Deadly Deceit Read online

  Deadly Deceit

  Foxy Mysteries, Volume 3

  Fiona Tarr

  Published by Fiona Tarr, 2021.

  This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

  DEADLY DECEIT

  First edition. December 1, 2021.

  Copyright © 2021 Fiona Tarr.

  ISBN: 979-8201895907

  Written by Fiona Tarr.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  1

  2

  3

  4

  5

  6

  7

  8

  9

  10

  11

  12

  13

  14

  15

  16

  17

  18

  19

  20

  21

  22

  23

  24

  25

  26

  27

  28

  29

  30

  31

  32

  33

  Review and Follow

  Books by Fiona Tarr

  1

  The tall, lanky redhead pulled out a bar stool and took a seat at the long island bench. ‘What case are you working on now?’ Connie swirled her glass of wine as Liz pulled the roast chicken out of the oven and stabbed it with a long, stainless-steel skewer.

  ‘I have a few on the go.’ Liz had only been in the PI business a few months, but she’d already solved a murder and found two kidnap victims. ‘Mostly boring, run-of-the-mill stuff. You know, insurance fraud, corporate extortion. I got that case from Jackie’s dad believe it or not.’

  Connie laughed. ‘Oh, how does his wife feel about that?’

  Liz shrugged. ‘I don’t think Jackie’s adoptive mum knows much about anything that goes on around her to be honest. It seems there is plenty her husband doesn’t tell her.’ Liz winked and Connie giggled. They both knew Liz had recently done some digging and discovered her daughter’s adoptive dad had been a client of her escort agency.

  ‘Well, that new client, the one Ted referred, has his first date this Friday. I’ve paired him up with Amanda. He was hard work to begin with. He seemed fixated on you for some reason, but I managed to convince him you weren’t taking new clients and that Amanda would look after him just as well.’

  ‘Somehow I doubt that.’ Liz flicked her hair and pouted, putting on her best sexy pose. Connie spat her wine back into her glass before allowing herself a choking laugh, a wine spill crisis, barely averted.

  ‘You miss the escort work, don’t you?’ Connie asked as she lifted her glass to the light and studied her wine to make sure it was still safe to drink.

  Liz shrugged. ‘I’m still working, just not as often.’

  ‘Ah ha.’ Connie grinned as Liz began to dish up the food.

  ‘What?’

  ‘I’ve not seen a client on your personal calendar for weeks.’

  Liz shrugged. ‘I’ve been pre-occupied with my case load. Linking that kidnapping with two murders in Victoria was huge.’

  ‘Nothing at all to do with Detective Jack Cunningham.’ It wasn’t a question and Liz frowned.

  ‘In a manner of speaking yes. I’ve been helping figure out who tried to kill his dad, not that I think much of his father, but Jack is trying to uncover the motive. Is it related to a case the Judge tried or is it to do with his dirty dealings? The more we dig, the more we discover what Judge Bruce Cunningham has his fingers into.’

  ‘And I’m sure the detective couldn’t manage to figure it out without you and Max helping. It’s not like he hasn’t been a detective for over a decade or anything.’

  ‘Oh shut up and drink your wine.’ Liz refilled Connie’s glass before opening the top drawer to get cutlery out. Her friend watched her closely, waiting for her to offer more, but Liz wasn’t going there.

  ‘Do you want gravy?’ Connie shrugged, realising Liz was purposefully changing the subject.

  ‘Sure, why not. How’s Jackie doing anyway?’ Connie let the matter go, opting for a safer subject.

  ‘She’s great, heading into her final exam period soon, so she’s head down, bum up studying. Final exams will be done and dusted by September, but law is so full on, it’s taking all her spare time.’

  ‘Intense. I’m so glad I let the study go. I don’t think my heart was really in it anyway.’

  ‘Are you going okay now that you’re helping me manage the agency? It’s not taking up too much of your spare time, is it?’

  ‘Stop worrying Liz. I wouldn’t have agreed to come on as partner if I didn’t want to do it. I’m enjoying it, really.’

