I ignored Wheels. ‘Brett Millard told everyone he had bought an insurance policy from Richard Tippet, only there was no record of such a policy. Turns out Tippet was fond of taking premiums from people but not passing the money on to the insurance underwriter for a policy to be issued.’

‘So he just kept the money,’ said Pip, ‘and issued a fake policy?’

‘Yep, and hoped no claims would be made. Next thing he knows, Brett Millard is on his doorstep demanding a twenty-thousand-dollar payout for a policy that never existed.’

Wozza found his voice. ‘A decade ago, Tippet wasn’t the success he is now,’ he said. ‘We believe the murder of Brett and Shayna was the only way he could avoid his scam being exposed.’

Pip turned to Wheels. The colour had drained from his face as he realised the balance of power had shifted.

‘It seems to me, Senior Sergeant Wheeler, that Pollard and Harvey have done a sterling job. I’m puzzled, though.’ She paused while Wheels squirmed. ‘I’m puzzled as to why I’ve been called all the way to Deception Bay for you to do nothing but complain.’

Wheels mustered his last reserves of bluster. ‘I was acting on legitimate concerns—’

‘Bullshit!’ said Pip, getting up from the table. ‘Ironically, this meeting has raised legitimate concerns to me about your behaviour—both to female members under your command and perverting the course of justice in the original murder investigation. I’m going to instruct Pollard and Harvey to look very closely at your friendship with the mayor.’

When she walked out of the room, Wozza and I followed. Neither of us wanted to be left alone with Wheels in case his head exploded.

Once clear of the office, Pip turned to us. ‘Can you get good coffee in this one-horse town?’

Wozza jumped in. ‘Angie’s cafe on the main street has the best coffee,’ he said. ‘And pastries.’

‘Lead on,’ said the Chief.

CHAPTER 42: NO SUPERHERO ENDING

CHAPTER 42

NO SUPERHERO ENDING

By the time I made it back to the chemist to check in on Crystal, two weeks had passed. I felt bad because I’d had this life-altering discussion with her and then left her. Not that I’d been idle. Our search warrant for Richard Tippet’s house turned up a receipt that suggested the gun left at the scene belonged to him. How the gun had been overlooked originally, I could only guess. Tying him to the weapon, finding ammunition in his shed of the same brand and batch used in the shootings, was circumstantial but it helped us build the case. And then the big one. Turned out, the gun used in the death of the Millards was still stored in evidence. A fingerprint expert found a print belonging to Tippet on the stock. The case coiled around him like a snake.