round, she was standing with her back to him, staring out to sea. She looked a solitary figure, lost in her own thoughts. He thought back to her cool gaze and guarded eyes. There was something unsettling about Jessica Turner that he couldn’t work out. And that made her interesting.
12
“I assure you we’ll be there in 15 minutes.” Sangster hung up and sat gripping his mobile.
“Is that the DC stressin’ out?”
“Can you blame him?”
“I still can’t believe it.” Dalton’s incredulous voice hung in the air as he weaved in and out of the traffic.
Sangster sat tense next to him in the passenger seat, staring at the road. “Who would have the balls to shoot a Federal Minister in the head, in his car, in broad daylight, and right outside Police HQ? It doesn’t make sense.”
“Someone who wanted to stop him talking to us,” Dalton replied.
“Or someone who wanted to kill under our noses.” Sangster shifted awkwardly in his seat.
“Where the hell was his security team?” Dalton railed. “Where was his driver?”
“Harris stood them down, and said he wanted to drive himself. Apparently, he phoned the DC and asked to call at 1pm on a private matter.”
Dalton glanced over. “What was that all about?”
“The DC doesn’t know. When Harris didn’t turn up, he phoned his office. No one there even knew about the appointment. Then the DC spotted a ministerial car parked outside in the street from his office window. His secretary went out, and found Harris dead inside.”
Dalton braked hard as a car pulled out in front of him.
Sangster jolted forward. When he sat back, he noticed a familiar jagged light in the corner of his right eye. He reached into his pocket for his migraine medication, then remembered he’d left it on the hall table at home.
“Someone must have witnessed the shooting.” Dalton was getting more and more worked up. “You can’t shoot a Minister in broad daylight without someone seeing?”
“Apparently you can, because no one’s come forward… yet.”
“But there’s CCTV right outside.”
“They’re checking it now.”
“Didn’t anyone see his body in the car, for Chrissakes?”
“Those official cars have heavily tinted windows. But this is where it gets weird, Dave.” Sangster glanced over. “The DC’s just said it looks like Harris was killed by a single bullet to the back of the head. Then, he was stabbed through the heart.”
Dalton’s jaw dropped. “Someone was really pissed off with him.”
“I’m no expert, Dave, but I always thought post-mortem stab wounds were sexual in nature.”
“Is that what this is all about? Sex? Because two high profile murders in one day can’t be a coincidence.”
Sangster nodded. “Except the murders are so different. The Chambers’ woman was attacked in the dark and drowned with bare hands; whereas Harris was shot in broad daylight, and stabbed through the heart.”
Dalton’s mobile rang. He answered while still expertly driving.
It amazed Sangster how someone as methodical and slow as Dalton could have such sharp reflexes behind the wheel.
Dalton looked over again. “No sign of Susan Chambers, Boss. The guys have been to her house, and to the Brisbane Echo . What do you want them to do now?”
Sangster rubbed his eyes, but that jagged light was still there. He was worried about Susan Chambers. He felt responsible for her running off, and he needed that diary. “I want someone to stay outside her house, in case she returns. Everyone else should get back to the station. And under no circumstances should anyone issue a general bulletin to pick her up. She’s scared enough of us as it is. I don’t want the whole Force chasing her.” He looked over at Dalton. “And I don’t want anyone to know she has that diary. Is that clear?”
Dalton understood. “You think she’s in danger while she’s got it?”
Sangster pursed his lips. “Until we know exactly what we’re dealing with, I’m going to
12
“I assure you we’ll be there in 15 minutes.” Sangster hung up and sat gripping his mobile.
“Is that the DC stressin’ out?”
“Can you blame him?”
“I still can’t believe it.” Dalton’s incredulous voice hung in the air as he weaved in and out of the traffic.
Sangster sat tense next to him in the passenger seat, staring at the road. “Who would have the balls to shoot a Federal Minister in the head, in his car, in broad daylight, and right outside Police HQ? It doesn’t make sense.”
“Someone who wanted to stop him talking to us,” Dalton replied.
“Or someone who wanted to kill under our noses.” Sangster shifted awkwardly in his seat.
“Where the hell was his security team?” Dalton railed. “Where was his driver?”
“Harris stood them down, and said he wanted to drive himself. Apparently, he phoned the DC and asked to call at 1pm on a private matter.”
Dalton glanced over. “What was that all about?”
“The DC doesn’t know. When Harris didn’t turn up, he phoned his office. No one there even knew about the appointment. Then the DC spotted a ministerial car parked outside in the street from his office window. His secretary went out, and found Harris dead inside.”
Dalton braked hard as a car pulled out in front of him.
Sangster jolted forward. When he sat back, he noticed a familiar jagged light in the corner of his right eye. He reached into his pocket for his migraine medication, then remembered he’d left it on the hall table at home.
“Someone must have witnessed the shooting.” Dalton was getting more and more worked up. “You can’t shoot a Minister in broad daylight without someone seeing?”
“Apparently you can, because no one’s come forward… yet.”
“But there’s CCTV right outside.”
“They’re checking it now.”
“Didn’t anyone see his body in the car, for Chrissakes?”
“Those official cars have heavily tinted windows. But this is where it gets weird, Dave.” Sangster glanced over. “The DC’s just said it looks like Harris was killed by a single bullet to the back of the head. Then, he was stabbed through the heart.”
Dalton’s jaw dropped. “Someone was really pissed off with him.”
“I’m no expert, Dave, but I always thought post-mortem stab wounds were sexual in nature.”
“Is that what this is all about? Sex? Because two high profile murders in one day can’t be a coincidence.”
Sangster nodded. “Except the murders are so different. The Chambers’ woman was attacked in the dark and drowned with bare hands; whereas Harris was shot in broad daylight, and stabbed through the heart.”
Dalton’s mobile rang. He answered while still expertly driving.
It amazed Sangster how someone as methodical and slow as Dalton could have such sharp reflexes behind the wheel.
Dalton looked over again. “No sign of Susan Chambers, Boss. The guys have been to her house, and to the Brisbane Echo . What do you want them to do now?”
Sangster rubbed his eyes, but that jagged light was still there. He was worried about Susan Chambers. He felt responsible for her running off, and he needed that diary. “I want someone to stay outside her house, in case she returns. Everyone else should get back to the station. And under no circumstances should anyone issue a general bulletin to pick her up. She’s scared enough of us as it is. I don’t want the whole Force chasing her.” He looked over at Dalton. “And I don’t want anyone to know she has that diary. Is that clear?”
Dalton understood. “You think she’s in danger while she’s got it?”
Sangster pursed his lips. “Until we know exactly what we’re dealing with, I’m going to
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