A Pathway of Adversity
Chapter 46
"…Then, where the hell is she?!" Hugo Austin shouted down the phone.
"How would I know?" Martha's passive voice replied at the other end.
"She's your fuckin' aunt, isn't she?"
Martha sighed deeply. Hugo had been in a very dark mood since the Police had questioned him in regard to Irene Roberts' death. Morag had agreed to stand as his lawyer as a favour to her brother, Alf Stewart, but after, Hugo had complained bitterly that she'd just sat there at his side, and allowed the 'Pigs' to treat him like a common criminal.
"I'm sure she'll be in touch when she can, Hugo. She probably has other clients."
"I don't give a flying fuck for her other clients! I need her now!"
Hugo punched some more numbers into his phone and chewed the ends of his finger nails nervously.
"…But Colleen, this is purely circumstantial! It would never hold up in a court of law!" Morag cried, slamming the copy document down on the polished table. "How did you get hold of an original of this letter in the first place?" She asked incredulously.
"That's for me to know..." Colleen replied tapping the side of her nose.
"If this letter was an authentic document, how did it fall into your hands, Colleen?" Morag asked again sharply.
Colleen shifted uncomfortably.
"It was given to me."
"By whom?"
Colleen took out a duster from her apron pocket and flicked away some dusk particles which had settled on her polished table.
"By whom, Colleen?" Morag repeated, exasperated.
"If you must know, Irene gave it to me to proof read!" She replied defiantly.
"Proof read! Who writes a letter… a letter so full of emotion… a letter confessing to such emotive things and casually allows an acquaintance to proof read it?!" Morag cried in amazement.
"Acquaintance! I'll have you know that Irene Roberts was my very best friend! Acquaintance indeed!"
"Well, I knew Irene slightly, but I never got the impression from our brief conversations that you and she were best buddies!" Morag remarked. "In fact, during one conversation we shared, I remember her remarking how you irritated the hell out of her and most of the residents of Summerbay, and how you couldn't keep your nose out of her business, even though she'd warned you off time and time again! Not the words of a best friend, Colleen and certainly not the words of someone who would intrust such a letter into your hands for proof reading!"
"Well, Irene Roberts could be caustic at times and she would have her little joke, of course." Colleen smiled nervously.
"That was not the impression she gave me, Colleen. Now, where did you get this photocopy of the letter from?"
"At the health club. For a few cents you can photocopy whatever you like!"
"Yes, I am aware that photocopying is available in public places, but what I mean to say, is, why did you photocopy the letter? Have you still got the original and if so, why did you not give it back to Irene?"
"I stand by my right as a citizen of Australia to remain silent!"
Morag sucked in her thin lips and sighed.
"Just answer the question."
"I gave it to the Police."
"You gave the letter to the Police?"
"Of course. It was my civic duty!" She replied proudly.
Morag raised her eyes to the ceiling.
"But why have you kept a copy of the letter?"
"Well, just in case I needed it."
"Whatever for, Colleen? Feel the need to poison someone else's life?"
"How dare you, Morag! You're no sister of mine! Get out! Get out!" She screamed.
"Flamin' 'ell! What's going on in here?!" Alf cried, re-entering the room.
"This woman… this 'fiend' is accusing me of…"
"I'm not accusing you of anything, Colleen… I'm just trying to establish why you had in your possession a very private letter apparently penned by Irene Roberts, which allegedly had been sent to Joey Collins but somehow ended up with you! Then you gave it to the Police."
Colleen looked sheepish.
"Now, what I do not understand is, if Irene had given you this letter to 'proof-read' did you return it to Irene to post to Joey Collins or did you keep it?"
"Oh, that's easy, Pet, I posted it for her!" Colleen smiled triumphantly.
Alf and Colleen looked at each other in amazement.
"So, Irene, not only intrusted you to read this very personal letter, but also got you to post it to Joey afterwards?" Alf asked in amazement. "She must have been out of her tiny mind!"
"Alf Stewart!" Colleen hissed. "You didn't say this to me the day I told you about it! You were happy enough to believe me and get in touch with the Police to get the little bitch put away!"
"You told me this fantastic story – at the time I felt so sick and stunned about Irene's death that I probably would have believed anything! But since, I've had time to think, Colleen, and it just doesn't add up!"
"Let's just get back to the facts…" Morag intervened, standing up.
"You just want to have me put away – both of you!" Colleen screamed.
"I deal in facts, Colleen! I'm just trying to establish why a possible piece of vital evidence ended up in your possession! Did Joey Collins give you the letter back?"
"Where did you get it from, Colleen?" Alf Stewart asked, moving closer to his sister. "Who gave it to you – I'm sure Joey Collins didn't! Why would she?"
"And you saw fit to hand this letter into the Police as vital evidence against Joey, but deemed it necessary to keep a copy for yourself! Why is this, Colleen? Morag added.
Colleen Smart looked from her lawyer sister to her brother and back again.
"I want to see a lawyer!" She announced. "A different lawyer!"