Read Online The Labyrinth of Drowning by Alex Palmer - Free Book Online
Authors: Alex Palmer
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on her back.
Downstairs in the reception area, some of the workers were readying to leave. The police had finished their questioning. There was a low buzz of conversation. Lynette, the receptionist, was sitting at the desk flicking half-heartedly through a magazine. Grace went over to her.
‘Lynette,’ she said. ‘Is that who you are?’
‘I’ve already told the police that. Who are you?’
‘Grace Riordan. I’m with the police.’
Lynette looked up at her, polite but ungiving. She was older thanGrace had thought, at least fifty. They were interrupted by a chorus of ‘Night, Lynette,’ as the workers left, moving in a small group past the reception desk.
‘You take care out there,’ Lynette called back, watching the women out the door before turning back to Grace. ‘What do you want? I’ve already given you people all my details.’
‘You look like a professional to me,’ Grace said. ‘You’ve been in this business a lot longer than Marie Li, haven’t you? You were doing this when she was in nappies. Now she’s your boss. Do you like that situation? Or do you have to do things you’d normally never do under any other circumstances?’
The woman said nothing, only stared. Grace saw the same fear in her eyes that she’d seen in Marie Li’s.
‘Take this,’ she said and offered a card that had nothing on it but a phone number.
‘What is it?’
‘A contact number. Put it away out of sight.’
The card disappeared into Lynette’s bag. ‘I thought you were with the police.’
‘I want to show you something. This is Coco after we found her.’
Grace slid a photograph across the desk: Coco lying in the scrub in the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park.
‘Oh, Christ.’ Lynette closed her eyes and covered her mouth.
Grace picked up the photograph and put it back in her bag. ‘I want to know who did that to her. Who is she, and where did she come from?’
Lynette still had her eyes closed. She shook her head.
‘I’ve never seen her before.’
‘Yes, you have. Don’t think anyone believes you when you say that. And don’t think this is going to go away. We’re going to keep coming back and we’re going to keep asking questions. You’re going to be asked to come in for questioning and that questioning is going to go on for hours. We’re going to talk to all your workers. Some of them will have seen something. Besides that,’ Grace said, ‘you saw Coco in that picture. Think about the people who did that. How do you know they won’t see you as a weak link? And if they do, what are they going to do about it?Do you want to trust them? Or do you want us to offer you some protection?’
‘I can’t talk to you here,’ Lynette said, barely audibly.
‘But she was here.’
The woman had folded her arms close about herself and was staring down into her lap. Very faintly, she nodded.
‘If you want to talk to me in complete privacy, with a promise of complete confidentiality, you can ring that number any time you like. No one has to know you’ve called me. Just ask for me by my first name. If you’re a witness, we may be able to get you immunity. If you need protection, we’ll arrange it.’
The woman looked up, shaking her head, her mouth slightly open. Her make-up seemed old and her eyes were moist as if she might cry. At that moment, Kidd walked into the reception area and came up to the desk.
‘What are you two talking about?’
‘I want to know if Lynette has a book with her workers’ photographs,’ Grace replied. ‘So far she’s been telling me to mind my own business.’
Lynette placed a leather-bound photograph album on the desk.
‘Everyone in there is legal,’ she said. ‘Have a look.’
Grace flicked through, finding the workers Doug had described. A number of Asian women and one African, all very lovely, none of whom had been at work tonight.
‘Satisfied?’ Lynette asked.
‘You have some very attractive workers. I’m sure they bring in the
Downstairs in the reception area, some of the workers were readying to leave. The police had finished their questioning. There was a low buzz of conversation. Lynette, the receptionist, was sitting at the desk flicking half-heartedly through a magazine. Grace went over to her.
‘Lynette,’ she said. ‘Is that who you are?’
‘I’ve already told the police that. Who are you?’
‘Grace Riordan. I’m with the police.’
Lynette looked up at her, polite but ungiving. She was older thanGrace had thought, at least fifty. They were interrupted by a chorus of ‘Night, Lynette,’ as the workers left, moving in a small group past the reception desk.
‘You take care out there,’ Lynette called back, watching the women out the door before turning back to Grace. ‘What do you want? I’ve already given you people all my details.’
‘You look like a professional to me,’ Grace said. ‘You’ve been in this business a lot longer than Marie Li, haven’t you? You were doing this when she was in nappies. Now she’s your boss. Do you like that situation? Or do you have to do things you’d normally never do under any other circumstances?’
The woman said nothing, only stared. Grace saw the same fear in her eyes that she’d seen in Marie Li’s.
‘Take this,’ she said and offered a card that had nothing on it but a phone number.
‘What is it?’
‘A contact number. Put it away out of sight.’
The card disappeared into Lynette’s bag. ‘I thought you were with the police.’
‘I want to show you something. This is Coco after we found her.’
Grace slid a photograph across the desk: Coco lying in the scrub in the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park.
‘Oh, Christ.’ Lynette closed her eyes and covered her mouth.
Grace picked up the photograph and put it back in her bag. ‘I want to know who did that to her. Who is she, and where did she come from?’
Lynette still had her eyes closed. She shook her head.
‘I’ve never seen her before.’
‘Yes, you have. Don’t think anyone believes you when you say that. And don’t think this is going to go away. We’re going to keep coming back and we’re going to keep asking questions. You’re going to be asked to come in for questioning and that questioning is going to go on for hours. We’re going to talk to all your workers. Some of them will have seen something. Besides that,’ Grace said, ‘you saw Coco in that picture. Think about the people who did that. How do you know they won’t see you as a weak link? And if they do, what are they going to do about it?Do you want to trust them? Or do you want us to offer you some protection?’
‘I can’t talk to you here,’ Lynette said, barely audibly.
‘But she was here.’
The woman had folded her arms close about herself and was staring down into her lap. Very faintly, she nodded.
‘If you want to talk to me in complete privacy, with a promise of complete confidentiality, you can ring that number any time you like. No one has to know you’ve called me. Just ask for me by my first name. If you’re a witness, we may be able to get you immunity. If you need protection, we’ll arrange it.’
The woman looked up, shaking her head, her mouth slightly open. Her make-up seemed old and her eyes were moist as if she might cry. At that moment, Kidd walked into the reception area and came up to the desk.
‘What are you two talking about?’
‘I want to know if Lynette has a book with her workers’ photographs,’ Grace replied. ‘So far she’s been telling me to mind my own business.’
Lynette placed a leather-bound photograph album on the desk.
‘Everyone in there is legal,’ she said. ‘Have a look.’
Grace flicked through, finding the workers Doug had described. A number of Asian women and one African, all very lovely, none of whom had been at work tonight.
‘Satisfied?’ Lynette asked.
‘You have some very attractive workers. I’m sure they bring in the
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