Black Ice (26 page)

He shuffled through the paperwork on his desk, and picked out the record of calls made from Lewis's pre-paid mobile phone. Lewis had made a call to another mobile only a minute before his death, but checks had revealed it had been to another pre-paid phone, with no trace of the owner. As Mick scrutinised the calls sheet, he noted that most of Lewis's calls had been to that same number. He decided to ask the telecommunications company for the records on that one, too. And while he was at it, he'd request the records on all Philip Weyburn's phones, business, private and mobile.

At least the Sydney boys were keeping an eye on Weyburn. Unfortunately, their inquiries had come up with no evidence that he was involved in the attempts on the lives of Daniel Brand or his daughter.

Mick sighed. Motive was one thing, proof was another thing altogether.

 

The sound of the phone ringing woke Daniel. He looked at his watch. Midday. He was tempted to close his eyes again, then remembered that J.D. had ridden out to check on some cattle and probably wouldn't be back yet. He sat up in bed, and winced at the movement. The wound on his arm was tolerable, but the burn on his shoulder throbbed with pain. He remembered he was supposed to have gone back to the hospital this morning to have it cleansed and re-dressed. Well, this afternoon would have to do. At least his hearing was improving.

Kirri's side of the bed was empty, and he realised the phone had stopped ringing. He picked up the bottle of painkillers and walked to the kitchen. Kirri was pacing the floor, listening intently on the cordless phone. She severed the connection just before she saw him.

'That was Mick,' she said. 'He wanted to let you know that Philip and Stella turned up at the hospital. The Sydney police had let Mick know they were coming so they were directed to the Police Station. Mick told them about last night. He said they both appeared very shocked.'

'I'll bet they did.'

'Daniel, is it possible it's not Philip behind all this?'

'Mick asked the same question, but I can't think of anyone else who would have a motive. Or the knowledge of my movements.'

Kirri sighed. 'At least we don't have to worry about that Lewis fellow coming after you again.' She shuddered. 'Do you think he was trying to kill Catelyn to get at you? Or to scare you?'

'I don't know. Mick and I discussed a lot of possibilities, but couldn't come up with any feasible motives if he was working on his own.' Daniel poured a glass of water and swallowed two painkillers. Kirri looked at him, a worried frown wrinkling her forehead.

'Daniel, Mick also said it looks like Philip is in the clear. Brett Lewis phoned someone just before he tried to kill Catelyn,' she shuddered at the memory, 'and it wasn't Philip.'

'Who was it?'

'They don't know. It was another pre-paid mobile phone but they can't trace the owner.'

'Then it could have been Philip. He could have bought a phone under an assumed name.'

'True. But he has an alibi for that time.'

'At three in the morning?' Scepticism tinged Daniel's voice.

'Apparently Irene had taken ill and Philip had called the doctor. The doctor swears Philip was with him in the bedroom while they waited for the ambulance, and he had no opportunity to answer a phone.'

'The doctor could have been mistaken about the time.' Daniel massaged his forehead with his left hand. 'Is Irene all right?'

'Yes. But they're keeping her in hospital for a few days.' Kirri beckoned for him to sit down at the table, then she filled a glass of water for him.

'One other phone call seems to exonerate Philip. When we were in Noosa, before we went to Sydney, you phoned Philip to tell him you were flying down. At the same time you were talking to him, Brett Lewis was answering a call from that other mobile.'

'Damn!' Daniel slapped the table. The glass shook. 'If it wasn't Philip, then who was it behind Lewis?'

'Is it possible he was working on his own?'

'Mick asked the same question, but I can't think what his motive could be.'

Kirri sighed. 'At least we don't have to worry about him coming after you again. Do you think he was trying to kill Catelyn to get at you? Or to scare you?'

'I don't know.' Daniel picked up the glass and swallowed two painkillers. Kirri looked at him, a worried frown wrinkling her forehead.

'Perhaps Philip can provide some answers,' she said. 'Mick said he's anxious to talk to you.'

'No more than I am to talk to him. But I won't have him coming here. Did Mick say where he was staying?'

'He gave me the name of the motel. I told Mick we'll go there after the doctor's looked at your shoulder and I've checked on Gran. He said he'd let Philip know.'

