CHAPTER 19 - CONTINUED

Jax positioned himself in front of the TV waiting for the news feed to loop back around. He sipped on his coffee, waiting.

‘The Dawn Phenomenon’, the anchor said, around one minute later, the news feed he wanted scrolled into view.  Jax’s mouth fell open as he read, ‘Body discovered in shallow grave near Airey Inlet in Oolong’s South - West.’

His stunned eyes followed the headline across the screen until it disappeared from view.

‘What the….’ he blurted.

Jax quickly returned to his desk, balancing his coffee as he walked.

‘Anyone hear anything about a body found near Airey’s Inlet?’ Jax said when he burst into the Bull pen, still balancing his coffee, most of which had spilled along the way. Same response as the kitchen.

Jax looked up the phone number for the Angelsea police station. While the ring tone chirped in his ear, his hopeful eyes glanced to Dale Cartwright’s photo. The call answered.

Following the usual exchange of introductions and banal greetings, Jax continued with the purpose of his call.

‘Um. A local female came into the police station early this morning and reported finding the body. She said she was walking with her dog along the cliff top track, just south of Airey’s Inlet there.

‘The dog apparently ran off to the side of the track and showed interest in something. He started to dig, as dogs do. When she went to investigate, she saw her dog and uncovered what she thought was a human foot.

‘Our Sergeant went down there to investigate. It appears that the heavy, unseasonal rains of late washed away some of the sandy soil to partially expose the foot. It was in a shallow grave, just off to the side of the walking track.’

‘Is the body male, or female…?’

‘Male, I believe.’

‘Any idea on ID?’

‘Not as yet… They’re waiting for the forensic body recovery team to arrive from Oolong. You guys should’ve been told about this by now…’

‘No one here knew anything about it,’ Jax said. ‘I only found out from the news feed on TV.’

‘Shit. That’s ordinary. I heard the sarge say over the radio only a short time ago that he had to notify Oolong CIDS of the find… Obviously he hasn’t done that yet.’

‘Alright. I’ll wander down there. Where am I going…?’

‘No..’

‘OK. Put Eagle’s Nest Parade into your GPS… You get to it off Boundary Road. You’re looking for a sign to The Point Lookout. There should be police and their vehicles in the car park there.

‘You’ll have to park and make your way down to the cliff top track, to an area about two hundred meters east of the lookout. Our sarge is still down there.’

Jax scribbled the directions. ‘OK. Got it thanks for that.’

With his clipboard under an arm and a hand shoved in his pocket, Jax trudged along the gravel cliff top track, back towards Angelsea.

The salty breeze atop of the elevated cliff was strong. The picturesque coastal vista of rolling waves and endless snaking sands was lost on the distracted Jax.

The general area he searched for wasn’t too difficult to find. A news media chopper hovered up ahead, like a vulture with a sniff of carrion.

Around two hundred meters along, he came across the sergeant and a senior constable from the Angelsea police, chatting with two workers, dressed in their trademark orange jump suits. An area of the path had been cordoned off with police tape.

‘Hey, Dan. What have we got?’ Jax said.

‘Hey, Jax. Are you psychic, or something? I was just going to call you guys.’

Jax lifted his chin at the circling chopper. ‘They beat ya too it, mate. I saw it on the TV news feed.’

‘Oh, Shit. Sorry, mate. You guys were next on my call list.’

‘All’s good. I’m here now. What’ve we got?’

The sergeant gestured to the north side of the track. ‘A dog partially uncovered the left foot of a body in a shallow grave over there. I reckon it’s a males’ leg, but I can’t be certain at this stage. The forensic guys are en-route to dig it up,’ Dan said.

Jax opened his file and removed the photo of Dale Cartwright. He handed it to Dan. ‘I think you’re spot on, mate,’ Jax said. ‘If I’m not mistaken, that there is your guy in the hole.’

The sergeant accepted the photo and glanced at it.

‘Missing Person…?’

Jax nodded. ‘Yeah. Missing since January this year….’

Dan flicked a finger at the body. ‘Looks like the excess water runoff from those torrential rains we had down here over recent days, followed the natural slope towards the cliff face, and in doing so, washed away the soil to expose the foot. Doesn’t look like a great deal of care was taken to bury the body,’ Dan said.

Jax scanned the surrounds. ‘The area is remote enough that they didn’t have to. If not for the rain, it would still be covered,’ Jax said.

