Sunday for the Conference delegates who arrived in Brisbane early. It was at the Riverbank Hotel. But nothing for Sunday night.”
Of course she’d have read the diary; he should have thought of that before. “Did you see anything else interesting?”
“Well,” she paused. “Ellen Chambers was an organised woman, with neat, legible handwriting.”
He waited. The Consul seemed to be focusing on a spot close to his right shoulder as she spoke, as if she were seeing the pages of the diary in front of her.
“And she’d recorded all her appointments so carefully, with the full name and contact details of all her interlocutors and the venue. Except… well, I noticed the initials TH entered on various dates.” She frowned. “Just those initials, with no name or contact details. Those appointments only seemed to take place whenever she was in Brisbane.”
He noticed the Consul bite her lip. Was she was holding something back? Again he waited.
“I was wondering if they were the initials of a boyfriend or lover,” she went on. “If Ellen had wanted to keep his identity and their meetings secret, she wouldn’t have included any other details, would she?”
Sangster nodded. He had to hand it to Jessica Turner, she was observant and precise. “Did you spot anything else in the diary?”
“Yes, but I don’t know if it’s of any relevance.” She hesitated. “On the back page, there were six lines of words and numbers all jumbled up. They looked like codes… or computer passwords. Something like that. But I’m afraid I can’t remember them.” She looked up. “Do you think Ellen Chambers’ murder could be linked to her job at Western Energy? Only the LNG contract is high profile and lucrative.”
“It’s possible.” He wondered whether to ask her about that British intelligence report. She had to know about it, and those corruption allegations were his only line of enquiry at the moment. Tired of beating around the bush, he said: “Are you asking me if I think her murder is connected to those corruption allegations?”
She nodded, but volunteered nothing.
Now, he was annoyed he’d brought it up. “I’m waiting to be briefed about that. Two Canberra Federal Agents are on their way as we speak.” He knew he sounded blunt, but he didn’t like being played. “I’m sure you already know all about that .”
Her eyes narrowed; it was the first time he’d seen a flash of steel in them. But before she could say anything, his mobile rang.
“Tom?” The DC’s voice sounded breathless. “Get back here, quickly. There’s been another murder… Anthony Harris, the Federal Minister… he’s been shot.”
“ Shot? ” For a minute, Sangster couldn’t quite take in what he’d heard.
“Yes. We found him dead in his ministerial car outside Police HQ. He was on his way to see me.”
“ Jesus! ” He looked at the British Consul, who stood pale-faced, watching him.
“Is it Susan Chambers?” she whispered.
He shook his head. “I’m on my way,” he said into his mobile and hung up.
“What’s happened?” the Consul asked, urgently.
“It’s Anthony Harris. He’s been shot dead in Brisbane.”
“ Oh my God! ” She clasped her hand to her throat. “I only saw him a few hours ago at the airport. What happened?”
“That’s all I know,” he said.
There was a pause while they both took in the news.
“Is his murder connected to Ellen Chambers?” she asked, quietly.
“I really don’t know. Look I’m sorry, but I must go.”
“Of course.”
He hesitated. “Will you ring me immediately if you hear from Susan?”
“Yes. And will you ring me when you know more about the Minister’s murder?”
He nodded and sprinted up the path towards the hotel, his mind racing in every direction. Although he was in a hurry, at the top of the path, he stopped. For some reason, he felt uneasy about leaving the British Consul at the crime scene alone after that shocking news. But when he turned
Of course she’d have read the diary; he should have thought of that before. “Did you see anything else interesting?”
“Well,” she paused. “Ellen Chambers was an organised woman, with neat, legible handwriting.”
He waited. The Consul seemed to be focusing on a spot close to his right shoulder as she spoke, as if she were seeing the pages of the diary in front of her.
“And she’d recorded all her appointments so carefully, with the full name and contact details of all her interlocutors and the venue. Except… well, I noticed the initials TH entered on various dates.” She frowned. “Just those initials, with no name or contact details. Those appointments only seemed to take place whenever she was in Brisbane.”
He noticed the Consul bite her lip. Was she was holding something back? Again he waited.
“I was wondering if they were the initials of a boyfriend or lover,” she went on. “If Ellen had wanted to keep his identity and their meetings secret, she wouldn’t have included any other details, would she?”
Sangster nodded. He had to hand it to Jessica Turner, she was observant and precise. “Did you spot anything else in the diary?”
“Yes, but I don’t know if it’s of any relevance.” She hesitated. “On the back page, there were six lines of words and numbers all jumbled up. They looked like codes… or computer passwords. Something like that. But I’m afraid I can’t remember them.” She looked up. “Do you think Ellen Chambers’ murder could be linked to her job at Western Energy? Only the LNG contract is high profile and lucrative.”
“It’s possible.” He wondered whether to ask her about that British intelligence report. She had to know about it, and those corruption allegations were his only line of enquiry at the moment. Tired of beating around the bush, he said: “Are you asking me if I think her murder is connected to those corruption allegations?”
She nodded, but volunteered nothing.
Now, he was annoyed he’d brought it up. “I’m waiting to be briefed about that. Two Canberra Federal Agents are on their way as we speak.” He knew he sounded blunt, but he didn’t like being played. “I’m sure you already know all about that .”
Her eyes narrowed; it was the first time he’d seen a flash of steel in them. But before she could say anything, his mobile rang.
“Tom?” The DC’s voice sounded breathless. “Get back here, quickly. There’s been another murder… Anthony Harris, the Federal Minister… he’s been shot.”
“ Shot? ” For a minute, Sangster couldn’t quite take in what he’d heard.
“Yes. We found him dead in his ministerial car outside Police HQ. He was on his way to see me.”
“ Jesus! ” He looked at the British Consul, who stood pale-faced, watching him.
“Is it Susan Chambers?” she whispered.
He shook his head. “I’m on my way,” he said into his mobile and hung up.
“What’s happened?” the Consul asked, urgently.
“It’s Anthony Harris. He’s been shot dead in Brisbane.”
“ Oh my God! ” She clasped her hand to her throat. “I only saw him a few hours ago at the airport. What happened?”
“That’s all I know,” he said.
There was a pause while they both took in the news.
“Is his murder connected to Ellen Chambers?” she asked, quietly.
“I really don’t know. Look I’m sorry, but I must go.”
“Of course.”
He hesitated. “Will you ring me immediately if you hear from Susan?”
“Yes. And will you ring me when you know more about the Minister’s murder?”
He nodded and sprinted up the path towards the hotel, his mind racing in every direction. Although he was in a hurry, at the top of the path, he stopped. For some reason, he felt uneasy about leaving the British Consul at the crime scene alone after that shocking news. But when he turned
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