The Cabin by the Sea: The Audrey Murders - Book Two Read online

  C H A P T E R 2 6

  Lucy heard her Father come home. She knew she was in deep trouble. No one had heard from Suzy since last night. She was missing and it was all her fault. She should have waited for her to return instead of coming home. If her Father ever found out that she was ‘working’ last night he would kill her. “Stupid, stupid, idiot” she cursed at herself “Why did I do it? All for a measly hundred bucks.”

  She heard the knock on her closed bedroom door. “Lucy?”

  It was her Father. “Yes” she replied.

  He sat on her bed facing her. Lucy was seated at her computer. “We need to talk about last night,” her Father said seriously. “I want you to go through everything you remember starting from when you left the house”.

  Lucy’s mind froze. She didn’t have a good reason for leaving Suzy and she knew her Father wouldn’t accept her previous explanation. She needed a new story. One that was half true and more believable.

  “I didn’t want to say anything before” she started. “But, after the movies Staci dropped Suzy off at the Taipa shopping center. Suzy said she was meeting a boy there. I don’t know what boy she was talking about. She told us not to wait around. It was about eleven fifteen when we dropped her off. I am sorry, Dad, I should have told you before but I didn’t want to get Suzy into trouble. If her parents found out she was meeting up with a boy in the middle of the night she would be in awful trouble.”

  Constable Bromley looked at his daughter. She looked devastated. He could tell she was terribly upset over Suzy’s disappearance. “You should never have left Suzy alone in the middle of the night even if she asked you to” he said. “Anything could have happened to her. Staci should have known better. “Is there anything else you should tell me?” he asked.

  “No” Lucy replied wiping back her tears. “I am so sorry” Dad. “It is all my fault she is missing.”

  Bromley put his arm around his daughter “We will find her” he said “May this be a lesson for you. You must tell us where you are going when you leave the house. No more secrets OK?”

  “I promise,” said Lucy.

  Bromley went immediately to the station house to call the Cunningham’s. He needed to talk to them about Suzy’s boyfriend. Who was he? He was also waiting to hear back regarding Suzy’s cell phone. Where her last call was made? It might well give him a clue as to where she was last night.

  The police station was cold and gloomy. He turned on the lights and the heating. He would be there for some time. First he called the Cunningham’s but they seemed shocked that Suzy would be meeting a boy in the middle of the night. They didn’t know of any boyfriends. He asked about Suzy’s cell phone. They said she had it on her when she left for the movies. Bromley knew her cell phone would be the best way of tracking her.

  He had requested the tracking information and was ecstatic to see Suzy had made a text message at twelve forty nine to a number in Taipa. The number belonged to Staci Goodman. She had texted from the Hihi area.

  Bromley felt he was getting closer and closer to finding her. Her boyfriend must live in Hihi somewhere. It was a small settlement. He picked up the phone and called his daughter, Lucy.

  “Has Suzy ever mentioned a boy who lives in Hihi? He asked.

  Lucy thought. “No” she replied.

  Bromley called the cell phone of Staci and she answered immediately.

  “Staci, here.”

  “Constable Bromley of the Mangonui Police” he announced. “Can you explain the text message you received from Suzy at twelve fifty nine early this morning?

  There was a long silence. “She just texted me to say not to pick her up and that she was getting a ride home” she replied.

  “Who was giving her a ride home?” he asked patiently.

  “She never said and I never asked” Suzy replied defiantly. “Is that all, officer? I have work to do.”

  “I will be in touch” said Bromley and hung up the phone.

  It was going to be long night. Suzy was missing. It was now getting on to dusk. Almost twenty- four hours since she was last seen. It was time to get some help. He picked up the phone and called the media.

  C H A P T E R 2 7

  The six o’clock news was a nightly event in New Zealand. Parents, pensioners and working folk huddled around the television to review the days’ events. The local news always led the hour and tonight was no different. A picture of a pretty redheaded teenager filled the screen.

