by Toni Pike
Thanks to Ranjit’s meticulous research, I recited the list of projects opposed by Lapsley over the last twenty years, embellished by an endless list of direct quotations. Then came the finale.
“You are against everything that might bring progress and growth to our nation. The superfast train network from Sydney to Canberra will be the first step in transforming the east coast of Australia to unite our major cities. It will be the infrastructure project of the century, not only revolutionising transport for Australians, but also facilitating transport for international visitors and becoming, in its own right, a major tourist attraction. I challenge all Honourable Members who belong to the Workers Party to vote according to their conscience and not tow the party line. This could be a great moment for Australia.”
“Hear, hear,” shouted my colleagues, the noise reverberating around the Chamber. The legislation was passed with the unexpected bonus of a few extra votes from rebellious members of the Opposition.
We held a press conference at five o’clock to announce our success. Then we held celebratory drinks. Freedom Party Members and their staff gathered at six o’clock in my office. Ranjit organised wine, beer and a big pizza delivery. It was pleasant to relax for a while with some red wine, chat with friends and celebrate a victory. Just like old hunting stories told around a campfire, we enjoyed repeating the best lines from the day’s speeches and made plans for the future. The evening drifted by until after ten o’clock and the warm bouquet of too much red wine was coursing through my body like poison.
Throughout the day Letitia and Charlie were constantly on my mind, despite the intensity of my work. Helen Janssen, the Foreign Minister, was talking to me when I decided to make my escape. “Excuse me, Helen, too much red wine – I’ll be back in a moment,” I said.
“Sure, Tyler,” she said, turning to speak to Derek.
I left my office, turned the corner and snuck out a back door. Telopea Park was only two kilometres away and the streets were deserted at that time of night. There was no staying away for another moment – I had to see if anyone else was there.
Anyone who saw me hiding behind the large fir tree opposite my townhouse that night would find it hard to believe that it was PM Tyler Thompson. I knew that if Letitia was to look out of her bedroom window, she wouldn’t see me there or realise that someone was spying on her.
The lights were still on downstairs, glowing through the closed blinds in the kitchen and living room. Upstairs, the lights were out in Charlie’s nursery. There was no light on in the guest bedroom but the blinds were open.
My success that day would be all over the news and that train was one of Letitia’s favourite causes. She would want to congratulate me and might even be inspired to come back to me. I took out my phone and checked to see if there was a message from her, but there was nothing but dozens of texts and emails from my colleagues.
With frustration welling up in me, I decided to phone her and see if she would answer my call. Her name was at the top of my contact list but my finger hesitated as if it had a mind of its own. She wanted space and time to think, so maybe I was making a mistake.
I stared at the townhouse for ten more minutes while my fingers stroked her image on the screen. Unable to stand it any longer, I pressed her name.
The phone buzzed three times.
She answered but said nothing, not even a simple hello, just silence and I could hear her breathing.
But at least she was listening to me. “Please forgive me,” I said with as much tenderness as I could muster.
She waited several seconds before answering. “You’re a murderer,” she said in a soft, steady voice. “I’m confused and you know I need time to think.”
“You’ve had time, Letitia.”
I jumped as a figure appeared in the guest bedroom room upstairs, although the light was still out. It looked like a man and he approached the window but then stopped, still shrouded in darkness.
I retreated further behind the tree trunk, not wanting to be seen. The phone was still in my hand. “Are you alone?” I asked, knowing what the answer should be.
“Yes of course I am, apart from Charlie,” she replied. At least that question had elicited a response from her.
The figure upstairs stepped further back and appeared to walk out of the room. Letitia ended the call at the same moment, stopping our conversation as abruptly as she cut me out of her life.
***
I skulked back to The Lodge with my head pounding. There was a man upstairs and Letitia must be lying. Thinking about it logically, there was no reason for her to keep the visitor a secret if the man was a relative, a friend or even a neighbour. And why would he be hiding in a dark room?
The thought of her with another man hit me like an axe. My chest constricted so that I was gasping for air. My murderous streak seemed to be erupting as if it was Dr Jekyll turning into Mr Hyde. If he was her lover, I would happily kill him.
Was it normal when there was the least hint of trouble in a marriage for the wife to jump into bed with someone else? I felt like throwing myself on the ground and screaming until all my strength was gone. She’d met another man or perhaps an old friend only too happy to step in, be helpful and promise to look after her. She was so beautiful, no man could resist her.
I had a powerful urge to burst into the house and make a scene, demand to meet the visitor, ask Letitia why she lied to me. I could imagine what would happen. She’d yell at me to get out, call the police, leave me forever and never come back.
My marriage would be over.
I arrived home and crawled into bed. Only then did I remember that my work was going to keep me busy and put some distance between us over the next few days. We had a four-day visit to Brisbane planned. There was to be a public forum to discuss issues of concern to Queenslanders, a meeting with business leaders, a fund-raising lunch for the Freedom Party and, on day four, a Council of Australian Governments meeting. That was a hectic all-day meeting with the State Premiers. The main issues on the agenda were changes to the health system and the superfast train network. There would be plenty of arguments.
