The Murder Trail: The Audrey Murders - Book Three

by Leonie Mateer

  “Do you think Staci is in danger?” asked Bromley

  “I wouldn’t put it pass Joan to get rid of her when the time is right. My client has a copy of a legal document giving half of the paradise to Joan with a clause that the whole business goes to Joan if Staci dies.

  “And you won’t let me know the name of your client who just happens to have all this information?” Bromley asks.

  “Sorry, my client wishes to remain anonymous.” The lawyer reached into his briefcase and removed a large blue file. “Here is all the proof you will need.” He said handing the file to Bromley. My client insisted that I hand these to you personally.”

  “Who else knows about this?” asked the detective. Does Ben know what his wife is up to?”

  “Ben suspected Joan for some time but doesn’t know that I have obtained the proof. I just thought he was blowing off steam. He was really pissed when she told the police where there were they day they all got arrested.”

  “I remember seeing her at Tiromoana with Audrey. I think it was the day we searched the property.” Bromley recalled. “They had just returned from a day in Whangarei. She said she was staying there. I didn’t think much about it. But now it seems strange that she stayed at Audrey’s after her husband was arrested. Why?” Detective Bromley thanked Rick for the information. “I’ll get on to this right away.“

  As the lawyer left his office, he picked up the phone and called his Super. “We have a lead to where the drugs are. I need your help to co-ordinate a nationwide drug bust. We have a list of nine storage units across the country. It is imperative to hit each location at exactly the same time. We don’t want this information getting out.”

  By mid-morning everything was in place. There was nothing more Bromley could do but sit and wait.

  C H A P T E R 8 9

  Staci couldn’t concentrate on the girl standing in front of her.

  “See, he punched me here, and here, and here.” The woman said pointing to her swollen eye and marks on her arms and legs. “He needs to be taken off our elite customer list. I don’t care if he is bloody God. I won’t have sex with him ever again.”

  “You are right, Candy. I am here to protect you. Don’t worry, he won’t hurt you again.”

  “Thanks Staci, you are the best.” She said wiping away the tears and forcing a smile. “Are you alright?” she asked seeing Staci’s forlorn expression.

  “I’m fine. Just had a bit of a shock.” She said. “You go home, Candy. Get some rest and take a couple of days off until you feel better.”

  When the girl left, Staci closed the door behind her and pulled the curtains closed. It was only twenty-four hours ago since Staci was putting on her beautiful new mint silk dress for her engagement party. Now everything was in ruins.

  When Joan had left that night to go to the Paradise, Staci couldn’t sleep. She had grabbed a cup of tea and decided to catch up on her emails. When she entered her office she noticed a blue file folder sitting on her desk. She hadn’t put it there and thought it must belong to Joan. She wished now she hadn’t opened the file. If she could have those minutes back she would have burned it without knowing its contents, but she had, she had opened the file and what she saw changed her life forever.

  At first she didn’t understand what she was reading. There was a pile of receipts from storage units and Bunnings Warehouse. The storage units were from Auckland to Dunedin. There were receipts from gas stations. There was a receipt for her rental car and a return air ticket from Dunedin to Auckland. She knew Joan had hired a rental car for her Paradise trip three weeks ago and presumed the file held all her business expenses for the trip. Then she saw it, her mother’s wallet tucked away between the papers in the file. How did Joan get my mother’s wallet? My mother never let it out of her sight. They never found it on her body. She opened the wallet and found a photo of Joan tucked inside along with a bill from the Hihi Motor Camp. She had the wallet on her the day she died? Joan killed my mother? Then Staci thought back to the day she showed Joan the ownership papers for the Paradise. The look of almost guilt on her face when she said she was giving her a fifty percent share. Now she knew why. She took a closer look at the file and saw that the Bunning Warehouse receipts were for Sandleford Digital Safes. She had purchased one safe at each location. She checked the location of the storage units and realized they were only a block or so from each of the Paradise locations. Why would she need so many safes? What for? Then she knew why. Staci looked at the bottom of the file and found nine sets of keys. Each key ring had two large keys and two smaller keys. She picked up the file and her car keys and headed off into the night.

