Chapter 13 #3
“Video? Is that true?” Ivory smiled.
Dane nodded. Ivory waved at the two detectives who’d just arrived.
“Go check the security cameras and get a copy—”
“You won’t find anything. We’ve removed the computer and there are no tapes—all digital.”
Kevin stopped and studied him for a moment.
“A bargaining chip, Blaise? Perhaps I’ve underestimated you.”
“Don’t forget who I have on my side.”
“Shana can’t help you. She’s wanted for questioning. You’d do well to turn her over to me so I can—”
“Shana isn’t guilty of anything except being a scapegoat.”
“I agree, but in order to prove—”
“I have proof. Everyone will see it soon enough.”
Kevin turned to the officer holding onto Dane’s cuffed hands. “I’ll take him in my car. You see to collecting evidence here. See to getting those two medical attention.” He pointed at Chancy’s two security men sitting on the floor, one sporting a bullet wound.
“Let’s go. You can explain the gunfire and the destruction of property at HQ.”
*****
Shana kept her eyes riveted to the news, waiting for the video from Sejuiced to play, waiting for some kind of report on Chancy Peterson. What she saw instead were photos of Billy and her mum and a report that Billy George’s car was found abandoned.
“William George and his mother, Tillie George, are missing and are believed to still be in the area. Police think this is connected to the police pension fraud case. Shana George is wanted for questioning and believed to be in Sydney.” Her picture flashed on the screen.
All three of them were shown as if they were fugitives, guilty of some horrible crime.
“This is a nightmare.”
The newscaster went on, “If you see any of these people you are asked to call the police. The police suspect they are staying in the Bondi Beach area.” An aerial video of the Bondi Beach neighborhood where Shana’s family lived showed on the screen.
Before Shana could recover from her initial shock and alarm, she heard the garage door open and that meant Dane was back. Relief overwhelmed whatever panic she might have felt and she ran to meet him at the door.
Joe and Billy stepped inside as she got there and then Joe closed the door behind them. He looked at her and then he shook his head.
“What happened? Where is he?” Panic welled and this time there was no stopping it. Her breathing came too fast, her head pounded with her rushing pulse.
“He’s okay. He stayed behind. He needed to make sure the police arrested Chancy, that he didn’t escape before they got there.”
“What the hell? That wasn’t part of the plan. What happened?”
“There was a shot fired. Police were called.”
“Who was shot?”
“One of Chancy’s men.” Joe stepped toward her and put his hands on her arms. “He’s okay. He knew Kevin Ivory would be the first officer there. He called Kevin earlier and told him where we’d be. He trusts Kevin.”
She couldn’t believe this. It was outrageous even for Dane.
“He went totally off the plan, he changed everything. He—”
“He’s okay.” This time it was Billy who spoke. “He was brilliant.”
“Let’s watch the news,” Joe said.
They went into the living room where her mother sat silent, staring at the screen. Shana caught Joe up on the search for the George family in Bondi Beach.
“Nothing on the Sejuiced video or Chancy’s arrest or even on Dane. What the hell’s going on?”
Billy said, “I’ll call my ABC news contact.” He left the room to make the call
Her mind spun out of control, driven by her racing and terrified heart. To calm herself she went into what-would-Dane-do mode.
“We need to call the governor,” Shana said, pacing again. “They have us pinned down here and now they have Dane.”
“I agree. We’ll need the governor to get you out of here since you’re not a US citizen. Billy and Mrs. George too.”
“Not without Dane.” She wasn’t going anywhere without Dane.
Billy came back into the room, his face dire. “The story was supposed to break at noon, she swore to me. She’s checking on it and is so stoked about getting more video and the story she’s willing to go out on a limb to get it on air for the evening news.”
“If it breaks tonight about Wade Grisk’s role, that’ll give us some leverage. The governor and David Young will know who to call at the AFP—Australian Federal Police—to make sure the claims against Grisk are taken seriously.”
“David may have more sway as a director from Scotland Yard,” Shana said.
“In fact, I think he knows people here in Sydney.” She thought he might even know her old boss Kevin, but wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or bad thing at this point.
Despite what Dane thought, she still wasn’t sure if Kevin was involved or what he thought of her, whether he’d believe her.
She very badly needed an ally in the New South Wales police force. She needed an ally somewhere who wasn’t related to her, someone sufficiently outside of her circle but highly influential.
“I need to call someone, Joe. Someone who might be able to help.”
She couldn’t believe she was contemplating calling her old flame, the one Dane had humiliated not a year ago when he’d visited her on Martha’s Vineyard in his last-ditch effort to resurrect their failed engagement.
Dirk Tremaine and his family had loads of money and influence.
Best of all, he owned and operated a hotel where they could stay near the embassy in case they could help.
He’d be able to secret them away and get them to the embassy if anyone could.
A drone appeared in the distance outside their window, marring the view of the ocean. She watched it dip down before Joe, in a quick move, used the remote to close the automatic blinds, shutting them inside and cut off from the world. Shana didn’t like it one bit.
“Whatever we do, we need to get out of here. Moving will be trickier now that they have my photo, too. Unless the video confession is believed and the police drop their search and their orders to arrest Shana.” Joe said.
“The worst possible scenario would be to get arrested and get caught up in the legal system and have to stay and prove my innocence,” she said.
Those were words she’d never thought she’d hear herself say.
Pushing back the queasiness, she went on, “It would be best if we could convince the police to arrest the right person in the first place.”
Joe nodded, “So who’s your man with influence?”
Billy said, “Sis, you’re not—”
“Dirk Tremaine.”
Tillie gasped. “Dane is not going to like this. Not one bit.”
Guilt embraced her like an old friend, too familiar when it came to Dane and their on-again-off-again affair over the past several years.
She reminded herself she was still her own person and she needed to do this, needed to be rational and use whatever aces she had up her sleeve, no matter how filthy or guilt-riddled they were.