Work was the last thing on my mind, but it occupied twenty hours of every day. We flew to Brisbane and I carried out my duties with aplomb, but the days passed slowly as my impatience grew to be back home. I decided that when I returned to Canberra, Letitia had to agree to meet me, if only to discuss our son. She had no right to keep him from me and we would have to resolve everything once and for all.
On day three of the visit I emailed, begging her to meet me in a few days. I checked my inbox constantly after that but there was no response.
When the meeting ended on the last day in Brisbane, Ranjit and I jumped into the car waiting to take us to the airport. I checked my email and almost hit the ceiling.
There was an email from Joshua Byrnes. Go to the townhouse, see what you can find.
Adrenaline surged through my body, feelings of fury and terror, but I tried to appear calm in front of Ranjit.
“Would you contact the flight, make sure it’s getting ready to go?” I asked. “I want to be back in Canberra as soon as possible.”
“Sure, boss, I’ll see what I can do,” he replied, already calling the pilot. “I want to get home to Katie – she wants me to take her out to dinner.”
I gave him a weak smile but panic was driving my brain into ever-decreasing circles. What did Joshua know about the townhouse? Had he been watching my family, spying on them, just like me?
Perhaps he knew about the other man and wanted me to see Letitia cavorting with him.
I boarded the Air Force VIP jet in a mental fog, greeting the pilot and stewards like a robot. They served my favourite meal, a beef salad, but my appetite had vanished. I struggled to force it down just to avoid awkward questions.
When we arrived at the Lodge I headed straight to my bedroom, telling the staff that I needed an early night. That was understandable after such an exhausting trip. A sense of relie
f washed over me as the door shut behind me. Now I was free to solve the mystery – if I could sneak out without being discovered.
I changed into dark jeans and a black hooded sweater, then waited until the coast was clear. Opening the door slightly, I could see that the hall lights were out. Keeping close to the wall and tiptoeing to avoid making a sound, I walked downstairs and slipped into the back garden.
I had the key to the padlock on the back gate, and managed to escape through there once again. Then I sprinted to the townhouse in the dark, and was lucky not to break my neck when I tripped over a tree root just down the road.
I went sprawling over someone’s front lawn, but picked myself up and gingerly carried on. Nothing was going to stop me, and after a few steps realised that I was still in one piece despite having two sore knees.
Once again I was standing in Telopea Park, observing my townhouse like a spy on a surveillance operation. This time, though, I was determined to get inside even if I had to break in, and find what Joshua was talking about in his email.
His message replayed over and over in my mind. Go to the townhouse, see what you can find.
Then suddenly my stomach lurched. Had he killed them and left their bodies for me to find? I prayed that they would still be alive.
All the lights were out as if they were asleep or no one was home. I waited until eleven and then decided to make my move.
What did Joshua want me to find?
Perhaps they had moved somewhere else. Letitia had decided to make a clean break and start a new life. She might have moved to Perth to be near her parents.
If she was home, at least she would answer the front door and I’d know she was okay. I strode over and knocked three times, loud enough to be heard even if she was in bed.
There was no answer, no sound inside.
I moved furtively around the side and opened the gate slowly so as not to make a sound. The small courtyard at the back was so dark that I had to watch my step. There were no lights visible in any of the rooms on that side of the house, not even the dull glow of a reading lamp. Letitia often stayed up late to finish a book.
Everything was deadly quiet.
***
It was possible that Letitia was out socialising with friends, although she rarely stayed out late with Charlie. I sneaked across the road to the park again and hid behind that tree, watching and waiting for another hour to see if she came home. By then I was shivering cold and finding it hard to stay awake.
My patience finally came to an end. My first move was to telephone the landline. The phone could be heard ringing inside the house but no one answered.
Then I rang Letitia’s smartphone and heard it buzz twice followed by a recorded message. “The person you are calling is not available,” said a robotic voice. “Please leave a short message after the tone and hang up.”
I made three attempts and left three messages. “Please call me, Letitia. I’m worried about you.” My overwhelming urge was to keep on phoning, but knew that an endless list of voicemails would only make me appear desperate and frighten her away.
After receiving Joshua’s email, I knew that my next move would be to break into the house. I knew that was wrong, but I had the best excuse: serious concerns about my family’s safety.
I rushed over to the front door, my breathing rate rising with every step. I knocked two more times, but there was still no response.
Clenching my fist, I bash hard enough to ensure that anyone inside would hear me – unless they were stone deaf.
“What going on over there?” shouted a woman. It was our next door neighbour, Nada Collings, a widow in her seventies. She was dressed in her bathrobe as she headed straight for me with a broom in hand.
“It’s just me, Nada – Tyler,” I replied.
I slumped in relief to see her stop in her tracks and melt into smiles. “Oh, so good to see you. I thought I heard a noise.”
“I was just trying to fix the door. Someone told me they saw a possum on the roof.”
