THIRTY-SEVEN

Jay instructed Catherine to drive toward Brisbane. They'd been travelling for around ten minutes before he spoke. 'It's over, Catherine. I want to know everything. This time, no rubbish. How the hell did you get involved?'

She took a deep breath. 'My father was a public servant for the Prime Minister during the day and an abusive drunk by night. He drove my mother to suicide.' She let the statement hang in the air before continuing. 'Once she was gone he turned on me. I wasn't staying around like my mother had. I wasn't going to be his new punching bag. She stayed because of me and I hated myself for it. I figured she knew I was old enough to fend for myself when she . . . well, I guess you know how she died.'

'Yeah.'

'I ran away and found my freedom.'

'The hippie life?'

'Yeah, the hippie life. My best years.'

'If it was so good, why did you leave?'

'The hippie life or my abusive father?'

He shook his head. 'The hippie life.'

'I needed more. I got tired of zoning out and being bored. I wanted adventure. I wanted something different and it was time to move along. Then I met Warren. Right place at the right time, I guess. I didn't love him at first and I didn't think it would last, but deep down I knew he only wanted the best for me. He took care of me and I fell in love with him. I wasn't lying to you when I said he changed because of the Iraq thing.'

'Because I went instead of him?'

She nodded. 'He just snapped.'

'So everything you told me was true?'

'You know it wasn't all true. But he did go off the rails and forced me to sleep with the politician and to recruit Lazarau.'

'But he needed someone to sell the documents to, right?'

'Yes. He knew of my father but hadn't met him. And I hadn't talked to him since I'd run away. Still haven't. But we needed the money and Warren contacted him. I'm guessing my father saw this as an opportunity for revenge against the Prime Minister. He wanted information about the build-up to the war in Iraq. Warren got Lazarau to steal the documents and then sold them to my father.'

'Why was your father so interested in those types of documents for revenge?' Jay already knew the answer but wanted Catherine to tell the story. To test her honesty.

'He had advised the Prime Minister before the war that there was no evidence of Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq and that Australia should not support the invasion. He was very vocal in his assessment.'

'And he was forced to resign. Did Primrose know any of this?'

'Not at first. My father was paying us good money for the documents and Lazarau kept producing them, so it was a profitable arrangement for a while.'

'And then Bowen.'

'Yes, until Bowen came along. Warren was pissed at both of you for the Iraq thing and he figured he could recruit Bowen first. He didn't want to recruit you, just wanted to make you suffer later.'

'He managed that.'

'Warren knew Bowen would be able to get more detailed information than Lazarau so he made me sleep with him and then recruited him.'

'Then why would you and Bowen team up against your husband?'

'Bowen became infatuated with me. He wanted me to leave Warren and to marry him. I played along to keep the information coming. One night he told me that he had contacted your father. He didn't say why, but he said that we would be free of Warren soon. He said we needed you for one document that would make us rich beyond our dreams.'

Jay touched his pocket. 'The interrogation report.'

'Right. Bowen said he had a buyer but wouldn't say who it was. I figure it's the same person who has your father.'

'You don't know who it is?'

'No. I swear I don't.'

It sounded like the truth. 'Why did you tell your husband if you could have just run off with Bowen?' he asked.

'I didn't love Bowen. Warren is my only love . . . was my only love, until you murdered him.' Her voice became edgy.

'Some could argue that I did the world a favour.'

'Yeah, you're good at doing favours for the world, aren't you?'

Bitch, he thought. An obvious assumption from reading the interrogation report. 'I suppose my profession is the world's second-oldest behind yours.'

Catherine was ready to fire back but he cut her off. 'Just keep to the story. Why did you tell Primrose about Bowen?'

She clenched her jaw and took a few deep breaths before responding. 'I told Warren what happened and he figured we should pick you up first.'

'Why didn't you just make me get the document the first night you tortured me?'

'Warren wanted to make you suffer. He also wanted to pay back Bowen. He didn't know the buyer Bowen was talking about, but figured your father had something to do with it. Problem was, Bowen picked up your father first.'

'Sounds complicated, playing both sides like that.'

'I had no choice. I know what you must think of me.'

'We'll get to that later. Why did Primrose still have the document? Why hadn't he already handed it to your father?'

'He figured out who Bowen was working for.'

'Who?'

'He didn't tell me, but it has something to do with that woman who has been with you. I assume the one who rescued you from the military police.'

'It seems strange, Catherine, that there are an awful lot of things your husband didn't tell you. Convenient even.'

'You know how Warren liked to be in control. I didn't ask. I just did what he told me to do.'

'Like screwing me and accusing me of rape.'

She sighed. 'I'm not proud of myself or the things I've done.'

'What about Lazarau?'

'You already know what happened. He got greedy. But we didn't kill him. That was a fortunate coincidence.'

'I bet. A little too coincidental.'

'We had nothing to do with it, I swear. We were planning to shut him up. But we didn't know where he was. Bowen said it would be taken care of and I guess he organised something.'

The puzzle was almost complete for Jay. Someone from NSIS organised Lazarau's transfer, and Bowen was working for someone in NSIS. 'Let's back up a bit. How did you know about Sarah?'

'The woman who has been with you?'

'Yes.'

'Like Bowen said. Taylor and Cliffe told him.'

'That doesn't make sense. Why would you let Bowen go after those two if you and Primrose set them on to me?'

'Bowen was starting to think I would stay with Warren and not run away with him. So we had to give him something to convince him to keep going.'

'And let your husband be captured by Bowen?'

'It was Warren's idea.'

He was a lunatic, Jay thought. 'What did Bowen say about Sarah?'

'He never mentioned her name but said it was OK because she was on his side.'

'What?' Jay prayed she wasn't the NSIS link.

'He wasn't worried. Apparently she and Bowen were on the same side.'

'Same side of what?'

'How the fuck would I know? That's all he said.'

'That can't be right. Fuck!'

'What?' she asked.

Jay stared ahead for a moment, thinking about his next line of questioning. 'How did Primrose know where I was today?'

'He got a phone call from the new buyer of the document. He agreed on the price and told Warren where you were. Warren was to pick you up and question you on the whereabouts of a tape. A video recording of some kind. Warren was mad as hell that he hadn't thought about it. He said you were always a stickler for the rules and would have recorded the interrogation of the Iraqi.'

Jay realised that the only other person who knew about the tape had disappeared. Sarah. 'This new buyer. Is it the person Bowen was working for?'

'Yes. Warren used Bowen's phone to get his details and then called. He offered a lot more than my father.'

'Are you sure the buyer was male?'

'I suppose.'

'Don't suppose. Was it a male or female?'

'Male. Warren kept saying "he".'

'How much?'

'How much what?'

'For the fucking document and tape. How much?'

'One million.'

'Holy shit.'

'I've read the document. I don't know how you could live with yourself. Bowen was right. You've got innocent blood on your hands. In the wrong hands, that document is valuable. A video of the interrogation is priceless.'

Jay reached into his bag for Primrose's phone. He flicked to the dialled calls. The same number appeared three times in the last day. He rang the number. A familiar voice answered.