BooksBarbecue
Back 55 Save as PDF
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

‘I’ll get my lawyer or any fucking lawyer on to you. Politicians too. They warned me the West was full of weirdoes, people who’d knife you for no other reason than for something to do, but to find myself in a town full of them . . .’

Heath was now seething; flecks of spittle dabbled around his dry lips. The anger soon turned to desperation, slapping his palm off the greasy wall. ‘Can I get something to drink in here? Or get the air con turned on? I’ve got rights.’

‘Including the right to remain silent,’ noted Chandler as he left, experiencing a sense of disappointment. He’d hoped for something from the outburst, some indication that he had the right man behind bars. He’d got nothing but an unhinged rant.

Shutting himself in his office, Chandler went through the recording he’d made that morning, absorbing the voices oozing from the speakers.

Gabriel’s voice was almost a distant memory by now, spawning a deep gnawing in Chandler’s gut that he had let him walk, even though he couldn’t have known then that it was the wrong decision. He listened to the entire interview, trying to visualize Gabriel’s statement and mannerisms, identify where they differed to Heath’s, places Gabriel seemed weak or unclear, something to swing the needle to or from him.

As he listened to Gabriel explain how he was following the casual tip to look for work inland, Chandler’s instinct was to believe the silky voice oozing from the tape. Maybe it was the even-tempered tone, lulling him into agreement or merely because Gabriel’s story had been told to him first, but subconsciously it made it seem truer, the cover song heard first and in his head becoming the original.

The recording continued. Gabriel’s disappointment that Heath hadn’t driven away. Genuine disappointment. The description of the car – identical to Heath’s in colour and worthlessness. Then the phrase, ‘No killer introduces themselves.’

Chandler stopped the recording.

No killer introduces themselves.

Delivered as if he understood what a killer would do, how a killer would act.

He pressed Play. Gabriel’s voice continued, explaining that they had travelled inland, Heath convincing him he knew of better places to find work, fairer wages. Drinking the water, the funny taste and vivid description of how it paralysed him. The shed and being shackled to the wall. The cuffs and the workbench. A clear description of the room and the contents.