CH 5
Mr Frobes walked into the parlour and saw Tom. "Sargent, you wanted to see me?"
"Yes, please, sit down. I thought it would be better talking here than at the station."
"Ok, what do you want to talk to me about."
Chris quietly opened the door, caught Tom's eye, and gave him the 'thumbs up' to let him know that Forbes had a drink with the truth serum in it. Then she quietly closed it again.
"Maggie Doyle."
"What about her?"
"She's a great copper and a team player, and I've never had her lie to me once. So the other day when you told me what happened, was she lying."
"No," Tom sat forward."So, you weredriving when constable Doyle pulled you up."
"Yes. I told Gleen if he wanted to go up in the world like parliament with me that he should try to convince her that he was driving and not me."
"So, when that plan didn't work, what did you do next?"
"I had her checked out and found out some useful information. I used that to get her to drop the charges."
"What information?"
"Oh, where she was living, the promotions of her brother and father. I told her that if she cares about them, she had better drop the charges."
"And if that didn't work?"
"Well, then, I know people who can take care of the problem."
"Meaning what, scare her?"
"Kill her, and that bloody secretary Mrs Cole. Couldn't trust that she didn't see and hear what happened."
"So, you're going to kill Constable Maggie Doyle and Mrs Elle Cole, why? Over a drivers license?"
" You see, without their testimony; I'll be lucky to lose my licence for six months and a fine."
"How are you going to kill them?"
"I contacted this guy; he and his two mates are hired killers. They are going to take care of the problem," he said as he sips his drink.
"Are these three the same ones that you hired to kill Constable Jackson two years ago?"
"They are, and I walked out of court a free man. He charged me with drunk driving and assaulting an officer, what an idiot. If he had dropped the charges, he would be alive today."
Tom looked down at his hands. He was sick to his stomach over what he had just heard, and then he looked up at him.
"Do you know where these three men are now?"
"Yeah, they are here in Mount Thomas. They're staying out in the old abandoned house on Widgy Road."
"Do you know when they are planning on doing the killings?"
"No, but when I hear about it on the news, I'll know it's over."
"Do you know their names?"
"Yeah, the leader is Noel Clark, the other two are Henry Wright and Neil Taylor."
Elle had been listening in, and when she heard those names, she thought that there was something familiar about them. "Oh my God!" she exclaimed as she stood up.
"Elle?" Maggie asked.
"I'll be right back." She sprinted out of the room and headed for the station.
"Elle, what's going on?" Wayne asked when she ran into the locker room.
"Later, I'm heading home to get something," running out of the station she got into her car and drove off making sure that she wasn't followed. Once she was home and safely inside, she hurried into her office and grabbed a photo album and a letter from her desk drawer then she left the house locking the door. Getting back into the car, she drove back to the station.
Back at her desk, she removed a photo from the album that she had brought and hurried back to the pub. Returning to the private room, she showed Maggie and PJ the picture she had gotten.
"Who's this?" PJ asked.
"The guy in the blue shirt is Tim, and the others are Neil, Henry and Noel.
"Here," she passed PJ the letter. Opening the envelope and removing the letter, he proceeded to read it.
"These are the three men. When was this photo taken?" PJ asked.
"The same day that the four went sailing and only three returned. The owner of the boat said that Tim asked him to post this letter to me with the film in a package. He paid the guy fifty dollars to do it. These guys were the last to see Tim alive. They murdered my husband, and I want it proved."
"We'll get them."
"What's happening?" Elle asked.
"Ken Forbes' spilling his guts to the sergeant."
"Is there evidence?"
"Oh yeah." They continued to watch over the next ten minutes until Forbes left the room. Tom left behind him and walked into the next room.
Elle stepped forward. "That man is unbelievable!"
"I know, Boss, here, look at this," showing him the photo and letter.
"What's this?"
"Read it."
