SIXTEEN

Jay took Sarah's coffee into the study. The silence was deafening and he made a hasty retreat to the kitchen.

Bill guarded Cliffe, cigar and coffee at hand. He looked up at Jay with a wry smile. Jay dismissed the look with a shake of his head. He prepared himself for his encounter with Cliffe by going over his lines of questioning in his head, confident that it wouldn't take long to have him cooperating like Taylor.

Sarah summoned Jay to the study. As though their previous conversation hadn't taken place, she began, 'The transfer order for Lazarau came from a courier on NSIS official letterhead. An initial investigation has led to a dead end on that account. They got the prisoner who shanked him. He's not talking and they don't expect he'll say anything. The Deputy Director has assigned two agents to continue enquiries there.'

Jay didn't know her well enough yet to judge her mood. Still, he could tell it wasn't very good at the moment. He nodded and let her continue.

'There is no news about your father. Two analysts have been called in to go over his old case files.'

'Progressing then?' he asked.

'Yes. And the Deputy Director said he will keep us updated.'

Jay shrugged.

Sarah looked back down at her notes. 'NSIS has a database of about twenty different societies who have made reference to Sub Rosa in the past. The analysts have also been tasked with matching this information to your father's old files.'

'That's good. Anything else?' he asked. He didn't care about the Sub Rosa angle for the moment and knew he came across that way in his comment.

Sarah raised her eyebrows and tilted her head. 'Yes, actually there is. Background check for Warren Primrose comes up clean. Average upbringing, average schooling and average history.'

'That would explain why he's an average officer,' he said.

'Look, I don't know if you are aware but we don't keep detailed dossiers on everyone in the country.'

'I'm aware. I was just hoping there was something there.'

'Nothing on him but there is some information on his wife.'

Jay sparked up. 'Go on.'

'Born Katrina Catherine Zinner to Margaret and Hans Zinner in Canberra, the same year as you. Raised and schooled in Canberra due to her father's work as a public servant. Margaret Zinner took her own life when Katrina, Catherine as we know her, was in high school. Reason for the suicide is unknown. After the death, Hans threw himself into his work and Catherine went off the rails. She didn't finish high school and led a nomadic life for some time. Joined a couple of hippie movements including a peacebus mob who have a home base down in Nimbin. Which is the only reason we have this record of her.'

'Keeping track of hippies?'

'Something like that. She received a couple of minor drug convictions while she was hanging out with them in Byron Bay. Along the way she changed her name to Catherine Moon and, as far as we can tell, dropped all family ties. She fell off our radar when she left the peacebus mob. The end footnote is that she married Primrose and that's it.'

'What about the father? He sounds familiar.'

'You army guys really don't get involved in politics, do you?'

Jay shrugged. 'Should I know him?'

'He is the shadow minister of defence. Used to be an adviser for the Prime Minister before the war in Iraq.'

'I remember something about that. He resigned after advising the PM against Aussie involvement in the Iraq war. Went into politics for the opposition. And if I remember correctly, the platform for his preselection was that there never were any Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq.'

Although Jay didn't say so, he knew first-hand about Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq. He had been there before the war started, collecting information on Iraq's chemical programs. Probably one of a handful of people in Australia who knew the real story. 'I can picture the face now. He's big on our withdrawal from the region.'

'That's the one. Wonder if he knows what his daughter is up to these days,' she mused.

'Interesting. Where does that leave us?'

'I've checked those two watches and there is nothing of real value. The longer we keep Cliffe, the riskier it becomes with his mate loose out there,' she said.

'You're right.'

'How long do you think that will take?'

'Don't know. Why?'

'I've got to have a shower and get changed.'

'Didn't think you were expecting to stay overnight.'

'I didn't either, but I always bring a spare set of clothes and toiletries in case. Has your dad got another bathroom?'

'Ensuite in his room. Go ahead.'

Jay stayed in the study, trying to reason why Catherine Primrose would enlist the help of Cliffe and Taylor to kidnap him. She had set Jay up before and he assumed she set up Lazarau in similar circumstances, including the tattoo.

He told Bill to start the cool-down process with Cliffe. He let Cliffe sit in the ice water for over fifteen minutes before he began the interrogation. Cliffe, like Taylor, provided quick answers.

Cliffe was due to collect another five thousand dollars after they dropped Jay off at a caravan park. Jay got all the details, including the address and timing. He allowed Cliffe to slip out the window into the darkness, like Taylor had done.

After he heard the dogs bark a final salute to Cliffe, Jay found Sarah waiting for him in the study. 'Do you think he will try to warn Catherine before we get to her?' she asked.

Jay looked her over for the first time since she'd showered. She wore another tight pair of jeans and a thin jumper that accentuated her breasts. He caught himself staring and forced his eyes to meet hers. She met him with a glare that melted as she blushed: not the reaction he'd expected.

Recovering his thoughts, he responded. 'He won't. I told him we have his full details and know where he lives in Perth. Gave the other usual threats.'

'Good,' she said. 'What time were they delivering you, and where?'

'A small caravan park about twenty minutes away.' Jay checked the time. 'About three hours from now.'

'Why did those two come around so early then?' she asked.

'You'll love this. There's a billiards tournament at the hotel where they're staying. Apparently it coincided with the timing to kidnap me. They figured if they got me early, they could tie me up in their room, have a few beers and play some snooker. When the time was right, they would deliver me to Catherine.'

'Something doesn't fit,' she said.

'I know. It's been bugging me too. How did Catherine know that I would be here at precisely that time? Unless . . . wait a minute. Catherine was pale the last time I saw her. She wasn't involved in my torture after the second time I was knocked out.'

'Apart from the tattooing thing,' Sarah said.

'Yeah ... no, I mean after I woke up. She wasn't in the interrogation room and when Primrose left I saw her at the door. She was pale. Like something was wrong. All the confidence she'd shown throughout just wasn't there. That was just after Primrose had threatened my father. I'm thinking that maybe it wasn't in their plans. They knew I would come for my dad as soon as I got that threat.'

'No. Catherine would have contacted Cliffe and changed the timing if she knew you were coming straight here.'

'Probably expected me to be in the Centre a lot longer than I was, then I would have had to explain myself to my boss and still do my normal day's work. Primrose would have been there to make sure of that. I doubt they expected me to get out of the interrogation room so quick. Shit! This is giving me a headache. We need to sit down and talk this through,' he said.

After a drawn-out, animated discussion, Jay convinced Bill to go home for the night. Jay told him that he could join them in the morning, on the proviso he wore something more suitable than the robe. Jay also promised him he would update him sooner if required.

Sarah called the Deputy Director of NSIS with an update.

After her call, they planned their meet with Catherine Primrose. They continued to debate how Catherine knew that Jay would be at his father's house at the planned time of the kidnapping.

They were interrupted by the buzzing of Jay's phone from the bedroom. He raced from the lounge-room, but was too late. He retrieved it off the bed and checked the number.

Catherine's name appeared as the missed call.