‘Did you contact the police about the same coat?’ says the lawyer.
‘Yes, I talked to someone about this coat. I also talked to Inspector Mack Young about the same coat,’ says Tyler.
‘So after three days of the mysterious coat making you crazy, what did you do on the Labour Day holiday?’ says the lawyer.
‘I was having a chat with my friend, Peter McGuire, outside of my apartment block and before the chat was finished, I saw the coat out of the corner of my eye. I didn’t know what the mysterious person with the same coat was doing outside of my flat,’ says Tyler.
‘Right, when the mysterious person was gone, perhaps he was hiding somewhere in St Kilda. What happened to the mysterious coat?’ says the lawyer.
‘The next night after I went to see Dr Van Airhardt, I arrived at the Duke of York Hotel to do nightshift work, and I was dressed as a detective. I saw the coat was hanging on the hook on a dark corner, and later, it was still there. I think the mysterious person forgot to take it when he left from the Duke of York Hotel to go home which was his secret hideout,’ says Tyler. ‘And also, I took a photo of the same coat at this hotel.’
‘So after this, did you see the mysterious coat for the last time?’ says the lawyer.
‘Yes,’ says Tyler.
‘What did you do?’ says the lawyer.
‘In a couple of days, I again arrived in the Duke of York Hotel and when I entered the dark corner, I saw that the coat was still hanging on the hook, so I took it and put it in my sports bag before Dr Airhardt arrived. He was going to see me about the police interview and later when the police interview went wrong at the police station, I took the coat out of my sports bag and gave it to Inspector Mack Young so the police continued the investigation of this coat until Robert Taylor’s name was announced as the owner of that mysterious coat,’ says Tyler.
‘One more question, Mr Brown,’ says the lawyer. ‘Do you think the mysterious coat is haunting you and making you crazy?’
‘Yes,’ says Tyler. ‘I’m not a mad person, I’m just a private investigator, and I’m not a rebel. And I’m not like a crazy man who gate-crashes sporting events and other venues.’
‘Thank you, Mr Brown, you may go now,’ says the lawyer.
‘Thank you,’ says Tyler, so he stands up from the chair, walks to the stairs, walks down the steps and walks to the seats as he leaves the witness box while the lawyer sits down on the chair, turns the pages of paper and reads it while he’s waiting for another witness who has also seen the mysterious coat before.
Two minutes later at the Coroner’s Court, Angelique – who is wearing a black skirt, a jacket suit, stockings and high heels – is sitting on a chair in the witness box. A lawyer reads one of the pages about the same saga and says to her, ‘I understand that you are the daughter of a gold mining tycoon, the late Mr Bill Robinson, and you work both as a model and a dancer; is that correct?’
‘Yes,’ says Angelique.
‘What do you do in your work as a model and a dancer?’ says the lawyer.
‘I’m not going to talk about my private business,’ says Angelique.
‘Oh, very well,’ says the lawyer, so he stops reading one of the pages and says to Angelique, ‘Do you also know about the mysterious coat?’
‘Yes,’ says Angelique.
‘What do you know?’ says the lawyer.
‘Well, when I was dancing at the Duke of York Hotel during my work as a dancer, I saw the same coat hanging on a hook in a dark corner of the same hotel. I have no idea who wore it, until I was threatened at my work when I was performing on stage with a pole,’ says Angelique.
‘Who threatened you?’ says the lawyer.
‘It was the mysterious person, that person who made Tyler crazy,’ says Angelique.
‘Now, before you took your time off from your work as a dancer from the Duke of York Hotel, did you see this coat before the police visited to investigate that coat in the dark corner of the Duke of York Hotel?’ says the lawyer.
‘Yes, the coat was still hanging on the hook, because the mysterious person had left it behind when he went from the Duke of York Hotel. He’s forgot to take it before he went to his secret place,’ says Angelique. ‘It was still there at this pub.’
‘During your absence from work as a dancer of the Duke of York Hotel, do you know if anybody removed that coat?’ says the lawyer.
‘No,’ says Angelique.
‘Why?’ says the lawyer.
‘Because it was still there in the dark corner of the Duke of York Hotel until Tyler took it and gave it to the police which then led the police to continue the investigation of this coat,’ says Angelique.
