Blossoms in the Wind Page 10

  "Why was there a towel covering his neck?" she asked the pathologist.

  The man glanced across at the detective who just nodded. "Your ex-husband was shot, Mrs Sutton. We thought it was discrete to cover the wound."

  "I wish to see," Chloe said.

  She watched as the doctor pulled the sheet back and moved the towel aside. The skin had been cleaned up so the wound in the throat looked like one round hole with exposed flesh and two stitches as if someone had cut out the bullet. "So it was no drowning accident?"

  "We believe he was dead before entering the water. There was no water in his lungs," the pathologist replied.

  She gulped, thoughts went back her the last time she was pregnant with Jeff. That was when everything began to go wrong and when she learnt about David's affairs and there were several simultaneously, all young attractive women who had one advantage over her at that time. They were not pregnant!

  "You were a bastard David," she whispered and turned to Gloria. "For all his talk and confidence he was an arrogant fool and control freak. My son rescued me from his clutches, you know. Jeff is now a man who perhaps inherited his father's confidence. Luckily, though, the other traits his father processed are not there You know the battered children who grow up to become the abuser for another generation?" She noticed the detective stare at her. "No, I did not kill him if that is going through your mind. David was a ruthless businessman who had many enemies. However, for what my opinion is worth, I think that it was some poor woman who could not stand the abuse and bullying who snapped and retaliated in self defence."

  "Thank you Chloe," Gloria said. "We'll take you home now but may need to speak to you at a later date."

  As they walked towards the door, Chloe felt something happening. There was a spasm of pain through her back and she felt slightly disorientated. She reached out and grabbed a nearby towel rack for support. How embarrassing! Water soaked her briefs, flowed down her legs, into her sneakers and onto surrounding floor.

  "Is something wrong, Chloe?" the detective asked.

  Chloe realised she was bent over so placed a hand on her hips and straighten up, just as another spasm pain shook her lower body.

  "I'm fine," she almost panted. "I won't need a ride home though. Perhaps you get an orderly to help me along to the maternity ward. My baby has decided to come a couple of weeks early."

  CHAPTER 10

  At Switched on Components, Adrian's company, work in December tended to taper off for most of the contracts for the year had been completed. At the moment he was trying to sort out the problems with a bicycle wholesale company with the distribution of their product throughout the country during the Christmas rush.

  The problem was not in the software he had designed and installed for the firm but in the personnel who operated it. He had already been back with the firm several times to train the workers and had made alterations to become as easy as possible for a lay person to follow but a new employee had manage to transfer the container order over a thousand kilometres away to their Christchurch branch in the South Island. It arrived from China on time in November but at Lyttelton, Christchurch's port rather than in Auckland where most of the bikes were to be distributed.

  Though it wasn't strictly anything to do with his contact with the firm, Adrain stepped in to help get the bikes to their destinations before Christmas. Rather than a somewhat piecemeal effort the firm was attempting to do, he contacted a small coastal shipping company, another of his customers, and through some electronic manipulation had the whole container transferred to one of their vessels and brought north to Auckland. Without his help it would have taken six weeks for the various companies to get the container north but it had arrived and at this moment was at the company's Auckland warehouse.

  The relieved manager had just called to thank him for his efforts. Adrian grinned at Ava who had just started a summer job with the firm. Her exams were over and seniors did not have to return to school after these were completed.

  "One satisfied customer," he said.

  "So how did you manage it Dad?" Ava asked.

  Adrain smiled. "Got the computers from four companies to talk to each other."

  Ava laughed. "And sliced through a lot of red tape in the process?"

  Their conversation was interrupted when his iPhone buzzed. This was his personal phone that had a different ring tone than the business mobile he also used.

  "Hi there," he said and felt a quiver of anticipation when a stranger's voice answered.

  "Hello Adrain, this is Chloe's midwife, Moana Paewai speaking..."

  Adrian gasped and pressed the speaker key so Ava could hear the conversation. "Is there a problem, Moana?" he asked. "I thought Chloe wasn't due to see you until Wednesday."

