Chapters (61)
- Cover
- 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
- Fifty-Four
- Fifty-Five
- Fifty-Six
- Fifty-Seven
- Fifty-Eight
- Acknowledgements
- About the author
‘No. I want to know why you sent Carmody to tell me that.’ Cardilini sat.
‘I didn’t send him. He’s a law unto himself.’
‘Why’s he so keen to convince me it was an accidental shooting?’
‘Ask him. But since you’re asking me, perhaps he’s thinking the same as you, that it mightn’t be an accident.’
‘So it’s all to save the school’s reputation?’ Cardilini asked.
‘Yes,’ she replied quickly.
‘You weren’t thinking of the school’s reputation when you fought for your boy.’
Mrs Lockheed struggled for control. ‘What lengths would you go to protect your boy, Detective Cardilini?’
Cardilini reflected on his behaviour through Paul’s troubles. ‘I’m not a good father. If that’s what you want to know.’
‘It’s not what I asked. I assume you wouldn’t do a lot to protect him.’
‘Let’s go with that.’
‘Just like my husband. Did your wife say anything to you?’
Cardilini turned his head to the side as if avoiding a glancing blow then asked, ‘Do you still believe John?’
‘What did Carmody say to you?’
‘That John was lying and you knew he was.’
‘Carmody stood by John at every stage of this tragedy. He was a better man than John’s father.’
Cardilini understood, and a better father than you, was implied.
‘Did you try to find out about the boys who died?’ She asked.
‘No.’
‘Of course not.’ Mrs Lockheed shook her head ever so slightly. ‘The establishment wouldn’t approve.’
‘It’s not always like that,’ Cardilini said but wondered when it wasn’t.
‘Not even the Masters’ boy?’ she asked.
‘Why do you ask that?’
‘That was suicide. His parents found him. He’d hanged himself from the back verandah,’ she said, nervously brushing her throat with her fingertips.
‘Do you think there’s a connection between Edmund, the cadets, and these deaths?’ Cardilini asked.
‘I pray there isn’t.’
‘John?’ Cardilini questioned gently.
She stood up and took a deep breath. ‘Suicide isn’t the “done thing”, didn’t you know?’ She looked back nervously. She held her face firm but her eyes seemed to shudder.
‘Carmody asked what I thought about the execution of multi-murderer, Eric Cooke,’ Cardilini said.
Mrs Lockheed steadily met his gaze.
‘Was Captain Edmund’s death an execution?’ Cardilini thought he saw Mrs Lockheed fight a smile. His eyes moved rapidly between her mouth and eyes. He sat back and ran a hand unconsciously through his thinning hair.
‘Now you’re being ridiculously fanciful,’ Mrs Lockheed finally said and started walking to the front door.
Cardilini followed.
Twenty-Three
TWENTY-THREE
Day 2
St Nicholas College
1.21 a.m. Monday, 26th October 1965