In the Shadows

Chapter 6

       Summer sat down at her desk in the law firm. It had been two days since Michael's murder. She was expecting the police to come and interview everyone in the office, but apparently no one in the firm was under suspicion. Two detectives had arrived the previous day and briefly spoken to the two senior partners, then left. Michael was a scum bag and he deserved what he got, but if the police came to interview her it was possible they might recognise her and then it would be game over. She had changed her hair colour and wore it in a braid most days, so she looked quite different from the photos being shown of her in the press. Also when she went out she wore large sunglasses which covered half her face. She knew it was risky working for a law firm of all places, and it would be safer to leave Sydney, but she had to stay, there were things she had to do which outweighed the chances of being caught. She had a temporary place to live and had a false birth certificate and driver's licence after she had called in a favour from an "associate" she had met three years previously. She was now 24 year old Stacy Johnson, a receptionist at a respectable law firm.
She pulled out her phone to send a text.

"Stacy."
She jumped and almost dropped the phone. It was John Matthews, looking pale and tired. "Yes Mr Matthews?"

"Stacy I know you've only been with the firm a couple of weeks and you probably didn't know poor Michael very well, but I have to ask. I saw you talking to him on the day before...you know. Did he say anything that might help find who did this to him? The police aren't sure if it was a burglary gone wrong or murder. Did he say anything at all, like maybe if someone was after him or had a grudge against him?"

She put on her best innocent face. "No, Mr Matthews, nothing like that at all."

***

It was Luke's sixth night in the motel. He turned the lights out in preparation to go to bed, then he went through his nightly ritual, making sure the door was locked with the safety chain on. Then he slightly parted the curtains of the front window and looked through. He was on the second floor and there was a good view down to the well lit carpark below. A black Commodore was parked on the far side. He could just make out the shapes of the two police officers inside. He felt safe. There was no way Summer could get into his motel room without being seen. The lights stayed on all night in the carpark. She would be mad to try and get to him here.
He jumped as there was a loud knock on the door. He tried to see who it was through the window, but was unable to. "Who is it?" he called out.

"Pizza delivery for Mr Luke Paterson," a female voice answered.

Luke hadn't ordered a pizza. It was Summer! That was her voice! How could she have evaded the police? He looked out the window again to see the doors of the police sedan burst open and the two policemen rushing across the carpark to the stairs up to the landing.

A moment later he heard a voice calling out, "Police. Stand where you are and put your hands where I can see them. Then a faint scream and a scuffling sound. Another knock at the door.
"Mr Paterson, it's officer Cook. Can you open up and identify this woman?"

Luke cautiously opened the door. The two police officers were standing on each side of tall girl with long hair wearing a pizza delivery uniform and cap. The pizza in its box was lying on the floor of the landing.
The girl was facing away from Luke. He breathed a sigh of relief. They had Summer in custody. The nightmare was over. She turned to face him as one of the officers removed her cap. Luke stared at her with dismay. She was a stranger. "It's not her," he said to the policemen, "This isn't Summer Mills."

The girl was trembling and looked like she was about to burst into tears. 

"Mr Paterson, did you order this pizza?" one of the officers asked him.

Luke shook his head.

"Let's see some ID," the officers snapped at the girl.

She took out her wallet and handed him a driver's licence.
"Ms Tracy Simms," the officer read out, "How did you get this pizza order?"

"It-it was phoned in an hour ago," The girl stammered, "Delivery to Mr Luke Paterson, Bay View Motel, room six, payment on delivery."

"Did you take the order yourself?"

"Yes."

"Was it a man or a woman's voice?"

"A woman, it was a woman."

"It was Summer," Luke sighed, "It must have been. She's telling me she knows where I'm staying."

"We'll check with the phone company," the officer said, "See if we can find out where that call came from."

"I'm sure you'll find it was from a payphone," Luke muttered, "Summer is too smart to allow herself to be tracked down to her phone."

***

She watched from the darkness of her hiding place behind some shrubs in a garden near the motel. Even though it was some distance away she was sure she could see the expression of fear on Luke's face as he and the policemen questioned the pizza delivery girl. She chuckled to herself. He must be going out of his mind by now. Good, he deserved it, and now she was almost ready for the final part of her plan. Mr Luke Paterson did not have much longer to live!