Heller's Regret (23 page)

I wandered around the shopping centre for a
while trying to find something I felt like eating, finally settling
on sushi for both of us. I’d never seen Farrell eating sushi
before, but it was about time he tried it if he hadn’t already.

I hummed on my way back to the store, gazing
at the shops as I walked, not in any hurry. The detectives wouldn’t
want me for ages. I stopped for a second in surprise when I spotted
a man in front of me who I could have sworn was Jaegar.

No
, I told myself,
he’s probably
back with Mrs Burwood by now
.

Cursing my curiosity, I hastened after the
man, speeding up until I was level with him. It was Jaegar,
determinedly heading for the exit at a rapid pace.

“Hello,” I said, making him jump. “You look
like you’re in a hurry.”

Annoyance crossed his face and stayed there.
“I don’t have a long lunch break. I wanted to have a quick smoke.
Any other questions?”

“No, but the detectives are sure to have
some. You shouldn’t have left the store, particularly as Mrs
Burwood believes you’ve gone to the bathroom.”

“I couldn’t tell her I needed to duck out for
a smoke, could I? So I told her I was going to the bathroom. Now,
can you leave me alone? You’re really starting to get on my
nerves.”

“I just want to make sure you’re available to
speak to the detectives when they’re ready for you, which can’t be
too long away.”

“Why don’t you just toddle off back to the
store and tell everyone I’ll be there in a couple of minutes.”

“Because I’m beginning to think you’re
pissing off so you don’t have to be interviewed.”

He raised his hands in surrender. “Okay,
okay. I
am
nervous about talking to the detectives. If they
run a check on me, they’ll find out I had a very badly misspent
youth. I was charged with some minor drug offences and a couple of
shoplifting incidents. And I assaulted some guy in a pub when I was
underaged. I lied about all that on my job application because I’ve
sorted out my life since then. I don’t want to be penalised for the
stupid decisions I made when I was younger. You know how
judgemental cops are.”

Though that made a lot of sense to me, it was
ridiculous of him to think he could escape being interviewed. “You
don’t really have a choice about it. Trying to avoid speaking to
the detectives will just set off red flags. You just need to get it
over and done with.”

“You’re right. That’s exactly what I should
do. But guess what? I’m not going to.”

He shouldered me violently in the chest,
knocking me flying backwards, and sprinting for the exit.
Containers of sushi split open, rice, nori and seafood spilling
across the floor.

Comprehensively winded, I let a couple of
passing shoppers help me to my feet, tutting over the rudeness of
the young gentleman. I spared only a second to thank them, ignoring
the mess as I tore off after him. I pulled out my phone and tried
to ring Farrell while it bounced around with each step.

He assumed I’d rung about lunch. “I don’t
care what you get, as long as it’s not sushi. Can’t stand the
stuff.”

“Forget your stomach. Jaegar is heading for
the exit. He just knocked me over when I asked him too many
questions. Mrs Burwood told me he was just going to the
bathroom.”

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah. Just let the detectives know
he’s running away from being interviewed.”

“I’ll be there as soon as I can. Where
exactly are you?”

I itched to be chasing after Jaegar, but
wanted some manpower behind me. My arm with the worst cuts took the
brunt of my weight when I fell, the dull ache I’d been feeling now
sharply intense. I didn’t want to risk testing its strength on
someone who may be as desperate as Jaegar.

Farrell jogged up a couple of minutes later,
the detectives with him.

“He’s probably reached his car by now and is
long gone,” I lamented. “We’ll never find him. Or the
necklace.”

“We know where he lives,” grunted one of the
detectives, a little out of breath. less fit than he ought to
be.

“Chalmers, you go back to the store while we
search the carpark.”

“No! I’m coming with you. Four sets of eyes
are better than three.”

“Just let her come with us,” said the other
detective impatiently. “I’m not standing here all day trying to
argue with a woman.”

“Thank you,” I said to him with exaggerated
politeness. “Do you know his number plate?”

“The store keeps a record of the licence
plate of every staff member who drives to work as parking for staff
is restricted.” He recited the make, model and number plate.

“That’s a flashy car for a shop assistant,”
muttered one of the detectives enviously.

