Chapter Twenty Four
‘OK, today you’re up.’ Ruth scrubbed her hands and dried them on paper towels. ‘You’re not going far because you’re still attached to stuff, but the drip in your arm will come with you on a trolley. I’m disconnecting the pressure sensor lead to the back of your head. You don’t need that any more and I’ll be surgically removing the sensor this afternoon.’
‘Thank God,’ said Ben. ‘I think my bum has gone permanently to sleep.’
‘You feel OK?’
‘Yep, get me out of here.’
Ruth dropped the side rail on the bed. ‘Over onto your left side so I can pull this plug out.’
Ben complied. The sensor lead was removed.
‘Once you get on your feet, hang onto the drip trolley with your right arm and keep your left arm tucked in close so the needle won’t pop out.’
Ben swung his legs out of the bed. They just touched the floor.
‘Go slow. No sudden movements and give yourself a few minutes to get used to your legs again. Got me?’
‘Yeah.’ Ben put weight on his legs. It felt good. He slowly stood up. There was some slight dizziness at first and a little pain at the back of his head and shoulders, but that passed quickly. Ruth watched him closely. He took two small steps forward and ran out of drip tube range. Ruth pushed the trolley up to his right hand side. He gripped it and moved towards the door. Ruth held it open and he walked into the corridor. The intensive care nurse, who he knew only as Rachel, waved at him from her station. Ben grinned. Ruth guided him left and they moved down the hall.
‘You’re doing fine,’ said Ruth. ‘I’m amazed at just how quickly you’ve recovered, but you still have a way to go.’
‘They breed us tough in Sydney.’
‘Yeah, right.’
They approached a double door at the end of the hallway. Ben stopped at a doorway to their right. ‘Might just pop my head in here for a second,’ he said to Ruth with a wink.
‘What are you up to?’
‘Nothing.’ Ben opened the door and looked inside. An old Aboriginal man with glasses on the tip of his nose lay on the bed reading a newspaper. He dropped the newspaper onto his legs and looked over at the open door.
‘Who the hell are you?’
‘I’m Ben. You must be Fred.’
‘So you’re the mongrel who’s been trying to steal my food?’
‘That’s me Fred. Thing is, now that I’m on my feet, I don’t need Ged to bring me the meals you don’t eat. I can come and get them myself.’
‘Like bloody hell you will.’
‘The stronger I get, the more food I’ll need.’
‘You’re not having mine. Get out of my room or I’ll press the buzzer.’
‘Ged tells me they don’t take much notice of you with that buzzer anyway.’
‘They come eventually. Now go away. I don’t like whites.’
‘And I don’t like grumpy old blacks either,’ said Ben and he moved back into the hall and let the door close.
‘And what was that all about?’
‘You know Fred?’
‘Yes, unfortunately.’
‘He can’t walk?’
‘Won’t walk is more like it.’
‘Want to make a bet with me?’
‘What sort of bet.’
‘Ten bucks says I’ll have him up on his feet and walking within 2 days, that’s if I’m still here in 2 days.’
‘You’ll be here. The sutures in the back of your head won’t come out until the end of the week.’
‘Can’t I do day surgery for that?’
‘Are you out of your bloody mind? Anyway I’ll take your ten bucks now because that old man has been in here for a week and a half and we can’t even get him to move his legs, let alone walk on them.’
‘Two days Ruth. Get your money ready and why is he in intensive care?’
‘Because we can isolate him here and they won’t have him in the general ward.’
‘That bad eh?’
‘Alright, now back to bed. I’m doing a relatively minor surgical procedure on the back of your head at 3 pm. You’ll only need a local.’
‘Can’t we walk the grounds a bit first?’
‘No we can’t walk the grounds. Do you think you’re superman or something?’
‘Alright, perhaps tomorrow.’ Ben turned away from the double doors. He glanced through the glass window into Fred’s room. The old Aboriginal was staring straight at him. Ben grinned. Fred suddenly brought up his newspaper and pretended to read.
‘I’m sorry to have to invade your privacy like this,’ said Dr. Dunn. ‘I felt our interview would be more suitable for you in your own home rather than the police station.’
