Dorothea

Michael and Darnia rose early and were jogging along the Auckland waterfront at daybreak, having arrived by aircraft the night before.

"Hey if you get a double room next time, get one with a double bed," Darnia.

"Oh, ha ha. I felt the need to set some distance between you and me. I didn't want to get molested in the night," Michael replies mocking.

"Yeah right, really? I could've crossed over anytime. What makes you think I would do such a thing anyway?"

"Recent history."

"You snore!"

"You too!"

"Anyway, nice of you to get a hotel with a gym." Darnia was setting a cracking pace and that was said without a puff.

"Make the most of it. We have it for two nights then we have to find something dirt cheap."

"Next time I'll take on a wealthier client. Hey, you should have been out running back in Melbourne rather than moping about on your veranda."

"Agreed, agreed. I was too busy feeling sorry for myself and I wasn't thinking straight."

Michael glanced at the volcano looming large across the harbour in the gloom of the gathering light. This city sits on sixty odd volcanos. What secrets does Auckland have now? What metaphorical volcano sits deep below them building to erupt? He pondered on how big that eruption will be and how will it leave their lives?

"What time do we meet your liaison officer mate."

"10. He has given me the address of a café."

"Good so we have plenty of time. We are due at the rest home at two. I have only met Dorothea's Mother a few times and I believe she may be at the first stage of dementia."

"She must be quite young for dementia."

"Maybe, she did have Dorothea quite late. The strokes probably brought the dementia on, I suppose."

******

Darnia and Michael were sitting outside at the Café when the Australian Police Liaison Officer arrived. The officer recognized Darnia straight away, directly approaching her and kissing her on both cheeks. 'that's a bit European for a couple of Antipodeans,' Michael was thinking. He assumed him to be an old paramour by the way they were looking at one another. Darnia introduced the officer as Colin and Michael rose to shake hands.

Settling down, Colin eyed the coffees on the table and explained that he could not stay long so he wouldn't get one. Darnia got straight to the point.

"It was Michael's wife I told you had disappeared."

"What makes you think, she is over here?"

Darnia explained the whole story.

Colin thought in silence a while, drumming the table with his fingers.

"It sounds like she was investigating something big if it was trans-Tasman, and you say Michael, she was with Americans when she left the first time?"

"She has crisscrossed the Tasman with her work a few times but this particular time, yes, they turned up at her office. A colleague confirmed it. Has there been anything happening here that might fit the bill?"

"Well, I can only really tell you what's out there in the public realm. I presume you are not aware of what has been happening in local politics. On one hand there is a sovereign citizen movement called the 'Freeon' which is gaining ground and has established a fair bit of influence undermining the Government. The Minister of internal affairs and immigration has just resigned, and his campaign and electorate manager has gone to ground. It seems like a huge scandal is brewing. The opposition are relishing the whole thing with a great deal of glee as this year is an election year. The Government is trying to keep a lid on it saying he has resigned for family reasons but rumours of illegal immigrants, money laundering as well as drugs and firearms smuggling are swirling around this case. Have you heard of 'Los Vengadores Malvados,' or 'the Venga' as the locals call them? They have a strong involvement it seems with links to the Freeon. The Freeon seem to be a powerful group but are very unpredictable."

Darnia leant forward, "Sounds South American. There has been an incident back in Australia they might have been party to."

"That would not be surprising, anyway, the FBI are investigating the American connection and of course Aussie is involved as well. You are right, they are South American in origin where they are generally called Los Malvados. They are called that with good cause because they are vicious."

"Oh my god. Darnia is a forensic accountant and from what we have heard her firm might have been compromised by what she was investigating." Michael felt himself shaking as he spoke.

"We better be careful that we are not making one and one equal five, but it does sound like she may be looking at something connected to this. If so, she is in very dangerous territory." Colin continued, "Precisely when did your wife disappear."

"Last week, why?"

"There is something else I need to tell you. I know there will be a press statement being delivered to the media as we speak. A body has been found of a woman this morning. Any other detail you will have to refer to the media. It is the reason I can't stay as there might be an Australian connection."