‘And what is your relationship with Tyler?’ says the lawyer.
‘He’s my lover and my boyfriend. I am Tyler’s girlfriend,’ says Angelique. ‘I am his fiancée.’
‘Are you going to ask more questions to this witness?’ says the judge.
‘No, your honour,’ says the lawyer. ‘She’s just wants to keep her privacy.’
‘Well, you cannot talk to witnesses about their private businesses during the court trials because this may too be dangerous for them,’ says Angelique, frowning.
‘All right, and thank you. You may go now,’ says the puzzled lawyer.
‘And I’m not saying thank you to you, you fool!’ says Angelique.
‘Order,’ says the judge and he uses the court hammer in his hand and hits on the gavel.
The lawyer says to the judge, ‘I have to rest my witness, your honour, she’s very upset.’
The judge says to Angelique, ‘All right, you may go now, and please behave yourself.’
Angelique stands up to leave the witness box, walks to the stairs, walks down the steps and walks to the seats.
Another two minutes later at the Coroner Court, Darcy, who is wearing his blue suit, is sitting in a chair of the witness box and the lawyer stands nearby, reading from a page about the same saga.
He says to Darcy, ‘Mr Jones, you’re the owner of the coat shop at Fritzeg Street in St Kilda and you have worked in this shop for some years; is this true?’
‘Yes, that is correct,’ says Darcy.
‘Right,’ says the lawyer. He stops reading from his pages and questions Darcy, ‘So, Mr Jones, tell me about the mysterious coat.
Did you know about this coat during your time working at the coat shop in St Kilda?’
‘Well, yes, I bought this coat from an Italian fashion label called Prada, and the coat’s colour is light brown. When this coat arrived from Italy at the coat shop, I tried to sell it and promoted it to every person who loves to wear coats,’ says Darcy.
‘When was this?’ says the lawyer.
‘Um, maybe some years ago, I think,’ says Darcy.
‘So did the mysterious person visit your coat shop that you own?’ says the lawyer.
‘Yes, he’s visited my shop,’ says Darcy. ‘He had just been released from jail again, and when he arrived at my shop, he was not sure which coat to buy. I saw him and I talked to him about what sort of coat he would like. I asked him would he like his coat long or short, and he said “long”. Then, I asked him what colour, but I only had a light brown one. After asking more questions to him, I gave him a coat which was long, light brown and made by Prada. After he paid for this coat, he told me that he was going to go home, wear the coat and going to disguise himself as a mysterious person going to do a crime again and then hide somewhere in St Kilda.’
‘Now, wait a minute, Mr Jones,’ frowned the lawyer. ‘Have you been selling coats to criminals at your shop before?’
‘Well, some people that I know think I have been a liar and a criminal,’ says the puzzled Darcy.
‘What?’ says the lawyer.
‘Some people have accused me of being no good,’ says Darcy.
‘How dare you get mixed up with this mysterious person!’ says the lawyer.
‘Look!’ says Darcy. ‘I didn’t sell coats to criminals a
nd murderers. I was selling coats to anybody, everyday people. I’m sick of the police who arrested me, charged me and fined me. I don’t care about this crap thing – excuse me for my language. I mean, I don’t care about this stupid idea of me being involved with illegal gambling. I don’t care about the illegal prostitution which was at the back of the other shop that I worked in and I don’t care about the illegal money laundering. The police arrested me four times and I’ve been fined. I hate the coppers and it makes me feel terrible. I’ve got to get rid of the Force, a psychiatrist who is also a crime fighter who visited my shop, my rivals who own the other coat shops in St Kilda and other suburbs of Melbourne, my enemies, the taxman, the fraud squad, and other wolves. I want to ignore them all and I got to get out of here away from them. I want to keep my business, my shop, my mansion, my car, my wife and children, my family and my friends. I’ve got to protect those I love from the idiots that I hate. I’m going to be stronger and face them, I’m going to be a better and happier man until the day I die, all right?’