‘You’ve very welcome here,’ said Merinda. ‘I’m not sure if you’ve met Susan. She’s my stand in bodyguard while Ben Hood recovers.’
‘I’m pleased to meet you Susan,’ said Val Dunn, shaking Sue’s hand warmly.
‘Please come through to the lounge area.’ Merinda led the way. ‘I’ve left iced tea on the table there. Please help yourself Dr. Dunn.’
‘Val, please.’
‘Val. Is that short for Valentinas?’
‘Why yes it is. You know the origin?’
‘Lithuanian?’
‘I’m impressed. How did you know?’
‘I used to know a young Lithuanian in another life. He was a bastard actually. Got washed off the rocks while fishing near Gosford, north of Sydney. Drowned. Funny thing is that his blood alcohol reading was a national record at that time so they couldn’t figure out what killed him first…..the grog or the ocean.’
Dr. Dunn settled himself into a plush leather lounge chair. Then his face wreathed with smiles and he laughed long and loudly. His laughter was so infectious that the two girls also went into controlled giggles.
‘Now that is damn funny….I think,’ said Val. ‘I took on a skin full one afternoon down that way many years ago with a mate and had a fall. We used to drink scotch until each of our legs was full. Once the right leg was full, we would go onto the “second leg” and fill that one up too. That’s what caused my fall.’
‘Into the ocean?’ asked Merinda, looking shocked.
‘No. Ended up in my wife’s rose garden at the front of the house. The thorns ripped me to shreds.’
‘That’s dreadful,’ said Merinda. Susan was holding both hands over her mouth in a vain attempt to suppress her laughter.
‘And she left me there all night. Even turned the sprinklers on.’
Susan burst into hysterical laughter.
‘I hope she has regretted her actions Val,’ said Merinda sincerely.
‘Yes she did, for a while anyway. I lost her to cancer a few years ago.’
‘I’m so sorry,’ said Merinda.
Val Dunn looked out the window at the ocean. ‘Me too,’ he said quietly. He looked back at Merinda. ‘I’m the one who is supposed to be doing analysis here. You’ve hit me out of left field lady.’
‘I’m a sticky beak.’
‘Me too, but I get paid considerably more than you for having that trait.’
‘Then get on with it,’ said Merinda, her voice gentle.
Val Dunn took out a small digital recorder and held it up. ‘I have quite a few questions to ask you Mrs. Jerome.’
‘Merinda will be fine.’
‘Thank you Merinda. I’m getting far too old to write down everything. Do you mind if I record our conversation. You can stop the recording at any time if you wish.’
Merinda looked at Susan. ‘Is this OK?’
‘Yes, it’s OK. A fairly standard procedure these days.’
‘Then it’s OK,’ said Merinda.
‘Thank you.’ Val Dunn activated the recorder and placed it on the wide arm rest to his left. ‘For the recording I am Dr. Valentinas Dunn, Psychopathologist. Present with me is Mrs. Merinda Jerome and Mrs?’
‘Ms. Susan Beck.’
‘Thank you. The date is Sunday the 20th of March, 2011 and we are at Mrs. Jerome’s lovely home just south of Cooktown. Perhaps you can more accurately describe our location Merinda?’
‘My home is called “Wind Song”. My late husband, Jacob named her. He designed and built her about three years ago. He put wind chimes around the front verandas and when the Coral Sea breeze came in, the place was filled with the most magical sounds. Some of those wind chime pipes were over a metre long and ten centimetres in diameter. The big ones boomed softly while the small ones tinkled as if magic fingers had touched them.’
‘You refer to the house in the feminine.’
‘That was Jacob. He called it his second mistress. I was his first.’
‘I don’t think I’ll pursue that,’ said Dr. Dunn. ‘Not just yet anyway. I don’t see any wind chimes out there now.’
‘I took them down after he died. I’d wake up in the middle of the night and think his spirit was moving them. Sometimes they would set up the most amazing sounds, but when I opened the window, there was no wind….not even a breeze. I took them down and put them in the workshop.’
