Get Charlie Noah

CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER TWENTY

'I've hired security,' said Christine. 'He's one of my cousins but he's mad in the head and has trouble sleeping at night.'

'I'm pleased you phoned me with this news,' said Ben.

'We also found the knife that the police threw into the jungle before they took their photographs. It was stuck up a tree.'

'Keep it someplace safe,' said Ben. 'It's an important piece of evidence.'

'Okay. Chief Bartholomew was very impressed with you.'

'And I with him,' said Ben.

'Are you in the house?'

'Yes.'

'Has anyone tried to attack you yet?'

'No.'

'It's still daylight,' said Christine.

'You let me deal with the house,' said Ben.

'You should speak with Peter.'

'I'll do that,' said Ben.

'If you can find him.'

Yvette's phone call was less than 30 seconds behind Christine's. 'I think she's wonderful,' said Yvette. 'She obviously adores you. Her eyes never leave you.'

'Funny thing,' said Ben, 'that is what Charlie said about you and me.'

'Well she's right of course. I adore you as well.'

'I thought you were engaged or something?'

'I had to drop the jerk,' said Yvette. 'Not my type as it turned out. You can meet people and for a while they are like shining stars and then suddenly you see what they are really like and they are not shining stars at all. How can people be like that?'

'Because they're not like you my darling,' said Ben. 'Why are you ringing me?'

'Oh yes. Father wanted you to know that Sergeant Ross was murdered just a little while ago.'

'What?'

'In his hospital bed at Luganville. Isn't that dreadful?'

'You don't sound all that distressed with this news.'

'I'm not. I'm happy someone killed him. Was it you?'

'Of course not. I'm on Malo.'

'With Charlie?'

'Are you trying to interrogate me?'

'Am I messing it up? Father asked me to ask you, that's all. We know it wasn't you. A very tall woman in a suit visited him just before he was found dead.'

'Do they have a description of her?'

'Australian accent but her face was hidden by a large broad brimmed hat. Stabbed him in the heart with a spike or something.'

'Then someone else has been sent to finish what the fake Mormon's tried to do,' said Ben.

'Are you with Charlie?'

'Yes. She's in the house somewhere. I'm sitting on the front verandah. The view over the ocean is amazing.'

'Just like in the movie?'

'Yes...South Pacific, except Charlie doesn't have waterlily ponds in her front garden.'

'Constable Track has confessed to everything. Father said that you would know what that meant.'

'Yes,' said Ben.

'Will this woman come after you as well as Charlie?'

'Probably.'