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Authors: Jean Harrod
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Palms once you’ve had a chance to talk to the police and Susan Chambers.”
“Of course.”
“The High Commissioner has been trying to call you, Jess. With all the brouhaha about the gas deal, he’s worried this consular case will be tricky. He said he would have flown direct to Brisbane from Perth to join you but he has to be back in Canberra for our Beloved Leader’s visit.”
Jess smiled. The High Commissioner would never refer to the Foreign Secretary as our Beloved Leader; not least, because they’d spent their careers in opposing political parties.
“Anyway,” Sharon went on, “he said he’ll leave things in your capable hands for the time being. But do call him… any time.”
“Right.” Jess wouldn’t hesitate to do that. Unlike Nigel, the High Commissioner had been a prominent UK politician before getting the Canberra job. He had nothing left to prove.
“Oh, and I’ve spoken to Inspector Sangster.” Sharon made a huffing noise. “He wants to see you as soon as you get there. It sounded more like a summons than a request to me. Anyway, I said you’d meet him in The Palms reception at 2pm. Hope that’s okay?”
“That’s fine.”
Sharon paused. “You know, Jess, he seems a bit of a… difficult character.”
Jess gave an exaggerated sigh. “What with the mysterious Susan Chambers and the imperious Inspector Sangster, it looks like I’m going to have to deploy all my diplomatic charm today.”
Sharon laughed. “By the way, Simon says to tell you Canberra are sending two Federal Agents to Brisbane to help with the murder investigation.”
“Are they now?” That must have something to do with the corruption allegations and that elusive intelligence report, she thought. But there was no point asking Sharon to get a look at it and report back. It would be highly classified. If the circulation hadn’t included her, Sharon wouldn’t have access to it either. But Jess had another idea. “Sharon, have a look through the electronic telegrams from London and Beijing over the last couple of months and see if there’s anything in the archive about Ellen Chambers, or a Chen Xiamen.”
“Who’s he?”
“The lead Chinese negotiator on the LNG contract with Western Energy.”
There was a pause. “What am I looking for, Jess?”
Jess hesitated, she couldn’t discuss it with Sharon on an open phone line. “I don’t know yet, but I’d like you to do a search.”
“Okay.” There was a pause. “Is everything all right, Jess, only… well, you sounded a bit strange when you answered?”
That grey jeep flashed into her mind again. “Everything’s fine, Sharon.”
“Good. Speak to you later then.”
“Right.” Jess hung up and started the engine again. Fine drops of water began misting the windscreen, and she turned on the wipers to clear it. Pulling out of the parking area, she slipped back into the stream of traffic. As she drove, the rain started to fall harder. She was relieved after a few more miles to see her exit sign. Signalling, she turned off the freeway, then slowed and checked her rear-view mirror to see if anyone had followed her off. No one. Satisfied, she drove through the underpass in the direction of the coast.
Two miles later, she turned left at a sign for The Palms resort and found herself driving along a narrow lane, with high hedges lining both sides. The misty rain had given way to a squall that seemed to have blown in from nowhere, blasting blinding rain onto the windscreen. Turning the wipers on full speed, she rubbed the inside of the windscreen with the back of her hand to clear the mist. The draught from the air conditioner blew into her face and up her skirt, chilling her.
Suddenly, blinding headlights came straight at her through the murk. She slammed her foot on the brake and yanked the steering wheel to the left. Tyres skidding on the wet surface, the car spun round and bumped up onto the grass verge, the under-tray dragging along the ground,
“Of course.”
“The High Commissioner has been trying to call you, Jess. With all the brouhaha about the gas deal, he’s worried this consular case will be tricky. He said he would have flown direct to Brisbane from Perth to join you but he has to be back in Canberra for our Beloved Leader’s visit.”
Jess smiled. The High Commissioner would never refer to the Foreign Secretary as our Beloved Leader; not least, because they’d spent their careers in opposing political parties.
“Anyway,” Sharon went on, “he said he’ll leave things in your capable hands for the time being. But do call him… any time.”
“Right.” Jess wouldn’t hesitate to do that. Unlike Nigel, the High Commissioner had been a prominent UK politician before getting the Canberra job. He had nothing left to prove.
“Oh, and I’ve spoken to Inspector Sangster.” Sharon made a huffing noise. “He wants to see you as soon as you get there. It sounded more like a summons than a request to me. Anyway, I said you’d meet him in The Palms reception at 2pm. Hope that’s okay?”
“That’s fine.”
Sharon paused. “You know, Jess, he seems a bit of a… difficult character.”
Jess gave an exaggerated sigh. “What with the mysterious Susan Chambers and the imperious Inspector Sangster, it looks like I’m going to have to deploy all my diplomatic charm today.”
Sharon laughed. “By the way, Simon says to tell you Canberra are sending two Federal Agents to Brisbane to help with the murder investigation.”
“Are they now?” That must have something to do with the corruption allegations and that elusive intelligence report, she thought. But there was no point asking Sharon to get a look at it and report back. It would be highly classified. If the circulation hadn’t included her, Sharon wouldn’t have access to it either. But Jess had another idea. “Sharon, have a look through the electronic telegrams from London and Beijing over the last couple of months and see if there’s anything in the archive about Ellen Chambers, or a Chen Xiamen.”
“Who’s he?”
“The lead Chinese negotiator on the LNG contract with Western Energy.”
There was a pause. “What am I looking for, Jess?”
Jess hesitated, she couldn’t discuss it with Sharon on an open phone line. “I don’t know yet, but I’d like you to do a search.”
“Okay.” There was a pause. “Is everything all right, Jess, only… well, you sounded a bit strange when you answered?”
That grey jeep flashed into her mind again. “Everything’s fine, Sharon.”
“Good. Speak to you later then.”
“Right.” Jess hung up and started the engine again. Fine drops of water began misting the windscreen, and she turned on the wipers to clear it. Pulling out of the parking area, she slipped back into the stream of traffic. As she drove, the rain started to fall harder. She was relieved after a few more miles to see her exit sign. Signalling, she turned off the freeway, then slowed and checked her rear-view mirror to see if anyone had followed her off. No one. Satisfied, she drove through the underpass in the direction of the coast.
Two miles later, she turned left at a sign for The Palms resort and found herself driving along a narrow lane, with high hedges lining both sides. The misty rain had given way to a squall that seemed to have blown in from nowhere, blasting blinding rain onto the windscreen. Turning the wipers on full speed, she rubbed the inside of the windscreen with the back of her hand to clear the mist. The draught from the air conditioner blew into her face and up her skirt, chilling her.
Suddenly, blinding headlights came straight at her through the murk. She slammed her foot on the brake and yanked the steering wheel to the left. Tyres skidding on the wet surface, the car spun round and bumped up onto the grass verge, the under-tray dragging along the ground,
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