Michael's face paled, "Where was it found? What is the Australian connection?"

"I will tell you but don't go doing anything bloody silly. The body was found in a yard owned by a person who was deported from Australia."

"Copperhead!" Darnia and Michael gasped in unison. Colin was taken back by the reaction and allowed himself to nod.

"You know him?"

"Not personally. Did he kill her?" Michael could hardly speak with emotion.

"Hold on, hold on. This is under investigation, but I'll tell you this. It was him that reported it to the police."

"Copperhead reported something to the police. That's ironic." Commented Darnia.

"That is as it may be. Listen I gotta go, I have said far too much. For chrissake don't say anything to anyone about this and Michael, we do not know it was your wife. Take my advice, report her disappearance to the local police. I will text you a name. You have to understand that with all that is going on some members of the local police may be compromised themselves. Does she have any distinctive tattoos, and do you have anything of your wife they can do a DNA check on that will help? OK, Good luck and keep your heads well and truly down." With that parting shot, Colin left.

Michael was shattered, mumbling, "I know it's her, I just know." Emotion had totally enveloped him. Too shocked to cry he wildly looked around at the people on the street going about their business as though nothing was wrong. He wanted to scream but he was constrained by being in public.

Darnia was trying to calm him. "We don't know it's her, Michael we don't know," she kept repeating. She reached around and put her hand on his shoulder. Michael turned to look at her, looking straight into her eyes there was something that he never dreamt the action woman would have, tears.

*****

At two, they presented themselves at the reception of the rest home as per their appointment. Michael explained he was Dorothea's husband; she had disappeared, and he was trying to track her down. With that the receptionist explained that there was an envelope left at reception addressed to him. She rummaged around under desk and retrieved a pink envelope with his name on it.

It was definitely Dorothea's handwriting. Michael opened it. The note read that if he was reading this then he was looking for her. It explained she was following up on a very dangerous assignment. She hadn't wanted to worry him, but she thought it would take only two days. She didn't wanted him in harm's way. It also stated that in the event of something happening to her that there was a package with her mother's lawyer. If there is proof that something had happened the lawyer would hand over a flash drive of damning evidence containing evidence that she had been working on.

Michael showed the letter to Darnia who looked alarmed but did not say anything. Michael carefully folded the paper and slipped it into his jacket pocket.

The receptionist asked them both to sign in for security and emergency evacuation purposes. The sign in included both their cell phone numbers. This gave Michael an idea and he asked what day Dorothea had been there. It was the same day that she must have left Melbourne. He looked her up on the sign-in sheet and she was there along with another person, a Van Kerr. The number given for Dorothea was unfamiliar. Showing Darnia the number, she suggested she give it a call thinking it would be unwise to use his phone. She rang and it was answered, nobody spoke but a location came up. She quickly rang off. "That was weird? There was no answer, but it gave me a location."

Michael enquired," Would somebody answering that get your location?"

"No but I don't think it was a human answering it."

"It was a programmed response then?"

"Where is the location?"

"It looks about 30 kms south of here."

"Should we go there now?"

"The signs are we are too late, and we may head into some kind of trap."

This reminded Michael of the body that had been found and his heart seemed to drop.

"Snap out of Michael, remember we are on a mission. What about this other dude, Van Kerr?"

"You're right, Let's talk to Dorothea's mother first. Then we'll give him a call."

*******

The receptionist showed them to Dorothea's mothers' room. They entered the dimly lit room which reeked of mustiness and urine.

Her mother was still in the bed, awake with her head propped on pillows. She was staring blankly straight ahead. The receptionist bent over her and whispered something, but she remained impassive. Turning to Michael the receptionist said," Mrs De Crespenay will be happy to talk to you now." The receptionist abruptly left. How she came to that conclusion Michael could not tell. He presumed the receptionist had told her who they were.

"What do you want?"

The gruff question caught Darnia and Michael both off guard.

"Uh, we are looking for Dorothea and we wondered if you knew where she was?"

