The Murder Suite: Book One - The Audrey Murders (11 page)

“It is always the same after heavy rain” said Audrey.  “The flood waters come down from the mountain and leave muddy debris everywhere.  I have to have to have it spotless before the guests all check in later this morning.”

The forensic team took off down the driveway. Audrey presumed they were heading down to the ditch area at the bottom of the roadway. 

Driver stayed talking to Audrey. “We don’t expect to find anything new around the ditch as we did a good search the other day. The flood has pretty much washed

away any evidence we could expect to find, “ he said. 

“What sort of evidence would you expect to find?” Audrey asked. 

“More bones” said Driver. “Or clothing, personal items, things like that.” 

“Oh” said Audrey.  “How do you think the bone got there, in the ditch?” 

“Could have been swept down the road in the flood waters or dragged there by some animal,” said Driver.   “The guys will be searching the ditches up the road but the mud slips are pretty bad.”  He stood to go.  “If you do find anything that might relate to the case,” said Driver “let me know.”

Audrey knew just what he might like to find and she knew just where he would find it.   She walked inside to her suite and removed a small item from the drawer by her bed.  She put it in her jeans’ pocket.  When the time was right she would plant it and help Constable Driver close the case.

C H A P T E R   4 6

Constable Driver couldn’t put his finger on it.  But something wasn’t right. Audrey was certainly a strange one.   When they arrived at the Chalets everything had been blasted clean including the decks, furniture, courtyards and even her trailer and car looked as though she had water blasted them too.  If he didn’t know better, it looked as though she had made sure they would not find anything.   They had used luminal to check for blood in Suite C and outside on the deck but the area was spotless. Not a drop of blood anywhere.  Obviously if Blackmore was killed it was not here at the Chalets.

Driver met up with the others at the bottom of the road.  They had their dogs out again.  But they could not pick up any scent due to the low-lying water left over from the raging flood.   Tree logs and branches were blocking the mouth of the storm water pipe.   Driver had arranged for a digger to remove the debris so they could search for more trapped bones. As the digger removed bucket loads of mud and debris, the team searched each load for evidence.

The dogs began to bark. Then they saw them – caught in a tangle of branches. More bones, smaller this time.  They almost looked like animal bones but there was not doubt they were indeed human.  “Shit!” said Driver.  “Bloody Hell! Where did these bones come from?”  Was Blackmore attacked right here?   One bone could be dragged by an animal, - but lots of bones would indicate this is the location the murder took place. Did animals - or humans attack him?  The bones looked as though they had been gnawed.  Even from the naked eye they could see chew marks.  Forensics had identified the leg bone as having been chewed by an animal.  But what animal?  

Driver knew they would be here for some time.  He called his wife at home to tell her he would not be home for lunch and may even be late for dinner.  They still had to search the caravan.

By afternoon the forensics team had searched the through every stick and leaf taken from the storm-water drain.

All in all they had uncovered thirteen bone fragments all of which they believed were human and all looked as though they had been savagely chewed by animals.

   Driver wondered if, in fact, Blackmore had attempted to walk back to the Chalets that night and fallen into the ditch and passed out.  Maybe wild pigs had attacked him or local dogs.   But how did his truck end up in the Harbor?  Something just didn’t add up. Driver had to talk to the local farmers in the area and check on the wild pig situation. 

For the next few hours Driver talked to the local farmers.  They confirmed there was a lot of activity by wild pigs.   They didn’t think that wild pigs would attack a drunk on the side of the road as they avoid human contact and, in particular, would not be near the road but rather up on the isolated hills and farmland.

Driver then met up with the forensics team at the caravan.  After an hour of searching both inside and outside the caravan the police did not find any evidence that related to Blackmore.    It was a long day and Driver didn’t make it back to the station until evening. 

