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

  “No” Lucy replied. She knew what was coming next.

  “Why not?” he asked

  “Because when Staci and I dropped of Suzy at the shops Staci took me straight home,” she replied.

  “Do you know who might have picked her up?” he prodded further.

  “No. I have no idea. She didn’t talk about her johns,” said Lucy. “And I didn’t want to know about them”.

  “Have you ever worked with Suzy or Staci?” he asked the dreaded question.

  Lucy looked at him straight in the eyes and said “Of course not. Why would you ask such a thing?” She could see relief soften his face. She knew she had done the right thing. After all, it was only once and they would never know.

  Constable Bromley watched as his daughter left the table. She seemed so little and innocent. How did all this happen? He wondered.

  Tomorrow they would continue to search the bay. It would be an early start, which meant an early night. He might even drive up to Audrey’s and have another talk with Gavin Jenkins. He was sure he saw a girl in his car that night. Maybe he was the john. He decided to call his Uncle.

  “Bruce, it’s Jimmy. No, Nothing yet. I still think that guy, Jenkins, is mixed up in this somehow. Thanks for all your help today. Talk to you tomorrow.” He hung up and went to bed.

  C H A P T E R 4 3

  Bruce couldn’t settle down. Finding the girls bag in the bay made it more personal somehow. Jimmy still believed Jenkins was involved. He decided to take a walk in the moonlit night. Maybe he could see what was going on next door. He made his usual excuse about checking the traps, donned his gumboots, grabbed his jacket and headed off into the night.

  It was quite a walk between the two properties. He figured it was about three hundred yards between his house and the cottage. The grassed path only went up to the boundary line. From there he made his way through the thick bush where he could clearly see both the cottage and the cabin.

  The lights were on in both buildings. He sat down on an old tree stump and lit up a ciggy. Marge wouldn’t let him smoke in the house. Not like the old days. Nothing was like the old days.

  He was feeling quite the detective. He could see Jenkins’ silhouette walking around in the cabin. He had the curtains pulled but they didn’t block out the light. He looked at his watch it was almost nine. He shouldn’t be too late or Marge would worry. He would give it another ten minutes and then he should head on back.

  He saw her. She was all dolled up and carrying a bottle of wine. She knocked at the cabin door. Jenkins appeared looking dressed for a night on the town. “Bloody hell” he muttered. “She has the hots for Jenkins!” Bruce suddenly felt deflated. He had hoped he might have a chance with Audrey. He stubbed out his ciggy on the wet ground and made his way back home to Marge.

  It wasn’t until he and Marge were tucked up in bed that he heard the shot. They had just turned off the nightly news. He looked at the clock it was eleven. He wondered who was out pig hunting. It wasn’t unusual to hear shots at night. The yearly pig hunting competition was taking place over the next couple of days and the locals were out trying to win first prize for the biggest pig. He wasn’t participating this year. But he might go to the final night booze up to see who had won. Funny, the shot seemed to come from over Audrey’s way. Must be further down the valley. He couldn’t imagine Audrey and Jenkins out shooting pigs they weren’t really dressed for hunting. He turned out the light, rolled over and placed his back next to Marge. She was like a heater in bed. Good ol’ Marge. She wasn’t so bad after all.

  C H A P T E R 4 4

  Audrey remembered the time when she was at a life planning retreat in Santa Barbara. One day the group congregated on the sandy beach opposite the hotel. One member of the group was instructed to attempt to get from point A to point B; an approximate distance of fifty meters. The rest of the group was instructed to prevent the member from achieving that task. They were to try and trip them up, hold them, and stop them in any way they could without using actual physical violence. Each individual member of the group fought their way through the group reaching their goal with sheer joy and a positive sense of self-achievement.

  When Audrey broke through the human road -blocks and made it to the finishing line, she collapsed in utter despair. Life had been hard for her. The physical task of reliving the hardship was too much to bear. She discovered that achieving the goal did not compensate for the unbearable pain of taking life’s journey. She understood then she was different.

  It was midnight and she had finished another project. She had once again reached her goal. Over the past few years she had developed a coping system that worked for her. The fear and loathing that had consumed her everyday life was now replaced with a reckoning. All the men who had derided her during her childhood, youth and adulthood were responsible now for her actions.

  She felt no guilt and no remorse and, more importantly, she now felt what others felt; a sense of self achievement when carrying out a task and completing it. Careful planning and execution has resulted in success once again.

  Audrey knew her actions were socially and legally unacceptable. The next few days were critical. She enjoyed the knowledge that she was never suspected in her crimes. Her pleasant demeanor created a successful mask of deceit and she was proficient in leading the police in any direction she chose.

  First thing tomorrow she would put her plan into action. Tonight she would enjoy a well-deserved sleep.