"She was in here the other day with her new boyfriend. I told her to get rid of him. If her husband finds out he will kill her."

"Who is her boyfriend?"

"I don't know. A big well-built fellow. I don't care. I have told her for years to divorce that husband of hers. He is no good for her. Does things. Hurts her. It was that mother of his, she is pure evil, she should never had children. She was sent by Satan not God as she thinks. He must have had a terrible time growing up. Anyhow he is not fit to be a husband. As for that other chap, his employer, I told Dorothea to kill him; Kill him, she must do that after what he did to Estelle."

Mrs de Crespany was raving. Both Darnia and Michael sat in stunned silence. She just stared straight ahead not really acknowledging them at all as she went on.

"Poor Estelle she was the victim of the ways of men. Dorothea should get away from all men. I told Dorothea that she should never have children, it will only lead to heartache and despair. Men will never do her any good. As for that husband...."

It was clear to Michael that she had forgotten who he was. He actually had met her a few times and thought they had a reasonable relationship. She was obviously talking about Dorothea's ex. He tried to remind her. "She did divorce Jordan, you know and remarried."

"What, that chap she came with. She's actually married to him. He looked too young for her."

It was the first time she seemed to acknowledge Michael was actually there as she turned and stared at him.

"Not him, she is married to me."

"Your lying, you're like all the rest of that scum, she is still married to that, that wife torturer, that husband from hell."

Michael tried to change the subject.

"What did Dorothea say when she was here? Did she say what she was doing?"

"I told her to kill Fairchild. She said she would. I told her to divorce her husband."

"Did she say she would?"

"Of course, she would. She is a good girl. Always does what she says."

"Where is Fairchild?"

"How should I know. Jordan will know. She was going to see him. I told her not to take her boyfriend, Jordan will kill him. I told her be wary of Jordan. She should have divorced him. He might kill her too."

Michael turned to Darnia; he was confused by the conversation. "We better leave, I can't take any more of this." They gave their thanks to Mrs De Crespany and made a hasty withdrawal.

Back in their hire car Michael, feeling a little better tried to unpick what he had heard. "She was right about one thing. I know this much from Dorothea; Jordan's mother was weird and a tyrant. She used to keep Jordan as a child like a prisoner. He had an awful upbringing by all accounts. She was religious to an extreme. I think he went into foster care in his teens. I have never met him, but he doesn't sound like he was quite right in the head himself by all accounts. Not surprising with a mother like his." Michael continued," I wouldn't have thought she would actually kill Fairchild or Jordan, but it sounds like Jordan is in the mix. I think we should go to the police before we do anything else. Have you received the contact text from your mate?"

"Yes, what do we do about DNA?"

"I remembered I had her hairbrush in my toilet bag. I had grabbed it quickly when I was packing not realizing it was hers. It has a great wadge of her hair on it, that might actually do."

Michael rang Dorothea's Mother's lawyer who told him he would release the package based on the results of the DNA test and proof of Michael's identity.

Their next act was calling and visiting the Police contact. That experience was underwhelming. The contact was non-committal about any information. He registered Dorothea as a missing person and took note of their movements to date. He collected Dorothea's hair for DNA analysis. He advised that Michael may need to come back if they there was any contamination of the hair with his DNA, as it happens Michael had not used that hairbrush.

They left feeling as though they were no further on but with the knowledge that once the DNA results were back things may change radically.

If the police officer had not been forthcoming, they had not either, telling him nothing related to what they had uncovered so far nor their suspicions. Whatever was in the package would not be relevant until they knew what it was.

They both retired back to the hotel room to take stock. Raiding the minibar, they fell into discussion about what to do next. Darnia noted that apart from the police, the rest home and the lawyer nobody would know who he was. Michael thought about this, even Jordan would not have even seen a picture of him let alone ever meeting.

Darnia noted that Dorothea seemed to have gone to great pains to protect him from whoever she was investigating, and it would seem plausible that she would give no indication of their marriage to those other parties.

