‘You saw that?’

  ‘Not exactly. As you can see, those poplars hide the line of sight. I just assumed she’d let him in because the car didn’t leave straightaway. But it was gone by eleven o’clock because when I came out for the mail, there was no sign of it.’ She smoothed her dress again. ‘Now, is there anything else? It’s just that …’

  ‘No, that’s fine. You’ve been very helpful.’ He turned to go. ‘Oh, by the way, don’t you want to know what happened?’

  ‘Yes, but we have guests and I’d rather not have their evening spoiled. It’s not as if I knew the woman well. I dare say all will be revealed. Goodbye Inspector.’

  Mahoney skipped back down the steps to where Miller was still in position by the Toyota Prado. ‘Looked like you didn’t need assistance, Sir.’

  ‘Not as it turns out.’ He looked back up to the Montgomery house. ‘That was one of the most strange doorstop interviews I’ve ever done.’ He shook his head in amazement. ‘Very helpful though. Are you posted here for tonight?’

  ‘Until ten. Then someone else takes over—if you need someone here that is.’

  ‘Yes. The SOCO team will be here for a fair while. Could you, and whoever takes over from you, also keep an eye on the Mongomery’s mansion. I don’t imagine they’re in any danger but you never know. Keep me posted of anything untoward. Whatever time.’

  ‘Sure, Sir. Nice work with the slam.’

  ‘Thank you. I don’t think he’ll be quite so rude to us next time.’

  

  ‘Are you alright, John?’ The soft voice caught him by surprise; the click of heels on the tiled balcony had sounded like Kendall approaching. It was a female colleague who had approached and stood next to him, but much more senior in authority.

  ‘Commissioner, good evening. My task force is expanding.’ The quip suggested an optimism he didn’t feel.

  ‘For the moment, it’s Christine. I’ve instructed the other officers to give us some time alone. Now, my original question.’

  With her searching eyes on him, he wasn’t sure how to respond. At his rank there were few who would regard him in quite this manner.

  ‘Knackered. Hopeful. Apprehensive. Proud.’ It sounded glib but he believed he could trust her with a frank assessment. She was too shrewd to be blindsided by flummery.

  ‘I’d be tired too. You’ve had some long and intense days. It’s that effort that gives us all hope that a result is not far away. I’m given to understand from DS Kendall that a lot has been discovered very quickly and that Constables Dunstan and Gibson are standing tall. So, I’m wondering why you are apprehensive.’

  When had Kate briefed the Commissioner? That was an interesting take on the hierarchy. The Commissioner seemed to read this thoughts.

  ‘Let me assure you that Kendall isn’t my mole in the team. I happened to arrive as you were going across the street. I came straight in and DS Kendall gave me a clear and succinct precis. And I read the case log earlier this evening, which is very thorough. As you may know I was in Adelaide from Sunday for a national conference. Instead of going home this afternoon, I went into the office and AC Westbrook updated me on happenings. This strikes me as a very unusual case. I’m here to obtain a sense of it for myself and, more importantly, to assure you of support.’

  Mahoney chided himself for his brief bout of insecurity. This wasn’t his old nemesis, former Assistant Commissioner Newman. Christine Baker was the real deal.

  ‘Then thank you. I think the apprehension is not that we’re incapable of solving this. The resourcefulness of everybody has been great. It’s more that we’re faced with an antagonist who has prepared thoroughly for an extended period of time.’ He gripped the rail as he searched for the right phrase. ‘The killer isn’t acting emotionally or impulsively. These deaths are determined by his deeply suppressed emotions though. He’s giving vent to rage, yet doing it in a thoroughly controlled and ingenious manner.’

  ‘As the profiler explained. Interesting report.’

  ‘Yes, he did. That does help us to understand the killer, but it doesn’t necessarily enable us to catch him. I think I’m beginning to glimpse his motivation. I’ve got some ideas I’ll run by Cortese, the profiler, tomorrow. But it’s the physical detection that is going to lead to an arrest.’

  Baker nodded. ‘As I thought. You have nothing to be apprehensive about.’

