CHAPTER 29

Back home on her couch, Barb sipped peppermint tea. She had popped into two newsagents after she had left Dev, trying to match the envelope containing the three thousand dollars she had found in Joe’s cupboard, without success. Not that it would have told her much.

She examined Joe’s notebook. Beige, A4, 128 pages, with only the first few written on in scrawly, hurried handwriting. She also had his computer in front of her. She would give it to Viv as soon as he asked for it, but he hadn’t yet.

The first page of the notebook was an anticlimactic shopping list. Socks, Weet-Bix, etc. If Heroin, Morphine and Syringe had been on it, it may have dented her theory that Joe was murdered, but they weren’t.

She turned the page.

Can get set up for under a grand – two microphones, a few cables, a magic box that turns audio files into podcasts, editing software. Viv hates idea BUT if I play ‘little bro needs a project to keep out of trouble’ he might buy for me.

She turned another page to find what looked like a handwritten script for his podcast.

Intro script – first draft

Hi, I’m Joe Griffith and welcome to Catching The Strangler. Seven years ago my friend Sal McIndoe was murdered, the third victim of a killer dubbed the Blue Mountains Strangler. The victims were women living in the Blue Mountains and the killer was never caught. This podcast will re-examine the case, the police investigation into it, search for new information and, I hope, uncover the identity of the Blue Mountains Strangler.

Barb vaguely remembered the case. It had been just another distant tragedy until local girl Sal was murdered. After that, Bullford Point sat up straight and paid attention. Barb had known Sal’s mother, but not well. After Sal’s death, she had dropped her around a casserole, hesitated at the door, and then, to her enduring shame, left it on the mat and fled.

She flicked the page.

Convo w retired Detective John Mayne, Katoomba

How did killer get in? 2 murders in 6 days. Why open your door to a stranger?

She googled ‘Blue Mountains Strangler’ and found an old article about the second victim.

BLUE MOUNTAINS RESIDENTS IN FEAR OF STRANGLER

After a second woman was strangled in the Blue Mountains, just five days after the first, residents are being urged to exercise caution, especially at night. ‘There is no obvious link between the two victims,’ said Police Superintendent Samantha Berry, ‘apart from both being female, living alone in the Blue Mountains, and being killed in the same way. It is highly likely that both were victims of the same killer, and that their killer is targeting random victims. We urge everyone, especially women who are on their own, to take care. Be vigilant. Do not open your door unless you know who it is.’

Barb found and opened another article.

STRANGLER STRIKES AGAIN

There has been a third victim of the killer dubbed the ‘Blue Mountains Strangler’. Sally McIndoe, 20, was found by her flatmate on her return from work last night. Police Superintendent Samantha Berry emphasised that police are doing everything they can to find the killer.

Joe had made a good point – why, if police were warning women to take care, would Sal have opened the door if she was home alone? Perhaps the killer had broken in.

Next he had written: ‘lip balm smudged but not other two.’ A reference to Sal?

Then in big capitals: ‘VIV – WTF?’

What was WTF? An environmental charity? She googled it and got a surprise. Viv had done something that surprised Joe. What?

Next was: ‘piggyback.’ What did that mean?

Then: ‘Whose shirt? Whose blood?’

She opened her mouth and then shut it again. She had been about to ask Dennis to have a look. He did the cryptic crossword every day, so perhaps … but he didn’t live here anymore. Silly her.

She wondered how far Joe had got. Had he uncovered any new information about the identity of the Strangler? If so, then the Strangler might have had a motive to kill him. But if the entire resources of the police hadn’t got anywhere, it seemed unlikely Joe could have in a few weeks. Besides, even if Joe had found something, how would the Strangler have known that he had? Joe’s podcast wasn’t even out.

Besides, if the Blue Mountains Strangler had killed Joe, surely he would have been strangled.