In the carpark, we agreed to raise our hand
if we found his car. Farrell led us to the staff parking area and
we split up, slowly jogging past each car, scanning plates.

I spotted a car matching the description
rapidly reversing one row away from me. I waved my arm wildly.
“Hey! Hey!” I yelled out to the men. “Over here! He’s heading for
the boom gate.”

Everyone came running. At the boom gate,
Jaegar was caught behind a flustered driver who couldn’t work out
the system for exiting the carpark. Even from where we stood we
could hear the abusive language he shouted at the unfortunate
woman, which only served to render her more flustered.

“Got him,” smiled one of the detectives,
breaking into a run.

Seeing his opportunity for escape
evaporating, Jaegar flung open the door. Abandoning his car, he
bounded off, arms pumping, towards the road adjoining the carpark.
Unfortunately for him, he ran past Farrell who tackled him to the
ground after a short chase.

The detectives rushed over, dragging him to
his feet. His suit was filthy, his cheek, forehead and hands badly
grazed.

“How about that interview now, sonny?” asked
one of the detectives in a voice tired with the effort of having to
regularly deal with the worst that humanity offered.

“I haven’t done anything wrong,” Jaegar
insisted, struggling slightly.

“I don’t know about you, matey, but when a
person makes a blatant attempt to avoid being interviewed, that
never screams innocent to me.”

“I don’t have anything to hide.”

“Except maybe some information about a
valuable necklace?”

They frogmarched him back to the store,
Farrell and I following at a more leisurely pace after he moved
Jaegar’s car. Back at the jewellery counter, Mrs Burwood had placed
a ‘closed’ sign on each counter and tried to console a wildly
weeping Francine.

“What’s the matter with her?” asked
Farrell.

Francine lifted her head and tried to explain
to him, but was crying so much that she was completely
inarticulate.

Farrell shrugged, turning to Mrs Burwood
instead.

“It’s hard to say, but I think it has
something to do with Jaegar disappearing,” she said, her brows
almost touching in puzzlement.

“Francine,” I said loudly, capturing her
attention. “The detectives are bringing in Jaegar for questioning
now.”

“Wh-what?”

“He was leaving the shopping centre so he
wouldn’t be interviewed. Do you know anything about that?”

Her tears dried up almost instantly. “No. He
said we’d . . .”

“What did he say, Miss?” asked a
detective.

“Nothing,” she sniffed, eyes downcast.

“Franny,” Jaegar said.

“But Jaegar, you said –”

“Franny, I don’t want –”

“What’s going on between you two?” I
interrupted. “I thought you hated each other.”

“I think we might need a second interview
with you, Miss. You don’t seem to have been completely forthcoming
with us.”

Francine began to cry again, but this time
Mrs Burwood didn’t offer her any comfort.

“You have to tell the detectives everything
you know, Francine,” she ordered coldly, distancing herself from
the distraught woman.

Francine sank heavily on a chair, almost in a
daze. “I’m in so much trouble. I helped him,” she confessed.

“Don’t say another word, Francine,” demanded
Jaegar.

She looked at him with red-rimmed eyes full
of hurt. “You
lied
to me. You told me we’d go away together.
That we’d finally be a proper couple, and not have to sneak around
hiding our relationship. But you were just setting me up to be your
fall guy, weren’t you?”

“Francine, listen to me –”

“Take him away,” said the detective to his
mate. “He can cool his heels in a room while we interview this
young lady again.” Jaegar was escorted away, still calling out to
Francine.

“Francine, if you’ve done something criminal,
you have no choice except to face up to the consequences. Make sure
you tell the detectives everything.”

Her weeping intensified. “He told me he loved
me. I was stupid enough to believe him.”

“We all make mistakes, especially in love,”
said Mrs Burwood, cracking open the tiniest portion of sympathy.
“But this is a very serious matter. Do you have the necklace at
your house?”

“No,” she said, dejected, gaining control
over her incessant tears. “Jaegar took it, saying he was going to
look after it.”

