Death off camera, p.25
Death Off Camera, page 25
‘Did you return to the beach later?’
‘No, not at all.’
‘Did you see Desi again that afternoon or night?’
‘No, never again. On Wednesday morning they rushed her to hospital. I’m sorry she’s dead, sir.’
‘Have you heard how she died, Mr Nemi?’ Musudroka asked.
‘I heard it could be pufferfish poison. Is that right?’
As soon as he was out the door, Musudroka groaned. ‘How did they know about the poison?’
‘The coconut wireless is my guess.’
‘It’s going to be just like last time we were here, I know it.’
‘Stay hopeful, Tani, and get the next witness.’
***
Bobby O’Leary was next. His face was very pale between his freckles.
‘How do you feel about Mr Duke’s decision to cancel the show’s last episode, Mr O’Leary?’
Bobby rubbed his face with a trembling hand. ‘I for one couldn’t continue, even though the so-called final face-off whips up lots of contrived suspense. But what Steve had planned for us, I don’t know of course.’
‘Do you mean they rig the outcome?’ Singh asked, unable to keep her disapproval from her voice.
‘No, I mean I don’t know.’
‘Why couldn’t you continue?’ Horseman asked.
Bobby’s eyebrows shot up. He looked from one detective to another, suddenly animated. ‘Two finalists dead, and one near miss with Mili? What started off so beautifully—this series—is now a disaster and has to be ended. I mean, I’m not superstitious, but this is more than bad luck, surely. Some here are saying Champion is cursed.’
‘Really?’ Horseman said, but he knew those rumours would be flying free.
‘Yeah. I mean, I’ll comply with my contract, but the sooner I get outa here, the better I’ll feel. I don’t wanna be next to die!’
‘I understand, the events of the last ten days have been a series of terrible shocks. But please think back to Tuesday afternoon. Did you see Desi after the film shoot finished?’
‘Yeah, standing in the sea, but she wasn’t very close. I couldn’t tell what she was doing. I’m not sure of the time. I had a rest then went for a walk. That’s when I saw her.’
‘I think people cause bad luck, not curses, Bobby. I’ve asked you before whether you suspect anyone of responsibility for the so-called pranks that have undermined the contestants’ confidence. Have you any suspicions now?’
‘No, but I suppose we can eliminate Ken and Desi, at least.’
‘Why?’ Singh asked.
‘Well, because they’re dead of course.’
‘Do you think their deaths weren’t accidental, then?’ Horseman asked.
‘I don’t know for sure, but if they weren’t accidents, it makes sense that the prankster escalated his activities and killed them.’
‘It’s possible. I can see you’ve thought a lot about this. Do you suspect anyone?’ Singh asked.
‘How can I? These are the people I’ve lived among and got to know over six weeks! I don’t have enough imagination, I guess. But murder must be a logical possibility.’
***
The next witness was Eleni, a Fijian woman Singh and Musudroka had talked to on Wednesday. She was so delighted to meet Horseman, he had to ease his hand from her firm grasp after a full minute. Maybe she was someone who took Desi’s death in her sturdy, middle-aged stride.
‘Eleni, is this the statement you wrote for Sergeant Singh yesterday?’ He passed the single sheet to her.
Eleni glanced at the paper and beamed. ‘Io, that’s mine.’
‘Can you tell me more about your sighting of Desirée Lopez, please?’
‘Just as I said to Sergeant Singh yesterday.’ Eleni smiled at Singh. ‘But I’m happy to repeat it to you, Josefa Horseman. As you know, I work a broken shift in the canteen and on Tuesday I had a long break between clearing up after lunch and prepping for dinner. I wandered down to the beach to enjoy the fresh air and had a yarn with Zakaraia, the boatman, who’s a cousin of mine. You know, he got me my job here, for which I’m grateful. But he had work to do, so I sat on the verandah for a while, watching the comings and goings. It’s so relaxing watching the hustle and bustle, isn’t it?’
Horseman almost regretted instructing Eleni to give more detail, but he smiled to encourage her. ‘True, true, Eleni. You’ve hit on an insight there. Did you see Desi on the jetty?’