  When she arrived at the North Shore storage unit it took a few minutes to find the code in the files to open the exterior gate. She punched in the numbers and found storage unit #222. Opening the door, she saw a black iron safe at the far end of the unit. She tried all the keys until the door clicked open. She already knew what she would find inside. She was right. She counted seven bags of white powder. It’s the missing cocaine. She locked the safe and storage unit door and left the property as quietly as she came. She knew what she must do. Her future had just come tumbling down.

  She called the Paradise and asked to speak to Joan. They said she wasn’t there so she drove to Joan’s house. Joan hadn’t been living there since she put it on the market. She used her key to get in. There was no sign of Joan. The house felt empty and cold. She lied about having to go into work. Where is she?

  Now she sat at her desk waiting for the phone call. Her lawyer said he would call as soon as he had news. She couldn’t wait any longer. She dialed his number.

  “I was just going to call you,” said Rick Painter. “You were right. Every location had seven kilos of cocaine. I just got off the phone with Detective Bromley. He said that they have checked all the surveillance cameras from each location and there is no doubt that it was Joan’s rental car that entered each of the locations during the week you said she was away. I am so sorry Staci. I know you trusted Joan. I am so glad we put a clause in the ownership papers that prevents her now from claiming her share in the Paradise.

  “I can’t find her,” Staci sobbed into the phone. “She isn’t at the Paradise and not at her house. I haven’t seen her since the night of the party. Have the police picked her up?”

  “From what I understand they have a warrant for her arrest. But I am not sure if they have picked her up yet.”

  “Could you find out?” She pleaded. “I just can’t believe she would have killed my mother. There must be some mistake.”

  “I’ll let you know as soon as I hear anything.”

  Staci hung up the phone and cried. How could she do this to me? I loved her.

  C H A P T E R 9 0

  Detective Wiley looked at the body washed up on the banks of Lake Pupuke. He knew immediately who it was. It was Joan Williams. Forensic experts were already on the scene. “Been there for about thirty six hours. Hard to say exactly how long until we can do a full autopsy,” he was told. “Looks as though she drowned. No sign of any injury as far as we can tell.”

  “Suicide?” Wiley asked.

  “Could be. We’ll let you know what we find.”

  Detective Wiley always suspected that Joan Williams was tied up in the drug scandal. She was Ben’s wife after all. He knew that the drugs had been found and there was a warrant out for her arrest. Apparently she was also responsible for Frankie’s murder. At least it is all over now. There was nothing I could have done.

  It was going to be difficult breaking the news to Frankie’s daughter. He always felt she wasn’t involved. She seemed like a nice girl. Frankie would have been proud of her. The news, however, would devastate her. He had seen all the media attention her and Joan’s engagement received. Their photos were all over The Women’s Weekly and on every social media site. Now the publicity would all be about Joan Williams being a murderer and drug trafficker. Staci didn’t need that.

  As Wiley drove back to th
e station he wondered how Bromley found out about the storage locations. Where did the Intel come from? Who knew where the locations were?

  He dialed the Mangonui Police Station. “Bromley, we found her, dead as a doornail, face down in Lake Pupuke. Looks as though she drowned. We will know more when forensics do their thing.”

  “Do they know the time of death?” Bromley asked.

  “They said she had been in the water about thirty six hours which would indicate she died between midnight and three am the night of her party.”

  “I see.” Bromley was surprised. Why would she kill herself the night of her engagement party? What happened?

  “I am just off to tell Staci Goodman. Joan’s body was washed up just a few houses down from her backyard. It sure looks like suicide.”

  “Thanks Wiley. Keep me informed would you?” He hung up the phone and walked over to the wall of photos. He slowly removed each photo one by one and placed them into a cardboard file box. He paused when he saw the word “Tiromoana.” Was it she who sent me the file? Did she know what was going on all the time? The phone rang.

  “Superintendent Peter Barton. Just called to say congratulations. Good work. Let us tie up the loose ends over here. Heard they found Joan Williams. Looks like a suicide. No sign of any trauma to the body I hear and they found a soggy note in her pocket with the word “Sorry” written in black permanent marker. I guess she thought of everything. Go home and spend some time with your family. You deserve it.”