Tom got reading glasses out of his pocket, put them on, then he read the letter. When he finished reading it, he looked at the photo and then to Elle, completely shocked.
"I think they were hired to kill Tim to make it look like an accident," Tom pulled her into his arms.
"PJ, Maggie go back to the station and close it up. When you're done, then come and get me. We're going after these guys. Elle, I want you to stay here, just in case."
"I know. Be careful, these guys are dangerous."
"We know, got it." Then they walk out of the room.
"We're going to need those tapes."
"Here they are," the guy put them into a bag then passed the bag to Elle. "There are three copies of each."
"Perfect. Thanks, Brad, for doing this."
"No worries. Thanks to you and your scholarship, I was able to complete uni. Did I hear you say that if you needed anything to call?"
"Yes, I did, and thank you."
"I'll start packing everything up. Good luck in getting these guys."
"Thanks, We will leave you to it," Tom said.
"Send me the bill," She said jokingly.
"Nah, was happy to help out."
"Care to tell me?"
"After I sorted out the Tim business, one thing I started up in Tim's name was a scholarship, and Brad was the first person to receive a full scholarship anywhere in Australia."
"That must have been good of you."
"Yes, he is in computer engineering and computer sciences and a couple of other computer studies. By the time he graduated, he was at the top of his class and received several job offers. Now he works for a computer engineering firm in Melbourne. He's earning over one twenty for the first year."
"That's a lot of money."
"I know, and he's helping his mum, brothers and sisters out. With his savings, he bought an old two-story house for his family last month after their landlord put their rent up.
Several things needed to be done to the house before they could move in, so he contacted me for help with an estimate on how much it would cost to get it fixed up. I made some calls, and by the next month, the house was getting a new roof and tiles replaced to start. The wiring was also a mess, so that needs to be done as well. Since it's summer, it will be ok for now, but by winter it will be a different story. But at least they will have heating and hot water for starters."
"That's good of him. Is he living with his family?"
"He's renting an apartment, but he plans on moving in next year after the major repairs are done. His rent money will go onto the mortgage, rates and insurance and such. It will take around five years to get the house looking great, but for now, having a house that doesn't leak is important."
"I agree, I better get going."
"Take care, Tom."
"I will," walking out of the room.
"He seems to be a great bloke."
"He is. He's like a father figure."
PJ had been waiting outside in the car for Tom to head off to Widgery Road. They met up with the other two cars and went about checking each abandoned house. Coming upon one of the houses, they noticed a vehicle parked to the side. Tom called in and had them find out who owned it. Moving up close to the house, they Crept around the outside. Looking through each of the windows, finally spotting the three men they were looking for sitting in the kitchen. Working their way into the house, they caught the three men at the table. The coppers were shocked to find that they had three different guns.
"Well, now, what do we have here, boys?" PJ said. Once the guns and ammo were collected, and after photos were taken, they all headed back to the station. When they got back, Tom called Chris and asked her to let Elle know that it was all over and she could head back to the station.
Walking in, she ran into PJ as he was getting some water. "Boss told you?"
"Yeah, thirsty?"
"Nah, it's for one of the blokes. He was coughing 'cause of the dust."
Elle smiles as she pulls a bottle from her pocket, opens it, and pours some of its contents into the cup of water that PJ was getting. She grabbed a spoon, stirred it, and gave it back to him. "Now give it to him, it's truth serum."
"OK..."
"PJ, can you ask about Tim's death please?"
"Sure, of course." He walked back into the interview room while Elle sat down and waited.
Half an hour later, Wayne took the guy to the cells, Elle didn't look at him once. PJ and Tom walked out behind them and went over to her.
"Tim was murdered, wasn't he."
"I'm afraid so, I'm sorry Elle," Tom said.
"How?… please..."
