9.
While Ann and Bill were in the house discovering many things together, Blake was outside by the grave site of the child trying to work things out. He was perplexed by this case. Still shots of the murders flashed through his brain. First, he stood there, holding his arms as though cradling a child and gently placed the imaginary baby in the grave in the garden. Then he turned and looked back to the house. Taking an eyeline from the kitchen door, he imagined struggling with and carrying a body through the garden in the direction of the mullock heap grave site. He looked, and thought. From the bones of the body she had been of medium height maybe 5'5"or so. He smiled to himself - about Jean's height. But still, she would have been a dead weight to carry. He didn't know for sure, but he had watched Jean closely enough over the years to estimate her weight at about 8 1/2 stone or so. ('And a nicely arranged 8 1/2 stone, at that." he thought). So although a nice armful to hold, not much fun to carry any distance.
He turned and looked again toward the mullock heaps. Imagining he was carrying Jean, he moved through the bush in the most direct line. He had to sway to avoid a large granite bolder and dance around some stringy bark trees. Some 30 feet from the gravesite he plowed through some low, scraggly wattle bushes, their branches and thorns grabbing at his clothes and hands.
The wattle branches snatched at his watchband and nearly tore it off. Blake stopped - another flash in his head. Holding very still in one spot he considered. Turning back he ran to the edge of the paddock. Spotting Ann and Bill in the kitchen looking out he waved both arms and called Bill to join him.
Bill came out of the house and jogged over to join him. 'Find something Doc?' he asked.
'Not yet, but Bill, come help me. We need to look and look carefully' Blake led Bill to the stand of wattles and indicated. 'It's likely whoever carried the body came through here. We need to search all around and under these wattles'
'What are we looking for'
'I don't know, a watch maybe, something... something that was caught by the wattles and lost'.
'If it was lost, then how do we find it!' said Bill in an exasperated voice.
'Just look Bill, look.'
Both men grabbed a stick and began beating back and looking around and under the wattles, scuffing up the dirt and searching. They were tough little plants and the thorns made it an unpleasant task. After about 30 minutes or so Blake was about to give up, when Bill called out:
'Doc! I've found something!'
Bill had ripped out several of the smaller wattles, trying to clear the area. There, embedded in one of the shallow root systems was a short chain of some sort. Blake crouched forward to investigate. Grabbing the plant, he brushed the dirt away from the knotted root ball. Carefully working his way around the chain, loosening all the dirt and breaking off small roots, he eased it away from the plant.
Blake held up his find. A clump of dirty chain and small plate, blackened with tarnish. 'Look!'
'What is it?'
'If I'm not mistaken, it is some sort of men's identity bracelet. See here where the chain has caught and snapped. It looks like there is engraving on it' Blake held it up to the light to see better. 'No, its too dirty and tarnished. We'll have to get it cleaned up to see if it helps any.'
Blake gave Bill a slap on the shoulder. 'Well done Bill! I was about ready to give up'. Bill had just the slightest little pleased smirk on his face. The Doctor didn't praise him often.
'Well, better get you back to the Station before Lawson has a fit'. Blake slipped the bracelet into his pocket and strode back to the house, Bill following. As they approached, Ann came out carrying two tall glasses of lemon cordial.
'Find anything?'
'Maybe Ann. Just maybe. Drink up Bill, we have to be getting back.' Both men downed their drinks and returned the glasses to Ann. Blake turned to leave, when Ann stopped him with a word, 'Wait Lucien, you haven't heard what Bill found!'
He turned hand looked at Bill in surprize. 'You found something else?'
'Well, we did. Ann and me, I mean. I'll tell you all about it on the drive back.' Bill was hoping that Blake wasn't going to be too hard on him about his Romance background. It was something he really didn't want getting around the station.
'Don't go just yet!' Ann turned and raced back into the house. She returned shortly carrying 12 spiral bound notebooks. 'I collected them together Bill, someone has to read them' and she handed them over to him. Looking at Blake she said 'These are Emily's private notebooks. This is all I could find Bill, but I will check the other boxes as well just in case'
'Thanks Ann.' He looked at her and smiled, 'I'll come get you Thursday at 7, okay?'
Ann smiled and nodded. Blake looked at them both and worried.
...
Driving back to the station, Bill told Blake about the discovery of the Romance novels. He had to tell about who Caroline Storm was, and how he knew. Blake couldn't help grinning at Bill.
'Stop it' growled Bill
Blake chuckled. 'It will be our little secret' he paused and considered. It may not be his place to say anything but he was concerned for Ann, 'But Bill, go carefully there with Ann please, she hasn't had an easy time of it'
Bill looked at Blake. 'Don't worry Doctor. She is special.'
...
Returning to the station, Blake was surprised to see Alice seated in front of Lawson's desk. Charlie stood nearby. They all had a sober expression on their faces.
'Alice! Come out of the cave to join us?' he teased. Blake was just a bit full of himself at the moment.
Alice sniffed and looked scornfully at him. 'I have just had the dental records returned and thought you and the Chief Inspector would want to know right away. Its confirmed, the body is that of Emily McCaffery.
...
