The Portrait of Molly Dean by Katherine Kovacic

Author:Katherine Kovacic [Kovacic, Katherine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Hound, True crime, History, Melbourne, 1930s, Painting, Woman sleuth, Art restoration, Mollie Dean, Fiction, Art, Unsolved murder, Molly Dean, Murder, Colin Calahan, Sleuth
ISBN: 9781760409807
Publisher: Echo
Published: 2018-01-06T23:55:47+00:00

1999

I leave John to his Dutch painting and head off to East Melbourne. I have an appointment at eleven to catalogue and value a private collection, which I’m hoping the owners may want to sell. The traffic down Punt Road is not too bad for mid-morning, but the slow speed still gives me plenty of time to think about Molly Dean and John’s theory. It would explain a lot of things, especially the dropping of all charges against Adam Graham. But I’m not sure about John’s idea that the murders of Mena Griffiths and Hazel Wilson were used as a distraction, masking the real story behind Molly’s death. The next time cars in front of me grind to a halt, I grab my voice recorder from the passenger seat. The traffic immediately starts to move and it’s a moment before we stop again and I press record.

‘If Adam Graham isn’t guilty, did the killer target Molly specifically or was it just a random thing? Is Molly’s murder related to the other attacks in the area and why did those attacks stop not long after Molly’s death? Check similarities between Molly, Mena and Hazel’s deaths. Was Mena and/or Hazel’s killer identified? Who knew Molly was going to the theatre that night? Why didn’t Detective Lambell keep pursuing Adam Graham after the initial trial was abandoned?’

I drop the recorder again so I can make the turn into Hotham Street. I pass the Johnston Collection, a lovely little house museum, and pull up in front of my client’s home, a Gothic Revival fully restored to show off the beauty of its bluestone and the whimsy of the gingerbread trim. I put all thoughts of Molly out of my head as I grab my phone, camera, measuring tape and laptop, and lock the car. The client, or at least one half of the client couple, meets me at the door.

‘I saw you pull up. Here. You’d better put this on your dash; the inspectors are like vampires around here.’ He hands me a residential parking permit and I see a flash of French cuff and delicate double cufflinks. Good taste which hopefully extends to the art collection.

‘Thank you. I won’t be a moment.’ I hurry back to the car and place the permit prominently on the passenger side of the dashboard before turning back to the house. ‘Hello?’ The guy has disappeared so I step through the open door and close it behind me. I hear a skittering of paws and claws on marble and a whippet slaloms round the far corner of the hall and heads toward me.

‘Jade, sweetie! Sorry hope you don’t mind dogs!’ My host is hot on the dog’s heels, but by the time he appears, she’s already jumping all over me.

‘Love dogs, especially a divine hound like Miss Jade.’ I crouch down to give her a proper pat, running my hands over her lean white and tan flanks. She squirms with delight.

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