Chapter 58

chapter fifty-eight

‘Beautiful day,’ commented Ethan to Christina as they drove towards Stan Delaney’s home to arrest him for his wife’s murder.

‘It is.’ Christina looked out the car window at the cloudless blue sky.

‘How do you think he’ll react?’ asked Ethan. Ethan’s shirt today was an exquisite teal blue. The colour of a bridesmaid’s dress. Christina looked down and saw a small stain like old blood on her shirt. That’s what happened when you got dressed in the dark so as not to wake your partner. It was probably tomato sauce.

‘My bet is he’ll be calm,’ said Christina. ‘He will have been given legal advice not to say a word.’

Her phone began to ring with an unfamiliar number. ‘Detective Khoury,’ she answered, pre-emptively brusque. Nico told her she sounded too angry on the phone. He said not everyone was a potential criminal. He was wrong. Everyone was so a potential criminal. Or a potential victim.

‘Hi there, Detective Khoury. How are you?’ It was the posh velvety tone of a man who was confident that his social status was superior to that of the vast majority of the population.

Christina was irritated. ‘Who is this?’

‘This is Dr Henry Edgeworth. I understand you’ve been trying to reach me. I’ve just returned from overseas.’ Most people sounded nervous when returning a phone call from the police, but not this wanker.

‘Yes, that’s right,’ said Christina. Took your bloody time, mate. ‘It’s in relation to a missing woman. Joy Delaney.’

‘Delaney,’ he repeated. His silk-smooth voice snagged.

‘There was a phone call from your apartment to her on the fourteenth of February this year.’

Christina felt Ethan’s attention on her half of the conversation. He would have worked out that it was the plastic surgeon finally returning their call.

‘I’m afraid I can’t help you,’ he said. ‘I don’t know anyone by that name.’

‘Can you explain why our phone records show a phone call from the landline at your apartment on that day that lasted forty minutes?’

‘Perhaps you’ve got the wrong Dr Edgeworth.’

‘Right,’ said Christina. ‘Or is it possible that someone else could have made a phone call from your apartment? A family member? Your wife?’

He was guarded now. ‘My wife and children never stay at the apartment. We have a family home in the eastern suburbs. The apartment is just a small one-bedroom near the hospital for when I’m working late. It’s more convenient.’

Yeah, I bet it’s more convenient,thought Christina.

‘We have no doubt that the call came from your apartment. We also believe it’s probable that Joy Delaney met with foul play,’ said Christina. ‘So I really need you to think carefully about this.’

Another pause. ‘Is this the old lady? I saw the husband on the news.’

‘That’s right,’ said Christina.

‘Well.’ He cleared his throat. ‘Well, alright, I can tell you that I did have someone staying at the apartment a few weeks back. A . . . family friend.’

Girlfriend. Definitely a girlfriend.

‘So, now I think about it, I’m guessing she was the one who called this lady,’ said Dr Edgeworth. His voice grew in confidence. ‘In fact, I’d say she definitely did. I expect they’re related.’

Christina said, ‘Why would you expect that?’

‘Well, as it happens, this girl’s name was Savannah Delaney.’

‘Savannah Delaney,’ repeated Christina, looking at Ethan. His eyebrows had popped.

Right from the beginning she’d known that Savannah was at the very centre of this investigation, and yet they still hadn’t managed to locate the damned woman.

‘Maybe she’s her niece or something? She said her mother was dead.’

‘When did you last have contact with her?’

‘Not for a while now,’ said Dr Edgeworth. ‘Actually, the last time we spoke was probably . . . let me think . . . Valentine’s Day.’