‘Maybe you should go and close your shop now, Mr Jones?’ says the lawyer but Darcy doesn’t answer. Darcy stands up from the chair, walks to the stairs, walks down the steps and walks to the seats and the lawyer says to the judge, ‘I have to rest this witness, your honour. He’s very upset and he wants to protect his private life from the public because they don’t believe him anymore.’ The lawyer sits down on a chair and thinks about Darcy’s information. It’s the state coroner’s inquiry about the saga of the mysterious coat and he doesn’t want the case to collapse and finish due to Darcy being upset about being involved with crime before.
A week later at the Coroner’s Court, the judge says to the people, ‘I am announcing that the owner of the mysterious coat is the late Robert Taylor. It is Mr Taylor who was disguised as a mysterious person, who was wearing this mysterious coat and had been hiding somewhere in St Kilda for some years after doing previous crimes. These crimes include theft at the age of ten, car theft at the age of twelve, robbery of a shop at the age of fourteen, assault with a weapon at the age of sixteen, armed robbery at the age of seventeen-and-a-half, stalking and assault at the age of twenty and being arrested and charged by the police three times. He also did kidnapping, assault, possession of weapons and explosives. He attempted kidnapping and holding Mr Tyler Brown hostage at his secret hideout. He was threatening and also attempted stalking and planned to hold a stripper of the Duke of York Hotel hostage. Her name was Angelique. This information was according to Angelique’s story, which was read by Inspector Mack Young from the police. Robert also wrote his ideas of revenge which were about planning to blow up the police station at St Kilda Road or kill all the policemen in the line of duty by using a Russian-made machine gun. He also wrote his plan to kidnap and assault all of the prostitutes at Grundy Street in St Kilda. He also wrote of possessing weapons and explosives and selling them to criminals who were working for the underworld. He was going to ask them to destroy all of the policemen by shooting them or blowing up. This is the end of the state coroner’s inquiry into the saga of the mysterious coat.’ The judge takes a court hammer from a bench, hits the hammer on a gavel and says to the people again, ‘Case closed.’
CHAPTER 48
T
hree months later at Tyler’s apartment block, the big day for him is here as he’s getting ready to marry Angelique. Before the wedding is going to start, he, Peter and his two friends, George and Mark, are getting dressed in Peter Jackson black suits and ties, putting red roses in their suits and wearing black shoes. After they finish dressing, Tyler says to Peter, George and Mark, ‘Okay, we’ve finished getting dressed, so where’s Paul and Mick?’
‘I don’t know, mate,’ says George. ‘I’m not sure if they’re invited to your wedding.’
‘Look, Peter is my best man, right?’ says Tyler. ‘And you and Mark were my two groomsmen, right? That’s the tradition and normal for my wedding.’
‘Okay, mate, we’re trying to help you,’ says George.
‘Yeah, I wonder if Paul is going to apologise to me and Peter for being rude to us when we talked to him about Robert Taylor. There was a twist when he had a mistaken identity between a woman and Robert about the mysterious coat, so I think Paul made a big mistake because my girlfriend is not a mysterious person who wears the mysterious coat and some other woman is also not a mysterious person who wears that coat. Just only Robert,’ says Tyler.
‘Wow,’ says George.
‘Far out,’ says Mark.
‘Any final thoughts before we go to the chapel for Angelique and my wedding?’ says Tyler.
‘Well, maybe Mark and I will call Paul and Mick to come and join us and we’ll hop in a 4WD car so you and Peter will hop in a limousine,’ says George.
‘All right, mate,’ says Tyler. ‘Peter and I will meet you, Mark, Paul and Mick outside of the Stars of The Sea Church in Brighton later.’
‘Okay, hoo roo,’ says George and then, he and Mark walk to the door, leave Tyler’s flat and call Paul and Mick to come and join them to jump in a 4WD car for the wedding.
Tyler says, ‘I wonder when Paul is going to apologize to you and me for being rude to us when you and me talked to him about Robert Taylor.’
‘Maybe later before your wedding starts and your bride, Angelique, joins you in the chapel of love,’ says Peter.
‘Now, Peter, have you got the wedding ring for me?’ says Tyler.
‘Oh yes, strewth,’ says Peter, so he walks to the table and takes a small box which has a wedding ring inside. He walks to Tyler, gives it to him and says to him, ‘Here you go, Tyler.’
