He thought carefully of the things Sara didn’t approve of.
I’ll never smoke weed again, I’ll stop swearing. I’ll . . . make this right, God. Whoever I need to speak to. I will make my life right, I swear it . . . Jesus, bring her back safely and I’ll take her to church every bloody Sunday, I swear it . . .
CHAPTER 25
CON
Con and Eliza sat across from each other in a waiting room at Launceston General Hospital. Gabriella lay on the carpet, her jacket bundled up into a pillow, fast asleep. Early morning sunlight shone through the skylight, revealing a blue sky.
Once Jack was safely in the ambulance chopper, Gabriella and Eliza had driven straight to the hospital, but Con had stopped past the hotel to make sure he took his meds. But despite that, the lack of sleep was dragging at his edges. He could feel himself getting jittery, the anger bubbling inside of him.
Madison Mason.
If Jack was telling the truth, then Madison had planned it all. Well, almost – certainly the disappearances. What about Georgia’s death? Surely not.
Con stood and paced the room. A girl who would put her own sister in harm’s way for popularity. Still, before he could speak to her . . .
His phone buzzed. The commander.
He’d left her a message when he got to the hotel, but it had been the middle of the night. It seemed she was awake now.
‘I just have to make a phone call, Eliza. I’ll be back soon.’
Eliza nodded, the leopard-print bow around her head slipping a little. She looked bone tired.
He headed into an adjacent room to take the call.
‘Cornelius.’ The commander’s voice was cool as chipped ice. ‘Are you okay?’
‘I’m at the hospital,’ replied Con. ‘I’m waiting for Jack to wake up.’
Her voice turned hard. ‘And you honestly believe him?’
‘I . . . I did. I do.’
‘He’s trying to cover himself. He was just caught at the scene – shot at the scene. We’ll have to deal with Eliza’s part in that before long, but finding the girls has to be our priority. Jack claiming they arranged their own disappearance is awfully convenient.’
‘To him, it was a deathbed confession,’ said Con. ‘He had no reason to lie.’
‘You know this leaves us in a difficult situation.’
‘How so?’ Con was growing agitated with the way she danced around the point.
‘Madison Mason anticipated this. She said in her video that the police would target first Murphy, then Michaels, and then her. With Gabriella’s outburst —’
‘Which turned out to be right!’
‘Which was highly unprofessional. It gives any defence lawyer worth half her salt the ability to defend Madison from anything short of a smoking gun!’ snapped the commander. ‘That’s out of our hands now. But I trust you’ve told Gabriella she’s off the case? Don’t make me do it myself. You’re the lead detective.’
‘Commander,’ said Con, reeling – this call was not going the way he’d expected. ‘I need you to reconsider.’
‘I’ve no doubt you do,’ she said. ‘I’m sending Detective Tran to the Fisherman’s Hut to join Forensics. You’re sending Gabriella home, right now, or you’ll join her.’
‘Commander, I —’
‘Get in there, Badenhorst, and determine if Jack is telling the truth or not. Before you go after Madison Mason. Oh, and Cornelius? I’m coming to Limestone Creek. It’s time I was on the ground. I’ll be there in a few hours. If I cross paths with Gabriella, I’ll know you were too weak to follow directions.’
The line went dead.
Maybe she’s not a morning person? thought Con angrily. Well, neither am I.
He stalked back into the waiting room. Gabriella was still sleeping, but Eliza was gone, replaced by a nurse who was scrolling through his phone. He saw Con coming and quickly put his phone away. ‘Mr Michaels is awake. You can head through, if you like. Your other colleague is already in there.’ He glanced at Gabriella. ‘I didn’t know if I should wake this one or not, but the other detective didn’t seem concerned.’
Con left Gabriella asleep, stalking after the nurse towards Jack’s room.
CHAPTER 26
ELIZA
Bare seconds after Con had left the room to make his phone call, Eliza looked up to see a young nurse enter the waiting room, typing on his tablet in a heavy-duty case.
The nurse looked down at Gabriella, gently snoring, and turned to Eliza. ‘Detective?’
Eliza didn’t hesitate. She nodded.
‘Mr Michaels is conscious now, but barely. He’s lost a lot of blood, and he’s only just come out of surgery,’ he said. ‘The surgeon insists that Mr Michaels needs to rest, but we understand you need to speak to him with some urgency. He’s not in a great way, but as he’s just woken up from the anaesthetic and we haven’t started him on the painkillers yet, this might be the only time you’ll get any sense out of him.’
Eliza glanced at Gabriella, asleep on the floor, and then back to the nurse.
‘Yes, we do need to talk to him,’ she said.
‘Okay. Well, please keep it brief, and I’ll need to stay in there with you to monitor his condition.’
Eliza gestured for the nurse to lead the way. When they reached the door of Jack’s room, she paused. ‘I’m sorry, sir, but at this stage . . . everyone is a suspect. Police procedure. You’ll need to wait outside.’ She used her stern teacher’s voice. ‘And please don’t try to listen in, okay, sir? I don’t want to arrest you for obstruction. This is an active, uh, homicide investigation.’
The nurse nodded uneasily. Eliza fixed him with a stare, nodded once very professionally, and walked inside.
Jack was on the bed, a bandage around his side, an IV in his arm, a cannula in his nose. He was sweating, his eyes bloodshot, his face faintly blue.
When he tried to sit up he winced. ‘Eliza . . . did they find ’em?’ His words were slurred and muffled.
‘I’m so sorry . . . I nearly killed you,’ Eliza whispered, crouched down beside his bed. ‘I’m so sorry.’
‘Where are the d-detectives?’ he said. His teeth chattered.
‘They’re on their way. Look, Jack,’ Eliza said, ‘you said that the girls planned the disappearance?’
‘No!’ he said, trying to sit up again. ‘I don’t! I didn’t! D-don’t tell anyone!’
‘Jack,’ said Eliza, glancing back at the door. She leaned closer to his ear. ‘What does Madison have over you?’
‘Wh-what are you talkin’ about?’ stammered Jack, breathing heavy. His eyelids fluttered and he fell back.
‘Madison drew you into this, didn’t she?’ she said. ‘She blackmailed you?’
‘How . . . Wh-what did she tell you?’ said Jack.
‘Tell me what it is. I can help you,’ insisted Eliza, hating herself for what she was doing, but knowing it was necessary. To steel herself she thought of her niece. ‘Was she going to expose you and Jasmine?’