  Liz offered Connie her plate and walked around the wide stone kitchen island, pulling up a stool alongside her friend.

  ‘Thanks. I don’t know how I’d be managing everything without your help. Since discovering Jackie was my daughter and her wanting to spend time with me as her biological mother, then Becca’s murder and getting myself sucked into that, I’ve been a tad overloaded.’ Liz didn’t often open up about her limitations, but Connie had been one of her closest friends for years—since Liz had rescued her from her abusive partner and given her work in the agency.

  Connie cut a piece of chicken and layered mashed potato on top of her fork. ‘I get it. You’ve been the madam of Foxy Escorts for over twenty years and being a PI is new and exciting. I say go for it, enjoy yourself. You’ve earnt it and I appreciate you bringing me in. The money is great and I’m not getting any younger, taking on new clients wasn’t really an option for me anymore.’

  The women both laughed. Neither of them could keep up the escort work forever. Liz was getting close to fifty and Connie was less than a decade behind.

  Connie put her fork full of food in her mouth and Liz was about to do the same when her smart-watch vibrated on her wrist. She looked at the screen, recognising Max’s number.

  ‘I better get this.’ She put her cutlery down and picked up her mobile which was vibrating on the large, formal dining table behind her.

  ‘Yep?’

  ‘Gotta love your friendly phone manner.’ Max sounded agitated.

  ‘I’m in the middle of dinner with Connie.’

  ‘Oh, sorry. This is important.’

  ‘Okay, what do you need?’ She should have realised it was urgent. Max seldom bothered her at home, even since they’d started working together in her new investigation business. An ex-cop and her ex-husband, they were still getting used to the new arrangement.

  ‘It’s Jack. He’s been arrested.’

  ‘That’s impossible. He’s a senior detective, why the hell would anyone arrest him?’

  ‘It’s bad Liz. The Bikie Task Force raided his house and they say they found drugs. Like father, like son they said.’

  ‘That’s bullshit. How did you find out?’ Liz was pacing her polished porcelain tiled floor, her Ugg-boot slippers slapping the tiles. Connie had stopped eating and was sitting on the edge of her chair, an intense frown on her face as she patiently waited to find out what was wrong.

  ‘Jenny. She called me a few minutes ago. They’ve brought in Internal Affairs and pulled him and Jenny off the investigation into who poisoned his dad.’

  ‘Of course they have. How convenient.’

  ‘Exactly. Look, we need to meet up with Jenny. I’ll contact Jack’s mum and get a good lawyer organised.’

  ‘Nope. I’ve got that covered. I’ll make a call now. Get Jenny and meet me here first thing in the morning. I need to do some research and call in a few favours first.’

  ‘Got it.’ There was a moment of silence, and Max didn’t hang up
right away. ‘Liz, I’m sorry. I should have seen this coming.’

  ‘It’s not your fault Max. He’s your ex -partner, your friend, I’m sorry he’s in trouble just as much as you are. See you at eight sharp.’ Liz hung up and turned to Connie.

  ‘Jack’s in a shit load of trouble.’

  2

  Liz pressed the button to open her blinds. Winter was in full swing now, outside looking grey and gloomy, reflecting her mood. She flicked on the heating on her way to the kitchen, where she turned on the coffee machine.

  A quick glance at her watch told her she had fifteen minutes up her sleeve, just enough time to make coffee for everyone and prepare a quick breakfast.

  Opening the fridge, Liz let her mind wander. Jack under arrest. That just left a bad taste in her mouth. Of all the police officers she’d ever met, Jack was as clean as they came. He didn’t even accept her buying him coffee when they met for fear of being accused of bribery. There was no way he was mixed up in any of this. A total stitch up, likely someone who wanted to keep him off his dad’s corruption investigation.

  The cold air falling from the fridge brought her back to reality. Collecting the butter, she put a few slices of toast on and pressed her favourite coffee selection on her automatic coffee machine.

