Color of Blood(80)

“Well, it’s late here,” Massey said, “and I was just notified that Garder has been apprehended. He’s in our custody now.”

“Where did they find him?” Dennis asked.

“Somewhere in France: a chateau or something. Who cares? Thing is they got him, so you can get your ass back stateside. Appreciate the effort. When you get back, write up a summary and report back to your old pal, Marty. You’ve been reassigned to the IG’s office again.”

“All right,” Dennis said. “But if it’s all the same to you, I’m going to take a little time off here. I haven’t seen a kangaroo yet.”

“Don’t be silly. Go to a zoo.”

“I want to see a wild one.”

“Jesus, you’re a pain. Check with Marty. That’s his call, but I’m sure he won’t be too happy about a delay.”

“I’ll check it out with him,” Dennis said.

***

At 4:32 p.m. the following day, Judy walked out of the elevator on the eleventh floor of the new office tower on St. George’s Terrace and hurried down the hallway. She opened the door and saw the look of surprise on Louise’s face. Judy had always liked Louise, Phillip’s matronly secretary of many years, but after Phillip filed for divorce, Judy was aware that Louise knew all along about his infidelities and had smiled her way through her relationship with Judy.

“Hello, Louise,” Judy said. “Is Phillip in?”

“Oh, hello, Judy; this is a surprise. Um, I think Phillip has appointments booked into the evening. Can I tell him you were here?”

Without missing a beat, Judy walked over to Phillip’s door and opened it.

“Judy!” Louise said sharply. “Please.”

Phillip was sitting at his desk with his back to the door. His left leg rested on the corner of his massive mahogany desk; the office phone was wedged between his left ear and his shoulder.

He turned when he heard the ruckus behind him.

“Judy!” he said.

Speaking into the phone, he said, “I’ll have to call you back. Just give me ten minutes or so. Promise. Ta.”

“She just walked in, Phillip,” Louise said. “I’m sorry.”

“No worries.” Phillip smiled broadly. “You can shut the door, Louise. Thank you.”

Phillip walked over and brushed cheeks with Judy.

“You look great,” he said, “really great. How are you? Please sit down.”

They sat on a light-brown leather couch, and Judy tried to look relaxed. Seeing Phillip this close again was unsettling. He was an extraordinarily handsome man with thick, black, wavy hair and a square jaw set off by two pale-green eyes. He wore a perpetual tan: the product of a chemical spray and not the harsh sun of the Southern Hemisphere. He smiled at her in that radiant way of his, flashing the row of perfect white teeth that glimmered like a lighthouse beacon.

“What brings you here?” he said. “Is something wrong?”

“Phillip, please listen to me carefully. I’m only going to say this once, so you’d better listen closely.”

He gave her a bewildered, patronizing smile. “Are you all right, Judy?”

“I know about your relationship with this man Voorster. I know it was you who suggested that he use me to spy on the AFP here in WA.”

“Who the hell is Voorster?” Phillip said. “What are you—”

“You’re not listening, Phillip. Not that you ever did, but you should right now. I know you were there the night they picked me up. I saw you,” she lied. “I heard you yell ‘No’ when he snipped off the end of my bloody toe! I know you were part of this, Phillip. I don’t know why, but it’s not my business. I just need you to tell them to stop, or I’ll go to Miller and this whole sick, pathetic game will be over in a flash. And I don’t care if Simon’s father goes to prison, as long as Simon’s safe. So get him to call it off—now. Save us the humiliation this will cause our family.” She stood up. “I’ll wait to hear from you. If I don’t hear from you by tomorrow morning, it’s all over.”

“Judy!” Phillip said, reaching and grabbing her wrist. “Sit down. I think the divorce was just too much for you. I feel terrible. I had no idea this would happen to you.”

She pried his fingers from her wrist, turned, and walked out of the office.

By the time she reached the AFP office, she could hear laughter in the AFP’s large meeting room. Miller and five assorted senior officials from WA Pol and the ACC were cheering.

“He called Voorster right after you left!” Miller said. “We couldn’t have scripted it any better. Phillip was beside himself, and Voorster kept telling him to calm down! ‘How did she find out?’ Voorster kept repeating. ‘I don’t know,’ Phillip wailed. It was perfect, Jude.”

“Where are they now?”

“We have Phillip in custody,” another AFP official said, “but Voorster is in hiding. We haven’t got him yet.”

“What?” she snapped. “You had a head start on this. I don’t want this man running around WA. He’s a vengeful bastard. That was the plan we mapped out. You knew where he was staying, for God’s sake!”

“We’ll get Voorster,” Miller said. “My guess he’s hiding inside a closet in that swank home somewhere. We’ll find him. Don’t worry, Jude.”