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Dawn’s eyes were itching from dryness as she handed Ryan another film, filed the previous one and leant over his shoulder to watch as he slid the platform slowly across. Images whizzed by the screen.
They were focussed on the screen when a voice made them jump.
Lisa giggled. ‘Sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you. What are you doing?’
‘Chasing down leads.’
‘Any word on Ronnie?’
‘No, but now you’re here, I have a few questions about Ronnie.’
Dawn glanced at Ryan who nodded for her to go on while he continued the search.
‘What is it?’ Lisa asked as Dawn led her towards a quiet corner. The only spot far enough away from the Murder Club was two bright, lime-green beanbags set next to a children’s bookcase with large picture books on display.
They huddled in the corner, but Dawn didn’t bother to sit.
‘You remember I said Ronnie asked me what you’d told me—before her phone was broken and the call dropped out?’
Lisa chewed her nails.
‘You said you didn’t know what she was talking about. You need to think Lisa.’
Her sister pulled her thumbnail from her mouth and bit her lip.
‘But I don’t know anything. Jessica never got the chance to tell me.’
‘I don’t think Ronnie was talking about Jessica. I think you and she talked about something else. Something she wants you to remember. It might mean nothing to you, but maybe I’ll figure out something from it, or it will give us a lead.’
‘When I got back to our place, Abby and Liam were watching Peppa Pig reruns. Sara, Ronnie’s little one was asleep, and Ronnie was cutting flowers from the garden. But when I told Ronnie what I’d seen, she insisted on driving me to Hopevale.’
‘Was Hopevale your idea or hers?’
Lisa clasped her chin with her thumb and forefinger.
‘Well, I was thinking of staying at her house. It’s huge, you know.’
Dawn nodded. It was more than huge—it was a mansion.
‘Why didn’t you?’
‘Ronnie said it wasn’t a good idea. That I should go to Hopevale where no one would find me easily.’
‘Surely Brad would have protected you?’
‘You’d think so, but now you mention it, Ronnie was pretty nervous when I told her I thought Jessica knew who killed Tracey and we could finally clear Fraser’s name.’
‘Nervous?
‘That’s the only way I can describe it. But I guess she would be—after I off-loaded about the body being dumped out at Archer.’
‘Did she say anything on the trip to Hopevale?’
‘We talked about old times. About Trevor and Brad’s degrees. About our kids and how much we loved having them.’
‘Nothing else?’
‘Not that I can recall.’
Dawn sighed.
‘I’m sorry.’
‘It’s okay. We’ll figure it out.’
Dawn returned to Ryan. Lisa followed.
‘I have to get back to my next client. I’ll let you know if I think of anything else we talked about.’
‘Okay. Thanks.’
‘Check this out!’ Ryan sounded more excited than Dawn had heard him all week. They needed a break in this case. They needed to find Ronnie before she was the next victim in whatever this was.
‘What did you find?’
Dawn peered over Ryan’s shoulder at the microfiche machine and smiled when she sensed Lisa hovering over her shoulder, peering into the wide, flat projector screen.
‘Larry. At the opening of his development on the hill. You’ll never guess who’s with him.’
Dawn gaped at the screen. ‘Tom Fletcher.’
‘The disgraced lawyer.’
‘Oh my God.’ Lisa bolted to attention, fingers over her mouth. ‘That’s what we talked about.’
‘What?’
‘Trevor used to work for Tom Fletcher, before he was disbarred. Trevor bought him out, but later relocated to the city.’
‘When was this?’
‘I don’t know. But after Trevor graduated.’
‘So, could Tom Fletcher have brokered the land deal and done the conveyancing?’
Dawn struggled not to jump up and down on the spot, while Ryan pulled out his phone and took a photo of the microfiche article.
‘I’d say that’s a very likely scenario.’
‘Let’s get back to the station and find out what Reynolds found from the ASIC search.’
Dawn dragged Lisa by the arm. Ryan was two steps behind her. As they passed the book club table, a collective of eyes traced every step, all the way out the door.