Darnia then proposed then they should proceed, carefully feeling their way but present themselves as a husband-and-wife, private investigators. That seemed like a good idea because it was coming to a point where they were going to have to meet some dodgy people.

Michael stepped back on this. "Shouldn't we just let the police do their job?"

"First there is still the possibility that she is still alive, and the body is not her. The other issue is that this is politicized. You heard the man; the police have been compromised." Darnia lifted her sleeve causally pointing to her winged tattoo, 'who dares wins.'

Michael blinked at the action fully appreciating Darnia's meaning. Her arguments were not great but from Michael's point of view, his wife had disappeared, had some kind of enormous secret life with contact with a number of men. His mind was a confused with a turmoil of jealousy and grief and he had a desperate yearning to make sense of it all. He also did not yet have enough confidence in the authorities that they would uncover what he needed to know. For all he knew the authorities may be working against her rather than for her.

There was another question, if she were dead, who killed her? He pondered each option. Michael listed them, "Could it have been this chap Fairchild, who her mother seemed to think she was to kill," Michael asked.

"I think he is the prime suspect. Something happened with Estelle which might provide the motivation."

"What about Jordan, her ex?"

"Possible. But why? There is Dorothea's personal motivation but what about all this drugs and money laundering and what have you? Could Fairchild and Jordan be wrapped up in that?"

"What about the boy friend?"

"He could have been working for someone. She seems to have had him close if he visited her mother. Could he have been double crossing her?"

"What about Copperhead?"

"He went to the police when he found that body which was a pretty strange thing to do for someone like Copperhead. I do know of his reputation in Aussie and although not proven in a Court of law he is capable of anything. In my mind he has to be a prime suspect. He has always been up to his ears in drug running. This could be a turf war. Maybe he is trying to implicate someone else."

Michael agreed, "We know he was obsessed with her, there is an angle where he kidnapped her for his own personal reasons and when she would not submit, he killed her."

"Then he could use her body to implicate the others. That's possible."

"Michael remembered the Americans. "She left the first time, apparently with two Americans. If they were involved with her, could they actually be the FBI. Your liaison mate said that they were investigating. Maybe she was helping them."

Darnia came up with a depressing alternative, "Or maybe they are on the other side entirely and Dorothea was part of the criminal thing."

Michael became down cast with this suggestion," That possibility seems real. As a result of what George told me about her boss Grant, I put him in the villain bracket, it is quite plausible that he was genuinely trying to get her out of harm's way for her sake. For all we know George is implicated and Grant is actually the good guy."

Darnia sighed, "We are no-where near understanding what's going on. I think we should approach the boyfriend first. Of all of them it seems that he is less risky and would be able to tell us something of what she was doing. I think I should see him alone. We don't know what his relationship was with her. You might spook him especially if he knows something about you being her husband. We have to consider the possibility she may have been cheating on you with him."

Michael choked for a second. A wave jealousy hit him, and he felt nauseous. Darnia stared at him waiting for him to recover his composure. Finally, he spoke. "OK I see sense in that. I copied down his cell phone number at the rest home, Give him a call."

Darnia did that and disappeared into the ensuite to make the call for some indefinable reason of privacy. She emerged gleefully announcing that she was on a date, then spent the next hour sprucing herself up for the occasion leaving Michael trying to suppress his unexpected jealousy.

Finally, she disappeared out the door with Michael glowering over his vodka.

Michael was nervous about the whole thing. They had linked their phones so he was able to track her, and she could make an emergency call if required, He tracked her to a bar then and another establishment and finally ending in what Michael assumed was his apartment.

There she stayed. Michael had expected her to return but turned out that was not the case. Michael fidgeted uninterested in what was on television. He went for a walk and when he returned, he tried going to bed but could not sleep. He had a growing realization that he was becoming dependent on Darnia. His emotions waxed and waned between fear, concern for her safety and sheer jealousy. It was a long night. It was not until 7am that a call came through. On the other end was a cheerful Darnia inviting him to the apartment to pick her up, Thus Michael went, but he was not happy.