  The door buzzer sounded just as she was getting the caramel syrup Detective Williams loved so much out of the pantry. Liz leant over and checked the camera on her benchtop tablet to make sure it was who she was expecting. Two familiar faces, looked sombrely at her through the fisheye lens. Liz, caramel syrup still in hand walked over to the door and let the detective and former detective in.

  ‘I’m just making coffee, assuming you both want one?’

  ‘Yes please.’ Jenny joined Liz in the kitchen. ‘Can I help?’

  ‘If you want some toast, then help yourself.’

  ‘I’ve eaten, thanks. Max, you want something?’ Jenny looked over her shoulder as Max pulled a stool out at the kitchen counter and slumped heavily onto the seat.

  ‘You know me, I’m always hungry.’ He forced a smile and Liz could see he’d not slept well.

  ‘The lawyer, my lawyer, will be visiting Jack this morning. She’ll have him out on bail in a flash. I can’t believe they held him overnight.’ Liz was still fuming.

  ‘I haven’t had a chance to speak with the chief yet. Surely he wouldn’t have pushed to remand him in custody?’ Jenny didn’t look at all sure as she put two slices of bread in the toaster for Max.

  Liz handed two coffees across the kitchen bench and started buttering her toast.

  ‘Don’t speak to the Chief Jenny. I’m not sure who we can trust right now.’ Max took a sip of his coffee and wiped the froth from his lips before continuing. ‘Liz knows him from way back. What do you think?’

  ‘I think we keep our cards close to our chest. Jenny, if you can keep an eye on department gossip and Max, you and I can work our own investigation. I’ve already made a few calls. If the Bikie Task Force is involved, then they were tipped off by someone. We just need to find out who that someone was.’

  Liz put Vegemite on her toast and took her coffee to a seat at the counter. More toast popped behind Jenny and she picked it out, put it on a plate and handed it to Max, together with the butter and a few options to top it off.

  ‘It’s pretty weird that the Bikie Task Force raided Jack’s house. Why them? Is there a link to Jack’s dad’s case or did someone frame Jack to get him off another case? Max buttered his toast and put honey on top, so thick that it ran off the edges as he picked it up to take a bite.

  ‘I don’t know Max, but whoever it was feels more comfortable with the Task Force running the investigation, and not Jack. Or could it be related to another case Jenny?’ Liz took a breath, considering the situation.

  ‘We don’t have much on at the moment, but it could be a past case?’

  Liz finished a bite of toast and took a sip of coffee. ‘I spoke to a former Bikie acquaintance. He said the word is that the Judge was tied up with the Harlequins outlaw bikie gang, maybe Jack figured out it was them who tried to kill his dad? They’d have the drugs handy to plant. Who would know where Jack was at in his investigation?’ Liz directed the question to Jenny.

  ‘We don’t share offices with the Task Force, so no one from that department would have known what Jack was following up on. He wasn’t even really sharing his investigation with me, not in detail anyway. He never mentioned bikies to me.’

  ‘Was he the only detective in Major Crimes on it? Surely he wasn’t lead on his dad’s case?’ Max licked the honey from his fingers and Liz threw him a hand towel, a scowl on her face. ‘I’m surprised he was on the case at all.’

  ‘He wasn’t. Rickard and Johnnie were. It wasn’t our case.’

  ‘This isn’t making any sense. The Bikie Task Force must have just been a tip-off, nothing to do with investigating the Judge’s attempted murder, but why them? Why not regular police? We need to speak with Jack. He’s stepped on someone’s toes.’ Liz took another sip of coffee.

  ‘That sounds more like something you’d do.’ Max teased Liz rolled her eyes, failing to see the funny side.

  ‘Jenny, can you go to work today, sniff around, carefully, and see what the detectives on Jack’s dad’s case know so far? Max, if you can meet Jack when he’s released on bail, I’ll keep digging into why the Bikie Task Force has been roped into this.’

  ‘Be careful Liz, Bikies aren’t known for their subtle warnings. If you find anything, anything at all, let me know before you make a move. The Harlequins aren’t small time. They have connections to international crime gangs and they killed that detective in Western Australia with a car-bomb back in the early two-thousands.’ Max looked worried as he used the towel to do a final wipe of his hands and moved towards the door, Jenny joining him.