‘No, I didn’t. Time was getting on, so I headed back to the canteen, but something made me keep on walking westward to the more deserted end of the beach. Maybe the sun from the west warming my skin. Anyway, I recognised Desi ahead of me, a bag over her shoulder and a bucket in her hand. So tall and that lovely wavy hair, I was certain it was her. Desi was so graceful, I watched her for a minute. What’s the expression—poetry in motion? That was Desi. Then another woman strolled up to her and they spoke for a bit. Then they walked together away from the beach.’
‘Did you recognise the woman?’
‘No, she had a sulu tied around her waist and a loose top with long sleeves and a sports cap. Her hair was either short or tucked up in her cap, I couldn’t tell. Maybe Fijian but I can’t be sure because they were some distance away.’
‘Did the other woman come along the path to the barracks?’
‘No, we all were well to the west of the end of the path. She seemed to come from the scrub beyond the highwater mark. Then I suddenly realised I might be late for the dinner shift and hurried back.’
Singh passed a plan of the Champion location and a pencil to Eleni. ‘Can you show me where Desi met the other woman, please?’
Eleni examined the map with care, then pointed to a spot.
‘Here, quite close to the firepit? Please mark the place with a cross, if you’re sure.’
‘Io, I’m pretty sure. But I can’t be precise, you understand. I couldn’t see the firepit, barbecue, whatever you want to call it—it’s in a hollow behind the highwater mark for protection from the wind. But I know it’s somewhere around there.’ Eleni drew a neat cross and looked from Singh to Horseman, anxious that the detectives understood her testimony had limits. Her scrupulous honesty tugged at Horseman’s heart.
‘Are you positive the person Desi met was a woman, Eleni? A sulu, loose top, cap—couldn’t it have been a man?’ Horseman said.
‘Oh no, she was a woman. Not as tall as Desi, and curvy. I can tell a woman from a man, even these days and even from a distance! I’ll swear whoever I saw with Desi was a woman.’
***
Musudroka hovered around Mili protectively as he ushered her in. He pulled her chair out for her and uncapped the bottle of water he placed within her reach. Horseman understood why when he saw Mili’s red eyes, hunched body and trembling hands. He nodded to Singh.
‘Mili, how do you feel about Mr Duke’s decision to cancel the show’s final episode?’ Singh asked.
Mili sniffed. ‘I can’t believe it. Desi was so strong, so how could she die from a stomach upset?’ She straightened in her chair a little. ‘Still, Mr Duke could devise a workaround and film it, even if the executives decided down the track to shelve this series for a while, out of respect for the dead. Couldn’t he?’ This finalist was clearly upset, but by what?
‘You told us yesterday you saw Desi fishing alone off the beach on Tuesday afternoon,’ Singh continued.
‘Yes, that’s true. But I didn’t tell you the whole truth and I want to tell you now.’ She looked up, her brown eyes brimming with tears. The detectives waited.
‘Later I was coming back from my walk and saw Desi heading up the sand towards the scrub, carrying her fishing gear. I could smell smoke then saw a wisp rise from where the firepit’s located. The next thing was—a man appeared from behind the sand ridge, and she joined him. Oh my goodness … I feel like a traitor! It was Eroni.’ Tears flowed down her cheeks. Singh pushed the box of tissues across the table while Musudroka handed Mili her water.
Horseman nodded at Musudroka who followed him out the door. ‘Please call Zakaraia and ask him where Eroni is now. I want him back here, no matter what job he’s in the middle of. We’ll take him to the station—get him out of his comfort zone and let him stew for a bit.’
55
When they returned to Suva Central with a compliant Eroni in the back seat with Singh, both probationers were already in the office, busily writing up their notes. Musudroka booked Eroni into Interview Room 2 and posted a uniform constable outside the door.
‘Bula, Apo, bula, Lili. I wasn’t expecting you until after lunch. You’ve both done well, Musudroka too, so lunch is on me. Let’s go to the Flea Market takeaway stalls and I’ll buy you your choice.’ While this level of generosity wasn’t sustainable, an occasional tangible reward motivated the young DCs. And he didn’t want them to refuse his invitation because they had no money to pay their way, even at the Flea Market.
