Chapters (58)
- COVER PAGE
- ABOUT THE AUTHOR
- DEDICATION
- Prologue
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-one
- Twenty-two
- Twenty-three
- Twenty-four
- Twenty-five
- Twenty-six
- Twenty-seven
- Twenty-eight
- Twenty-nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-one
- Thirty-two
- Thirty-three
- Thirty-four
- Thirty-five
- Thirty-six
- Thirty-seven
- Thirty-eight
- Thirty-nine
- Forty
- Forty-one
- Forty-two
- Forty-three
- Forty-four
- Forty-five
- Forty-six
- Forty-seven
- Forty-eight
- Forty-nine
- Fifty
- Fifty-one
- Fifty-two
- Fifty-three
- Acknowledgements
‘Detective, we’re still making enquiries about the best lawyer to engage. We haven’t had a lot of time to organise it yet.’
‘Don’t worry,’ Ryder said, ‘the duty solicitor will look after things today.’
‘Thank you. I have no doubt we’ll be seeing you again in the future.’
Ryder followed Benson into the courtroom. The police prosecutor was already seated at the long wooden table reserved for the parties’ legal representatives. At the opposite end, the duty solicitor was looking through a file. The New South Wales Coat of Arms hung on the back wall behind the magistrate’s bench.
Ryder and Benson sat close to the front, on the police prosecutor’s side of the courtroom. Behind him, Ryder could hear the familiar sounds of the usual groups that filled a courtroom on any given day. Well-acquainted solicitors and barristers, the press looking for the next headline, and then the families and interested members of the public.
‘The Transport Safety Bureau’s report finally came through,’ Benson said while they waited. ‘It contained lots of technical jargon, but the bottom line is the crash was caused by the tractor.’
Ryder snorted. ‘We could have told them that.’
‘All rise!’
Ryder stood, his shoulder brushing Benson’s as the magistrate came in and took his seat at the bench.
‘I’ll take the adjournments first,’ the magistrate said.
One at a time over the next half hour each matter was adjourned, the room gradually thinning out as many of the legal representatives returned to their offices. It wasn’t long before Ryder noticed Heidi Lorrimer being brought into the dock while the magistrate was dealing with the last of the adjournments. She was wearing a black pants suit, her pink-tipped hair pinned back from her face. One eye was still slightly swollen where Sterling had eye-gouged her in self-defence.
‘Here we go,’ said Benson.
‘Next, I’ll deal with New South Wales Police and Lorrimer.’ The magistrate turned to look at the police prosecutor. ‘Yes, Mr Prosecutor?’
The police prosecutor stood up. ‘Your Honour, Ms Lorrimer has been charged with assaulting a police officer, attempted murder of a police officer, and the murder of Arthur Lorrimer Junior.’
A murmur ran through the courtroom.
‘The police are presently preparing their briefs of evidence, Your Honour,’ the police prosecutor added.
‘How long is it expected to take?’
‘The briefs should be able to be completed and served within four weeks, Your Honour.’
The magistrate turned to the duty solicitor. ‘Is there any application for bail?’
The duty solicitor stood up. ‘We’re not seeking bail at this point, Your Honour, but I foreshadow that an application is likely to be made shortly.’
‘Very well. I’ll formally deny bail, and I’ll have these matters relisted for five weeks’ time.’ The magistrate looked up. ‘Next matter.’