'We? Kirri, I don't want you anywhere near the man. He might not be behind the murder attempts but I still don't know if I trust him.'

'Mick said he'll have one of his men watching us all the time, just in case.' Kirri slanted him a long-suffering look. 'Daniel, I won't let you go there on your own. You look like a volcano that's ready to erupt. I don't want to see you do something … unrestrained … and end up in jail yourself.'

Daniel noted the stubborn set of her jaw, and knew he couldn't dissuade her.

'Then Philip better have a damn good explanation for his behaviour these past two weeks.'

Kirri silently agreed. With Brett Lewis's death the immediate threat to Daniel and Catelyn had gone, but until they found out why he had wanted to kill them, and whether he was working on his own or if, as Daniel suspected, he had been contracted, she knew neither of them would feel safe.

'Mick also mentioned Forensics is finished in Emma's house,' she said, 'and he's booked the cleaners for us for nine o'clock tomorrow morning.'

Daniel saw her worried look, and hastened to reassure her. 'It's okay. We'll be there.' The joy he had felt at having Kirri back had been dimmed by the tragedy his presence had caused, and he couldn't stop the terrible guilt that ate at him. All he could do now was try to protect his loved ones. With his life, if necessary.

 

'Come in. Come in.' Philip stepped back from the motel door and waved Daniel, Kirri and Catelyn to a small lounge area. He was disconcerted at seeing Kirri, and made no effort to hide it.

'I'd hoped we could talk in private, Daniel.' He paced the beige carpet while Daniel and Kirri sat on a dark leather lounge. Catelyn sat quietly on Kirri's lap.

'Kirri's here as a witness, Philip. And also to keep me from putting your head through that wall if you can't produce a good reason for obstructing my access to the company's financial records.' Even sitting on the lounge and looking deceptively relaxed, Daniel exuded an air of intimidation which Phillip, from the sudden whitening of his face, obviously found threatening.

'My father had his fatal heart attack in his office,' he blurted, 'while I was with him.'

'So you told me,' Daniel said. His head hurt, his shoulder was giving him hell, and his patience was rapidly decreasing.

'What I didn't tell you,' Philip stopped pacing, and examined the smooth fabric of a cream lampshade as though it could help him with his explanation, 'was what caused the stress that led to his heart attack.'

Daniel and Kirri waited. 'Go on,' Daniel urged.

'He said he was being blackmailed.'

'Blackmailed?' Daniel couldn't hide his shock. 'Who was blackmailing him? And why?'

'I don't know who, but I do know why.'

He stopped again, and Kirri encouraged him softly, 'Why, Philip?'

'He'd been embezzling from the company for the last couple of years.'

Daniel's patience finally snapped. 'How much?' The steel in his voice dragged Philip's attention to him. The younger man gulped audibly.

'Nearly a million dollars.'

'A million dollars!' Daniel echoed.

'Almost.'

'Have you any idea why?'

Philip looked uncomfortable. 'For a few years now I've suspected Dad was having an affair.'

'Do you know who with?' Kirri asked.

'I had my suspicions that it could have been with Stella, but there was no indication that anything was going on between them.' Obviously feeling more at ease now, Philip sat in the single lounge chair and leaned towards them. 'Surely if you're having it off with someone there's something that gives you away. A look, a kiss, a touch.
Something
.'

'How did Stella and your father get on?' Daniel suspected Stella could be quite
accommodating
if she wanted to be.

'They were … comfortable … with each other. They had a close working relationship, but there was never any sign it went further than that.'

'I doubt anything would, with Stella.' Kirri's wry comment drew both men's attention. She shrugged. 'Well, she strikes me as a cold kind of a person. Certainly not the type to rush into a love affair. Unless,' she mused, 'she had a good reason for doing so.'

'What do you know about Stella?' Daniel asked Philip.

'She wrote to my father applying for work after she finished her degree in business management. He replied that the only position available was as his secretary when the current one left to have her baby and that he was sure she wouldn't be interested because she was over-qualified. But she jumped at it. Reckoned she wanted to learn from the ground floor level. Dad thought he was getting a bargain because I preferred the construction side of the business and he realised Stella would be a big help to him.'

'Was she good at her job?'

