‘That’ll depend on how it works out. What else gets admitted to. Who else gets given up. You know how it works.’
‘Sure, so now that we’re pals, you can tell me whether you got hold of Wendy Jones and Lonsdale and the other one.’
Farrow shook his head. ‘No sign of them. Checked out of the Novotel and vanished.’
‘What about Lonsdale’s shottie?’
Farrow had to consider that one. Eventually he nodded. ‘Found a sawn-off shotgun in his panniers. We want him.’
‘Wendy’s a part of this Farmer thing I told you about. She’s got something to do with whoever’s interested in that land. Barton didn’t bother properly investigating the fire that killed my client’s father. He’s tied to it as well.’
I talked on for a bit, describing the first time I’d been taken for a ride, and Farrow made some notes. ‘We’ll ask him about it and I’ll let you know if we get anything.’
‘You know there’s something big being planned down here,’ I said. ‘I put some pressure on that Lonsdale character to tell me who’d ordered me killed but he said he’d be dead himself if he talked. He meant it.’
Farrow shrugged. ‘Could’ve meant Clive.’
‘I don’t think so.’
‘Why not?’
‘Just a feeling. Barton strikes me more as senior management than a CEO type. And there’s some big seed money around.’
I told him about the inflated price paid for Sue Holland’s land, even considering the high prices in the area, and the possibility that Wendy Jones was involved in the fire that killed Frederick Farmer. As soon as I said it, it struck me that the suspicions about Farmer’s death had firmed up to something like a fact and I reacted sharply, almost spilling my coffee.
‘What?’ Farrow said.
‘I thought Farmer’s death was an accident-the fire was just an attempt to shift him, but what if he’d sussed out why his land was wanted and he was deliberately killed to shut him up.’
‘That’s very speculative.’
‘Speculation is my middle name. If it’s right it puts Wendy in the frame for murder. What’s being done on that score?’
‘Everything possible and you stay out of it. After what’s happened recently I don’t imagine you want to tangle with a bunch of speed freak bikies.’
‘No, but it’s not the bikies I’m concerned about, it’s Wendy’s connection with the string puller. You must have candidates.’
‘Oh, there’re candidates, but again, keep clear.’
‘I was hired to find out what happened to my client’s dad and why.’
‘Well, you’ve got a good theory. Sell her that.’
I put the coffee mug on his desk and looked at him.
‘Sorry,’ he said, ‘but it’s a police matter. We’ll keep you informed of course.’
‘Okay.’ I got to my feet and Farrow stood up too.
‘If you’d stuck around the way you should’ve when you found Purcell, this wouldn’t have happened to you.’
‘And you wouldn’t have got the handle on Barton.’
‘True.’ Farrow smiled. ‘And then there’s the little matter of the car you stole.’
‘Borrowed, and I left her a note.’
‘Doesn’t seem to have mattered. Well, I’ll leave you to sort that out.’ He reached into his pocket and handed me the keys. ‘Car’s out front. Watch out for yourself, Hardy.’
We shook hands and I went out. I couldn’t say that I felt safe. I didn’t know how far Barton’s influence spread in the Illawarra force or what reprisals might be taken. He and Henderson wouldn’t have risked driving around in the Hyundai so they must have had someone standing by to dispose of it and someone to pick them up. Farrow had spoken of another rotten apple, the target shooter, but there could be more.
I flinched when a shadow slanted across in front of me on the steps of the police building.
‘Take it easy, Hardy. It’s me, De Witt.’
He was there in his long, lanky, relaxed way, the first civilian I’d seen in quite some time and I was glad to see him. ‘Jesus, you gave me a fright.’
‘Not surprised. I’ve just been hearing what fun and games you’ve been having. I can’t write about it because it’s
all sub judice, but when the time comes…’
‘Like I told you, you’ve got the story.’
He looked me up and down and I remembered the state of my clothes. ‘You’ve been earning your money,’ he said.
What money? I thought. I’d seen bloody little of it for the knocks I’d been taking.
‘I’ve got things to tell you,’ De Witt said. ‘I imagine you’d be ready for a drink.’
I looked at my watch. It was almost three o’clock and I’d had nothing to eat since early morning and nothing to drink but coffee since then. ‘I could do with a few drinks and a feed.’
We went to a restaurant where I used the toilet to put on a clean shirt and pants from my bag. I ordered a steak and a bottle of red wine. De Witt had fish and mineral water. He wanted to know about the morning’s events and I filled him in off the record, for now. I was able to concentrate on my food and drink because De Witt had to get up frequently to go outside and smoke. Made me glad I didn’t. I was forking in the last of my chips when he got around to giving me his news.
‘I turned up something interesting on your Matilda Sharpe-Tarleton.’
‘Yeah?’
‘Seems she’s got an interest in a company called Kembla Holdings. That is to say, her real estate firm does.’
‘And what does Kembla Holdings do?’
‘Hard to say, but a man named Larry Buckingham is not at arm’s length from it.’
‘So?’
‘You haven’t heard of Larry Buckingham?’
‘Come on, Aaron, I haven’t heard of lots of people. Who is he?’
‘Well, he’s a few things, past and present. Nowadays a highly successful publican. Spend any time down here and you’re likely to drink in one of his many establishments. Owns a few places in Sydney as well. One-time footballer, charged with but not convicted of supplying amphetamines to players and others. Bit of a bikie in his time… and ex-lover of Wendy Jones.’
23
De Witt had asked around but couldn’t get a line on what might be planned for the Wombarra acres.
‘I hope your enquiries were discreet,’ I said. ‘I’ve got an idea that finding that out was what got Frederick Farmer killed.’
‘Very discreet. Always. Anything solid?’
‘Just a feeling, but it fits. It looks as if the two goes at knocking me off were because they thought I’d find it out, or already had. I haven’t.’
‘But you’re going to try.’
‘Yeah. I’m getting interested in this Sydney connection. Might be worth paying Matilda a visit and bringing her up to date with things. Might panic her. Say she knows Wendy and say I tell her how close Wendy is to a shotgun killing.’
‘Is she?’
