St Kilda Blues (Charlie Berlin #3)(44)

While Roberts was inside paying, Berlin pushed the chromed button on the lid of the glove box and the wood-grain cover popped open. The thick brown envelope was still there, wedged in amongst the packets of cigarettes.

It was a quick trip out to Melton, especially with Roberts wanting to show off what the Triumph could do on the open road. Traffic was light since it was past nine and everyone was at work or in school. The highway ran through Melton township and on the way to the local police station they passed the Marquet family’s furniture store. Sofas and chairs were set out on the footpath and sale signs were posted in the windows.

Roberts ran the car up to the kerb outside a small café. A public telephone box was just visible in a laneway next to the café and Roberts rolled the car round the corner and parked next to it.

‘Why don’t I make a phone call to the local cop shop, Charlie? Get the constable to join us here for a cup of coffee while we chat, keep it nice and casual, eh?’

Berlin was about to argue but changed his mind. ‘Okay, let’s do it that way. I’ll get us a table.’

Roberts climbed out of the car. ‘Order me a coffee will you? White with one. I shouldn’t be a tick.’

Berlin ordered a tea and a coffee and they were on the table when Roberts came into the café. There were tempting finger buns in a glass cabinet but Berlin decided not to eat until the interview was over. Roberts asked the waitress for a bacon and egg roll to go with his coffee.

The constable came into the café about five minutes later. He was much too young to be a policeman, Berlin decided, but they were all looking like that to him lately. The constable put his cap under his arm and stood to attention by the table. His eyes flicked back and forth between Berlin and Roberts before settling on the older of the two men.

‘I’m Constable O’Brian, sir. You wanted to see me?’

His hair was longer than Berlin liked to see on a copper but his black shoes shone and it looked like he had taken a moment to brush his uniform jacket and smooth out some of the wrinkles before heading over to the café.

‘Pull up a chair. It’s Shane, right? Can we get you a tea or a coffee? This is just a chat, nothing formal. I’m Charlie Berlin and this is Bob Roberts.’

They shook hands before the constable sat down at the table. ‘I’ll have a coffee, thanks, white with two.’

Berlin saw him glance over at the glass cabinet. ‘Let’s get you a finger bun too, with butter? I’m paying.’

‘Gee, thanks, that would be real nice.’

‘Can you organise that Bob?’ Berlin asked and Roberts walked across to the counter to place the order.

‘We’re here about the Melinda Marquet ... case.’ Berlin had almost said ‘murder’ but decided to soften the statement. ‘They said her sister Maud told you some things when Melinda first went missing but when the Melbourne detectives questioned her later she wouldn’t say anything. So why don’t you tell us what you remember about that morning and what was said?’

‘Okay, the call came in around nine on the Sunday morning. Melinda and Maud and Sally all stay in a sleep-out behind the house. It’s one of those old one-room bush schoolhouses. Mr Marquet got it from some small town out the back of Bourke. Bought it at auction and had it hauled in five or six years back. Anyway, the girls were all supposed to be up and dressed for church by eight and there was no sign of Melinda. Her bed didn’t look like it had been slept in.’

‘And they didn’t call in till nine?’

‘Mrs Marquet called. Her husband was out looking in the bush round the house in case Melinda was there. He got back about fifteen minutes after me and Reg arrived.’

‘Reg?’

‘Senior Constable Suffolk. I called him as soon as Mrs Marquet telephoned. I was on duty by myself since it was Sunday and it’s usually a bit dead.’ He grimaced. ‘I’m sorry, I meant a bit quiet. I picked Senior Constable Suffolk up in the divvy van on my way out to the house.’

‘And when did you talk to Maud?’

‘A bit before her old man got back. She was in the sleep-out and Reg, Senior Constable Suffolk, was in the main house with Mrs Marquet and the rest of the girls.’

The waitress put a cup of coffee and a pink-iced finger bun on a plate onto the plastic-covered tabletop. Berlin waited till O’Brian took a sip of coffee and a bite of the bun.

‘And what did Maud say exactly?

O’Brian swallowed the piece of bun and licked icing off his upper lip. ‘She said Melinda was always back by sunrise and she didn’t know what to do.’

‘Always back?’

‘She said she had a secret boyfriend and she’d been sneaking out to meet him over the past few Saturday nights but she was always back on time.’

‘Anything else?’

O’Brian shook his head. ‘Her old man came back around then and she didn’t say much after that, not to him or Senior Constable Suffolk. And nothing at all about Melinda having a boyfriend.’

‘Why do you think she told you?’

‘Frightened, I suppose, and confused. They’re a bit of an odd family, the Marquets, to tell the truth. Keep to themselves mostly. Maud goes to high school with my younger sister so she knows me a bit. Melinda turning up murdered in the big smoke really put this town into a bit of a tizz.’