Chief stood on the back seat of Julie Rankin’s car with his head between the front seats, enjoying himself as his master gave him scratches behind the ears. Baxter was incredibly proud of the shepherd for spotting Drew’s body.
Baxter didn’t say much on the short drive out to Riverview, and he noticed Julie glancing at him several times. ‘You okay, Greg?’ she asked at last.
‘I’m okay, Julie. Just lost in thought about Jack Drew and Moondilla. It’s all a damned shame. Mum will soon be telling me “I told you so”. She said I wouldn’t find it the same sleepy, peaceful place it was when we lived here.’
‘Well, you’ll be pleased to hear I’ve got some good news.’ Julie smiled. ‘I contacted Ian Latham today, and he told me that they’re on the verge of catching the drug peddlers. So I wouldn’t worry too much about that, Greg.’
‘That’s terrific news,’ Baxter said, returning her smile for a moment. Then he sobered again. ‘They might clean them up here, but there’ll always be drug pushers. The big money gets them in.’
Julie sighed. ‘True enough.’
They were approaching Riverview. ‘You can drop me at the gate and I’ll jog from there,’ Baxter said, expecting her to want to head back to work.
But when Julie braked and pulled up, she turned to him and said, ‘Jack Drew wasn’t involved in drugs. Not that we know of, anyway.’
‘Drew’s murder was probably for a very different reason. Someone told me that it’s common knowledge Campanelli had sworn to “get” Drew.’
‘That’s the story, Greg. But why would Campanelli risk his position here for someone like Jack Drew? It doesn’t make sense.’
‘It doesn’t have to make sense. Sometimes it’s revenge and sometimes it’s an ego thing: “I’m top of the heap and nobody makes me look small and gets away with it.” That’s the code of the Mafia. Maybe Campanelli needed to exert himself to pull others into line. He’s playing for big stakes. Add the fact that he has the hots for Liz—well, he could kill two birds with one stone.’
‘Three birds, if he’d been able to frame you for murder as part of the bargain.’
Julie’s eyes flashed with anger, it seemed on Baxter’s behalf. He wanted to reach out and take her hand, but instead decided a change of topic was needed.
‘How is Liz taking Jack’s death?’ he asked.
‘Not very well. You’d imagine that she might be relieved to be rid of him, after the way he knocked her around, but they liked each other well enough when he was sober—and as far as I know, he hadn’t been on the grog since that last beating you gave him.’
Baxter nodded. ‘Yes, Liz told me that.’
‘The other thing is, she’s frightened of Campanelli,’ Julie said gravely. ‘She knows he wants her, and that he has a bad reputation with women. I think she even saw him in action on one occasion. She’s dead scared he’ll come for her now she hasn’t got her husband to protect her. I’ve had to give her some sedatives to calm her down.’
Baxter fought to control his anger. ‘I’d like to get my hands on the mongrel.’
‘Well, you’re not the only one. Even though she’s terrified, Liz told me she wanted to front Campanelli and have it out with him.’
‘What?’
‘It makes a kind of sense. She said that since he was going to come for her anyway, why shouldn’t she go to him first? She’s absolutely convinced that Jack was killed by him or one of his men. I advised her not to do anything so silly—to stay right away from the big devil and leave it to the police to handle. From what Latham said, he’ll probably get Campanelli before anything can happen to Liz.’
‘She’s a great style of woman,’ Baxter said, ‘but how did she come to marry Jack Drew? You said you might tell me sometime.’
‘The novelist’s curiosity?’ Julie asked with raised eyebrows.
‘To some extent. Not that I can describe myself as a novelist just yet, but I’m learning more and more that people—with their hopes and fears and foibles—are the foundation stones a writer must build on to create a story. The more thoroughly you dissect those core elements, the better you write. So I’m wondering: what motivated a woman with Liz’s looks and background to marry an ex-pug and a boozer to boot?’
‘I could tell you, Greg . . . but I’d prefer that you got it directly from Liz.’
‘Spoilsport. But you’re probably right. Besides, what red-blooded male would turn down the opportunity for a couple of hours’ chinwag with the smashing Liz Drew?’
He was hoping Julie might reveal some jealousy at that, but she just laughed and said, ‘Liz thinks you’re the ant’s pants, so I’m sure she won’t buck at a chinwag with you.’
Concealing his disappointment, Baxter said he should probably head up to the house and let Julie go on her way. ‘Many thanks for the lift,’ he added.
‘Any time. Remember your fish!’
He got out and opened the door for Chief, then pulled out the Esky full of fish that Lewis had given him back at the garage.
Just before Baxter closed the car door, he remembered he had something important to ask Julie. ‘Mum’s arriving tomorrow—’
‘Monday?’ Julie interrupted, her brow furrowed in momentary confusion, then, ‘Oh, of course, she’s in the restaurant business!’
‘Yes, she’s staying Monday till Friday. I know she’d love to meet you, so how about dinner Tuesday? That’s your night off, isn’t it? We’ll cook you a meal of red rock cod. Ugliest fish I’ve ever seen, but Steve assures me they’re very good eating.’