  The woman gave a chuckle. "Little ones don't always follow a timetable, Adrian."

  "Meaning?" Ava asked.

  "Oh hello Ava," Moana said, "I recognise your voice."

  "Is something wrong?" Adrain gasped.

  "Far from it. Chloe's quite tired but wants to speak to you."

  Why? Thoughts rushed through his mind... He grimaced at Ava who looked as worried as he felt.

  "Hello Sweetheart." Chloe's voice did sound tired. "I know you wanted to be here but there was no time, I'm afraid."

  "For what?" Ava gasped.

  "Oh hello Ava. How's the job going? Hope your dad isn't too much of a taskmaster."

  "Forget Ava. What's happened?" Adrain almost shouted.

  "Shona's arrived. Weighed in just under three kilograms which isn't too bad considering she was two weeks early."

  "What?" Adrian gasped and caught Ava's astonished eyes. "Where? When..." he stuttered while trying to assemble his thoughts. "I'm coming in!"

  He listened to Moana's instructions about where to go before clicking off.

  "Want to come?" he said to his daughter, grinned and chuckled. He guessed he'd have to start calling her his eldest daughter now.

  "Me; do you want me there at this moment?"

  "Of course," Adrain replied. "Come on let's go."

  JEFF ALSO HAD A SUMMER job with a used car dealer in their suburb. He mainly did junky jobs such as washing and cleaning vehicles but did get to drive cars around the lot and across the city to the owner's other outlets. This was one of the more upmarket dealerships so tended to have top-of-the-market vehicles that Mike, the owner of Silver Sunshine Autos imported directly from Japan. In New Zealand as in Japan, motorists drive on the left so a roaring trade had developed over the last couple of decades between the two countries to import used Japanese right-hand-drive models. The vehicles on this lot were mainly less than two years old with fewer than eighty thousand kilometres on the odometer.

  And they were busy! Sixty Japanese vehicles for their firm had arrived on a container ship and at this very moment, three car transporters had arrived simultaneously. The drivers backed the vehicles off the transporters and Jeff along with three other employees had the job of driving them around the back into a large building that had once been a white goods warehouse. Once he had parked one, he would almost run back to find another vehicle waiting. There were SUVs, limos, vans and even some sports cars.

  After they were all unloaded, Jeff and the others would have the job of cleaning them up, from removing the protective rubbery type sealant around the doors to cleaning destination signs off the windows. Afterwards mechanics employed by Silver Sunshine Autos would physically check everything before examiners from the Automobile Association would swoop in and rank the vehicles against quite rigid government safety criteria.

  "Most tricks such as winding back the odometers before they left Japan have been stopped now but smaller dealers who specialise in cheaper cars still try to bring in rubbish," Mike said. "We have a reliable company in Japan we work with so we seldom have any problems with our imports." He grinned. "One can still be ripped off, though even with low Ks on the clock and near new vehicles." He frowned. "Is that your phone ringing?" he asked.
>
  Jeff flushed and took it from his pocket, noted that it was Ava calling, and wondered why she would be calling. Since they'd both started summer jobs she never called during the day.

  "Hello Ava," he almost grumbled in the phone. "What's so important?"

  "My you are a grump."

  "Sorry," Jeff relaxed and grinned as his boss wandered away. "I was talking to Mike, that's all. Sorry, I know you must have something important to say. What is it?"

  "Shona's arrived early."

  Jeff shook his head. "Shona! Who's Shona?" he muttered.

  "Your baby sister, you silly man," Ava replied. "I don't know the full details but my dad is flustering around like a bird having a dust bath and Mum is in embarrassing good shape. So much for these melodramas on TV where women scream away for hours and blue-faced babies are rushed into incubators."

  "And the baby?"

  "I'm holding her now. She's real cute. Want to come and hold her?"

  "Yeah, I guess," Jeff muttered.

  "But you'd rather be driving a BMW across town?"

  Jeff grinned. "I didn't say that. I'll get there as soon as possible. North Shore Hospital, didn't you say?"

