CHAPTER 71

They found Leanne working at the shop and asked for a quick word. Sue raised eyebrows, but it wasn’t busy and she nodded assent. They walked down to the jetty, ignoring the benches – Seb didn’t think the three of them sitting in a straight line was ideal for an interrogation – and instead stood in a triangle.

‘I understand that when you were interviewed by Joe for his podcast, you told him you visited Sal in the Blue Mountains, right?’ said Seb.

‘So?’

‘Joe asked you if you told anyone Sal’s address. You said no. Then he asked you again, and things got a bit heated and you walked out. Why?’

‘I was just sick of all his stupid questions. All that bullshit about her. Happened years ago. Ancient history.’

‘It seems you were one of only a few people who knew Sal’s address.’

‘Really? What about her flatmate? People who worked with her? Neighbours? The fucking water board?’

‘None of us knew it.’

‘Not hard to get someone’s address. Ring them, say you’re the electricity department and you’re checking something. Done it myself.’

Barb’s eyebrows raised.

‘Not to Sal,’ Leanne clarified.

‘When did you last see Joe?’ asked Barb.

‘At the club the night he died, same as everyone else.’

‘What did you talk about?’ asked Seb.

‘Nuthin’. Just normal stuff. He had asked me to do another interview, and he was hassling me about that.’

‘For his podcast?’ continued Seb. ‘Did he say why he wanted to do a second interview?’

‘Just said he had a few more things to ask.’

Seb tried to sound as ‘this is serious, I’m a police officer’ as he could. ‘Leanne, if you gave Sal’s address to anyone, I need to know.’

Leanne shrugged. ‘Didn’t.’

‘I’m a cop, Leanne. It’d be really easy to find something to arrest you for. Pat you down or find something in your room, yeah?’

‘I’ve had a bit of experience with cops, Seb, and that’s bullshit. You can’t do either of those things.’

She stared at him defiantly until he looked away. She was right. Even if she wasn’t, he’d been bluffing. He wasn’t going to arrest her.

‘Come on Leanne. It’s important.’

‘It’s fucking not. Sal was killed by a psycho. Joe overdosed. You two are just running round making shit up and hassling people cos you’ve got nothing better going on in your life.’