The Murder Suite: Book One - The Audrey Murders by Leonie Mateer Page A
Authors: Leonie Mateer
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Audrey just didn’t seem like the sort who would knock off a red-faced drunk. The phone rang again. It was another neighbor with the latest news. They had not found a body yet and were going to start searching again in the morning at first light. Pearl was too excited to concentrate on the telly. Instead she decided to walk down to see if the pub was still open with the street cordoned off. She could find out more if she was in the middle of things. She grabbed her coat and headed off down the deserted street.
The pub was buzzing. Filled with locals on their twentieth beer. They were spilling out onto the street, ciggies in hand. Most of the locals like a smoke with their beer but New Zealand was a stickler for the non -smoking cause. The government was working on having the whole country a non -smoking nation by 2015 or so. Country folk didn’t think much about that. It seemed to Pearl every single resident of Whangaroa had made it down to the pub tonight. She had never seen or heard such a noisy crowd. She joined some friends at the end of the bar.
“What have you heard,” she yelled over the chatter.
“The police don’t know anything,” shouted back Bob, a regular at the pub. “They have searched the bay and there is no sign of him. He could have been swept out to sea by now. Seems he had all his personal belongings with him. His wife had kicked him out of the house. They say he was pretty drunk when he left the restaurant and may have just driven into the bay by accident. Who knows?”
“Did you know he was staying at the Three Suites?” Pearl asked. “He was supposed to be staying there last night.”
Her friends looked surprised at this new information. “Do the cops know that?” asked Bob.
“I would think so, “ said Pearl. “Everyone saw her with him at the restaurant last night. She was the last person to see him alive.”
The group looked puzzled. “I wonder what she has to say,” Bob said. “She certainly is a strange one. Keeps to herself. Can’t be good for business – losing your guests in the local pond. Hope he paid his bill before he checked out.” He laughed at his own joke.
Pearl knew she had to talk to Audrey tomorrow. The suspense was killing her.
C H A P T E R 2 5
Audrey had just finished filling both the spas and they were in the process of heating up to the desired temperature. She had put away the hoses and decided it was still light enough to check on the pigpen. She had guessed the pigs had already enjoyed their evening meal. She hoped she didn’t have too much cleaning up to do. She knew pigs were actually very clean animals and were given a bad name when it came to personal hygiene. The local pig farmer had shown her how the pigs would never shit where they ate unlike some other animals. They would toilet in the same place every time where the farmer could hose off their excrement. Pigs liked their pens clean. The farmer brings the sows into the pens for birthing and feeding their young - then they are put out in the paddocks. Wild pigs are smart animals. It had taken Audrey many weeks to train them to come to the pen to eat.
She had left her trailer down by the dump when she had removed the last load of palm fronds. It was easier to keep it there rather than up at the main suites where it would get in the way of the guest’s vehicles.
She drove her Rav4 down the road and turned into the first driveway. Audrey had separated out the twelve acres into two parcels with their own entranceways. This parcel had no buildings and Audrey used it to dump rubbish. She drove down past the dump and into the valley. This area could not be seen from the road as it was completely surrounded by hills and pine trees. Audrey stopped the car when she reached the opening to the pen. She hoped she had not scared away the pigs.
The pub was buzzing. Filled with locals on their twentieth beer. They were spilling out onto the street, ciggies in hand. Most of the locals like a smoke with their beer but New Zealand was a stickler for the non -smoking cause. The government was working on having the whole country a non -smoking nation by 2015 or so. Country folk didn’t think much about that. It seemed to Pearl every single resident of Whangaroa had made it down to the pub tonight. She had never seen or heard such a noisy crowd. She joined some friends at the end of the bar.
“What have you heard,” she yelled over the chatter.
“The police don’t know anything,” shouted back Bob, a regular at the pub. “They have searched the bay and there is no sign of him. He could have been swept out to sea by now. Seems he had all his personal belongings with him. His wife had kicked him out of the house. They say he was pretty drunk when he left the restaurant and may have just driven into the bay by accident. Who knows?”
“Did you know he was staying at the Three Suites?” Pearl asked. “He was supposed to be staying there last night.”
Her friends looked surprised at this new information. “Do the cops know that?” asked Bob.
“I would think so, “ said Pearl. “Everyone saw her with him at the restaurant last night. She was the last person to see him alive.”
The group looked puzzled. “I wonder what she has to say,” Bob said. “She certainly is a strange one. Keeps to herself. Can’t be good for business – losing your guests in the local pond. Hope he paid his bill before he checked out.” He laughed at his own joke.
Pearl knew she had to talk to Audrey tomorrow. The suspense was killing her.
C H A P T E R 2 5
Audrey had just finished filling both the spas and they were in the process of heating up to the desired temperature. She had put away the hoses and decided it was still light enough to check on the pigpen. She had guessed the pigs had already enjoyed their evening meal. She hoped she didn’t have too much cleaning up to do. She knew pigs were actually very clean animals and were given a bad name when it came to personal hygiene. The local pig farmer had shown her how the pigs would never shit where they ate unlike some other animals. They would toilet in the same place every time where the farmer could hose off their excrement. Pigs liked their pens clean. The farmer brings the sows into the pens for birthing and feeding their young - then they are put out in the paddocks. Wild pigs are smart animals. It had taken Audrey many weeks to train them to come to the pen to eat.
She had left her trailer down by the dump when she had removed the last load of palm fronds. It was easier to keep it there rather than up at the main suites where it would get in the way of the guest’s vehicles.
She drove her Rav4 down the road and turned into the first driveway. Audrey had separated out the twelve acres into two parcels with their own entranceways. This parcel had no buildings and Audrey used it to dump rubbish. She drove down past the dump and into the valley. This area could not be seen from the road as it was completely surrounded by hills and pine trees. Audrey stopped the car when she reached the opening to the pen. She hoped she had not scared away the pigs.
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