Vanished by James Delargy (free novel 24 TXT) 📕

for certain. Do we add Ian Kinch to that list?’

‘We need to find out where they are now,’ said Emmaline. ‘We know that they left in a hurry. That equipment was worth something and they abandoned it.’

‘They’re probably together. Lying low,’ said Oily.

‘We’re covering phones, cards and any significant gold transactions,’ said Zhao. ‘But we fear that they are clever enough to use burner phones, pay in cash and keep any transactions away from reputable dealers.’

‘So what do we tell the press?’ asked Barker, chewing on a sausage roll.

Emmaline decided. ‘That Mike Andrews and Stevie Amaranga are currently persons of interest and we are appealing that they come forward in order to eliminate themselves. We keep Ian Kinch out of it for now to see if he slips up. Make him think that we don’t know about his involvement.’

‘What about the other angles?’ asked Rispoli.

‘We have evidence of Nikos Iannis being in the region on the thirtieth and that he met up with Lorcan Maguire.’

‘In Kallayee?’ asked Anand.

‘Somewhere north of Kalgoorlie, at least. Whether he made it as far as Kallayee is unknown. Wisbech is very possible. A meeting about the stolen information. What we do know is that Nikos was unhappy with the outcome.’

‘Unhappy enough to do something about it?’ asked Rispoli.

‘Given his record we have to assume that’s a possibility,’ said Oily.

‘Nothing we can pin him on yet,’ noted Emmaline. ‘The voice message on the thirtieth proves that he wasn’t killed at the meeting, meaning that if they did meet, Lorcan was free to leave after. But that doesn’t mean that Nikos let it go.’

‘What are you getting at?’ asked Rispoli.

‘Maybe he had someone follow Lorcan. From the meeting place.’

‘It’s pretty easy to spot a tail out here,’ said Barker.

‘Maybe the tail wasn’t immediate. Maybe Nikos watched him head north and had people search the area. There aren’t that many towns.’

‘But a big area,’ said Barker.

‘We need someone to have seen Nikos in the immediate area. And we haven’t,’ said Oily.

‘But we do have sightings of strangers in Hurton,’ said Emmaline. ‘Rispoli, did we get anything on that?’

‘Nothing. Bill, the owner of the Rack in Hurton, confirmed what he said already. A couple of tourists, a door-to-door salesman and a guy who had mistaken Kalgoorlie for Kallayee. He was backed up by two other customers. One said he knew you. A Matty Reicheld.’

Emmaline blanched a little at the name. At Rispoli knowing the name. It was an involuntary reaction, one she chided herself for. She had nothing to be ashamed of, unless Matty had something to do with the murder. And nothing pointed to him being involved. As yet.

‘The salesman gave the full patter, apparently,’ continued Rispoli. ‘An insurance man down on his luck.’

‘And the interview guy?’

‘Neither Bill nor the others could give us a composite of his face.’

‘But do we believe the story?’

‘I certainly wouldn’t be employing him if he can’t even get the right town,’ said Barker, with a grunt.

‘Could it have been Nikos Iannis?’ asked Emmaline.

‘Both noted that this guy was slim and pale,’ said Rispoli.

‘Not words that describe Nikos Iannis,’ said Oily.

‘So maybe it wasn’t him but someone he sent,’ said Emmaline. ‘A professional job.’

There was momentary silence as that sunk in. But there was one more angle.

‘That leaves Chester Grant,’ said Anand.

Emmaline nodded. ‘We’ve a similar situation with him. He confessed to meeting briefly with Naiyana Maguire in Wisbech on the thirtieth. According to him it was a short, unproductive meeting and he does have a confirmed alibi later that afternoon.’

‘And he couldn’t have killed her and fled?’ asked Oily.

Emmaline had only considered Chester dangerous from the pen side of matters rather than the sword. But he was certainly big enough and capable enough. Especially with his career on the line.

‘We can check. Call in some officers from Kalgoorlie to help,’ she said to Zhao. ‘We also have local witnesses who saw Naiyana meeting a guy with a beard around Hurton. A description that could fit Chester Grant.’

‘And Ian Kinch,’ said Rispoli.

‘And about half the male population out here,’ added Anand.

Which was correct. Rather than narrowing the possibilities they were expanding them.

‘Stick to Mike Andrews and Stevie Amaranga as persons of interest. We don’t mention the others publicly at the minute,’ said Emmaline.

‘That will make it look like we’re floundering,’ said Oily, his finger on the corporate pulse as ever.

‘DI Moore will just have to sell it.’

‘And who is going to tell her that?’

The silence around the table told Emmaline that she was up to bat.

77

Emmaline

Emmaline watched on next morning as DI Angela Moore gave the press conference, straight-batting most of the questions. It didn’t look like fun at all, the press trying to knock her off-stride, jabbing her for a response, repeating questions to see if her answer varied. It was like a police interview except instead of being questioned then tried, she was being tried in public. Emmaline wondered if she had reached her ceiling in the MCS. Every position above this involved rules and dictums. Nasty, nasty PR. Saying and doing the right things. Towing the company line. She liked living with some abandon. She could only imagine the delight the press would have with her love life.

The conference was still in full swing when she got a call from Rispoli. The wreckage of a car crash had been found on a back road outside Hurton called Dredger’s Gully. A ute from what could be determined.

The plane and car couldn’t go fast enough. Making it to Hurton she and Oily passed through in a flash following live directions from Anand until the phone signal gave out.

Carrying on they found Rispoli waiting for them at the next junction. Tailing him, they wound over a bumpy outback track until they came to a tight bend in the road. There, Barker and Anand were corralling tape around trees and cordoning off a large area. Beyond lay a patch of dirt before the landscape disappeared sharply.

Emmaline exited the car. As