  Mahoney tapped his watch. ‘Time. What if our pursuit is propelling him to commit his planned murders more quickly? We’ve got to work faster.’

  The Commissioner started laughing abruptly. ‘You need to see this shrink. What’s his name, Cortese? And get some sleep.’ She reached into her handbag. ‘Here, take these.’ She slipped two small white pills into his hand. ‘They’ll help you rest tonight.’

  ‘But I need to be here …’

  ‘No.’ Almost a bark. ‘Listen to me. You, Kendall and Gibson need to leave this site to the Forensics team. Whether you admit it or not, you are overtired, to the extent that it’s verging on anxiety. A minute ago you pretty well suggested it’s your fault this murder happened because you’re doing your job quickly and effectively. That is grotesque nonsense. This calamity has been a long time in gestation. Even hinting that you and the team are at fault for today is like blaming me for these murders.’

  Mahoney’s shoulders dropped. He realised he’d been holding his upper torso rigid. Baker was right—they hadn’t dropped the ball. He breathed deep into his abdomen and exhaled slowly.

  ‘Thank you. I am getting close to running on empty.’

  ‘Good. Rest tonight. Is there a briefing tomorrow?’

  ‘Nothing scheduled yet.’

  ‘Good.’ She glanced at her watch. ‘It’s now almost nine. If you can’t get a decent sleep in tonight, I’ll change chemists. All personnel state-wide are on the lookout for the Mazda vehicle and the Ogden man. There is nothing that has to be done by you tonight. Go and rest.’ She patted him on the arm and left.

  Mahoney fingered the pills in his jacket pocket. One night without his mind whizzing couldn’t hurt.

  Mahoney woke with a start, straight from sleep to a rousing chorus of Flight of the Bumble Bee. The incessant buzzing of his mobile phone was hard to ignore. It was Kendall.

  ‘Sir, we’ve got that lead on the car. Traffic have produced the details on the speeding ticket. It was on Sandfly Road near Longley last Sunday.

  He blinked as he sought some focus. ‘Okay, what time is it now?’

  ‘Ten past eight.’

  A ten hour sleep, and he could have gone on slumbering. Thank God it was just the one tablet he took. ‘Can you collect me at my place in half an hour? We’ll head down there.’

  ‘Sure, Sir. Double shot latte?’

  ‘Yes, thanks Kate. See you then.’

  He still felt a little slow as he eased out of bed. Christine Baker’s pill had done the job—a sound sleep without the dreams. Once under the steaming jet of the shower, he began to feel awake. He reminded himself to call Susan; it would be another night without catching up, but he hoped they might have some time on the weekend. Unlike most of the working population, Friday was not on his mind—the rapidity of the week’s passing was.

  Once dressed, he bundled an assortment of socks, jocks and shirts into the washing machine and set it to the economy cycle, hoping he would get back sometime soon to hang the load out to dry. Everything went on hold during an investigation. No wonder the accumulated stresses fractured the domestic lives of some officers.

  Out the front of his apartment he saw Kendall approaching with a takeaway coffee in each hand. She was on foot.

  ‘I’m back in my place. It’s only a few blocks away. Remember?’

  Of course. She would hardly still be at Rex’s place.

  ‘Right. Of course. We’ll go in my car. Perfect.’

  They got in his Toyota 86, not quite a sports car but at least a sporty car. Kendall placed his coffee in a cup holder.

  ‘You alright this morning? You seem preoccupied.’

  ‘I took a sleeping pill last night. It was very … effective. Usually I’m bolt upright first thing but there must be something of an after effect.’

  ‘Probably. They can knock you out.’ She took out her phone. ‘I’ve got our location. It’s near the Longley Hotel.’

  ‘Good.’ He flicked the indicator. ‘We’ll take the scenic route, up Huon Road and through Fern Tree. It may even be quicker.’

  It was a winding road that suited his car beautifully. In the break between the morning school run and the early tourists to the mountain, there was little traffic. Kendall seemed content to let him concentrate on his driving. Once past Neika the road straightened.

  ‘Well, that’s woken me up. Good to test the old skills once in a while. You can drink that coffee with confidence now.’