Armed with rotis, hamburgers and chips, they crossed the road and ate their lunch in the tiny park near the seawall. The noise of the traffic lumbering along Stinson Parade prevented conversation but the breeze off the water blew the diesel fumes away from them. The detectives munched in quiet companionship, their faces turned to the implacable sea, then strolled back to the station where Eroni was waiting for them. Horseman asked Lili to take notes.
‘Has Mr Nemi had something to eat?’ Horseman asked the constable on guard duty.
‘Io, sir. Some bananas and bread. He’s got a cup of tea now. Would you like one?’
‘Vinaka but no. How about you, Lili?’
Lili declined too and they entered the room. Eroni smiled at them both, looking more puzzled than frightened. He repeated his previous statement, that he’d left Desi to go back to the barracks after pointing out a promising fishing spot to her. He wouldn’t budge, even when Horseman told him a witness had seen him further up the beach talking to Desi when she’d left off fishing.
‘Who is this witness, sir? Why would you believe him rather than me?’
Horseman avoided naming witnesses to a suspect. After all, without physical evidence, a contradiction didn’t mean much and might rebound badly on the witness. But sometimes when he was desperate, the tactic could be worth a try. Like now. Eroni was Mili’s devoted fan, so hardly a threat to her.
‘Mili told us she saw you. We can’t think of a reason why she would lie.’
For a few seconds, Eroni stared, his eyes round, his mouth open. Then his face crumpled and his whole body seemed to shrink. Horseman nudged the half-full cup of tea closer to him and he picked it up with a trembling hand.
‘Time to tell us the whole truth.’
Eroni clicked his tongue. ‘Io, sir, I will. I did return to the beach later, to see if Desi had any luck.’
‘Did she know you were coming back?’
‘No, sir. I just thought I’d check if she was still there. She was happy because she caught another fish. She wanted me to help her make a fire in the pit and cook it there. She said she could manage it by herself, she’d brought her pan and knife, but she could do with some help, and she’d like some company.’
‘Man, a pufferfish! You know perfectly well they’re poisonous!’
‘Io, but I know how to fillet them to make them safe. I was careful. Desi got a small fire going while I cleaned and carved the fish. She cooked it in her little pan and said it was delicious.’
‘Did you eat any?’
‘No, it was small, and Desi was hungry. I don’t like pufferfish much.’
‘Why didn’t you tell us this morning? You already knew she died of pufferfish poison.’
‘But I cleaned the fish properly. I meant her no harm.’ Eroni rubbed his eyes.
‘Mr Nemi, I’m arresting you for obstructing a police enquiry. You’ll be held here while we prepare charges relating to recklessly endangering the life of Desirée Lopez. You can pray that the Superintendent doesn’t upgrade that to manslaughter. Detective Constable Waqa will explain your rights to you and take your new statement. This time, leave nothing out.’
Horseman called Apo Kau down to assist Lili. He had to get out. He couldn’t look at Eroni Nemi any longer. Of course, the man wouldn’t give up the full truth. What a charade this was, a damned waste of time. Nemi would admit not one iota more than the police evidence forced him to. And that evidence was pretty thin. Horseman would question him again later in the afternoon, this time with Singh’s support.
While he climbed the stairs to the office, his chest felt squeezed by a broad belt tightening notch by notch. He grasped the rail, bent over and exhaled through his mouth. Nice and slow, counting from one to five. Then in through his nose, deep and slow, counting from one to five again. Melissa, his physical therapist had taught him this when he’d last had a panic attack two years ago in Oregon. She reckoned his terror of failure caused the attack, not physical stress. Who knew? But he was grateful for her technique and much more besides. Now was not the time to indulge in regret for what was over. He gradually controlled his rasping breaths and walked to his desk.
Singh looked up with a smile that changed to a frown. ‘What’s the matter, sir? You don’t look right.’
‘I’m fine. I’ll get myself a glass of water.’
Musudroka brought a jug of water from the kitchen and filled the glass on Horseman’s desk. ‘We didn’t have any drinks with our lunch, sir. Drink up! You’ll be right in no time.’
‘I’m boiling the kettle, sir,’ yelled Singh. ‘Won’t be long!’