“I haven’t seen any possums around. But I know you’ve been spending time here, I’ve seen Letitia.”
I knew it wouldn’t take much to throw her off the scent. “Yes, while they’re doing a few renovations at The Lodge. We’ll be back there soon. Don’t tell anyone, will you? It’s all top secret for security reasons.”
“You can trust me. Mum’s the word. I’ll go back to bed, and say hello to Letitia for me.”
“I sure will.”
She shuffled back to her house, waving to me as she walked inside. Then a second later she appeared at the side window, staring straight at me. To avoid any more neighbourly interference, I needed to act as if I belonged there.
My next move was to break in using my own front door key, hoping that Letitia wouldn’t be too furious if I walked into the house to search every room. I took the key out of my pocket, inserted it in the lock then twisted and turned. But it didn’t fit and wouldn’t work despite repeated efforts. She had changed the locks as if she was afraid of me and wanted to cut me out of her life.
Then another thought occurred to me. Perhaps she wanted to keep me out of the house to hide her own secret and stop me finding out about another man. That’s why Joshua sent his email. He wanted to torture me in the worst possible way, wanted me to see them together and then laugh at my agony.
With Nada’s eyes on me there was no getting away with trying to break down the door. I went around to the rear courtyard again where no one could see me and peered through the aluminium framed french doors. Using a cushion from one of the outdoor chairs to protect me, I pressed hard against the large pane of glass. That also helped to muffle the sound as the glass shattered. I cleared enough space to climb through, but minute shards pressed against my skin as I crawled inside.
Standing up and dusting tiny pieces of glass off my clothes, I could hardly believe that I was inside the house at last.
“Letitia!” I shouted, but there was no answer.
I searched downstairs first, turning on the lights in the kitchen, laundry and powder room. There was food in the fridge and clothes drying on an airer. There were toys and baby equipment in a corner of the living area. The Canberra Times on the coffee table was two days old, so I wondered if she had gone to visit her parents.
Then I headed upstairs three steps at a time, stumbled over my feet and looked in the nursery and main bathroom.
In the master bedroom and en suite bathroom I tore open closets and drawers, but there were no clothes, toiletries or anything else to indicate that a man had been there. That felt like a crushing weight being lifted off my body. The townhouse looked perfectly cosy and comfortable with the normal trappings of daily life.
Last of all, I flicked the light switch in the guest bedroom. The small room was neat and tidy, the bed made with crisp hospital corners. There was one well-ironed plaid shirt hanging on the closet door, green and black check with short sleeves. Fear rushed over me when I saw that it was covered in what looked like blood.
The shirt looked new but brought back memories of Joshua Byrnes. That was the same style and pattern of shirt that he wore that night beside the campfire. I strode over and noticed there was an empty bottle of tomato ketchup on the floor. The entire bottle had been upended and the contents poured all over the shirt. Then it had been thrown onto the beige carpet that also appeared to be covered in blood.
An invisible hand grabbed my heart, squeezed it tighter than a vice and brought back the sharpest memories of my childhood. The night on Eighty Mile Beach when I killed my parents – and Joshua Byrnes had an old shirt that was covered in blood that night.
He had been in my house and left that there for me to find. That’s what his email was about.
I open the closet door and there were three old shirts, a pair of jeans and two black polo shirts monogrammed with a logo for the Chowpatty Indian Restaurant. I remembered that place, had eaten there one night two years ago.
Falling to my graze
d knees, I looked under the bed and then noticed something against the bedhead behind the pillows. I tossed them onto the floor and grabbed what turned out to be a document, a few printed pages stapled together. My breathing rate soared as I realised it was Joshua’s explanation of what had been happening over the previous few weeks. It was a letter addressed to me.
I sat on the bed to read it, and soon realised the truth about the noise upstairs and the stranger who was living in my house.
It wasn’t Shakespeare but it was dramatic enough to make my blood turn to ice. Imagine reading a horror story, words on a page that spring to life and threaten to rip your world in two, tear out your heart and sentence you to endless torture. That was how it made me feel as I read each page.
I cried with frustration, wishing that I’d burst into the house that night, almost two weeks earlier, and discovered him there.
Chapter 19
Joshua’s letter
Dear Tyler,
You might wonder how it’s possible that Letitia would befriend me and ask me to live with her. It does seem strange, I must admit, but not when you consider how sweet and generous she is, so willing to help others. She’s really much too nice for you.
I knew this was your townhouse and often walked past it. But it was such a surprise to see that Letitia was living there with the baby. What a beautiful child you have, such a gorgeous little boy. I hung around Telopea Park, saw her come and go for a couple of days, but she didn’t notice me. Three weeks ago I was watching her through the kitchen window when she saw me. Although she looked nervous, I think she realised that I was the man who had helped you all those years ago.
I waved and gave her a shy smile, wanting her to like me and not be afraid. She said later that she thought I looked kind. Much to my surprise, she walked out to the front gate and I crossed over the road.
