Underground

Chapter 1

The weekend had started off okay. I had been back in the country for forty-six hours, returning home from New York City for my twin brother's wedding. In a few weeks, I would be a bridesmaid for Sam's high school sweetheart, Louise Milton. Now I was sitting in a police station, giving a statement to my future sister-in-law and her work partner Senior Constable Grant Forbes, after finding the dead body of local business-owner and socialite Rebecca Kaber. Not my idea of fun.

I played with my coffee cup. Grant clicked the record button on the voice recorder and began his questions. I told them my full name, date of birth and current address. Then the real questioning began.

"Miss Lockley, tell us about the phone call you received last night." Grant picked up his pen. His dark brown eyes studied me.

"About midnight I received a call from Rebecca Kaber..." I started.

"How do you know it was Rebecca Kaber?" Grant interrupted.

"She told me that's who she was. I guess I don't know for sure."

"Go on Adrienne," Louise said softly, brushing her short blonde hair out of her eye.

"She said that she might know something about my father's death." I stared at my hands.

"Did she say what that might be?" asked Grant, looking up from his pad.

"No. She said to meet her at the apartment in Mooloolaba at eight o'clock this morning and she would, I assume, tell me."

Rebecca's call had woken me. I had grabbed the cordless phone from the lounge room coffee table. When I had answered, Rebecca's slurring voice had apologised for causing my family so much pain. She had said they all had. I wasn't sure whom they all were, but she hadn't given me time to ask.

"What can you tell us about her state of mind at the time of her call?" Grant asked.

"She sounded drunk, I guess." I looked at Louise and shrugged. She nodded.

"How did you know Mrs Kaber?" Grant continued, writing notes as he spoke.

"I didn't. I met her briefly yesterday. Mum and I looked at an office block for sale and then went for coffee with the real estate agent at the café across the hall from Rebecca's boutique. We were introduced. That's it."

We had just arrived at the café below the Cielo Apartments with the real estate agent when Rebecca Kaber had clicked past our table in her stilettos. Her deep red blouse and skirt had matched her lipstick and perfectly manicured fingernails. The agent had called out to her. Rebecca had spun around on her tiny heel, smiled at the agent and crossed her arms.

"Have you come to pry my apartment from me?" She'd said, laughing.

"Not today. This young lady is looking to purchase property one street back. I thought I'd stop in later to say hi."

"Don't let her rip you off," Rebecca had whispered to me, bending down close enough for me to smell her sweet perfume and get a face full of tanned cleavage. "She's a snake."

The agent had laughed out loud, drawing glances from most patrons in the café. "Oh, I am not."

Rebecca had turned to my mother, nodding at me. "You must be proud of your little entrepreneur."

My mother almost caused me to fall off my chair by saying "Adrienne is a wise girl with her money."

I had stared at the woman sitting beside me. She looked like my mother, but I couldn't be sure. What happened to the usual advice telling me that I should get a real job back in Australia? The shock must have registered on my face as Rebecca tilted her head and stared at Mum. She'd looked back at me.