  Ava laughed. "I didn't but it's nice to know you did remember something about the baby. See you soon."

  Mike ambled back. "Problems with the girlfriend?" he asked.

  "Nope. My Mum's baby has arrived early. Ava just called and told me the news. Guess I'll visit when I've finished here at five."

  Mike grinned. "No you go now, Lad. Most of the work here has been done, anyway."

  JEFF SENT LOGAN A MESSAGE on his iPhone as it was close to three and the junior high had not closed for the summer vacation. He zoomed in the pick-up zone behind several other vehicles just as over a thousand pupils were leaving. He noticed Logan talking to a bunch of giggling twelve-year-old girls and tooted. Logan glanced up, waved 'bye to the girls and sort of sauntered across to the sports car.

  "You've got the coolest car here," he said as he threw his pack onto the tiny back seat. "Better than all those BMWs and Mercedes the spoilt kids are driven home in. But why did you say you'd pick me up?"

  "Mum's baby has arrived. We're going to visit her."

  Logan grimaced. "Thought she had a couple of weeks to go."

  "Me too. You have a little sister."

  "You too," Logan whispered.

  Jeff shrugged. "Yeah, me too."

  He had mixed feelings as he took suburban roads south towards the hospital. If you knew what roads to use, at this time of the day it was faster than the bumper-to-bumper traffic on the motorway.

  AFTER A REMARKABLY easy birth, if any could be called easy, Chloe was exhausted but happy when she held her new infant in her arms after being reassured that the baby's early arrival presented only minor problems.

  She glanced at Ava and held wee Shona out for her to hold.

  "Has someone contacted Jeff?" she asked. "Logan too. I was going to pick him up after school."

  "They're fine," Adrain replied. "Jeff has picked Logan up and they're both on their way here now. Probably held up in the traffic."

  A nurse appeared and smiled at Ava who now held Shona. "You're family?" she asked. "Strictly speaking, only partners should be here now."

  "Yes, Ava is part of my family," Chloe said. "The two boys are still to come."

  As she reached out for Adrian's hand she frowned for thoughts about the sight of her former husband dead on that slab with a gunshot wound in his neck, flooded her mind. This had triggered the early labour.

  "Is something wrong?" Adrain asked.

  "I guess it is the reason for Shona's early arrival." She smiled at her partner's frown. "No there's nothing wrong with the baby, she's just perfect and I am tired but fine, too. Tell you about it later." She glanced up as Jeff followed by a more reluctant Logan, stepped into the room. "Oh hi," she said. "I hope you weren't speeding across town."

  "If you can call crawling along at ten kilometres an hour speeding," Jeff replied.

  "But cutting through a couple of delivery lanes saved us time," Logan chuckled before he glanced at his older sister. "You gone all clucky, Sis?" he asked.

  Ava flushed and handed the baby back to Chloe. "Your turn will come, Little Brother. You're booked in for the midnight feeding time, you know."

  "So what you were about to tell us?" Adrian asked a few moments later.

  Chloe glanced at him and sighed. "It's all about David. I should feel remorseful or even sad but I don't. The opposite affects me actually. It's if a giant weight has been lifted from my mind."

  "He can't hurt us," Adrian said.

  "No he will never hurt us again," Chloe replied. In precise almost clinical words she described about the identification of her ex-husband's body and how it appeared that he had been murdered by a gunshot wound in the neck. She also repeated everything else the police had told her about his remains being found on a remote beach north of Piha.

  "Oh hell." Jeff muttered. "So his present girlfriend objected being bashed up?"

  Chloe nodded. "It appears so but the police are saying nothing beyond stating that they'll be approaching us all to make statements."

  Ava frowned. "But surely they don't suspect us?" she whispered.

  "Who knows what they think," Chloe replied. "Somebody shot him. I saw the wound in his neck. I guess it is lucky none of us owns any guns." She shuttered. "I hate the things."

  Adrian grabbed her hand. "So the shock of seeing him brought on the baby?"