‘OK, can you pin point the actual location of your home?’
‘We have 25 acres on what is known as “The Point”. We own right down to the beach. The gravel road leading to the house is actually an extension of The Esplanade. That road runs south to the mouth of the Annan River and stops. Big croc country. Don’t go having a picnic down there.’
‘I wasn’t planning on it,’ said Val Dunn with a smile.
‘The unsealed road that joins The Esplanade just south of our property is Quarantine Bay road. That road comes in from the Cooktown highway and around the base of Mount Cook.’
‘So you are quite isolated out here?’
‘Just the way Jacob and I liked it.’
Val Dunn pushed his rather portly frame out of the lounge chair and walked to the glass table where the iced tea jug and glasses had been placed. He gently stirred the mixture with a white plastic rod and poured himself a glass. ‘Ladies?’
‘I should be doing that,’ said Merinda.
‘I’m already feeling very much at home,’ said Val. ‘Allow me?’
‘Half a glass,’ said Susan.
‘I’m OK,’ Merinda said.
Dr. Dunn poured a half glass of the light amber liquid. Some of the ice cubes tumbled into the glass as well. He handed the glass to Susan and resumed his seat. He took a sip of the icy liquid and set it down on a table beside the lounge chair. He fixed his steely, hazel eyes on Merinda. She crossed her long legs and clasped her fingers together in her lap. ‘I’ve set a time limit on this interview Merinda,’ Val said. ‘Two hours and then we stop.’
‘That’s a long time,’ said Merinda.
‘I’ll stop whenever you want,’ said Val.
‘No, it’s OK.’
‘I’m going to ask you a lot of questions and some of them may seem a little strange. Some might even upset you.’
‘Strange?’
‘They may not seem connected with the murders going on around here. You will just have to bear with me Merinda.’
‘OK, I’ll do my best.’
‘Great. Let’s get started. You’re Aboriginal?’
‘Yes.’
‘Obviously not full blood. Can you summarise your ancestry for me?’
Merinda sat back and unlocked her fingers. ‘Isn’t that a bit out of line?’
‘Might be to you but I have to catch a psychopathic killer.’
‘And what has that got to do with my ancestry?’
‘That’s my job to figure out Merinda. Work with me here….’
Merinda looked at Susan. Susan shrugged her shoulders slightly. ‘Alright, if you want it bluntly, I’m half cast. Are you OK with that term?’
‘Are you?’
‘Not particularly.’
‘Then use another term.’
‘Jesus. I don’t think this interview is getting off to a very good start.’
Dr. Dunn sat back. ‘My ancestry is all over the shop as well Merinda. Lots of black secrets, German soldiers and God knows what. I’m not hung up on that too much any more.’
‘Alright, my Mother was from the Kuku Bididji clan of the Kuku Yalanji tribe.
‘Now we’re talking. Expand that a bit.’
Merinda put her slender dark fingers to her temple and rubbed softly. ‘Kuku Yalanju was the original rain forest people up here. They survived by living off food in the rainforest and the ocean up in Far North Queensland for over 4,000 years before Captain Cook arrived. They were great hunters.’
‘And what was their connection with Black Mountain?’
Merinda looked up. She appeared startled. ‘I don’t understand the question?’
‘What connection, either physically or spiritually, did the Kuku Bididji clan of the Kuku Yalanji tribe, have with Black Mountain?’
‘I have no idea other than it was a sacred site.’
‘All of it, or specific parts of it?’
‘Both. There were special rocks and caves that were significant. The entire mountain is a death trap as far as I am concerned. I only went there once when I was young. Scary place. I won’t be going back.’
Van Dunn took a sip of his iced tea. ‘Your Father?’
‘Arsehole. White. My features took predominately after his which is why some people, especially white people, can’t see the Aboriginal in me. They think I’m an islander or something more exotic like that.’
‘Tell me more about your father?’
‘Owned a mine or something so he had lots of money. I have little memory of him. He drank himself to death and my Mum was suddenly rich beyond her wildest dreams. I was about 12 then. Thankfully, my Dad had a friend who was a lawyer with some integrity. He set us up financially and I went to a private school in Cairns.’