  “Missing since last night,” said the familiar news announcer. “Last seen at the Taipa Shopping center at eleven fifteen last night. Anyone seeing sixteen year old, Suzy Cunningham, in Taipa, Mangonui or the Hihi area or can offer information as to her whereabouts, please contact your local police station. She was wearing jeans, pink sweater, navy jacket, white Reeboks and carrying a blue backpack with a pink stripe.”

  Audrey almost dropped her wine glass. Hihi? Could that be the girl her tenant brought home last night? Her mind raced at the possibility. The police would be searching the area. She must find the girl first. Peering through the curtains she couldn’t see any lights on in the cabin. He must be sleeping, she thought. “I wonder where he took the girl?”

  Audrey paced up and down her little cottage. Her bedroom and office sat at the far end facing the cabin. She always kept the curtains drawn. The other end of the cabin was divided by a row of chocolate brown curtains. A round table and chairs and the kitchen took up the other half of the cottage. Off the side of the kitchen there was a small laundry room that doubled as a spare single bedroom. It was here the fireplace stood providing the only heating for the small dwelling. Sliding doors opened up from the kitchen/dining area to the vast sea view. A patio and small steps lead up to a neatly mowed lawn area. Audrey could see her sheep grazing on the paddock over the wire fence. Their favorite spot was in front of the cottage looking out to sea. Periodically they would lift their heads and peer inside the cottage hoping to entice Audrey out with a bucket of multigrain nuts. Today Audrey was too preoccupied to respond to their woeful pleads.

  She waited for a re-run of the night’s headlines at six thirty. She jotted down the clothing the girl was wearing. There was no mention of the underwear and Audrey was definitely not going to contact the police to make enquiries. She was going to handle Mr. Gavin Jenkins herself.

  Every few minutes she checked the cabin for any signs of life. Finally at eight thirty she saw the lights turn on. She was prepared with flashlight, headlight, raincoat, gumboots, and hat. She had already put the axe and wood splitter in the Rav4 along with a knife for protection. Audrey never owned a gun. She didn’t really like to use physical violence but she may have no choice this time.

  At nine fifteen she saw Gavin leave the cabin and head for the path along the ridge. He was dressed in raingear and was carrying black plastic bags. She noticed he was wearing a headlight like hers. She waited until he was out of sight and then followed him making sure she kept far enough behind him so he wouldn’t hear her footsteps or the crackling of fallen branches on the track.

  Half way down the ridge he turned to the left and headed off into the dense bush. What the hell? Audrey thought. She followed him for a short distance terrified he would see the small beam of light she shone into the darkness. The rain had stopped but the cloudy, moonless night made it almost impossible to trek through the bush.

  At first Audrey thought he might be looking for kiwi. After all it was a kiwi zone and the little native flightless birds were nocturnal, very illusive and difficult to spot. She would certainly feel stupid if that was all he was doing out here. But then she knew differently. He had stopped and was bending over struggling with something on the ground. He had hung a torch on a branch that shone brightly in the darkness.

  Then she knew. It was the girl. He was putting her into black plastic rubbish bags. He flung her over his shoulder and headed in the opposite direction towards the gateway at the bottom of the driveway. She knew he would put the girl in his car and sh
e would not have a chance to stop him. Quickly she retreated back to the ridge and back to the cottage where she grabbed a glass and large knife from the kitchen and ran out to his car parked in front of the cabin. She stabbed at the front tire with all her might. It was hard to penetrate the thick rubber, but perseverance prevailed. In case he had a spare tire she punctured one of the back tires too. A quick stomp on the glass sent glass fragments flying providing a viable reason for the resulting deflation. Quickly she returned to the cottage and peered out the bedroom window. A few minutes later she saw him return to the cabin and then leave quickly and get into his car.

