article on the front page promoting Delaney’s latest project. Although Delaney had offices near Eagle Street Pier, he didn’t appear to spend a lot of time in town and seemed to be treated as a minor celebrity when he did choose to arrive.
Dan threw the newspaper onto the small coffee table and turned at the sound of a knock on the door. He strode across the room and yanked the door open.
Sarah stood in the hallway, two Styrofoam cups of takeaway coffee in her hands. ‘Come on. No rest for the wicked. Here,’ she said, thrusting one of the cups at Dan. ‘Might as well brainstorm to fight off the jetlag.’
She brushed past him. Dan closed the door and followed Sarah into the room, sipping his coffee. He winced. It was still hot.
Sarah stood at the window, happily drinking her coffee, taking in the view. She turned and gestured at a large skyscraper towering over its neighbours. ‘That’s Delaney’s place,’ she said.
Dan wandered over to join her and peered through the glass. ‘How do you know?’
‘I got talking to someone in the coffee shop downstairs. Told them I was killing time before a job interview at Delaney Energy Corporation and they pointed it out to me. Friendly place this.’ She turned and sat on the edge of the bed. ‘I was thinking on the way back here – we need to find out more about Delaney. From a local perspective I mean. Find out if he has any business problems – you know, investment troubles or something. Maybe that will help shed some light on what Peter thought he was up to.’
Dan nodded. ‘It sounds as good a plan as any. Got any ideas how we’re going to do that?’
‘We need access to a fast computer system – and somewhere that’s not going to attract attention to what we’re going to be looking for.’ Sarah stood up, paced the room, then suddenly stopped, and looked out the hotel window over the river.
‘I know what we can do.’ She spun round, turning to Dan. ‘I know someone at ABC Radio here in Brisbane. Let’s see if she can get us in there. No-one is going to think twice about a reporter digging around, are they?’
A figure at the far end of the park stood up and waved as Dan and Sarah approached.
Sarah grinned as the lanky woman walked over to them. Dressed in a pale green skirt, white top and wearing flat shoes, she hurried over the plaza to hug Sarah.
‘It’s so good to see you! You should’ve told me last week you were heading out here – I could’ve taken some time off to show you around.’
Sarah stepped back. ‘I know. I’m sorry. It was just so last-minute. It’s a bit of a whistle-stop trip anyway.’ She turned to Dan.
‘Dan, this is Hayley Miller, assistant editor at ABC Radio – Hayley, this is Dan, a…’
‘…friend of Peter’s,’ he finished helpfully, shaking Hayley’s hand.
Hayley reached out and gently squeezed Sarah’s arm. ‘Oh, Sarah – I was so sad to hear about Peter. Are they any closer to catching the guy who did it?’
Sarah and Dan glanced at each other, before Sarah spoke. ‘No, the police haven’t got a clue…’
‘…which is why we need your help,’ added Dan.
‘Me?’ Hayley asked. ‘Okay – now I’m really interested.’ She turned to Sarah. ‘What are you up to?’
Sarah shrugged. ‘I’m trying to find out the truth about Peter’s death. I’m – I mean, we’re – not convinced it was a random attack.’
‘And you’ve come all the way to Brisbane?’ Hayley glanced around the park. ‘Tell you what – I’m just on my way back to the office. Why don’t you both come back with me, then we can talk properly?’
Hayley pushed a door open for Dan and Sarah. Closing it, she surveyed the small office then strode over to a side table and began to sweep paperwork and reference books to one side.
‘Okay, Sarah,’ she said, handing over a folder of documents, ‘Here’s what I’ve got on Delaney so far. Help yourself to the photocopier over there. Sorry it’s
Dan threw the newspaper onto the small coffee table and turned at the sound of a knock on the door. He strode across the room and yanked the door open.
Sarah stood in the hallway, two Styrofoam cups of takeaway coffee in her hands. ‘Come on. No rest for the wicked. Here,’ she said, thrusting one of the cups at Dan. ‘Might as well brainstorm to fight off the jetlag.’
She brushed past him. Dan closed the door and followed Sarah into the room, sipping his coffee. He winced. It was still hot.
Sarah stood at the window, happily drinking her coffee, taking in the view. She turned and gestured at a large skyscraper towering over its neighbours. ‘That’s Delaney’s place,’ she said.
Dan wandered over to join her and peered through the glass. ‘How do you know?’
‘I got talking to someone in the coffee shop downstairs. Told them I was killing time before a job interview at Delaney Energy Corporation and they pointed it out to me. Friendly place this.’ She turned and sat on the edge of the bed. ‘I was thinking on the way back here – we need to find out more about Delaney. From a local perspective I mean. Find out if he has any business problems – you know, investment troubles or something. Maybe that will help shed some light on what Peter thought he was up to.’
Dan nodded. ‘It sounds as good a plan as any. Got any ideas how we’re going to do that?’
‘We need access to a fast computer system – and somewhere that’s not going to attract attention to what we’re going to be looking for.’ Sarah stood up, paced the room, then suddenly stopped, and looked out the hotel window over the river.
‘I know what we can do.’ She spun round, turning to Dan. ‘I know someone at ABC Radio here in Brisbane. Let’s see if she can get us in there. No-one is going to think twice about a reporter digging around, are they?’
A figure at the far end of the park stood up and waved as Dan and Sarah approached.
Sarah grinned as the lanky woman walked over to them. Dressed in a pale green skirt, white top and wearing flat shoes, she hurried over the plaza to hug Sarah.
‘It’s so good to see you! You should’ve told me last week you were heading out here – I could’ve taken some time off to show you around.’
Sarah stepped back. ‘I know. I’m sorry. It was just so last-minute. It’s a bit of a whistle-stop trip anyway.’ She turned to Dan.
‘Dan, this is Hayley Miller, assistant editor at ABC Radio – Hayley, this is Dan, a…’
‘…friend of Peter’s,’ he finished helpfully, shaking Hayley’s hand.
Hayley reached out and gently squeezed Sarah’s arm. ‘Oh, Sarah – I was so sad to hear about Peter. Are they any closer to catching the guy who did it?’
Sarah and Dan glanced at each other, before Sarah spoke. ‘No, the police haven’t got a clue…’
‘…which is why we need your help,’ added Dan.
‘Me?’ Hayley asked. ‘Okay – now I’m really interested.’ She turned to Sarah. ‘What are you up to?’
Sarah shrugged. ‘I’m trying to find out the truth about Peter’s death. I’m – I mean, we’re – not convinced it was a random attack.’
‘And you’ve come all the way to Brisbane?’ Hayley glanced around the park. ‘Tell you what – I’m just on my way back to the office. Why don’t you both come back with me, then we can talk properly?’
Hayley pushed a door open for Dan and Sarah. Closing it, she surveyed the small office then strode over to a side table and began to sweep paperwork and reference books to one side.
‘Okay, Sarah,’ she said, handing over a folder of documents, ‘Here’s what I’ve got on Delaney so far. Help yourself to the photocopier over there. Sorry it’s
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