'Too bloody good! Officious bitch,' Philip swore, then hastily apologised. 'Sorry, Kirri. But she really gets to me. I never knew I could have murderous thoughts until I had to take over Dad's work and see so much of her. I was planning to offer her a redundancy package as soon as I'd repaid the money Dad stole.'

Repaid the money
… Was he lying? Daniel thought back over Philip's behaviour, the nervousness, the deference, the transparent delaying tactics. Now he saw his dark-circled eyes and lined cheeks and realised they indicated more than grief. 'How were you going to repay the money?'

'I've put my house up for sale. I told Mum I didn't need it now that I'd moved back home. As I'm between girlfriends at the moment it won't be a problem,' he sighed. 'I've sold my share portfolio and put that money back into the company. And I've been looking at ways to raise the rest of the money.'

'What made you decide to tell me about your father?'

'When I heard you were injured, Daniel, I thought it was just an accident. Then when Detective Landers said that Lewis guy had tried to kill your daughter, I began to suspect that there might be some connection to my father's blackmail. I felt terrible thinking my attempts to protect my mother from scandal could have resulted in Catelyn's death.' Philip seemed to crumple into the seat. 'I suppose you'll have to tell the police.'

'Yes,' Daniel agreed. 'But only to eliminate you as a suspect. We can work out a private solution to your father's theft. If an audit exonerates you, I don't see any reason to hold you responsible for what your father did.'

'Daniel, I'm willing to pay back the money, I just need more time. I don't want my mother to know. It would kill her.'

Irene certainly didn't appear to be strong enough to cope with the knowledge that her husband had not only cheated on her, but had been a thief as well. Daniel thought of the friendship with his mother that Irene had spoken of, and the guilt she seemed to carry for not being with Essie when she needed help.

'There's no need for your mother to know, Philip. What about Stella? Do you think she knows?'

At the mention of Stella's name Philip sat upright, tension returning to his body. 'I don't know. Dad was pretty clever the way he hid -'

A loud knock on the door jerked him to his feet. He walked over and pulled it open. 'Stella!'

'Hello, Philip.' Stella brushed past him. 'Daniel, Kirri,' she nodded. 'It's good to see you safe and well. How's your grandmother, Kirri?'

'A lot better when we visited this afternoon, thank you.'

Philip didn't offer Stella a seat, and an awkward silence formed.

'Did you enjoy your sightseeing?' Philip eventually asked her. 'Stella hired a car so she could have a look around Cairns,' he explained to Daniel and Kirri.

'Beautiful city,' Stella smiled at Daniel, and Kirri caught a fleeting expression in the dark eyes that chilled her to the bone. She'd seen a feral cat once, watched as it had crept up on a mouse. Stella's eyes had reflected that same fierce concentration, that same predatory look.

Catelyn reached up and pulled on Kirri's hair. 'Mum,' she said, her voice petulant. Her face was flushed, her eyes watery. Concerned, Kirri felt her daughter's forehead. She was only a little warm, but the room was air-conditioned …

Just then, the mobile phone in Kirri's bag rang. Hugging Catelyn close, she grabbed the phone and answered the call. She listened with growing excitement, oblivious to the others as they stared at her flushed face and sparkling eyes. She finally replaced the phone in her bag and grabbed Daniel's hand.

'That was Trish! One of the Curators from the Queensland Art Gallery has just been into our gallery. He wants to talk to me about putting some of my paintings in an exhibition by emerging North Queensland artists.'

'Your fine art?' From the awe on her face, Daniel realised the importance of what she was saying. She nodded. 'Does he want to see you now?' he asked.

'No. Apparently he was at Port Douglas on holidays and this is his last day here before he returns to Brisbane tomorrow. He's going somewhere else now but he wants to see me at nine in the morning. Oh,' her face clouded, 'that's when we have to be at Emma and Drew's house.'

'You can drop me there and I'll supervise. Catelyn can help me pack her bag,' he bent down to the child and kissed her cheek. 'You'll stay with Daddy, won't you, darlin'?'

Catelyn nodded, then snuggled closer to Kirri. Kirri looked perturbed. 'I can always use Emma's car, if you need the Nissan. She left the key with the house keys. Just in case…'

'We'll work it out,' Daniel said, then stood up and offered his hand to Philip. 'We'll continue our discussion at another time, Philip. When are you returning to Sydney?'