C H A P T E R   4 7

Audrey was pissed.  Pissed didn’t even make it.  She was so angry she couldn’t see straight.  She needed an outlet.  And he was arriving anytime now.  Bloody cops. They had been down on her other property most of the day.  Pearl had called with the latest news. How she knew everything Audrey didn’t know but Pearl had broken the news that the cops had found a lot of bones at the ditch site. Bloody pigs. The flood had scared them away otherwise there wouldn’t be any bones.   At least the weather was not going to get in the way this time,” she muttered.   

She heard a car.  It was a 4runner scratching its way up the gravel driveway. Audrey waited until it parked outside Suite C and then she approached. 

“Welcome,” she said. “How was your drive?” 

“Great” said the tall, good-looking man. “I stopped off for a bite to eat in Whangarei on the way.  Great place.  Love the view.” He grabbed his bag and headed for the door.  

Audrey followed him in and went through the usual patter of where things are and how to use the spa

and the BBQ.  

“I plan on eating out this evening.  Thought I would check out the local pub.” 

“They have a great steak,” said Audrey.  He seemed disinterested in anything she had to say so she left him to settle in.  

Damn! He is much too good looking to give me a second look. She noticed he didn’t even make eye contact. Not a spark of interest.  Nothing.   She would wait until he returned after dinner to make her move. 

An hour later Audrey watched his car heading down the driveway.  It was time to put her plan into action.  She took the chilled bottle of wine out of the fridge and gave it a shake.  Even a trained eye couldn’t see any remnants of the ”G” she had added to wine earlier.  Making the screw top look as though it hadn’t been open was more difficult but she hoped Mr. Campbell had already had enough drinks at the pub to notice. 

She carried the bottle over to suite C, opened the door with her master key and placed the bottle in the ice bucket on the table. 

She had deliberately refrained from putting wine in the fridge before he arrived to ensure he saw the bottle and was tempted to have a glass before retiring for the night.  Having invested in one of New Zealand’s best wines, Cloudy Bay, she hoped the good looking, Mr. Campbell would be discerning enough to appreciate the best of the best.

She dimmed the lights in the suite and turned down his bed and left the room to wait.

It was after eleven when he returned.  She peered through her curtains as he parked his car and entered the suite.  He was too quick and she couldn’t make out if he had been drinking or not.   This only pissed off Audrey more.  “Bloody men” she muttered.  “I hate everything about them.”  She decided to knock at his door.  She had an excuse. The fishing charter guy had called while he was out to leave him a message.    She needed to make sure he drank the wine so she headed off across the courtyard.

He opened the door in his robe.  “Just about to try out the hot tub,” he said dismissively.  He had a glass of wine in his hand. Audrey looked at the opened bottle of Cloudy Bay in the ice bucket.  

She smiled. “Wonderful.  Just wanted to tell you your fishing trip is confirmed at seven in the morning. They requested you get there fifteen minutes early.   You are to meet them on the dock.  You don’t need to bring anything. They provide meals, drinks and all the fishing gear.” 

John Campbell looked at the chubby, bleached blonde standing in front of him.  “Great.  Looking forward to it.”  He closed the door dismissively in her face and headed off out the side doors to the deck and the tub.

Audrey had to step back quickly to avoid the door closing over her foot.  What an arrogant bastard. This one deserves everything he is going to get. She walked back to Suite B and turned on her TV.   She couldn’t concentrate.  It would only take about twenty minutes before he passed out in the spa.  Hope he bloody drowns. But then thought that that would be the worse scenario.  Lifting a six -foot dead weight out of a spa pool is impossible.    She knew she must get him out of the spa before he passed out.   She had a brilliant idea. She headed over to the deck of Suite C.   

“I am so sorry,” she yelled over the jets.  “But you must have left your car window open and I think a possum has just climbed in.  They make an awful mess.”

She kept shouting.  “They get into my car sometimes and I can’t tell you how long it takes to get the smell out”.

Campbell looked annoyed as he leapt to his feet, climbed over the spa, grabbed his robe and made haste to his car.  “Shit” he muttered.  “It better not have shitted in my car.”  

