Scorpio's Lot (125 page)

‘Understandably, but why does he
conduct his investigations so often alone, when strictly speaking he should be
accompanied by a fellow officer?’

‘What are you implying?’ Marsh
was becoming agitated with his superior’s line of approach.

‘To my way of thinking it’s been
excessive, sometimes as much as two or three hours at a time. Sure I’ve read
his reports, but it’s also crossed my mind these numerous incidents could have
been conducted in half the time. So what does he do with all this so-called
spare time? Maybe he consults with his syndicate members when time is
appropriate and non-threatening. Perhaps there’s a dark side to our Darren
Burke.’

‘Perhaps he was just being
thorough, as you pointed out earlier,’ Doyle stated with a hint of aggression.

Forbes could see he had stirred
emotions and decided on a different approach. He had, understandably, his own views
and doubts which weren’t necessarily shared by the four detectives. He did,
however, acknowledge that in their defence allegiance can sometimes be a blind
attribute and hopefully his own suspicions would prove to be unfounded.

‘Let’s address means, motive and
opportunity. The means are of an authoritative nature, which is a very powerful
tool. Burke calls the tune, which enables him access to just about every
conceivable subject he nominates. Additionally, he has the convenience of
dismissing obstacles or hurdles that may get in his way. Motive is a difficult
one to assess. Burke doesn’t strike me as a person stimulated by greed. So if
he is the guilty party, what else could be a motivating factor? Perhaps he has
a passion for authority, which reflects his line of work. Some would label this
role as being a control freak enjoying the position of supremacy. Opportunity
is in abundance. As our sergeant of Pedley, he has already demonstrated the
time and freedom required to fulfill a dual role. Anything you wish to say
about Darren Burke?’

‘Its absolute bullshit for the
sergeant to be considered a suspect!’ insisted Parnell.

‘Couldn’t agree more,’ reinforced
Gallagher.

‘I don’t deny the accusation
hurts, but as professionals in our field we cannot afford to leave any stone
unturned,’ lectured Forbes.

The four detectives were not
happy with their superior’s no-holds-barred theatrics.

Forbes sensed the possibilities
had been exhausted. It was time to move on with his next prognosis.

‘Let’s turn our attention to
Martha Kellett. Here’s a woman that summons a multitude of theories. She is by
nature generous, cautious, supportive and highly intelligent. Of the seven
suspects, Martha is the only one who is known to have a direct connection with
a Scorpio member. Is it intentional or coincidental? Sam, alias Lou Hanna, is
her resident gardener-cum-handyman, who decides to impersonate the infamous
Piedpiper to protect the real identity. Who is Lou protecting? Of course that’s
the million-dollar question. Perhaps it’s Martha herself. In her defence she
showed genuine shock in the unmasking of Lou Hanna when caught by the Traffik
thugs. Additionally, she was bashed by Scorpio within the confines of Tom
Harrison’s living room, but also take into consideration the infiltrators did
not know the identity of the Piedpiper.’

‘But surely a conversation
transpired that could have detected the presence,’ intervened Marsh.

‘You would expect so. Her
response to the Russian roulette episode was a pitiful display of cowardliness,
hardly the reaction you would expect to see from a hardened criminal. But was
her performance an act or was it of genuine emotion? A troubling aspect is her
voluntary work. She has exposure to the youth of the community who have been
subjected to the relentless sale of drugs over time. Maybe her intentions were
dishonorable all along, in having a further party employed to distribute the
illegal substance amongst the youth she ultimately selected?’

‘But Martha Kellett is a woman in
her sixties, hardly the image of a regional head,’ claimed Doyle.

‘Don’t let appearances deceive
you. The Kellett woman can lay claim to the infamous role as much as the next
person,’ Forbes declared.

‘But didn’t she support Emily
Harrison during Tom’s fling in the countryside?’ queried Gallagher somewhat
surprised at his venom toward the woman.

‘Yes, but again you’re letting
the obvious overrule a possible underlying reason. Don’t be fooled by her
manipulative and consoling ways. She was after all the only witness to the
cliff-side fatalities and maybe devised the story to suit her needs?’

‘That’s bloody ridiculous! What
on earth could be gained from her fabricating the story? Two people fell from a
cliff no matter which way you look at it,’ declared Parnell.

‘Then let’s look at Martha
Kellett’s means, motive and opportunity. Her means are reasonably easy to
fathom out. She’s retired, and unlike most of her fellow suspects has time on
her side. Martha lives a comfortable lifestyle, has never married and has no siblings.
Logic suggests she’s accumulated reasonable wealth through the years and had
the funds to commence such a deceptive venture. Motive is an interesting
scenario however. I find it difficult to pinpoint, with any degree of accuracy,
what could possibly be Martha’s aspirations. She has a stately residence, her
daily chores are attended to and she is quite possibly not short of a quid or
two. So what’s missing? After weighing up the options I could only come up with
one conclusion: greed. It’s an infectious disease that affects a multitude of
social classes, including the comfortable and wealthy. Opportunity is apparent,
as a result of the many doors that open with respect to her circle of charity
and educational outlets. Any comments?’

With no further input from his
subordinates, Forbes now concentrated his efforts on the Esplanade publican.

