Returning Home.

Chapter 35

My mind has been all over the place today as I try and work my way through a full day of appointments. Luckily they are mainly check ups as I didn't think my brain could handle anything that required me to think too hard.

After my last patient, I closed up the surgery and made my way to the kitchen to start to prepare for dinner. Xavier had said that he would be busy tonight and that he would catch up with me when he could.

I realised that there is going to be a lot that needed the club to discuss with regards to how they are going to handle the latest events so that they can work out a plan with Holden & Drew. I could only imagine the stress that it must had been causing Holden to the point that he had to risk approaching a motor cycle club for help.

Chopping away at the vegetables, my eye catches that the garage door is open and I have a straight through view to my dads evidence boards.

I'm reminded that with all that has been happening, I had completely forgotten that I had my own 'case' to work on and as much as I know Xavier would never agree, I had decided that I wanted to continue where dad had left off and keep looking into Micky Tanners death.

One thought that was continually in my mind was that I felt that there was some sort of loose connection between the Bandits, Tex Bryson & Micky Tanners death.

I know that there was no evidence in it but what if the issues with the Bandits had actually started back when Micky was around and what if his death was somehow connected to this as well.

Putting down my knife, I slipped the vegetables into the steamer and made sure that it was turned on and then checking the meatloaf in the oven before making my way into the garage and opening the boards up fully so that I can cast my eye over them again.

I had probably looked over these boards a hundred times, but I still had this feeling that there was something that I was missing.

I had stuck a photo of Bryson to the edge of the board and as much as I didn't have any evidence to connect him anywhere, I just kept having this feeling that he was somehow involved.

Picking up a folder that Roo had given me which held a lot of his notes that he had collected over time and began to flick through the first few pages which was all about the night Mickey was been killed and it had included a copy of the police report which included both typed and hand written notes.

As I flicked through the report pages and as usual, I paid a lot of attention to the coroners report going over the notes section and comparing them to the police report.

Something caught my eye and as I continued this back and forwards checking to which I have come to realise that the hand writing on the police report matched the hand writing on the coroners report.

Lost in my thoughts, I practically jump out of my skin when I hear someone gasp and another voice say " Now that is one well presented evidence board."

Swinging around, my mind has not computed the fact of who the voices are as I search for the nearest weapon that I could use to defend myself until I hear the second voice say "Amelia what the heck is all of this?"

Recognising the shocked response of my best friend, my heart rate instantly slows down as I begin to relax knowing that it is only her and Ariel.

"It was dads." I respond as Carrie gingerly steps into the garage where Ariel on the other hand looks like she has just discovered the lost city of gold as she moves closer and takes in all the aspects of the boards.

Carrie seems to hover back as if she is not sure what is going on. "Sorry to barge in but the surgery was closed and I figured you would be out in the kitchen"

It's like Ariel has completely forgotten the original reason she had come here as I watch her get lost in the information. She instantly notices the reports I was reading and scrunches her nose up.

"What, what do you see Ariel?" I ask as I look back at the pages that I had been studying before the girls had walked in.

She moves her fingers over the words and says "This makes no sense, the report says that it was written up by a Sargent Wilson Frank but I would recognise that chicken scrawl anywhere, that's Sargent Brysons hand writing."

I move to where she is pointing and my brain kicks into overdrive as I go and flick to the coroners report and show her where I saw that same writing. She takes the papers and instantly picks up on what I'm trying to show her.

"They're the same, but how can both the police report and the coroners report have the same hand writing, I mean I'm no hand writing expert but look at theses similarities?" She points out as she places the two side by side on the bench so that we can what she means and sure enough, the similarities are very close.

Carrie moves to peer at what we are looking at and nods her head "I'm not expert either, but I would have to agree that the writing looks to be the same on both reports."

Feeling a slight rush, I wonder if I should be linking in Holden to this as something else that connects to Bryson.

"Does Xavier know about all of this?" Carrie asks. I nod "He is not too impressed with it all and did ask me to not look into it, but I just can't not do it. I feel like I need to finish what dad started."

Carrie once again seemed to cast her eyes over all the boards and just nods as if she silently agreed but still was not sure about it all. I started to think that maybe we should call it quits at the moment as I remember that originally they had come looking for me in the surgery.

"So what brings you both here by the way?" I ask as I see Ariel put down the reports as if she has remembered the reason why she came here in the first place.

She has a way about her that I can't quite put my finger on. It is like everything must be neat and tidy as I notice her stacking the papers in order, nearly on the tabletop.

She turns and faces me, clasping her hands in front of her. "I need a second opinion on something that is a touchy subject apparently." She says.

"Ok, well lets make our way into the kitchen and we can talk about it." I offer a hand to guide her and Carrie through the door so that we can discuss what Ariel has on her mind before try to contact Holden about what Ariel has pointed out.

We all make our way into the kitchen and Ariel pulls out a stool to take a seat while I pick up where I offer off and Carrie moves towards the kettle to get it started.

I don't even get out two words when I hear my phone ringing. Excusing myself, I make my way over to the charger and look at the screen to see Holden's name flash up.

Answering it I say"Geeze, were your ears burning? I was just thinking about ringing you."

"Amelia, Drew has been shot." Is all Holden gets out before I hear sirens and loud noises coming from his background.

"Tell me where you are and I will be on my way." I say and Holden rattles off that they will head to the Royal Brisbane as that will be the safest option.

Hanging up the phone I can see that both of the girls are looking at me, probably wondering what the heck is going on and I don't even know where to start, let alone what I am going to do right in that moment.

Carrie places some mugs on the island bench and says "Spill it Amelia, I know that look any where. What the heck is going on?"