Audrey almost burst out laughing at his reaction.  She had obviously hit a sore spot - his precious car.  While he was outside Audrey turned on the deck lights.  Mr. Campbell had opened all the doors and was hunting under the seats.    Audrey hoped he didn’t notice all the windows were up and securely closed.    She shone her torch on the outside of the garage doors. “The possums are a real problem up here,” she said pointing to the scratches up the walls of the garage.   “They try to get into the garage where I keep the cattle feed.  I set traps but there are just so many of them. Can you see it? “ She asked. 

“Must have got out,” he said breathing a sigh of relief.   He stepped back from the car and suddenly stumbled to the ground dropping his car keys as he fell.

“Are you OK?” asked Audrey sweetly. 

“I feel pretty dizzy,” said Campbell “Must have been the hot tub” 

“Let me help you inside,” said Audrey as she aided him to his feet. “You just need to lie down a while.”  Audrey held his arm and led him inside and to the perfectly made king size bed.   Campbell collapsed onto the bed.  Audrey waited until he was completely comatose. She smiled.  It was going to be a great night.

C H A P T E R   4 8

Something was still bugging Constable Driver.  He couldn’t put his finger on it. But something was not right.  He told his wife he just needed to do a quick check around the area.  He wouldn’t be long.   He started up the police car and backed out of the driveway.   He looked at the small station on his left.  It was in darkness.  He looked at the house on the right glowing in light and felt a warm comfort knowing his family was safe.  He liked this town. The locals were a friendly bunch.  Always offering a cuppa when he called on them.  Even the local thugs seemed to accept his presence.  He decided to take the road down to Tauranga Bay past the ditch site and up past the caravan.   He just felt this stretch of road had the answers.  Maybe he could see something.  It was just after eleven o’clock, the time all the crazies and drunks were out and about.

As he turned into Wainui Road and headed past the ditch site he looked up at the chalets on the hill.  He noticed the lights were on in the infamous Suite C and also in Audrey’s suite.  The upper suite was in complete darkness.   He presumed the guest had checked in.  

He parked his car on the side of the road and turned off his lights.  He saw a tall man stepping out onto the deck and immediately remove the lid off the hot tub.   Driver wished he was sitting in a nice hot tub.   Maybe he could buy a hot tub for his family for Christmas.  The boys would like that.  The man climbed into the spa and leaned back.  He was too far away for Driver to see his features but he looked like he was fit with a body Driver wished he had.  I must find some time to work out.

He was about to head up towards the caravan when he noticed Audrey step onto the deck.  He saw the man leap out of the hot tub and follow her off the deck.  Strange, thought Driver.  He waited a while but he couldn’t see what they were doing.  His vision from the road prevented him from seeing what was going on.  He decided to head up to the caravan and take a look.   As he pulled out he spotted Dolly and Bruce walking up the dark road ahead.  They were wearing head torches and carrying plastic bags filled with what Driver thought must have been groceries. He stopped and asked them if they would like a ride back to their caravan.  They accepted, grateful for the ride.              

“Thanks” said Bruce.   “Appreciate it”  

“Been down at Whangaroa?” asked Driver.

“Yep” said Bruce non-committedly.   “Do you know anything more about the dead guy?” asked Bruce making conversation.  “Heard you found more bones down by Smithy’s” 

“Yes, opposite Smithy’s in the ditch by the storm water drain,” said Driver.                “Guess they got washed down in the flood” 

“Sounds like animals got to him” said Bruce.  “Got a lot of wild pigs around here.” 

Driver stopped by the Caravan and the two got out.  “Night” he said

“Catcha later” said Bruce.  

Driver noticed Dolly had not said a word.  She just sat quietly with her head down.  He thought maybe Bruce was the talker in the family.  They were a strange couple, hippies really. The area was full of old hippies living off the land in make shift houses. They kept pretty much to themselves and were not any trouble.  Somehow Driver could not see Dolly and Bruce cutting up a body and driving a truck into the harbor.