  Audrey’s heart was beating so fast. She hoped he wouldn’t suspect her. He started driving towards the main driveway and then stopped. Audrey had turned out all her lights and was sitting in the darkness. She watched as he got out of the car and walked around the wheels. She saw panic set in. She had him. He could go nowhere. He would have to leave the girl in the bush and wait until tomorrow when he could get his tires fixed. Living in the country had its advantages. Getting a garage to come out at night was a long shot at best. And she was sure Gavin would not want to bring attention to himself or his car. She saw him return to the cabin and shut the glass sliding door with a bang. Temper, Temper, she thought. I have you now.

  C H A P T E R 2 8

  Constable Bromley was deep in thought. He turned his mind back to last night. He had been to the Taipa Shopping Center during his surveillance. He hadn’t seen anyone there. But he did recall seeing a couple of cars including a silver Toyota driving south on Highway ten towards Mangonui and possibly Hihi. He remembered thinking there was a young girl in the car with a male driver. He wished he had taken down the license plate number. It had looked like the same car he had spotted at the fish and chip shop in Mangonui. He decided to get in the patrol car and head off to Hihi and see if he could spot the car. It was a long shot. But sitting in the office was not easy to do when he had a countrywide search in place. He would forward his calls to the Kaitaia station in case anyone called with news from the broadcast. He knew they were already getting a team together and were scheduled to meet at his station late this evening. He just had time to make a quick search of the area and return in time to provide all the details to the team for their arrival.

  It took only ten minutes to reach the small Hihi township. A painted circle on the town intersection created a legal round a bout. He wondered how many residents actually drove around the painted parameter before turning right. He presumed only tourists would obey the sign. He drove down the three main roads and looked at each property for any sign of the silver Toyota. There were only a handful of residents living full time in the holiday village. Most homes were closed for the winter. He headed off towards the motor camp but still no sign of the car. He didn’t really expect to find it but would have kicked himself if he hadn’t at least tried. He made his way up the peninsula road towards his Uncle Bruce’s property. He passed the motor camp but it looked deserted. He wouldn’t be able to see any cars on the peninsula as the long driveways and bolted front gates restricted access. He turned around at Tiromoana just a few yards before Bruce’s entranceway. He didn’t have time for a family visit and headed back to the station.

  He made a note to check any local owners of silver Toyota Celica’s. He wasn’t sure of the year but it looked like it was a few years old. He might get lucky. He was sure it was the same car he had seen in Mangonui with the tall lean man driver. But he was at least in his fifties.

  Suzy was meeting her boyfriend. The tall man was much too old to be her boyfriend. It must have been a coincidence he was in Taipa at the time the girl went missing. If he could locate the car and the man he may have seen something. He made a quick call to the media with regards to the car. Maybe someone knew who the owner was. It was worth a chance.

  C H A P T E R 2 9

  Bruce Bromley’s adrenalin was pumping. He had heard on the ten thirty news the police were looking for a late model silver Toyota Celica. He remembered seeing a similar car at Audrey’s the day before. He called Jimmy at the station.

  “Jimmy, it’s Bruce. I think I know where your silver Toyota Celica is. It is at Audrey’s I saw it parked outside the cabin. I am pretty sure it’s the one you are looking for”

  “Bloody Hell!” Said Bromley. “I was just there. I turned around in her driveway. I took a quick trip around the area just a couple of hours ago. I am on my way. Thanks mate!”

  He called to the group gathering in the main office. “Detective Burt we have a lead. It’s the Toyota. Come with me”

  They grabbed their coats and headed out into the cold blustery night.

  Bruce was excited. Life was getting a lot more interesting since his new neighbor moved in next door. He decided to make his way down the grass track to Audrey’s to see if the car was still there. Marge wanted to know where he was going so late. “Just checking the traps. I think I heard a couple kiwis on the big lawn.” Marge didn’t really care where he was going. He grabbed his spotlight and heavy coat, stepped into his gumboots and headed off across the grass.