  "Apparently but I don't really recollect a lot. One moment I was walking out of the morgue followed by awaking with violent labour pains in the delivery room with Moana reassuring me about Shona's impending arrival."

  CHLOE HAD FORGOTTEN how hard it was to look after a new baby. However, Adrain was a complete contrast to her memories of Jeff as a baby. David had ignored him for months and was often never home. It was only later that she had discovered he was having affairs over that period of time. In Adrian's case, he couldn't be more helpful and often took time off work so she could get extra sleep during the day.

  Ava was like a second mother and helped feed, bath and change the baby before she went to work and after she returned home. Jeff and Logan were surprisingly supportive too though they drew the line about changing Shona.

  One interesting fact about David's will was that it was ten years old, named her as executor and nearly everything was bequeathed to the family trust. The dissolving of this in the recent family court was not affected except that the third allocated to David would be reviewed as his current partner Nicole was contesting the will. Information released to the public merely stated that his death was still being investigated by the police but appeared to be a tragic drowning.

  Chloe had persuaded Jeff to accompany her to the funeral but asked Adrian to stay away. The funeral parlour was moderately full with relations and business acquaintances rather than genuine friends present. Chloe did notice several women that she didn't know, including his most recent partner, Nicole who seemed genuine in her grief and accepted an invitation to be in the front row at the service.

  Chloe noticed that two other mourners discreetly standing at the rear of the crowd having coffee and refreshments after the service were DI Andy Tullock and Sergeant Gloria McKenzie. No doubt they were interested in studying the mourners gathered around, especially, it seemed, the young women present.

  "They're looking for his murderer," Jeff muttered.

  "Or perhaps who is not here," Chloe replied. "If you had shot him would you come to his funeral?"

  "Possibly," Jeff said and nodded at a pale-faced woman standing alone across the room. "That's Terri who rents the house I inherited in Mount Albert. Now why is she looking so out of place here?"

  "Probably just paying her respects and doesn't know anyone," Chloe replied. "Why don't you go across and thank her for coming."

  Jeff glanced at her. "I think I will, Mum. She is quite a pleasant woman." He stepped across to engage
Terri in a conversation.

  After he left, Chloe was approached by some relations and soon lost sight of the pair. She hated the small talk and often somewhat hypocritical condolences offered but appreciated the kindness of many mourners who came up to give her a hug. It was a typical funeral but she was glad when it was over and she could get back home to her new life.

  TERRI COX HAD THAT strange feeling that everyone was scrutinising her as she stood on the side of the refreshment lounge in the funeral parlour. The shock of hearing that David's body had been discovered on a beach was devastating and without Yolanda's guidance she could have done something reckless. Her sister had told her to come to the funeral as to stay away would have been suspicious. No she wouldn't come to his funeral, too for again why would she in normal circumstances for she didn't know David Sutton?

  "Hello Terri. Thank you for coming to my father's funeral."

  She swung around, a suppressed a gasp and realised that it was Jeff Sutton standing before her.

  "Hello Jeff," she said. "David was good to me and it was the least I could do. Given the circumstances it was quite a moving service."

  "I guess," Jeff replied. "When someone dies everyone suggests they were ... oh so perfect all their lives. As a kid he scared the hell out of me but later I saw him as he really was."

  "And what was that?"

  "He was a sadistic control freak with a violent temper but I suppose someone like yourself wouldn't have noticed that."

  Terri studied him. Did he suspect that she had been having an affair with his father? She shrugged. "I didn't really know him socially," she lied and attempted to keep her tone casual.

  "Rumours are that it wasn't an accidental drowning," Jeff said. "That's why the cops are here."

  "Where?" Terri gasped.

  Jeff nodded at a couple across the room. "See that man in the suit and the woman beside him. They're both police detectives who are here more than to just pay their respects." He grinned. "Probably half the woman here today have had an affair with him. Glum lot but not a tear between them." He stared at Terri. "Sorry, I'm not insinuating that you ..." He flushed. "You know? Sorry."