  Kendall took a sip. ‘It’s still warm enough. A bit longer with boy racer and it might have turned cold. You should be a match for a little old Mazda.’

  ‘You’d hope so.’ He took a swallow himself. It was tepid; his sergeant was a good fibber. ‘Now, today’s schedule.’

  ‘We discover Ogden’s hidey-hole and arrest him?’

  ‘I wish.’ He noticed her deadpan delivery was getting very good. ‘Texts received while I was waiting for you: autopsy is at noon, forensics prelim report due by lunchtime, meet the press at two this afternoon.’

  ‘Really? Do we need the last one?’

  ‘Yes and no. Commissioner Baker has called for it. Word will leak somewhere and then all hell could break loose if we don’t exert some damage limitation. If we’re proactive, the media could assist us.’

  Kendall sipped again. ‘As we discovered, the public appeal did help. It’s a lot to sift through though.’

  ‘Agreed. But it does help for people to be alert for our guy. You could argue that with a macabre killer on the loose, people have a compelling right to know.’

  ‘As long as it doesn’t become a circus like the Finch investigation.’

  ‘We’ve learned from that. I think we can control the flow of information better in this case.’ He slowed the car. ‘Hold on. This bit’s gravel.’

  They were quickly back on the bitumen and passed the Longley Hotel. ‘Nice pub. It’s the one they use for that show Rosehaven,’ offered Mahoney.

  ‘Can’t say I’ve seen it.’ Kendall checked her map and pointed right. ‘The speed camera wagon was perched about a hundred metres up the rise. They put one there in response to local complaints that hoons were doing highway speeds on a quiet country road.’

  Mahoney turned the car right and crawled past where they figured the automatic camera must have been. As he accelerated smoothly away he said, ‘This helps us. The section of road we’re on only goes for about a kilometre or two. It’s effectively a loop, with both exits on the Huon Highway. This used to be the old winding road to Huonville. There’s only a dozen or so properties to check.’

  Kendall looked left and right at the rolling hills. ‘It’s a beautiful spot. We’re thirty minutes from town and it’s Shangri-la.’

  ‘I know. A very quiet location for a bolthole. We’ll drive the route first for a quick look-see, then double back.’

  The road rose and dipped through paddocks of parched grass, the tinges of green testimony to some recent rain. In late summer it had bucketed down for a few days as if to signal the end of the season. Since then it had been clear sunshine with little humidity.

  As they rounded a curve to the left, Kate spoke, ‘What a perfect retreat.’

  Mahoney glanced over at the cedar-clad house Kate was pointing at. It was shaped like a hexagon with a cylindrical skylight in the roof. ‘You can stay there if you like.’

  Kendall’s voice was immediately enthusiastic. ‘How so? Is it a plush bed and breakfast?’

  He pulled into the verge. ‘Not exactly. The main building you can see is part yoga room and part meals area. Down below on a ridge that we can’t see from here are about six or seven nifty little huts that guests stay in. There’s another pavilion down the hill for massages and all that stuff.’

  ‘A bush health retreat.’

  ‘Yeah. You can do as much or as little as you like. All meals or some meals. Lots of yoga or none at all. The owners aren’t didactic. Believe me, I tested the limits of the regimen. Susan and I had four days in early February. I’d rented my shack out to people for most of the summer for some handy cash. Susan was here on assignment, so to speak, and I tagged along. The deal is you pay the basic tariff for accommodation and then add on the various extras like spa treatments that interest you. Susan tried a bit of everything and really liked it.’

  ‘And you?’

  ‘I sat in the picture window and caught up on my reading. Tore through that Nick Hornby radio comedy one. Bit slower with Girl on a Train. Spooked me out a bit that one.’

  ‘That’s it. No facials?’

  ‘Nup. Walked about a bit and had a remedial massage. And read some really good books. It was perfect.’

  Kendall seemed unconvinced. ‘I think I would want to do a bit more. I’ve got some leave coming up, so I might give it a try.’