‘And your Mum?’
‘Died 5 years ago.’
‘And who got the entire inheritance?’
‘Me.’
‘And?’
‘I set up an import and export business.’
‘Did you?’
‘I’m not sure where this is going.’
‘You looked through the local paper and suddenly found this wonderful business opportunity in the import and export business?’
‘Not exactly.’
‘Someone approached you?’
‘Well, yes…’
‘Jacob Jerome?’
‘Yes.’
‘Was he married?’
‘Yes, but that was finished. They were going for divorce.’
‘He assured you of that?’
‘Yes he did!’ Merinda was on her feet now and very angry. ‘Just where are you going with this Dr. Dunn?’
‘I’m looking for background to these seemingly unexplainable murders around here. The way I see it, you seem one of the prime motivators for the killing spree. I’m sorry to be so abrupt.’
Merinda dropped slowly into her lounge chair. ‘So I’m responsible?’
‘No. You’re not responsible,’ said Val Dunn. ‘But you are a key to the solution. This guy seems quite close to you.’
‘Close?’
‘He knows you well.’
‘I have lots of male friends. It comes with the circles I move in.’
‘Your German Shepherds are used to him being around.’
‘I have male friends that visit and my dogs know them.’
‘I’ll need a full list of those visitors Merinda,’
‘Of course.’
‘When did you meet Graham Lupton?’
‘My business partner?’
‘Yes.’
‘Jacob and he were friends going back years. When I met Jacob, Graham was just always there.’
‘Did they get on well?’
‘Yes! Very well. They hardly ever argued about business.’
‘But they did argue?’
‘All business people argue.’
‘Did it ever get physical?’
Merinda was silent.
‘Well?’
‘They had one horrible fight. That’s all.’
‘When?’
‘About a week before Jacob died,’
‘What was the fight about?’
‘I’m not sure….’
‘I think you are Merinda.’
‘I want the recorder turned off now.’
‘Turn it off Dr. Dunn,’ said Susan.
Van Dunn clicked the recorder off. ‘OK, it’s off. What now?’
‘What was the fight about Merinda?’ said Susan.
Merinda looked very distressed. She locked her fingers together again. ‘Oola Burton.’
Val Dunn and Susan looked briefly at each other. Susan spoke first. ‘The first murder victim?’
Merinda nodded. She began to weep.
‘And what specifically were they fighting about relating to Oola?’ asked Val Dunn.
Merinda said nothing for a long moment. Then she tilted her head back and gave a sigh. ‘I gather that Graham and Oola may have been behaving inappropriately. Oola had just started working for us.’ Merinda stopped.
‘So what?’ said Dr. Dunn. ‘What’s the big deal about that?’
‘I’m not really sure,’ said Merinda. ‘From the little Jacob said I got the impression that Oola confided details of the affair with him. She felt Graham was forcing her to……to do things with him that she felt were…not natural.’ Merinda buried her face in her hands and sobbed. Susan started to get up but Dr. Dunn waved a strong signal for her to stay put.
‘How not natural?’
‘I don’t want to say,’ sobbed Merinda. ‘It’s too horrible.’
‘I know this is extremely difficult for you Mrs. Jerome, but I have to know lots of details, even horrible ones, so that I can accurately analyse this killer’s profile.’ Val Dunn gave Susan a reassuring glance.
‘Alright.’ Merinda sat back and rubbed the tears from her eyes with the back of her hands. ‘Jacob said that Graham was interfering with Koorine as well. He was trying to make their sexual encounters….threesome, if you know what I mean. I never believed it for a moment. That’s not like Graham.’
‘And how old was Koorine around that time?’
‘Eleven.’
‘So your husband confronted Graham?’
‘Yes.’
‘Here?’
‘Yes, in the study.’
‘And a week later your husband flies off and is never seen again.’
Merinda nodded.
‘And now Oola and Koorine are dead.’
‘What are you trying to say Dr. Dunn?’ Merinda asked. ‘Are you trying to suggest….’