"It was just as you said might have happened. Noel put the harness on Tim and had a rope attached to the harness. Just as Tim went to pull the sail down, Noel unhooked the rope. When a huge wave was about to hit, they didn't warn him, and Tim was swept overboard. Tim called out to them for help, but they just stood there and watched as he was swept away. They lowered the sail and called a mayday. When a patrol boat reached them four hours later, the boat was starting to break up. They were pulled out of the sea just as the boat sank. Neil told their rescuers that there were four of them, but one of them had gone overboard when a huge wave hit. They said that the rope that Tim had been hooked up to snapped when they were trying to bring him in and that it had happened just before they got there. The Navy searched for him and even warned other ships in the area to be on the lookout. By daybreak, the storm had passed, and the search continued."
"How long was it between the time that Tim was swept overboard and the arrival of the patrol boat?"
"Four hours," Tom answered.
"Why'd they kill him? He had no enemies,"
"His wife, not you, Claire Thomson, and his father Peter Cole, they paid them half a million dollars to befriend Tim, take him fishing, and have him killed."
"But why?"
"Their business was losing money after Tim started his own company. People trusted him, and you," Tom said.
"And now the company has tripled in size," PJ said.
"What about the Johnson case?"
"He told us everything. Now I've got phone calls to make," Tom said, heading into his office.
"And I've got the other two mongrels to talk to," PJ said.
"Tom here..." she passes him a card.
"It's to the detective up in Cairns who was handling Tim's case,"
"Thanks, Elle."
"Don't worry, mate, we've got them, and justice will be served," PJ said before walking away.
"Yes, it will be,"
PJ and Wayne had gone to get the second prisoner when superintendent Adams walked into the station.
Elle stood up and stepped forward. "Superintendent Adams, this is a surprise, Sir. If I had known that you were coming, I would have cooked up one of my homemade sultana loaves that you love so much."
He chuckles as he walks around the counter, sets his briefcase down and puts his hands on her shoulders.
"Ted called and told me what has happened over the past couple of days. It must've been a nightmare for you."
"Yes, it has been. But it's almost over."
"Meaning?"
"We've got evidence of corruption, threats, blackmail, and murder."
"You're joking."
"No, Mr Ken Forbes spilled his guts to the Boss today about the murder of constable Johnson that what happened a couple of years ago."
"What? How?"
"Mr Forbes tried to blackmail and threaten a young constable. When that didn't work, he had him transferred to Seymore and then murdered a few days before his court case for assault and drunk driving. Then he tries to bribe and threaten Constable Maggie Doyle, and when that plan didn't work, he sent three assassins after her to have both Maggie and me killed."
"But why you too?"
"I called triple zero and made a statement that I saw Mr Frobes driving and not Mr Richie. Mr Forbes first statement states that Mr Richie was driving which Mr Richie backed up. Until today when Mr Forbes admitted to The Boss that he was the one driving the day, Maggie had pulled him over for going through a stop sign and driving dangerously."
"I understand that this is a nightmare."
"It's almost over… One of the men involved has spilled his guts to PJ, Tom and Wayne. He also told them how Tim died."
"Murder."
"Yes. Claire Thomson and Peter Cole, my father in law, hired the three men and told them to befriend Tim and get him to go fishing with them. When a storm hit, it was the perfect time. Tim had been attached to the mast by rope and harness. One of the men removed the rope that was connected to Tim's harness and didn't warn him when a giant wave was about to hit, and it took him overboard. They did nothing to try and save him. When the Navy finally arrived to help, they lied t telling them that Tim had gone overboard only minutes before they showed up. When in truth, it was hours."
"I had no idea, but at least you got closure."
"Yes I know, and I won't be the only one, Sir."
"Constable Johnson's family."
" And others."
"Others?"
"These three men have killed, I don't know... how many people?"
"At least they've been caught."
"So true. So, you're here to see the Boss."
"Yes, and for a cup of tea, please."
Elle smiled. "Sure."
"I'll be in Tom's office." He picked up his briefcase and went into the office while she went to make him a cup of tea.