  Mahoney pulled out and accelerated up the rise, braking as the road narrowed. After a few minutes they reached the junction with the highway. He did a three-point turn and they retraced their path. Mahoney had counted five dwellings visible from the road. It was time for some old-fashioned door-to-door work.

  An hour and a quarter later: zilch. The final call was the bush retreat. Mahoney eased the car up the gravel drive. As they got out, a female exited the Hexagon and came towards them. ‘If you’d park in the guest area, please. There are signs.’

  And a warm welcome to you too, thought Mahoney. He whipped out his ID. ‘This is official business. I’m DI Mahoney and my colleague is DS Kendall. I’m hoping you can assist us.’

  The woman pulled up short and stared at them for a few seconds. ‘I’m sorry. What business?’

  The DI couldn’t figure out why she seemed so distracted. ‘We’re searching for a person of interest in this area. We know his car was on this road recently. This morning …’

  ‘What type of car?’

  ‘A blue Mazda 323. Not in the best condition.’

  Her face was a mixture of shock and concern. ‘Oh dear. You’d better come inside.’

  She hurried back to the glass sliding door. As they followed, Kendall shot Mahoney a quizzical look to which a shrug was the only response. Inside, the sense of lightness was dominant. Beams radiated from the perimeter to the raised skylight, and four of the six wall panels were floor-to-ceiling glass. Sunlight flooded the space. The sprung wooden floor and glazed windows added warmth to the large area. Right now the area was quite empty. The woman signalled for them to come over to a bench where she held up a sheet of paper.

  ‘My apologies for being abrupt. I’m Jodie Brenner, one half of Bush Yogi. This retreat was my baby for a couple of years. I had two huts and a sports massage service. My husband, Rob, came on board as my business partner a couple of years ago with some new ideas and since then all we seem to do is expand.’ A quick smile. ‘But not in a rushed way. I work fewer hours now than I did then. We hired some great casuals and offered more services. The turnover is unbelievable and we get to take the yoga classes.’

  Mahoney hadn’t asked about any of this, and he was unsure why he needed to be told. He wasn’t offended that she didn’t recall him as a guest; he didn’t remember her.

  ‘It looks lovely. Could we get to the business I mentioned just before?’

  ‘Oh yes, sorry. I’m a bit flustered this morning. I thought I should tell you who I am. Coming out and shouting at you like that was not very Zen.’

  ‘That’s okay. You seemed quite concerned about something I said.’

  ‘When you mentioned the car, I suddenly thought of second sight. I think one of our guests was driving a car like that.’

  Mahoney felt his pulse tweak. ‘Is that guest here now?’

  ‘No. That’s what’s spooked me. Well, partly.’ Her hands danced all over the place. ‘It’s all a bit weird.’

  Kendall stepped forward. ‘Jodie, let me get you a glass of water. Sit down and take the inspector through it. We’re not rushing.’

  Mahoney sat next to Jodie. ‘One step at a time. The car is still here. Correct?’

  ‘Yes. Down in the guest car park. Rob checked this morning. It’s a blue Mazda 323 which has seen better days, as you said.’

  Kendall put the glass on the teak surface and sat across from their hostess. ‘Was there a reason for checking, Jodie?’

  ‘We think he’s gone missing. He borrowed one of our hybrid push bikes yesterday afternoon to go for a ride, but he wasn’t back this morning.’

  ‘Did that alarm you?’ Kendall’s voice was calm.

  ‘To be honest, we’d forgotten about him. Thursday night is our time out. Rob and I get off site and eat out somewhere. We went to Wood­bridge and got back at about ten thirty. We just assumed the guy was back.’

  ‘What prompted you to check this morning?’ Mahoney doubted an inventory of the bikes was done each day.

  ‘His credit card wouldn’t process. We put a deposit on file when a guest checks in and then put the full amount through on checkout. He was meant to be leaving today. After it bounced, Rob went down to his hut. He had a feeling the guy had done a runner.’

  ‘And the guest wasn’t there, the car still was, and the bike wasn’t back?’

  ‘Got it in one. We thought the worst, so Rob has gone out in our van looking for him in case he got knocked off the bike on one of the side roads. We changed our minds on him scarpering without paying because his car was still there.’