‘Okay, now we’ll judge the
irrepressible Ben Johnson. Here’s a man who is ambitious, rude, vindictive and
one very clever customer. If our choice of culprit is to be based on dislike,
then this suspect would romp in. However, this is not the criterion so don’t
let personality be your persuading factor when nominating the Piedpiper. There
are numerous scenarios when evaluating this individual. For starters his staff
has been caught in the possession of drugs. Johnson claimed no knowledge, but
was his denial to be believed? I have my doubts. The infamous Brad Morgan was
their source of supply for a period of time and on most occasions he became
aggressive and verbal just prior to bar closure. Surely Johnson must have been
aware of Morgan’s confrontations and his antagonising departures. But the
publican chose to ignore these outbursts. Why? Was he protecting this
psychopath, and if this proves to be the case, then bingo we have our
connection.

‘I still say Johnson’s security
guards have some connection with the syndicate. Prior to Morgan’s arrival their
deals were conducted through Charlie at some randomly chosen site. Whether the
publican was aware of these undertakings is another thing. When I interviewed
him he pleaded ignorance about drugs found on the premises, but then again the
man is simply full of bullshit and not very convincing.’

Forbes continued. ‘His
association with Stephen Buchanan and the Peterswood event conjures up some
doubts about the man as explained earlier. Ben Johnson simply oozes suspicion,
but the one thing that is contrary to his usual behavioural trait, was the way
he conducted himself during the Russian roulette saga. Here was the normally arrogant
and vindictive publican reduced to a weeping child that was literally an
embarrassment to good old-fashioned manhood. Hardly the conduct of a bold and
seasoned drug lord, wouldn’t you agree?’

‘But again we may have been
subjected to a prima donna performance that could fool the untrained eye,’
suggested Doyle.

‘It’s possible he may have put on
an act, but Johnson is blunt and transparent in his mannerisms. He doesn’t
strike me as a man that would have a flare for the theatrics.’

‘I disagree. I believe that man
is capable of just about anything,’ challenged Marsh.

Forbes ignored him and went on. ‘A
further point which shouldn’t be overlooked is the purchase of real estate over
the years. Here’s an accumulation of property far beyond the reach of most
people. There’s no denying that Johnson has amassed his wealth through these
ventures, but where did the capital derive from? One may immediately say by way
of profits accrued from the Esplanade, or having the right connections such as
Buchanan who would put up the principal. But consider a further possibility of
dirty money by way of drug distribution. We know the guy isn’t squeaky clean,
so is there some underlying deception behind these investments?’

‘Quite on the cards,’ reinforced
Gallagher.

‘So, how does Ben Johnson fit
into the scheme of things with regards to means, motive and opportunity? The
means are clear due to his wealth and knowledge of people with position and
influence. Additionally, he has the luxury of delegating the lesser tasks to his
subordinates. He therefore has time up his sleeve when required. Motive is
obvious. Here’s a man driven by blatant greed who will stop at nothing to
expand his empire. Similarly, opportunity is apparent with both influential
sources and the convenience of selecting his spare time when appropriate.’
Forbes stopped and reached for the jug of water and filled his glass. His
constant talking had made him extremely dry.

‘I’ve kept the best for last -
our caravan proprietor Tom Harrison. This man projects a friendly, generous and
supportive image. He is diligent and cautious by nature. We have here either
one very smart customer or Brigit O’Neill’s guardian angel. The two extremes
can only be considered for there is no middle ground with this individual. So what
will it be? Initially he was my leading contender and I must say a degree of
suspicion still prevails. Here is an individual who has had considerable
contact with the enemy. But whose enemy? Ours alone or does it include the
mysterious Mr Harrison? He has led the Scorpio syndicate on a chase which
inevitably caught up with him in the end. What was his motive in protecting
Brigit O’Neill? Was it a Good Samaritan act or were there scrupulous
intentions? Consider the rewards in presenting the girl to the Scorpio
hierarchy.

‘If our caravan proprietor is
indeed the Piedpiper, then city headquarters would pay handsomely to have O’Neill
in isolation. Perhaps he was greedy in wanting the total payout himself. If
this was indeed the intention then Harrison wasn’t particularly smart. He was
comfortable and confident in his own surrounds, but on venturing outside the
realms of the caravan park his vulnerability suddenly became apparent. Consider
he was on his way to deliver the girl to the Scorpio hierarchy when his
competitors intercepted, forcing Harrison to change his plans and seek refuge
in the countryside. By and large he succeeded to some extent, but his luck
eventually run out on the
Molly Bloom.
The man was simply outnumbered in
the end.’

‘The man was protecting his
niece. Any half-decent person would do the same,’ Gallagher protested.

‘These accusations are crazy!’
challenged Marsh.

‘Maybe, but you will insist in
believing what your convictions dictate. Look at the bigger picture and at the
possible scenarios which may have taken place. Don’t rely on the bad guy such
as Johnson being the culprit, for inevitably the nice guy can also become the
guilty party. A further consideration is that Harrison was never physically
harmed.’

‘I’m well aware of that fact,’
said Marsh.

‘Be mindful that Harrison chose
to ignore the protection and advice of the police, choosing instead to take the
law into his own hands. He had prior opportunity to relinquish Brigit O’Neill
to the authorities, but instead invented some cock-and-bull story that the
police couldn’t provide adequate protection, so selfishly he decided to keep
her in hiding. I still maintain Tom Harrison is not all he appears.’

‘Still say you’re barking up the
wrong tree. To my way of thinking you have a personal vendetta against the man,’
claimed Doyle, not afraid to contradict his superior.

‘You’re entitled to your opinion,
detective.’

Marsh had also become agitated
with Forbes’ innuendos. He decided to challenge these unfounded insinuations.