Rimis marched into the Major Incident Room. ‘I want everyone in here for a briefing in five minutes, and I mean five minutes.’ He stepped out of the way of two uniformed officers carrying dusty archive boxes into the room, then walked back down the corridor to his office.
Brennan got up from her desk and took the stairs down to the canteen to tell Jenny and Matt to get back upstairs. The boss was on a rampage.
Less than five minutes later, Rimis was back in the Incident Room. He looked at the uniformed officers and the detectives who had been assigned to the Winfred and Browne cases. The Super had managed to borrow four DCs from Gladesville LAC, but it wasn’t a big team, nowhere big enough for the investigation into two homicides everyone knew were linked. Serious faces looked back at him. A few of the officers were drinking coffee from take-away cups; others had a look about them that said they’d seen and heard it all before.
‘Alright boys and girls, listen up,’ Rimis said. ‘I’ll dispense with the pleasantries and get right to it. Freddie Winfred’s PM results are in.’ He passed copies of the report to Matt Chapman and he handed them out. ‘The report confirms it: blunt force trauma. She was still alive when her head hit the toilet bowl in Chisca’s warehouse. She may have lost consciousness soon afterwards. After the toilet bowl was filled with water from a bucket, a towel was lodged in the neck of the bowl and her head was rammed into it. Whoever did this to her, was strong enough to hold her down until she drowned. There’s a whole lot of anger and rage here. We’ve got blood samples from the scene, but there are no matching results so far.’
‘What about Freddie’s apartment, Boss?’ Rawlings asked.
‘Forensics didn’t find anything significant, just a few finger prints which we’re in the process of eliminating.’ Rimis looked at Brennan standing at the back of the room.
‘We’ve ruled Dorin Chisca out. He’s got an alibi for the time of both murders. Both as tight as a duck’s proverbial. I’ve got a gut feeling Taggart’s involved somehow, so I’ve decided to re-visit the deaths of Nora Taggart and Edi and Rhoda Blake. Choi, I want you on this. Come and see me in my office after we’ve finished here.’ Choi nodded and scribbled in her notebook.
‘In case some of you haven’t done your homework, neither Edi, Rhoda Blake or Nora Taggart’s deaths were considered suspicious; natural causes in the case of Nora, accidental with the Blakes. Worth noting, though, all three women had two things in common; their association with Kevin Taggart and the day of the week they died. Sunday. As most of you are aware, I’ve had my suspicions about Taggart’s involvement in the Blake sisters’ deaths.
‘Brennan tells me Taggart had an unhealthy fascination for Freddie Winfred, so if she stuffed up or did something to disappoint him, he may have retaliated. At least it won’t hurt to start with him, ask him a few questions.’ Rimis looked out at the sea of faces and cleared his throat.
‘Folks, Taggart’s life story isn’t one you want to be reading to your kiddies at bedtime. His father died in a car accident on Taggart’s fifth birthday. The mother blamed him. Worth noting, Nora Taggart was never in the running for Australian Mum of the Year. She was a neurotic alcoholic who seemed to enjoy punishing and humiliating Kevin whenever he displeased her. This is the only useful link we have to Freddie’s death. If I’m right about Taggart, he committed these murders on a Sunday based on his childhood experiences.’
‘Do we know what day Paloma was murdered boss?’ Choi asked.
‘Friday, so the pattern doesn’t fit. I don’t believe he had anything to do with her death. Drugs and young girls aren’t Taggart’s thing.’
‘Do we know where Taggart is now?’ Rawlings asked.
‘Brennan tells me he’s gone to ground. It’s important we find him before he does any more damage. Don’t be fooled by this guy, he’s a creepy little bastard. Just because he looks ordinary, don’t underestimate him. Chapman, I want an APB out on him. I want every point of departure alerted: trains, airports, buses, and highway patrols. Brennan, I want you and Rawlings to go around to his apartment, check with his neighbours again to see if they’ve seen him. Anybody have anything to add?’