“I don’t know what he thought he was going to
do with it,” I mused. “It’s a highly recognisable piece. He would
never be able to sell it in any reputable store. And even if he did
the unthinkable and destroyed the necklace to prise out the
gemstones, they’re also too rare to shift.”

“That only leaves a private collector,”
surmised Mrs Burwood. “The thought of that magnificent piece being
hoarded by a greedy, rich person makes me so angry. I so badly want
to slap Jaegar across the face. And you too, you silly girl.” I
wish she hadn’t said that because it started Francine’s waterworks
again. “I could have sworn that Jaegar was an upstanding young man.
He had excellent qualifications and a good sales manner. It’s so
disappointing to be betrayed by my own staff.”

“At least you should be able to recover the
necklace,” Farrell said. “It doesn’t sound as if it’s been sold
yet.”

“Thank God for that. It’s the only bright
point in this whole sordid affair.”

We didn’t have any more time to chat before
one of the detectives came down to take Francine away for further
questioning.

Farrell and I plonked ourselves down on the
chairs again, still waiting for our turn with the detectives.

“At this rate, we’ll be here until tomorrow,”
Farrell noted, closing his eyes and stretching out his legs.

“I’m officially bored,” I said, cradling my
sore arm with the other. It was killing me. I tossed up whether I
could wait it out until I got home or if I should ask Mrs Burwood
if she had any paracetamol. I decided to tough it out.

After her interview, Francine came back to
us, greatly subdued. She told us she hadn’t been arrested – yet –
but that she was due at the police station tomorrow to give a
formal statement. She wasn’t sure if she’d be arrested then, or if
her total cooperation was a mitigating factor.

“I’ve never had a real boyfriend before,” she
said sadly, keeping her eyes low. “He really seemed genuine in
wanting me. He told me he loved me. He’s so good-looking and he was
nice to me. He made me feel desirable.” She looked at her fingers.
“The sex was amazing. I never knew it could be so good. I guess I
was blinded to his real nature by that. It was the first time in my
life I’d ever had an . . . you know.” We all nodded – we knew.
“Something should have twigged when he wanted to keep our
relationship quiet. But I was just so happy that someone like him
would want me, I did whatever he asked. When he started talking
about setting us up for life, I listened.” She hung her head even
lower. “I know I shouldn’t have. I should have reported him. But I
wanted a life with him.” She stole a quick glance at Mrs Burwood’s
set face before looking away again. “You’re right. I’m just a silly
girl.”

She took her place behind the counter again
and Mrs Burwood silently removed the ‘closed’ signs. Neither of
them spoke to the other.

Chapter 17

I didn’t think they were doing it on purpose,
but Farrell and I waited for another three hours before we were
interviewed.

“Hugh, I need to lie down soon. I’m feeling a
bit faint,” I told him. “I hurt my arm when Jaegar pushed me over.
It’s so painful.”

“I’m taking you home,” he said immediately,
standing up. He laid his hand on my forehead, which glistened with
perspiration. “You’re very pale and heated. You haven’t had much
water today.” He held my arm. “These wounds seem inflamed to me. We
better get you to the doctor.”

“But we’re supposed to stay here on the
scene.”

“Screw that. I’m tired of waiting and you
need medical help.”

I tried to stand, but my legs collapsed under
me. I would have crumpled to the floor if Farrell hadn’t caught me
around my waist, guiding me back to the chair.

He looked over at the ladies at the counter.
“Mrs Burwood, could you please bring over another chair.”

“Certainly.” She dashed around, carrying back
a chair from another section.

“Could you also bring a cold glass of
water?”

“Yes, yes, of course.”

Farrell made me lay across the chairs, my
feet elevated on his lap. Handing me the water, Mrs Burwood somehow
found a cloth to dampen to place across my forehead. She also
brought out a small pillow she used during long meetings to support
her lower back when it was playing up. I gulped big mouthfuls of
water, not having realised how thirsty I was.

“Does that help?” Farrell asked gently.

“Yes, thank you,” I said with my eyes closed,
wishing I were back at home in bed. But despite their kind efforts,
I started feeling worse, my arm burning with pain. I couldn’t focus
on anything except that sheer, unrelenting mountain of agony. It
was all I could do not to groan aloud.