her suite. She wondered if he had seen her. She stood still and waited. She watched him walk around the courtyard then he got back into his car and headed down the driveway. Audrey let out a large sigh of relief. She didn’t feel like talking to anyone today. In fact she would not answer her door. She would pull the blinds and go back to bed and get a few more hours sleep.

  C H A P T E R 5 3

  “Her car is here. Where the hell is she?” muttered Constable Driver as he wandered around the courtyard on the lower level of the Chalets. He walked over to Suite C. There was no car and the curtains were open. He looked inside. No sign of anyone staying there. He guessed the guest must have checked out.

  He walked out onto the deck and looked down at the road. He looked where he had parked his car last night. He saw Smithy out walking his dog. Smithy looked up and saw Driver. They gave each other a quick wave. He watched as they past the ditch site. His dog wanted to rummage around in the ditch but Smithy called him away and they continued down the road. Driver walked over to Audrey’s unit again and knocked on the door. No answer. He could see inside through the gap in the curtains. Looked as though she wasn’t home. He wondered if she was upstairs and climbed the steps to the top level.

  Nice deck, he thought as he walked across the large deck area to the double glass doors of Suite A. He looked through the door and saw a wood paneled kitchen with thick wood counter tops and tall wooden bar stools. A beautiful kauri table sat in the center of the dining room. “Phew” whistled Driver. “Pretty nice inside.”

  There was no car parked on the upper level and it was obvious the unit was not rented. He remembered there were no lights on there last night. He admired the gardens as he walked back to the lower suite and to his car. He would just have to come back later in the day. He had some more questions for Audrey. He was also going to get a search warrant to search the whole property including the valley and the forest and wanted her to know there would be a team of police on the property tomorrow.

  Driver drove down to Whangaroa to where the truck had gone into the harbor. There had been no skid marks. It would appear the truck had driven straight into the water. Who had been driving the truck? That was the question that kept on going around and around in his mind. If wild animals ravaged his body as he was walking back to the chalets, then someone else had driven his truck into the harbor, but why?

  As he drove back to the pub from the jetty he noticed a black 4runner parked by the dock area. Four or five other cars were also parked in the same area. But Driver noticed the 4runner because it was so immaculate and clean which was unusual for vehicles in the rural far north. Locals never washed their cars. Dusty gravel roads created the dirt and heavy rain washed it away for free. Driver thought the car must belong to a city guy. Most likely out on a charter for the day. Wouldn’t mind taking a day trip myself one day. May even take the boys out. He continued on past the pub, past the little dairy and back towards Kaeo.

  C H A P T E R 5 4

  Pearl parked behind Audrey’s trailer. She had trouble walking up the gravel driveway in her heeled sandals having dressed for the occasion. Purple was her favorite color as personified in her flowing purple skirt, pink and purple sequined blouse and matching purple sandals. She kept her thick black hair tied up in a twisted braid and chosen her gold loop earrings to set off the outfit. Pearl dressed with flair and flavor.

  As she approached Audrey’s suite she noticed the curtains were pulled. Her car was parked in the driveway so she presumed she was at home. There were no other cars so she supposed the guests were either out for the day or had checked out. She knocked quietly on the door in case Audrey was taking a rest. There was no answer. She was disappointed. She was looking forward to a nice sit down and a chat.

  She had seen the police car turn up Wainui Road earlier and wondered if Constable Driver had called at the Suites. She was curious to hear what was going on. She knocked again a little louder. She dared to walk around the unit and peek in the upstairs bedroom. The concrete driveway circled around the back of the house and up to Suite A on the upper level. As Pearl walked passed the bedroom window she noticed there was a small gap between the natural linen curtains. She could see Audrey lying in bed obviously fast asleep. I wonder why she is sleeping in the middle of the day? Pearl wished she could sleep like that. Four or five hours a night was often all she could get. She realized she was holding the plate of Afghan Biscuits and decided to just leave them on Audrey’s outside patio table. She wrote a note “Sorry I missed you. Enjoy. Pearl.” It would be an excuse to call her later.

  As Pearl drove down the driveway she saw Smithy and his dog heading up his driveway on their way home. Pearl waved at them and followed them up to his house.

  “Would you like a cuppa?” asked Smithy as he tied his dog up by his kennel.

  “I brought you some Afghan biscuits,” said Pearl getting them out of the back of her car. She followed him through the dark rooms of the ancient bungalow. It was remarkably tidy for a man who appeared to have no personal hygiene habits. He put on the kettle and she found two cups and put them on the table. Together the couple sat and sipped. Pearl didn’t like silences and felt she had to fill gaps in conversations. She chatted in her happy, sing song voice. “So what do you think about the goings on?” she asked Smithy who was already on his third biscuit.

  “Looks like foul play to me” said Smithy. “Something’s going on and it’s not good.”

  “I agree,” said Pearl. “Do you think it was Dolly and Bruce?” she asked.

  “Dunno” said Smithy. “All I know is the man’s bones were four miles from where his car ended up in the drink. Four miles, even in a flood, can’t be explained. I don’t know any pig or any dog that would drag bones that far across swampy land. He must have died somewhere around here.”

  Pearl sat forward on her chair and stared him in the eyes. “I have been thinking. Maybe he was on a suicide mission and decided to dump his car and then walk into the bush and shoot himself. The wild pigs could have gotten to him,” she said.

  “Then why didn’t he simply shoot himself in the car when it was going into the harbor?” said Smithy. “No. Too complicated. He was murdered. That’s what I think. And the murderer dumped his car.”

  “I agree,” said Pearl realizing Smithy must have had nothing to do with it. “ And I think I know who did it.”

 
“Who?” He asked.

  “I’ll let you know when I can prove it, she said as she stood to go. “I need to do some digging first.”

  Pearl left Smithy’s and headed off to Dolly and Bruce’s caravan with her last plate of afghan biscuits. She made the best ones - decorated in rich chocolate icing with a walnut on top. She passed the Armstrong farm on the way. She saw Harry Armstrong out on his quad bike. Nice looking fellow, she thought. She knew he was recently separated from his wife of twenty-four years. She felt sorry for him.

  It was a lonely life on a farm without family. She had to stop while he was moving cattle across the road to a fresh paddock. He waved at her. She waved back. “Nice weather” she called out to him.

  “Hope it holds out” he called back. “The paddocks are still too wet from the flood”.

  As she sat waiting for the last animal to cross the road she thought about how much she missed the farming life. Her parents were both farmers and she grew up loving the farming life. She should have stayed on the farm. “Too late now” she sighed as she drove on up the road to her next possible perpetrator of the crime.

  C H A P T E R 5 5

  Dolly and Bruce were both sitting outside their caravan in a couple of old deck chairs surrounded by thick matted grass and gorse. They were not into gardening. Didn’t own a lawnmower or tools. They were enjoying a smoke and sipping a beer in the warm sun. The ground was still a bit soggy from the rain and the caravan had leaked during the storm. They had the windows and door open trying to dry it out. All the bedding, including the old mattress, was spread over the makeshift fence to dry. Not a pretty sight but they lived pretty much in isolation and there were no neighbors to take offence. Tourists driving past on their way over Radar Hill to Matauri Bay would sometimes stop and ask directions if they were out and about. But mostly no one bothered them or cared about them.