  C H A P T E R 4 5

  It was six o’clock when the alarm woke Constable Bromley. He turned to look at Mary who was still sleeping. She looked like an angel. Her long, dark, wavy hair spread across the pillow. He loved her hair. She was a beautiful woman. His daughters, thank goodness, took after her. His thoughts went to Lucy, their first child. He remembered she was born with dark hair and by the age of two it reached her shoulders. He hoped Lucy had told him the truth last night. That she had never prostituted herself. He would never forgive himself if she had. It was his responsibility as a father and parent to engrain good morals into her everyday life and he hoped he had achieved that. He felt guilty his job took him away from home so often. He must try to spend more time with the kids. Maybe he could take some time off when this case was solved.

  He swung his legs over the side of the bed and rested his hands in his head. It was going to be a long day - an important day. Today they would find the girl. He just knew it. They had planned to begin the search at daybreak. Which meant he must get down to the beach. He grabbed a coffee and a banana muffin and made his way over to the station next door.

  The station was alive with activity. The search teams had already left for Doubtless Bay. One team headed for Hihi beach and the other team for Mangonui Harbor. Divers would search the coastline and the bay for any sign of the girl. It was a huge task as the bay had over seventy kilometers of coastline. The Doubtless Bay area extended from Taupo Bay in the east to the Karikari Peninsula in the west. It included the settlements of Hihi, Coopers Beach, Cable Bay, Taipa and Whatuwhiwhi, with its center in busy Mangonui.

  Bromley had also sent a team to search three more isolated beaches in case the girl’s body had washed ashore there. The coastguard was searching the coastline in the more remote areas of the bay.

  Upon arrival at Hihi Beach he was inundated with media. They wanted to know what they expected to find. Bromley had little information to give them.

  “The case is still in progress,” he reported. “We have search teams in the bay and surrounding coastline. We have nothing new to report to date but we will keep you informed as the day progresses.”

  Bromley was uncomfortable in the limelight. But he knew his job was on the line with this case. If he succeeded in solving the case and bringing the person responsible to justice, a promotion would be imminent. He watched as the police divers headed out to sea. They knew the location in which the backpack had been found and researched the tides and winds. They had a search area mapped out. Bromley hoped the
girl would be found even if it meant it was only her body that was recovered. At least they would have some answers.

  At eight o’clock he decided to pop up and check on Jenkins and headed up peninsula road to Tiromoana. He noticed the wooden gate was closed at the entrance. He got out of the car and saw it was not bolted. Just latched. He opened the gate and drove up the long tree lined driveway. As the reached the top of the driveway he observed a metal gate was also closed. He knew Audrey had sheep on the property due to the signage “Sheep – please close the gates.” He duly opened the gate, drove through and closed it as requested.

  There was no sign of Jenkins’ car. He must be out, he thought. He decided to talk to Audrey. He had never actually met the lady and thought it was only polite to introduce himself and see if she knew where Jenkins was. He walked around the front of the cottage. He could see it had originally been an old tin garage. It now had a bright red awning over the front sliding glass doors. The cottage had been freshly painted white with red trim. He guessed to match the awning. The gardens were well kept and the lawn freshly mown. All in all the property was well maintained and the view was spectacular. He could see across Doubtless Bay over to the Karikari peninsula. The bay was spotted with police boats and divers. He knocked on the door and waited.

  She must be here somewhere he thought as he knocked again. Her car was parked at the top end of the gravel driveway. He recognized the Rav4. He walked around the cottage and over to the cabin. The curtains were pulled and he couldn’t see inside.

  He knocked and waited for a few minutes. When he got no response, he left the property and headed back down to the beach. He would try again later in the day. He really wanted to have another conversation with Jenkins.

  C H A P T E R 4 6

  It was in the early hours of the morning when Audrey put all of Jenkins belongings in his car and tidied the cabin. She would do a full clean when she returned. She had stripped the bed and put all the linens in the washing machine in the cottage laundry. She wanted no evidence of Jenkins on her property. He had drawn too much attention to her and now it was time to take that attention away from her.

  It had been more difficult to move Jenkins, however. It required another trip on her trusted dolly. She managed to get him into the passenger seat of his car and she drove off into the darkness making sure to close both gates behind her. Every detail was crucial to her plan.

  At the end of the driveway Audrey turned left and headed up the peninsula. At the end of the peninsula was Berghans Point. Audrey had never ventured very far up the peninsula. At the end of the public road was private property that reached for miles. Audrey just had to find a remote area to leave the car and Gavin.

  A few kilometers up the road she found the perfect place. It was off the road and out of sight.

  She got out of the car and pulled Gavin into the driver’s seat. She carefully removed his rifle from the back seat and placed it by the body. She made it fall from his head so it looked like a suicide. She was wearing gloves and had covered her boots, and wore a hat to prevent any of her DNA from being found at the scene. She took her time making sure every detail was taken care of.

  The most important detail was the girl’s panties with the pink and purple hearts. She had neatly packed them in his bag knowing the police would search his belongings and there would be no doubt as to his connection with the missing girl.

  As additional and final proof of his involvement in the girl’s murder she had discovered a flash drive with photos of the girl. The photos proved Gavin Jenkins was an abomination. It was by pure chance she had discovered the small card. She had found it hidden in an inside pocket of his raincoat when she was looking for his cell phone. Obviously the police had not discovered it there. She had taken the battery out of the phone and disposed of it in the dense bush on the side of the road.