  The lights were out in the cottage. He did see the lights on in the cabin. The silver car was parked in the middle of the gravel round- a-bout. As he got closer he noticed two tires were flat. He knew he couldn’t be spotted from behind the large concrete water tank and he made sure he had turned off his spotlight as he approached the property. It was difficult to see in the cloudy night but he did confirm the car was indeed a Toyota Celica and was obviously a few years old. What’s the chance this is the car Jimmy is looking for? He wondered.

  It wasn’t long before he heard a car coming up the driveway. He ducked back behind a row of large pine trees. He didn’t want to be seen nosing around but he couldn’t resist seeing what was to unfold.

  The police car stopped outside the cabin. Constable Bromley and Detective Burt knocked on the cabin door. The door opened and the tall lean man Bromley had seen in Mangonui was standing in front of him. Bromley introduced himself and asked if it was his Toyota Celica parked in the driveway.

  “Yes. It is my car,” said the tall man. “Is there a problem?”

  “Can we come in and have a word?” asked Bromley. “It will only take a few minutes of your time. We just have some questions as to your whereabouts last night between eleven pm and one am.”

  The tall man let them into the cheery little cabin and offered them a seat at the small square table. Bromley preferred to stand and waited for the tall man to reply.

  “I was driving back from Kaitaia,” he stated. “I arrived home here about twelve thirty”

  “What were you doing in Kaitaia?” Bromley asked.

  “Just checking out the area,” he divulged begrudgingly.

  “What is your full name?” Bromley asked.

  “Gavin John Jenkins” he replied.

  “You didn’t pick up a young girl from Taipa” did you? Bromley asked looking intently at the man.

  “No. I was alone” he replied quietly. “I don’t know anyone in the area. Only been here a few days”.

  “Did you see a young girl at the Taipa shopping center when you passed?” he asked.

  “Can’t say I did.” said the man. It was raining heavily on my trip home and I had a full time job just watching the road”.

  Bromley looked around the cabin. Everything was clean and orderly. Not a sign of any female. Just rain gear and boots. Bromley noticed the bottom of the raincoat was covered in fresh mud.

  “Have you been out this evening?” he asked.

  “Just went outside to look for kiwis a couple of hours ago,” he said.

  “Find any?” Bromley asked

  “Nope. Not a one” he replied. “Is there anything else I can help you with?”

  “We would like to look over your car if it is not a problem” Bromley said.

  “Do you have a warrant?” the man asked.

  “I can soon get one” Bromley said abruptly.

  “Great�
� said the man. “When you get the warrant you can search the car,” he said walking towards the door and showing the policemen politely through.

  “Goodnight officers” said the man.

  “We will be back with a warrant,” said Bromley as they left.

  On the drive back to the station they agreed Gavin Jenkins was a shifty sort of guy and obviously had something to hide in his car. Maybe it was just an unregistered firearm or drugs. They would be back in the morning with a warrant. Unfortunately it would give Mr. Jenkins plenty of time to get rid of anything untoward.

  Both men had no idea they were watched intently by two sets of peering eyes from dark places. As they pulled out of the driveway onto the peninsula road Bromley called the station and ordered a patrol car and a couple of detectives to do an all night surveillance of the Hihi area. Just in case Mr. Jenkins decided to do a scarper. He also arranged a warrant to search the whole wooded area surrounding the property first thing in the morning.

  C H A P T E R 3 0

  Audrey couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw the police car park outside the cabin and two policemen go inside. She quickly sneaked out of the cottage and around the back of the cabin. The bathroom window was slightly ajar and she could hear voices inside. They were asking Gavin about his car and where he had been last night. She heard Gavin refuse to let them search his car and she knew the policemen would be back with a warrant. How did they know about the car? Was he seen driving in the area? He must have been. But how did they know where he lived? So many questions left unanswered.

  Audrey had heard about the car and the description of the tall lean man on the late night news and knew she had to work quickly to deal with Mr. Jenkins before the police got their hands on him. She must be ready to act at any moment. That would mean keeping awake most of the night. He had to go to sleep sometime.