As he drank, his eyes filled at the kindness of his colleagues. This excessive emotion wasn’t like him and not to his liking at all. He wanted his usual pragmatic self back and soon. He went to the men’s toilet and splashed water on his face, mopping it with paper towel. He looked pale, his skin drooping. Dehydration, alright. He lifted his eyebrows, turned up his mouth and returned to his desk to drink some more. Singh brought the tea tray, set out the cups and produced a packet of Paradise coconut biscuits.
She put on a bright smile, but her eyes were full of concern. ‘We’ll have our tea here for a change and you can tell us about Eroni.’
After recounting Eroni’s interview, Horseman raised the matter that troubled him. ‘Susie, what penetrated Eroni’s defences was when I told him it was Mili who’d seen him with Desi on the beach. He was flabbergasted at first, then he just caved in. And when Mili admitted she’d seen them both, she got weepy and said she felt like a traitor. Remember?’
‘Yes, I do. Desi’s death was a shock. Everyone expected she’d get better.’
‘Shock could explain it. There seemed to be no love lost between the two girls, so we can rule out grief. But Eroni and Mili must have a closer connection. Aren’t they both from Taveuni? Mili denied they were relatives, but you never know. Musudroka, check that out, will you?’
‘I’ll do my best, sir. You know, even if they aren’t related, just dobbing in another Fijian might make her feel bad.’
‘Saying you’ve seen one person talking to another is hardly dobbing, Tani.’
‘Well, Mili knows he’s a big fan of hers. And she does care about her fans. That might explain her feelings. She had scraps of paper with phone numbers in her backpack. She said fans working on the set gave them to her and she believed she should accept them out of loyalty.’
‘Good point. That reminds me, has Ash been in touch about the SOCO search yesterday? He’s got those phone numbers.’
‘Nothing yet,’ Singh said. ‘They’ve got a mountain of stuff to process from the raid on the Film and Television school.’
‘True, but most of that would be with IT, wouldn’t it? Please check with Ash, Tani.’
‘Io, sir.’
‘And even more important, make sure you and Apo get to training on time this afternoon, no matter what you’re doing. Sergeant Singh and I need to talk to Eroni again, so I could be late.’
Musudroka’s eyes lit up. ‘Don’t worry, sir. We’ll be on time!’
Horeseman rang Duke to say Eroni Nemi was in police custody. He knew Nemi’s arrest would not top Duke’s current concerns, but he was surprised by the director’s unruffled reaction. When Horseman asked if Champion would supply a lawyer for Nemi, he replied that the props carpenter could rely on a solicitor provided by the Fiji justice system.
‘Your public lawyers are competent enough, aren’t they, Inspector?’
‘Yes, they are. No problem. May I ask about Desi’s parents?’
Duke’s tone softened. ‘Christ knows, that’s the toughest job I’ve ever had to do in my life. I hope it is anyways. They arrived, anxious but hopeful and I had to kill their hopes stone dead. They wanted to see Desi immediately. I must say Dr Young treated them with great respect and sympathy. Something more, too—a genuine friendliness. I guess he’s had a lot of experience, but I’d say he handled everything perfectly. He told them about the pufferfish poison and said he’d call them after the autopsy. His openness meant a lot to the Carsons. I took them back to the Grand Pacific to rest this afternoon. They appreciated your note and would like to see you tomorrow mid-morning. They’ll call you when they feel up to it.’
‘Any time. That sounds like you did your job well. And it’s over now.’
‘I’m sure glad of that. Any progress your end, please keep me informed, Inspector.’
56
Horseman got no further with Eroni Nemi during a frustrating repeat of the suspect’s performance earlier that day. Unfairly, Horseman was hoping Singh would work miracles for him, but none happened. Eroni largely ignored Singh and directed all his replies to Horseman. Far from being unsettled by his long wait in the interview room, Eroni had gained in composure and confidence. So when Horseman jogged up to the Albert Park sideline, the vigorous combat of the Shiners’ practice game lifted his heart.
Mosese intercepted the ball and charged at full speed, weaving and pushing challengers aside until, noting a threat from his right, he passed it to Simi on his left. Simi stumbled but held on for a straight run to the touch line, for the last ten metres dragging in his wake a failed tackler who wouldn’t give up. All went quiet for Pita’s conversion kick which sailed high between the posts.
