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arrived. She should be at the hospital by now,’ Burke
volunteered.
     
    ‘No rush, we can visit both
parents tomorrow, and besides, Mrs O’Neill will need some time with her
daughter before we start questioning her,’ added Forbes.
     
    ‘You have our full support on the
case. Anything you need, don’t hesitate to ask,’ offered the obliging
Whittaker.
     
    Burke could sense an air of
contention about Forbes. He had a bombastic nature and a contemptuous style,
which didn’t sit well. These city dicks, he thought. They invade our territory
and expect us country bumpkins to patronise their every whim. He could foresee
a degree of conflict unfolding. First impressions generally sit true. It was
only a matter of time.
     
    ~ * ~
     
    Predictably,
the lunch conversation with Emily centered on yesterday’s drama. It was as if
no other topic existed and I could sense it was cutting deep with my wife.
     
    ‘Do you think this tragedy will
affect business?’ she asked.
     
    ‘Hard to say, Em. It may in the
short term, at least until the police make their arrest, and I expect the
newspapers will have a field day over this, so I guess the bad publicity will
hurt for a while.’
     
    ‘Have you heard if Brigit’s
improved?’
     
    ‘Much the same, I’m told.
Apparently she’s still serious, but at least in a stable condition. I heard
Helen’s returning today from an interstate trip to see her.’
     
    ‘Tom, I can’t help but think that
all this police presence will scare off our tenants,’ said Emily, still
persistent about the business aspect.
     
    ‘Well, you better brace yourself
for further social calls, my dear, because we’ll be inundated once the city
detectives arrive,’ I replied in a slightly sarcastic tone.
     
    I could see Emily was becoming
depressed with all this negative talk, so I decided to use a different
approach.
     
    ‘Em, after a lot of thinking I’ve
decided to do a bit of investigating, but I’ll wait until the detectives
downscale their visits. My knowledge of Pedley and its residents would be
greater than that of the city police, and besides, I feel as if I owe Brigit
something.’
     
    ‘Are you out of your mind?’
     
    ‘I’m aware of the danger, but
after all, discretion is the better part of valour, as they say,’ I responded
with a hint of aggravation.
     
    ‘Stop being stupid, Tom. This is
a serious matter! I for one don’t need you involved in all of this.’
     
    I ignored her comment, having
already decided to commence my enquiries. The police, in my opinion, would take
a month of Sundays to resolve this matter.
     
    ~ * ~
     
    The
two detectives, Forbes and Marsh, arrived at the front doorstep of Simon
Walters, who had been the local pharmacist for some years and was a highly
respected citizen within the community. He was a bachelor in his forty-second
year and an acquaintance of Tom Harrison and Darren Burke through Rotary. He
had a somewhat sombre and serious personality, but possessed a sharp wit when
called upon. He was clever by nature and had influence in Pedley. A tall man of
medium build, wearing bifocal spectacles, opened the front door.
     
    ‘Yes, can I help you?’
     
    After introductions and the
customary display of badges, Forbes said, ‘Mr Walters, can we have a few
moments of your time? It’s regarding the death of Jake Reynolds yesterday,
which we are now treating as a murder investigation. We’re focusing our initial
enquiries on residents who live in close proximity to the crime scene, which
includes your two neighbours and the tenants of Harrison’s Caravan Park.’
     
    ‘Yes, I heard about the tragedy
at work yesterday, but how can I assist with your investigation?’ questioned
Walters.
     
    ‘Were you home yesterday morning
around seven twenty-five?’
     
    ‘No, I left home at seven because
of work commitments. The pharmacy needs to be open by seven-thirty for my
staff. There are routine functions to be carried out before the public