  It had taken more time than she expected to take care of business. She looked at her phone and saw it was getting on to seven thirty. The sun was already out and it was going to be a beautiful clear day. She knew she had to get down the peninsula and off the road before anyone stirred. Her neighbors were mostly retired and traffic on the road was little to none most of the time. She had plenty of time to duck into the bush if she heard a car. The road had not been tar sealed and the loose gravel was a good warning indicator.

  She removed her protective gear when she reached her driveway and tucked them into her bag. There had not been a single car in sight. It was such a lovely morning she decided to continue walking down the road towards the Hihi beach. She was curious about what was happening on the beachfront and could hear activity down by the motor camp and presumed the police were preparing for a day of searching the bay.

  When she reached the beach she was shocked at the huge crowd of on lookers and media. She passed the crowd and headed off towards the little lawn park on the other side of the beach. She could observe from there without being noticed. She saw Detective Sergeant Burt arrive and join the other police on the shore. A moment later the local Mangonui Police Constable arrived and was swarmed by the media. Police Divers were preparing for a day underwater.

  She was about to leave when she saw the local police car heading up peninsula road. Shit! She thought. I bet he is going to my place to check on Jenkins. I know he still suspects him. Oh well, it won’t do any harm. I might as well let it be known I am down here in case I need a witness or two. And, with that, Audrey walked over to the nearest group of on lookers and started a conversation.

  “I live just up the road” she said. “I can’t believe this is happening. I do hope they don’t find her in the bay. How awful would that be?”

  Her friendly approach encouraged a deluge of conversation. Before long she had made friends with the crowd and ensured they knew whom she was by the time the local police car returned to the beach.

  Audrey smiled. Her plan was working just fine. She headed up the road thinking of what she would cook for breakfast. She had built up quite an appetite. Pancakes and a cup of tea sounded just perfect. After that she would air out the cabin and get it ready for the next guest. She would place the ad on Trade Me today. Life was looking up.

  C H A P T E R 4 7

  Bruce Bromley was having a cuppa on his deck watching the activity in the bay. His nephew insisted they had it under control but he was itching to get out there. Years as a volunteer fireman had wet his appetite for dealing with emergencies.

  He reached into his pocket and retrieved his old flip up cell phone and dialed his mates up the road. “Wanna come for a ride out into the bay and see if we can give a hand?” he asked. His mates were eager to oblige. They lived a couple of miles up the peninsula road and were ready, hats in hand, within thirty minutes.

  The day was turning into a beauty. Bruce waved at the police boat anchored not far from his beach. They had divers in the water and Bruce stopped his boat to enquire if they could be of any help.

  The police on board suggested they go further up the coast towards Berghans Point. Bruce and the guys had binoculars on board and as they neared the end of the peninsula they got to work. For an hour they scoured the rocky coastline. Steep cliffs protruded from the shoreline to the high ridge above. The water was crystal clear exposing seaweed and a stony seabed.

  At first it looked like a seal had been washed up against the rocks. An unusual shape covered in debris and seaweed could be seen in the far distance near the point. Bruce shouted out to the other guys and pointed.

  “We may have found something!” he shouted as he steered the boat towards the point.

  Before long the area was abuzz with police and helicopters. The media was filming from above. The police were scrambling across the rocks to the body. It was presumed to be Suzy Cunningham but until the body could be officially identified the media could only broadcast that a girl’s body had been found at Berghams Point but had not yet been identified as the missing girl.

  Constable Bromley had a body, which meant he possibly h
ad a homicide on his hands. It would not be long before the cause of death would be known. He doubted any DNA would still be retrievable on the body after being in the water for so long. Maybe he was wrong. The Coroner would carry out a postmortem examination to confirm cause of death. Hopefully forensics will be able to pick up something to assist with finding the person responsible.

  He thought about his “persons of interest” list. At the moment it contained only one name, Gavin Jenkins. It was time to make that second visit to his cabin. As he drove the kilometer up the hill from the beach he thought about how many coincidences tied Jenkins to Suzy. Firstly, his car had been seen near where she disappeared. Secondly, Suzy’s backpack was found floating two beaches along from where his cabin is located. Thirdly, her body - if it is her body, was found on the same peninsula coastline. There were just too many coincidences. Jenkins was involved he just had to prove it.

  C H A P T E R 4 8

  Audrey expected the Constable to return. She was ready and waiting when she heard his patrol car drive up the driveway.

  For the past two hours she had cleaned the cabin of all traces of Gavin. She had picked the first of the spring flowers and placed them in a bright colored jug in the center of the small wood table. The bed was freshly made with ironed linens and the woodwork was polished with sweet swelling oils. She had been quick to place the ad on Trade Me. She even had time to do a quick fix of the surrounding garden and sweep off the deck.

  Audrey had thrown her boot covers and gloves in the fire and watched them burn. They were the last pieces of evidence that could tie her to Gavin’s demise.

  She saw the Constable go directly up to the Cabin and knock at the door. She waited knowing his next move would be to come to the cottage. She opened the door with a happy and welcoming smile.