Return to Moondilla by Tony Parsons

Author:Tony Parsons
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Published: 2014-12-18T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Chief stood on the back seat of Julie Rankin’s car with his head between the front seats, enjoying himself as his master gave him scratches behind the ears. Baxter was incredibly proud of the shepherd for spotting Drew’s body.

Baxter didn’t say much on the short drive out to Riverview, and he noticed Julie glancing at him several times. ‘You okay, Greg?’ she asked at last.

‘I’m okay, Julie. Just lost in thought about Jack Drew and Moondilla. It’s all a damned shame. Mum will soon be telling me “I told you so”. She said I wouldn’t find it the same sleepy, peaceful place it was when we lived here.’

‘Well, you’ll be pleased to hear I’ve got some good news.’ Julie smiled. ‘I contacted Ian Latham today, and he told me that they’re on the verge of catching the drug peddlers. So I wouldn’t worry too much about that, Greg.’

‘That’s terrific news,’ Baxter said, returning her smile for a moment. Then he sobered again. ‘They might clean them up here, but there’ll always be drug pushers. The big money gets them in.’

Julie sighed. ‘True enough.’

They were approaching Riverview. ‘You can drop me at the gate and I’ll jog from there,’ Baxter said, expecting her to want to head back to work.

But when Julie braked and pulled up, she turned to him and said, ‘Jack Drew wasn’t involved in drugs. Not that we know of, anyway.’

‘Drew’s murder was probably for a very different reason. Someone told me that it’s common knowledge Campanelli had sworn to “get” Drew.’

‘That’s the story, Greg. But why would Campanelli risk his position here for someone like Jack Drew? It doesn’t make sense.’

‘It doesn’t have to make sense. Sometimes it’s revenge and sometimes it’s an ego thing: “I’m top of the heap and nobody makes me look small and gets away with it.” That’s the code of the Mafia. Maybe Campanelli needed to exert himself to pull others into line. He’s playing for big stakes. Add the fact that he has the hots for Liz—well, he could kill two birds with one stone.’

‘Three birds, if he’d been able to frame you for murder as part of the bargain.’

Julie’s eyes flashed with anger, it seemed on Baxter’s behalf. He wanted to reach out and take her hand, but instead decided a change of topic was needed.

‘How is Liz taking Jack’s death?’ he asked.

‘Not very well. You’d imagine that she might be relieved to be rid of him, after the way he knocked her around, but they liked each other well enough when he was sober—and as far as I know, he hadn’t been on the grog since that last beating you gave him.’

Baxter nodded. ‘Yes, Liz told me that.’

‘The other thing is, she’s frightened of Campanelli,’ Julie said gravely. ‘She knows he wants her, and that he has a bad reputation with women. I think she even saw him in action on one occasion. She’s dead scared he’ll come for her now she hasn’t got her husband to protect her.

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