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Chapters (60)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. 21
  24. 22
  25. 23
  26. 24
  27. 25
  28. 26
  29. 27
  30. 28
  31. 29
  32. 30
  33. 31
  34. 32
  35. 33
  36. 34
  37. 35
  38. 36
  39. 37
  40. 38
  41. 39
  42. 40
  43. 41
  44. 42
  45. 43
  46. 44
  47. 45
  48. 46
  49. 47
  50. 48
  51. 49
  52. 50
  53. 51
  54. 52
  55. 53
  56. 54
  57. 55
  58. Acknowledgements
  59. About the author
  60. Copyright

She raised her eyebrows hinting that she was open to any further questions he had, but that there shouldn’t be any.

32

Chandler was back at the station when Mitch informed each suspect, in the presence of their lawyers, that they were to be charged with six counts of murder. Both were stunned. Both insisted that the police were making a huge mistake. Both were told to keep quiet by their lawyers who then reiterated their clients’ complaints to Mitch in the strongest possible terms, claiming that their clients had pleaded not guilty and should be treated as such, angry that it had taken the police so long to call them in. It was like watching a verbal ballet, their complaints as in sync as their clients’ testimonies.

Despite having the suspects held and charges laid, Mitch was angry.

‘Heath’s insisting on making a complaint. About our treatment of him.’ Mitch shook his head, the tendons in his jaw pronounced. ‘I’ve got him, and yet he, this serial killer, the one who’ll make my name throughout all of Australia, maybe even the world, has the gall to complain about how we’ve handled it.’

‘And Gabriel?’

Mitch seemed angry at the focus being drawn from Heath. ‘Not a peep.’

‘He might be saving it for later.’

Mitch frowned. ‘What do you mean?’

‘I mean – your assault on him. Gabriel might be saving it to use as a bargaining chip for later on.’

Mitch fell silent, the tendons at work again.

Flo appeared at the door. ‘Press conference, Inspector.’ Slamming his hands on the desk Mitch stood up and stormed into the press conference to announce the charges. Chandler listened in astonishment as Mitch’s usually pin-sharp delivery was missing, his air of confidence gone. His irritation with the reporters for badgering him overwhelmed him. He had lost the sheen of control and had reverted back to the stumbling teenager of old, as if some disease from his youth had risen from the soil he’d grown up on and infected him. The belligerence of the suspects was ruining his plans to storm in, round up the culprits and swan off back to the coast. With Teri. And Chandler’s kids.

The announcement of the charges sent a buzz not only around the station but around town, locals joining reporters in gathering outside the station, eager to witness the evil that had ridden into town. Murder was not something that came often to Wilbrook. Mass murder was unthinkable.

But any discomfort was not kept solely for Mitch. With locals turning up en masse, Chandler was forced to explain to panicked members of his town that all was calm and that they had the suspects locked up. Sparra Talbot even made him swear to it.

Two official summonses were drawn up and issued, for one Gabriel Johnson and one Heath David Barwell to appear before the magistrate tomorrow morning.