‘Thank you,’ says Tyler, so he puts the small box in the pocket of his black pants and Peter says to him, ‘Hey, Tyler, where did you get this wedding ring from?’
‘It’s from Tiffany’s at Crown,’ says Tyler.
‘Oh okay,’ says Peter.
‘So we’ll stay inside my flat and wait for the limousine because this car is going to come in five minutes,’ says Tyler.
‘Yeah, that’s a good idea, Tyler,’ says Peter. ‘I think the weather is going to be cold today but I wonder if there’s snow at Mount Buller, Mount Hotham and Falls Creek.’
‘Don’t worry, Peter,’ says Tyler. ‘We’ll wait and see.’
He and Peter walk to the couch, sit down and wait for the limousine to come and pick them up and take them to the Stars of The Sea Church at Brighton.
Five minutes later outside of Tyler’s apartment block the limousine arrives and stops at the street where Tyler’s flat is. The weather is now cold, freezing and windy and there’s a chauffeur standing behind one of the doors of the limousine. He sees Tyler and Peter walking to the limousine and he says to them, ‘Morning, sir.’ Tyler and Peter hop inside the limousine as the chauffeur shuts the door of the limousine. The limousine is off to the Stars of The Sea Church at Brighton but another limousine is going to pick Angelique and the rest of the people in Cartwright Street.
At Angelique’s house, her and her friends, Jessica, Mandy and Lucy, are getting dressed and Angelique is wearing her white wedding dress. Jessica is wearing a yellow bridesmaid dress, Mandy is wearing a blue bridesmaid dress and Lucy is wearing a pink bridesmaid dress. Then, Angelique puts her beautiful satin heels on while Jessica, Mandy and Lucy put their white slippers on. After Angelique, Jessica, Mandy and Lucy finish dressing up, Angelique says to them, ‘Okay, ladies, we’re done.’
‘So, is your mother coming to you and your fiancée’s wedding?’ says Jessica.
‘Yes, she is going to be looked after by her carer who is trying to stop her bad habits,’ says Angelique.
‘What’s your mother been doing after recovering from a heart attack?’ says Mandy.
‘Well, she goes to the gym at Tyler’s apartment block with the help of a personal trainer. There’s also a swimming pool at his apartment block and with the help of the same personal trainer she swims and plays tennis. She’s also eating healthy foods by having
healthy meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. No snacks for her,’ says Angelique. ‘She is losing weight every day.’
‘Really?’ says Lucy. ‘Now tell me about Tyler?’
‘As you know, he’s my fiancée,’ says Angelique. ‘He’s tall, dark and handsome.’
‘Is he sexy?’ says Jessica.
‘Yes sort of,’ says Angelique.
‘What’s he look like?’ says Mandy.
‘He thinks he looks like a character played by Bruce Barry from an old TV show but he looks so handsome,’ says Angelique, so she, Jessica, Mandy and Lucy smile and have a laugh. Suddenly, there’s a knock on the door and Angelique stops smiling and says to Jessica, Mandy and Lucy, ‘Hang on, ladies, I think it’s my mother.’
Jessica stops smiling and says to Angelique, ‘Are you sure?’
‘Yes,’ says Angelique.
Mandy also stops smiling and says to Angelique, ‘Has she lost her weight?’
‘Yes,’ says Angelique.
Lucy also stops smiling and says to Angelique, ‘Are you going to answer the door?’
‘Yes I will,’ says Angelique, so she walks to the door, opens the door and it is her mother, Margaret, who has lost fifteen kilograms since she recovered from her heart attack. She is wearing a beautiful pale pink skirt and jacket with a white silk shirt underneath. Angelique says to her, ‘Hello, Mum.’
‘Hello, Angelique,’ says Margaret.
‘Do you want to come in?’ says Angelique.
‘Yes,’ says Margaret, so she enters and Angelique shuts the door, but they walk to Jessica, Mandy and Lucy.
Angelique says to them, ‘Ladies, this is my mother Margaret.’
‘Hello,’ says Margaret.
‘Hi, Margaret,’ says Jessica.
‘How is your heart?’ says Mandy.
‘It’s fine. A pacemaker is controlling my heart,’ says Margaret.
The Mysterious Coat Page 29