  ‘I’ll be careful this time Max. I promise.’

  ‘You better be Liz. This isn’t amateur detective hour. The Harlequins play for keeps.’

  ‘We don’t know the local bikie gang is even involved Max. I’ll catch up with you and Jack at lunch.’

  ‘Got it.’ Max opened the door and exited, Jenny grabbed her jacket and joined him. Liz watched the door close and hoped deep down that the Harlequins weren’t involved because if they were, things were going to get ugly.

  ********

  Jack rubbed his wrists as he walked into the grey dull daylight outside the courthouse. Liz’s lawyer had been magic to watch. She must have spent half the night preparing for the bail hearing.

  ‘You look like shit,’ Max offered as he passed a coffee to his ex-partner, meeting him halfway up the granite stairs.

  ‘I don’t feel much better mate. Didn’t sleep a wink last night, not that it was advisable. Holding wasn’t exactly full of my best buddies.’

  ‘Anyone touch you?’ Max puffed out his chest as though he was ready to knock heads.

  ‘No mate. Seems even they believed I might be involved in organised crime, so weren’t game enough to touch me just in case. Maybe dad’s reputation preceded me.’ Jack took a long, slow sip of his cappuccino not even concerned it was in a disposable cup, not his reusable mug. Every muscle in his body seemed to relax as he swallowed.

  ‘Jenny’s keeping her head down, but her ears open. Liz is, well,’ Max shrugged and grinned, ‘being Liz. She’s got contacts, as you can guess, even in the bikie world. Any idea why the Bikie Task Force raided you?’

  ‘I’ve got a few ideas. Nothing concrete yet.’

  ‘Yet! You’ve been hamstrung mate. You might have to sit this one out on the bench.’

  ‘Not happening. I’ll keep a low profile because I don’t want to stuff up my bail conditions but I’m going to nail the bastard who set me up.’ Jack drank the rest of his coffee as they got into Max’s company car. The car still smelt like new and Jack marvelled that Max hadn’t sullied the ashtray on the silver sports model Mazda yet.

  ‘How did the bail hearing play out? You’ve pissed off
a few big wigs lately. With Judge McDonald being busted and the federal MP having to roll over on him in that missing girl case, and sniffing out your dad’s operation when Liz’s friend was killed, you’ve upset a few top dogs lately. Two corrupt Judges in a matter of months, I hope you found a good one for your hearing?’

  ‘It wasn’t easy, but I’m pretty lucky both Liz and you believed I wasn’t involved. Thanks for that by the way.’

  ‘Never doubted you. Not for a second. Rickard and Johnnie, they’re doing a good job looking into your old man’s case?’

  ‘My dad keeps a pretty tight ship Max. You of all people should know that. I’ve not been able to find a shred of evidence connecting him with anything illegal, so why would anyone try to kill him? He wasn’t a liability for anyone! I doubt either detective has found a reason any more than I have.’

  ‘Well, you’ve been set up, so someone thought you knew something. Maybe it’s related to another case? We’ll keep digging.’ Max started the car and pulled out of Victoria Square away from the courthouse heading to Glenelg and Jack’s seaside apartment. ‘Guessing you want a shower and to get your car before we meet Liz.’

  ‘You guessed it. I’m not sure I want Liz poking around in this Max. It smells really dirty and she’s nearly got herself killed twice now.’

  ‘I don’t think you have a choice mate, but I warned her to be extra careful on this one. She knows the bikie scene Jack. I think she’ll wait before rushing in if she finds anything.’

  ‘I hope so. I don’t know what I found, but someone is trying to mess up my reputation. Not sure if it’s anything to do with dad’s poisoning. It could just be, like you said, I’ve upset a few top dogs lately.’

  3

  Liz checked her phone. She read the message again and wondered if she was being careful enough. She put the phone back in the waterproof pouch strapped to her arm and continued jogging along the concrete pathway that followed the River Torrens through the beautiful parklands.