It quickly became evident to Jax why their previous line searches failed to locate Dale Cartwright’s body. Dale’s mountain bike was found on the west side of Airey’s Inlet, on a track towards Fairhaven. So that was where the previous search focused. This body had been located on the east side of Airey’s Inlet, closer to Angelsea; a distance separated by several kilometers.

The forensic body recovery team erected a tent over the shallow grave site to protect it from the elements, while the team worked to slowly expose the body.

While watching the dig, Jax glanced up at the second media chopper that had arrived and hovered out over the ocean, near the first chopper.

The dirt around the body was carefully removed and sifted for evidence. Following the slow and tedious process, the fully clothed body was eventually uncovered from the soil. Photos were taken and it was removed from the hole and placed onto a stretcher.

Jax compared the file photo to the body. It was unmistakably the body of Dale Cartwright. He even wore the same Lycra bike pants and riding top, as those depicted in the photo.

The shrinking, decomposing skin failed to mask the large wound visible in Dale’s neck. His throat had been cut. That Cause of Death was a match to four of the other six victims on obvious defensive wounds to this arms and hands.

As he waited for forensics to do their thing. Jax couldn’t help but consider that if Kimberly Davis did kill Dale Cartwright, why were her notes vague as to the body’s location?

In fact, the list failed to narrow down any specific location. It was the finding of Dale’s mountain bike that provided an initial search area, not Kimberly’s list. And the cliff top area where Jax now stood was in no way referred in Kimberly’s list.

Was this apparent vagueness in Kimberly’s list a ploy to mask her complicity? Or could the obvious answer be that Kimberly really was psychic and she relied on what she was told by the ghost of Dale Cartwright?

Try as he may, to openly consider that possibility, it was extremely difficult for Jax. That was an improbable option that conflicted heavily with his disbelief and the afterlife.

Once the body was loaded and transported and the area cleared, Jax door knocked on the houses that lined Eagle’s Nest Parade. Some houses were vacant holiday homes, while others were principal residences.

He showed the photos of Dale Cartwright and Kimberly Davis to those who answered his door knocks. Most of the residents he spoke to were beyond retirement age. None had seen either person before.

On his way back into Angelsea, Jax visited the woman whose dog discovered Dale Cartwright’s body. During his chat he learned she walked that track daily, rain or shine, and had done so far the last five years. She never noticed, or had any reason to notice that shallow grave before today.

Jax showed the woman the photos of Kimberly and Dale. She too had never seen either person before.

Back in the office, Jax capped the red whiteboard marker and stepped back to admire his sign writing work. He now had a complete set.

Every photo displayed the ‘LOCATED DECEASED’ notation. Kimberly Davis now faced seven counts of murder.

Duncan Jervis wedged the telephone receiver between his ear and shoulder as his fingers walked through his file. He lifted a page. Kimberly patiently watched on from her side of the box.

‘The committal hearing is scheduled for…’ he read from the page. ‘Ahhh… the 12th December. So what’s that…?’ He asked himself as he checked his open diary. ‘Five weeks,’ he said answering his own question.

‘What does that mean… a committal?’ Kimberly said into her telephone.

‘Evidence will be presented to a magistrate, just like in a normal court case, but in a committal, the magistrate is not required to make a finding on your guilt or innocence. He, or she will decide if sufficient evidence exists to commit the case to stand trial before a judge and jury,’ Duncan said.

Duncan was an educated man who was articulate and spoke with a clarity and well - rounded enunciation befitting an ‘English Royal’. He was easy to listen to and instantly instilled a confidence in Kimberly that she had the right lawyer for the job.

‘What if the magistrate thinks there is not enough evidence for a trial?’ Kimberly said.

‘If that was the case, then the magistrate would dismiss all charges.’

‘Do you think I have a chance of that happening?’

Duncan held Kimberly’s gaze. Kimberly noted the long pause in his response. ‘Look. I think the police case is weak…’ Duncan eventually said. ‘It is circumstantial at best. But ….’

‘Does it look bad for me if I can’t provide alibis for when these people went missing….’

‘Not at all. It is not unreasonable for the court to accept, without prejudice that you unable to recall your whereabouts for dates up to two years ago.’

‘So… Even though it’s a circumstantial case… you think I’ll still be sent to trial, don’t you?’

