The Easy Sin. Jon Cleary
of principles they teach in Physical Evidence?’
‘All the time,’ said Malone and gave Norma a smile to show he didn’t mean it. ‘Go on.’
‘I-Saw is on the point of going into receivership. I’d say that is one of the reasons Magee is giving up his lease on this –’ He nodded around them. ‘And why Miss Doolan sacked the maid this morning.’
Malone gave the matter some thought. ‘So Mr Magee could’ve done a bunk, put those kidnap notes on the computer as some sort of joke against our girlfriend?’
‘And killed the maid on the way out?’ asked Norma, still practical-minded. ‘Why?’
Malone knew it was a weak argument: ‘Maybe he had a barney with her and thumped her with the saucepan. Any prints on it?’
‘No. And I don’t buy that argument.’
I’m losing the reins here, thought Malone; and said, ‘Neither do I. You think of a better one?’
Said Kagal, also practical-minded: ‘Why would he be wearing gloves in his own apartment? I mean if he put the messages on the computers as some sort of dirty joke against his girlfriend? Or did he put on gloves to pick up the saucepan to scone the maid?’
Malone sighed. ‘You practical-minded buggers make me tired. Why don’t you have a little Celtic imagination?’
‘I once lived with an Irish ballet dancer.’ Norma shook her head at the horrible memory. ‘He’d get out of bed after sex to riverdance. All stiff arms and ratatatat with his feet.’
‘Riverdancing in bare feet?’ said Malone. ‘You’re kidding us. Righto, we put out an ASM on Magee, let The Rocks do it. We’ll see what comes after that.’
He went back into the living room as a woman came in the open front door and was halted by one of the uniformed men.
‘Yes?’ said Malone.
The woman looked around at all those who were staring at her. ‘What’s going on?’
‘Who are you?’ asked Malone.
‘Caroline Magee.’
‘A relative? His sister?’
‘No,’ said Caroline Magee. ‘His wife.’
There was a gurgling sound from Kylie Doolan, like the last of the bathwater going down the plughole.
4
‘We split up six years ago, in London,’ said Caroline Magee.
‘You’re English?’ asked Malone.
‘No.’ But the vowels had been rounded, she would never sing ‘Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport’. ‘We met there, were married for two years. I’m from Coonabarabran.’
Bush country: but she had brushed off the bindi-eyes and the paddock dust and the slow country drawl. She was a dark auburn version of Kylie Doolan, just a little sleeker, more sophisticated looking. But her eyes were large and frank, if still puzzled.
Malone had explained to her what had happened in the apartment. She had listened without comment, then just shaken her head. Whether in disbelief or expectation, it was hard to guess. But she did not crumble.
‘Have you been in touch with your husband lately?’
‘Yes, over the past couple of months.’
‘Shit!’ said Kylie Doolan.
Up till now neither woman had spoken to each other; indeed, Caroline Magee had hardly looked at Kylie Doolan. Malone, wiser than he played in the ways of women, had held off introducing the two till he saw how far the wife would undermine the girlfriend. He had learned a lot from an observant wife and two sharp-eyed daughters. A cop, he had also learned, could surround himself with less helpful company.
Caroline Magee looked at Kylie. ‘And you are the girlfriend?’ She made girlfriend sound like bimbo. The rounded vowels had spikes, like deep-sea mines.
Paula Decker and John Kagal sat silent; they had seen this before, but it was always worth attention. Women at odds with each other are more interesting than men in the same situation. There is more subtlety; or there was in this case. These two had been in training, though neither had known of the other.
‘Yes. We’ve been together quite a while. Here.’ Kylie looked around, staking out her claim, even though the lease had been cancelled. In, it seemed, more ways than one. ‘He never mentioned you.’
‘That’d be Errol. He always played things close to his flat little chest. Or has he put on weight?’
‘You don’t sound as if you’ve come back to – to take up with him again.’ Kylie’s tone also had spikes.
‘No. He asked me to come back to help him.’
‘In what way?’ asked Kagal.
‘I’m a computer software specialist. I taught Errol all he knows.’ She was sitting on an upright chair, her knees together, her hands holding her handbag on her lap. Yet there was no prim stiffness to her, she looked totally relaxed.
‘You knew he was in trouble?’ said Kagal.
There was a slight hesitation. ‘Yes.’
Kagal looked at Kylie Doolan. ‘You knew, too?’
She had her hesitation. ‘Ye-es.’
‘Well, you have that in common.’ Paula Decker had been silent up till now. She sounded as if she was unimpressed by both women. ‘And Errol, too, of course.’
Caroline Magee looked at her. ‘My interest in my husband is purely business. Or was.’
Kylie snorted, but Mrs Magee just ignored her.
Malone said, ‘Where are you staying? Or were you planning to stay here?’
‘No, she is not staying here!’ Kylie had sat up as if she had been bitten by a spider or something else less welcome than Mrs Magee. ‘No, no!’
‘Of course not.’ Caroline Magee’s smile could have sliced rock. ‘I’m at the Ritz-Carlton, just up the road. Errol booked me in there,’ she added. ‘He wanted me close by.’
Malone could taste the sweet-and-sour. ‘Detective Kagal will escort you back there. You can tell Mrs Magee how much Sydney has changed in the time she’s been away, John.’
‘It’ll be a pleasure,’ said Kagal, who was the only one to have caught Malone’s wink.
Caroline Magee stood up. ‘You truly don’t know where Errol is?’
‘No, we don’t know,’ said Malone. ‘I’m hoping he may call you at the Ritz-Carlton. You’ll let us know, of course.’
‘Of course.’ She had an elegance to her that Kylie Doolan, no matter how many designer labels she wore, would never have. She had come a long, long way from Coonabarabran. ‘Am I going to be under police surveillance?’
Malone wondered what she knew about police surveillance. ‘Not unless you ask for it.’
‘No, thank you.’ She gave Kylie Doolan another false smile. ‘Nice meeting you, Miss Doolan. Pity it’s all over.’
She left with John Kagal. The PE team had moved out, the Crime Scene tapes were up, there were only two uniformed officers, Paula Decker and Malone left. And Kylie Doolan.
‘What a bitch!’ said Kylie.
‘Errol really never mentioned her?’ said Paula Decker.
‘Never!’ Kylie looked as if she was about to shiver apart with anger. ‘How could he be so – so –’