  Detective Bromley sighed. It was over. He picked up his jacket and headed for the door.

  C H A P T E R 9 1

  Audrey saw Detective Bromley’s car pull into the car park. What the hell does he want now? She looked at the time. It was almost six o’clock and she wanted to watch the evening news. She quickly pushed the record mode and went to answer the door.

  “Detective Bromley, good evening.” She said as she held the door ajar uninvitingly.

  “Can I come in?” he asked.

  “I was just about to have a cup of tea and watch the evening news.” She said.

  “Is it important. I really need to put my feet up. It has been a busy day.”

  “I won’t keep you a moment.” He said.

  Audrey walked outside and sat at the picnic table. The detective joined her. “What is this about?” she asked

  “You will hear it on the news. I wanted to tell you in person. We have found your friend, Joan Williams. I am sorry to tell you but we found her dead about noon today. It looks like suicide. We believe she was responsible for the disappearance of the cocaine and the murder of Frankie Perkins. Did you know anything about this?”

  Audrey knew the detective would be looking for her reaction to the news. She was glad she was wearing her sunglasses. She waited before she spoke. “I wondered what was going on.” She said. “Last time I saw her she seemed distant. She stayed here for almost a week after her husband was arrested. Did you know?” She looked at the detective. “She seemed to find comfort here in the quietness and solitude. She used to help me clean the cabins. I enjoyed her company. Then all of a sudden she said she had to leave. Next thing I hear, she is engaged to be married to Staci Goodman. Strange woman. She had never mentioned that she was planning on getting engaged.”

  “Do you know how she would have got hold of the drugs?” He asked.

  “No, I have no idea.”

  “Well, I’ll let you get back to the news.” Bromley stood up and walked towards his car.

  “Thank you for telling me in person. I liked Joan. Somehow I can’t see her as a murderer and drug dealer. She certainly had me fooled.”

  Audrey watched him drive away and returned inside. Opening up a fresh bottle of champagne, she stepped over a plastic storage bin and sat on her favorite chaise chair in front of the TV.

  “It’s six o’clock, here is the news. Today the body of Joan Williams, wife of Ben Williams who was arrested six weeks ago for cocaine trafficking was found dead in Lake Pupuke. Police have also confiscated over sixty kilos of cocaine found in storage units across the country. Police had been looking for Mrs. Williams who they believed could have helped them in their enquiries in the recent murder of Frankie Perkins. It is believed that Joan Williams’ death was the result of suicide.” Audrey watched as the photo of her beloved Joan splashed all over the screen. She looked so beautiful in her butter colored dress. I always liked her best in yellow.

  The phone rang. “Tiromoana Cabin Resort, can I help you? Yes, no problem. I have two cabins available tomorrow night. What name should I book them under? Black Power. Did I hear him correctly? Did you say Black Power, as in the gang? Is this a joke?

  She listened. “Hemi Heke said you would know what it is about.”

  “I see.” She looked at the black iron safe in the corner of the room. “Tomorrow then.”

  T H E E N D

  The Audrey Murders - Series

  Audrey is a psychopath, a serial killer and friendly resident in a small town in rural Northland New Zealand.

  The Murder Suite - Book One

  Audrey owns and operates “The Three Suites” perched high on a

  remote mountain top

  But when male guests check in - Audrey takes “checking out” to the extreme

  The Cabin by the Sea - Book Two

  Having lost everything, her fortune, her career and her youth, Audrey has moved to her family’s remote seaside property in the far north of new zealand.

  In order to survive financially she is forced to rent out a small cabin on the fourteen wooded acres. But finding the right tenant proves to be more difficult than she ever imagined.

  The local police found a young girl’s body washed up on a remote rocky beach. Two more suspicious deaths follow.

  The Murder Trail – Book Three

  Audrey discovers a Mexican drug cartel is using her Tiromoana Cabin Resort for cocaine trafficking.

  She sees an opportunity re-establish her lost wealth and even find love along the way.

  But when the drugs go missing and bodies start turning up Audrey has to make a choice between love or money…. or does she?

  If you enjoyed this book, then I’d like to ask you for a favor, would you be kind enough to leave a review for this book on Amazon? It would be greatly appreciated!

  Thank You.