‘Okay, enough. I’ll take it from here cos you brief as fast as you drive. We have a potential third victim who now appears to have left a note. Penn, it’ll be here first thing tomorrow. Liam’s wife has apparently confirmed that the writing is Liam’s, but I still want you to look for any hint or clue this isn’t genuine. Understandably, she’s in shock. His phone and computer will be here too. We’ve spoken to John Dermot, who has confirmed Stephanie’s account of treatment at the clinic. It truly is horrific and has no place being open at all.’
John’s words about Jack’s experience had been ringing in her ears all the way home. She just hoped that when the day came for John to open those boxes, he had the right support network around him. With everything they were learning, she needed everyone’s full attention.
She turned to the constable. ‘Stace, I’m gonna need you to shelve—’
‘Already done, boss. I’ll take over all the digging on Exodus, the Gardners and Liam Sachs while Penn deals with the tech.’
‘Thanks, Stace. Any progress on tracking your guy down yet?’
Stacey shook her head.
Gabriel Denton was going to have to wait.
‘Penn?’
‘Financials are all in order for Change. They make good money, but they also shell a lot out.’
‘Go on,’ Kim said as the small hand on the wall clock grew ever closer to the seven.
‘Every few months, at least twice, maybe three times annually they make a payment. It’s always to different individuals and for different amounts but always high five figures. The highest is ninety-seven and the lowest is eighty-four. There’s no explanation specifically in the accounts, and they appear to be included in the overheads.’
‘That’s some expensive lighting they’ve got there,’ Bryant observed.
‘What are your thoughts?’ Kim asked.
Penn nodded towards Stacey. ‘My learned colleague over there thinks they could be payoffs, settlements to unhappy customers.’
‘Interesting,’ Kim noted as Penn’s phone buzzed.
He frowned as he glanced at the lit screen. ‘Boss may I…?’
‘Go ahead.’
He picked up the phone and read quickly.
‘Oh shit, boss, I gotta…It’s Jasper…’
‘Go. Go. Go,’ she said, aware of the toll such long hours took on family life.
He was out of the door in seconds.
‘Drive safely,’ she called after him.
‘Actually, all go,’ she said. ‘There’s nothing that can’t wait until tomorrow.’
Stacey didn’t need telling twice and was out of the office in under a minute.
‘You ready?’ Bryant asked.
She shook her head. ‘Not yet. I’ll get a car to drop me back once I’m done, and before you ask, yes I’m sure.’
Bryant grabbed his coat. ‘In that case I’ll go and offer my chauffeuring service to the female tornado what just whipped out of here.’
‘Six forty-five,’ she said as he headed out the door. A brief wave confirmed he’d heard.
She wanted to take one more good look at the application for the search warrant. She was giving the magistrate no reason to bounce it back to her.
Bryant had been right to exercise caution earlier. She wanted the element of surprise; but with or without the search warrant, tomorrow she was getting back inside that clinic.