Duncan held Kimberly’s questioning gaze. ‘You are charged with seven counts of murder. It would be a brave magistrate who dismissed all seven counts of murder. My gut says… the magistrate would rather make a judge and jury make that decision and so…yes, I think they’ll send it up.’

‘So, you’re saying, regardless of whether I’m innocent or not, a magistrate will still send me to trial…?’

Duncan firmly shook his head. ‘No. That’s not what I’m saying. If during the committal we can successfully present our defence to demonstrate your innocence, then the magistrate would have no choice but to dismiss all charges. If our defence is weak, the magistrate will send it to trial and let a judge and jury decide.’

‘I see,’ Kimberly said. ‘So, I’ll ask you again,’ Kimberly said with a tone firming with frustration. ‘Do you think I will be committed to trial?’

‘That is what I wanted to talk to you about today,’ Duncan said. ‘Do you think there is any way we can prove that you have the ability to speak to people from the afterlife?’

Kimberly rolled frustrated eyes. She lowered the phone while she gathered her thoughts. There had not been a night during the long lonely hours of lockdown that she hadn’t tried to think of how she could prove these people visited her.

She lifted the phone and glared at her lawyer.

‘Don’t you think if I could prove it, I would’ve done so by now? It would’ve got me out of here.’

Duncan held up a placating hand. ‘I understand. I won’t sugar-coat this, Kimberly. That is the basis of our defence. Prove these visits and the police case falls over. It we fail to prove it, the question gets asked about how you knew where these bodies were located and we will invariably go to trial.’

Kimberly sighed. ‘Apart from my husband, I have thought about little else while I’ve been in here.’ Kimberly cupped her forehead. After several beats passed, she ran a hand through her fringe.

‘How can I possibly prove something that happens inside my head?’ She fell back in her chair. Her body language conceded defeat.

‘Have you spoken to any other dead people, other than the seven names you gave police?’

‘No.’

‘OK.’ Duncan’s face tightened as he jotted some notes. ‘And these seven were the first time you had experienced any contact with the afterlife…?’ He said as a question.

‘That’s right.’

‘Why do you think that was the case?’

‘What was the case?’

‘The only dead people who you have had contact with were the seven people you have been charged with murdering?’

Kimberly straightened in her chair. ‘I don’t know. Maybe because they were all missing from Oolong and I live in Oolong.’ She glared at Duncan through the window. ‘Do you think I’m guilty?’

‘That’s not what I’m saying at all. I’m asking you a question that a judge would surely ask at a trial. I need to know what you would say… How you would answer that question.’

‘I can’t,’ Kimberly said. ‘I can’t control who from the afterlife seeks me out.’

Duncan nodded unconvincingly as he scribbled notes.

‘Have you undertaken any training coursed to further develop your mediumship skills?’ Duncan said. ‘These would show you believed you had, and were serious about developing your unique skills.’

‘No. I never bothered. It took me a long time to even know what I was experiencing. It wasn’t until I went to a medium seminar that I learned what was happening.’

‘WAIT. So you attended a medium seminar? When was that?’

‘Um. Back in June. The seminar was held by this medium by the name of …. Molly Williamson. She dragged me up on stage and discussed my skills.’

Duncan frantically scribbled notes. ‘This is good. This is good.’ he said. ‘So… You went up on stage? On your own, or with other people?’

‘Just me. She interviewed me about my visits.’

Duncan scribbled. ‘Was there an attendance fee charged?’

‘Of course. She travels South Africa with her seminars. We paid Two fifty rands each. So it cost Boyd and me Five hundred rands.’

‘Boyd went with you…?’

Duncan asked. He scribbled notes.

‘Yes.’

‘This is good. This is good,’ he said continuing to scribble. ‘Any other research?’

‘No.’

Kimberly startled at the firm knock on the door to her visit box.

Duncan checked his watch ‘OK. I’ve got a few things I want to follow up on,’ Duncan said. He gathered up his paperwork. ‘We’ll meet again in a week or so, OK.’

Kimberly nodded. ‘Thank you.’ She was vulnerable.

She had no idea what she was doing and relied heavily on Duncan’s advice and expertise.

The door behind her opened. ‘Time,’ the guard said.

Kimberly hung up her phone and stood. At the door she turned back to Duncan and waved then stepped from the box. Her future was in Duncan’s hands. She was drowning and he held the life buoy. It was up to him to get it to her and save her life.