she heard Harris call out her name. She stopped to wait for him to catch up.
“Sorry, Jess, but can you tell me what the police are saying… about Ellen Chambers, I mean?” Harris coughed. “Sorry, bit of a sore throat.”
Glancing over his shoulder, she could see Chen talking on his mobile. “I’m afraid I don’t know anything more than the media have reported,” she said to Harris. “You will know the police believe she was murdered?”
Harris nodded. “What time do they think it happened?”
“Between 8pm and midnight last night. But I’m only telling you what I’ve heard second hand.”
He pressed on with his questions. “Do they know who killed her?”
She shook her head. “I hope to find out more when I see the police later.”
He dug his hand into his breast pocket and pulled out a business card. “Could you ring me on my mobile when you’ve spoken to them?”
She looked at him. Why would an Australian Minister ask her to report what the police had to say? “Of course.” She took the card politely. But as she turned and walked away, she could hear Nigel’s words ringing in her ears. “Do everything by the book, Jessic aah !” And she was quite sure a personal call from her to an Australian Federal Minister would not be in Nigel’s book.
*
Stepping outside the terminal into warm Queensland sunshine, Jess held her face skywards, like an exotic flower opening to the sun. Lovely! Her mobile rang. She fished it out of her jacket pocket, but it stopped before she could answer. She looked at the caller ID. Blocked. That had to be Susan Chambers again, she thought.
Spotting the hire cars lined up in gleaming rows under the sun, she crossed the road to the car park. Next to her name on the electronic board, she read her car was parked in bay 76. Finding her white Holden, she pulled the keys out of the ignition and threw her cabin bag and briefcase into the boot. She got into the driver’s seat and put her jacket and handbag on the passenger seat.
Exiting through the ID security gate check, a grey jeep slowed to let her into the traffic. She waved her thanks to the driver, and drove out of the airport. Turning onto the Bruce Highway, she headed north, in the direction of the Sunshine Coast.
At first, small, squat trees and tussock grass lined the freeway. Then ghostly gum trees flashed by. Everything looked green and lush in this sub-tropical climate, unlike the dry, brown earth in Canberra. Soon, city pylons and electricity cables petered out to green fields and grazing horses. She was beginning to enjoy the change of scenery when her mobile started bleeping. She counted three text messages arriving. She pulled her mobile out of her pocket and scrolled to the first message.
Call me immediately with an update, Jessica. Nigel was chivvying her, and she’d only just got off the plane.
The second text was from Sharon. I’ve spoken to the Queensland Police. Call me back when you can please.
The third was from Simon. I need to talk to you, Jess.
She felt a prick of anger, or was it hurt? Yes, and I need to talk to you too, she thought. Why the hell didn’t you tell me about that intelligence report and the corruption allegations? How can I do my job in the dark?
Forcing herself to settle back in the seat, she tried to concentrate on the road. But her mind kept coming back to Simon. It seemed he was never far from her thoughts these days. Of course what Sharon had said about him was true. He was kind, reliable, and clever; and they did get on well. But did he realise just how much baggage she came with?
She still felt guilty about brushing him off on the stairs earlier. But that episode last week had really unnerved her. It wasn’t so much that he put his arm around her while they were sitting on the sofa watching TV, although that had been a surprise; nor even that he fleetingly brushed his fingers across her breast and nipple. No, it was more her reaction that had shocked her. That
“Sorry, Jess, but can you tell me what the police are saying… about Ellen Chambers, I mean?” Harris coughed. “Sorry, bit of a sore throat.”
Glancing over his shoulder, she could see Chen talking on his mobile. “I’m afraid I don’t know anything more than the media have reported,” she said to Harris. “You will know the police believe she was murdered?”
Harris nodded. “What time do they think it happened?”
“Between 8pm and midnight last night. But I’m only telling you what I’ve heard second hand.”
He pressed on with his questions. “Do they know who killed her?”
She shook her head. “I hope to find out more when I see the police later.”
He dug his hand into his breast pocket and pulled out a business card. “Could you ring me on my mobile when you’ve spoken to them?”
She looked at him. Why would an Australian Minister ask her to report what the police had to say? “Of course.” She took the card politely. But as she turned and walked away, she could hear Nigel’s words ringing in her ears. “Do everything by the book, Jessic aah !” And she was quite sure a personal call from her to an Australian Federal Minister would not be in Nigel’s book.
*
Stepping outside the terminal into warm Queensland sunshine, Jess held her face skywards, like an exotic flower opening to the sun. Lovely! Her mobile rang. She fished it out of her jacket pocket, but it stopped before she could answer. She looked at the caller ID. Blocked. That had to be Susan Chambers again, she thought.
Spotting the hire cars lined up in gleaming rows under the sun, she crossed the road to the car park. Next to her name on the electronic board, she read her car was parked in bay 76. Finding her white Holden, she pulled the keys out of the ignition and threw her cabin bag and briefcase into the boot. She got into the driver’s seat and put her jacket and handbag on the passenger seat.
Exiting through the ID security gate check, a grey jeep slowed to let her into the traffic. She waved her thanks to the driver, and drove out of the airport. Turning onto the Bruce Highway, she headed north, in the direction of the Sunshine Coast.
At first, small, squat trees and tussock grass lined the freeway. Then ghostly gum trees flashed by. Everything looked green and lush in this sub-tropical climate, unlike the dry, brown earth in Canberra. Soon, city pylons and electricity cables petered out to green fields and grazing horses. She was beginning to enjoy the change of scenery when her mobile started bleeping. She counted three text messages arriving. She pulled her mobile out of her pocket and scrolled to the first message.
Call me immediately with an update, Jessica. Nigel was chivvying her, and she’d only just got off the plane.
The second text was from Sharon. I’ve spoken to the Queensland Police. Call me back when you can please.
The third was from Simon. I need to talk to you, Jess.
She felt a prick of anger, or was it hurt? Yes, and I need to talk to you too, she thought. Why the hell didn’t you tell me about that intelligence report and the corruption allegations? How can I do my job in the dark?
Forcing herself to settle back in the seat, she tried to concentrate on the road. But her mind kept coming back to Simon. It seemed he was never far from her thoughts these days. Of course what Sharon had said about him was true. He was kind, reliable, and clever; and they did get on well. But did he realise just how much baggage she came with?
She still felt guilty about brushing him off on the stairs earlier. But that episode last week had really unnerved her. It wasn’t so much that he put his arm around her while they were sitting on the sofa watching TV, although that had been a surprise; nor even that he fleetingly brushed his fingers across her breast and nipple. No, it was more her reaction that had shocked her. That
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