‘I’m not suggesting anything. I’m trying to lay out all the pieces to this jigsaw puzzle. Once I complete the puzzle, a face will emerge from the pieces and then we’ll have him.’
‘I hope this interview won’t go for much longer. I’m getting a bit stressed,’ said Merinda.
‘Do you mind if I turn the recorder on again. I’ve got a few questions left.’
Merinda nodded.
Val Dunn activated the recorder and put it back on the arm rest of his chair. ‘Please don’t get upset with me for asking blunt questions. I have to see a very broad picture here and there are things I just have to explore quite deeply.’
‘I’m trying to understand,’ said Merinda.
‘Did your husband have a life insurance policy?’
Merinda clenched her hands together. ‘I hardly see what that has to do with anything.’
‘Perhaps it has nothing to do with anything. I still need to know.’
‘Alright. Yes he did.’
‘For how much?’
‘Two and a half million dollars.’
‘That’s quite a lot of money for a life insurance policy.’
‘He was a successful business man. He always said he wanted me adequately cared for in the event he should pass away for any reason.’
‘I gather your business would have more than adequately taken care of you?’
Merinda said nothing but she was seething inside.
‘Do you know when he took out this policy of insurance? I’m sure we can find out from the Insurer if you don’t know.’
‘Just after we were married.’
‘And when were you married?’
‘Nine months prior to his disappearance. We had lived together for 3 months prior to that.’
‘I see. Now can you tell me what happened to the money from your late husband’s policy of insurance?’
‘It was finally deposited into our joint bank account.’
‘Finally?’
‘You know insurance companies. The firm stand they took from the outset was that they wouldn’t pay until they saw the body. I had to sue them, or at least Graham did on my behalf. I was too distraught to fight. We won. The money was deposited into our account around six months ago.’
‘This is a joint account between whom?’
‘Jacob and me.’
‘Who else has access to that bank account?’
‘No-one. Jacob set it up after we were married. Now that he’s gone, I’m the only one with access.’
‘Do you have a business account with the same bank?’
‘Yes.’
‘Are the two accounts linked in any way?’
‘Once again, I don’t see where you are going with this Dr. Dunn.’
‘Please bear with me just a little longer.’
‘Alright, if you must know, and I do request that you keep these details strictly private….’
‘Of course, unless they have relevance in this murder investigation.’
Merinda studied Val Dunn’s face for a few seconds. ‘I can move money from one account to the other via Internet access if I want to. That activity is password protected. There is no need to do that anyway, so I don’t.’
‘Other than you, who else has access to your business account?’
‘Graham, but he has to clear it with me if he needs to use more than ten thousand dollars. There is a considerable amount of money in each account as you can appreciate.’
‘If necessary Mrs. Jerome, would you be willing to allow a forensic accountant run his eyes over your accounts, like a mini audit. Strictly confidential of course.’
‘No, I would not be willing. Are you suggesting that there is something illegal happening with my bank accounts?’
‘No I am not. I just want to make sure.’
‘I won’t give permission for you to audit them.’
‘The police can get a warrant if necessary.’
Merinda was on her feet again. ‘I think this interview has gone far enough Dr. Dunn. Will you show Dr. Dunn to his car Susan?’
Susan rose. Val Dunn turned off his digital recorder and slipped it into his pocket. ‘Thank you for your time Merinda. I’m sure you are as eager as me to help the police catch this very sick murderer.’
Merinda said nothing.
‘Goodbye then.’ Val Dunn walked through the lounge room to the foyer. Susan followed. As he walked onto the front verandah he turned. ‘I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask Inspector Keller to authorise an audit on Mrs. Jerome’s bank accounts. I’d rather do it the easy way. Perhaps you can talk to her?’
‘I’ll see what I can do, seeing that you are going to audit her accounts anyway.’
Dr. Dunn took a business card from his shirt pocket and handed it to Susan. ‘I leave my mobile on most times other than during interviews. I’ll give her 24 hours to cooperate.’
‘Thank you.’
Goodbye.’ Dr. Dunn stepped down onto the lawn and walked to his car.
“****”