Allena Abigail Burkhardt: Part 6

She had fallen with a nauseating jolt to the stomach. Only up to her shins. Anything deeper wouldn’t have frozen over in the high country of New South Wales, but it gave her the kind of fright she should have been expecting, but was surprised by all the same. Perhaps it was that encounter with a small frozen pond as a child that made the sensation of meeting with Robert Farley that chilled morning all too familiar.

She had met with the detective enough times, but her stomach churned upon spotting him in the corner of her local café. She waved to him, catching his attention as she gestured to her lanky dog. The man seemed to carry a great weight as he hauled himself up and came to find a seat with her outside.

“Sorry to drag you into the cold, Wilson needed a walk.” A piercing gust of chill air ran through them.

“No, it’s alright. Can I get you anything?”

“Decaf soy mocha would be lovely, thanks.” Farley raised an eyebrow. “Decaf or I’ll get the shakes, unfortunately. A small will do.” The detective turned on his heel to order before returning with a table number.

“How are things going?”

Farley let out a sigh. “Not the worst, although we have no shortage of suspects.”

“Is Mr Bennett being detained?” Allena secured Wilson’s lead to her chair, extracting a bottle of water and collapsible bowl from her workbag.

“He was,” Farley muttered. “But we didn’t have anything concrete to set him apart from anyone else, same can be said for his wife. Not even with what you told me last night, although their only alibi is each other’s – so I would like to see those photos.” Allena nodded absently, reaching for her encased laptop. She couldn’t help but feel a tightness in her chest. If involvement of her client and husband could be ruled out, it would be a relief.

Farley scrutinised the line of photographs she showed him.

“So, care to elaborate further on what you found last night?” Allena wasn’t above prying for classified information.

“Well, like I told you…” He frowned at the laptop screen as the sun made a glary appearance. “Obviously involved in criminal circles. It seems Mrs Taurini was quite the gang boss. Apparently ran business from a few different houses while her husband is out of town, if he isn’t in on it too. We’re yet to interview him. Flying back from Europe today, off on business, apparently.”

“And you just found her in the bushes next to a statue of a bull?” she lowered her voice and Farley snickered, as the lanky young waiter carefully brought their coffees over.

“Thank you,” Allena smiled up at the blessed bearer of caffeine, or lack thereof. Once he was safely out of earshot, Allena scrutinised Farley.

“The bull’s apparently a bit of a symbol for the Taurini gang. Raging bull. Apparently they have quite the reputation, according to some of my contacts.” He took a sip of his latte. “Can’t say I’ve heard of them before though.” He frowned.

“Maybe they’re just good at what they do,” Allena murmured. “Or maybe it’s a new marketing strategy. Apparently Jenny was quite the entrepreneur, I’m sure that’s up her alley.”

“That boutique biscuit thing,” Farley smirked. “Front for money laundering.”

“And doubled nicely to piss off the Bennett’s.”

“True.”

“So…” Allena pressed. “You don’t think it was an accident. Why?”

“Pathology indicates she did hit her head, but strangulation was the cause of death.” Allena raised an eyebrow.

“Any idea what was used?”

Farley hesitated. Allena wondered if she ought to try and bribe him with some blueberry cheesecake she thought she saw in the café display. “We found a black children’s jacket not too far away. Stuffed in a privet bush. Nasty stuff. That plant will kill most animals.” Allena’s heart dropped in a little jolt.

“Have you gotten through those pictures yet?”

“Getting there,” Farley shifted in his seat. Allena edged the laptop back towards herself so they could both see the screen and began flicking through.

“It’s probably just coincidence,” she said, cringing a little at the word. “But another mother—one of the parents in the same social circle as the Bennet’s and my assistant—came to pick up Jenny’s son for a birthday party. Jenny gave Elain her son’s black jacket to look after… it should have come back with Jenny’s son at the end of the day though…” She couldn’t bring herself to say Alex’s name. A little boy now without a mother. As horrible as Jenny might have been, that had to be worse. “And come to think of it, the exchange between Elain and Jenny seemed a little tense, perhaps. But it could confirmation bias on my part, of course.” She sighed, pursing her lips as she met Farley’s gaze.

“I’ll look into it,” he said. “It’s most likely related to Taurini’s more criminal dealings.” He said it to reassure her, she realised. “But of course we’ll look at all the possible angles.”

“Can you please call me when you know more?” Wilson pressed his nose down on her knee and she fussed with his ears briefly.

“Asking politely, Burkhardt?” Farley gave a crooked smile. “That’s a nice change.”

“Haha,” she intoned. “I suppose you’ll be wanting the photos on a USB? You’ll have to supply your own, I’m afraid. All my branded ones are at the agency you won’t return my keys for.”

“Fair enough.” Farley grimaced, searching his pockets.

***

Allena worked on an ongoing job she had with an insurance company for much of the next week. Farley didn’t contact her. It was early Friday afternoon, and Allena had made a tea for herself and Oscar before he headed off for school pickup.

The contents of the two mugs nearly slopped onto the floor when the rather loud knocking resounded down the hallway.

"I'll get it," Oscar rose from the couch. Rather than setting down the cups of tea, she peered past her assistant, pursing her lips.

"Hello, I don't believe we've met." Farley was a resolute form just beyond Oscar. There was a hasty introductions, as Farley tried to sidle past Oscar to address Allena. "Any chance we could speak in private?"

Allena frowned. "Anything you have to say, you can feel free to do so with my assistant present," she replied coolly. Behind Farley, Oscar's lip quirked up.

"Just, might be a conflict of interest..." Farley pursed his lips. "Although I suppose the main facts are are going to travel quickly enough." Allena glanced at Oscar, noting his stricken look.

"We'd better sit down."

Oscar trailed into the living room behind Farley. Allena ushered Wilson off the couch to make room for herself and her assistant while Farley took the armchair. Allena was considering offering the police detective something to drink but he didn't beat around the bush.

"We have had a full confession from Elain Winthropp for the murder of Jenny Taurini, as of this morning." Oscar made a small, strangled noise beside her. She let out a long breath.

"We looked into Elain, like I said we would." Oscar shot her a glance. "We had a report of a disturbance at the Winthropps' Property. Apparently the front yard was pretty much demolished last Saturday evening – disturbing, what with a young family, two kids there." Last Saturday. The day Elain had gone to Jenny's to pick up Alex for a birthday party. "Elain had borrowed a lot of money from Jenny. It wasn't good. The family was in real financial trouble and in no place to pay back such a loan. Apparently Jenny did this to a lot of parent's at her son's school. She would frame her loans like a casual agreement between friends. Until they couldn't pay it back in time. Hence the destroyed front yard. Handiwork of those under Taurini's employ, no doubt."

Oscar took a loud sip of his tea. Allena wondered if she oughtn't have given him the rest of the afternoon off when Farley arrived.

"Elain went to Jenny's house under the apparent guise of returning that jacket - her husband was unaware of the situation - and paying what she owed." Allena remembered the brief exchange about the jacket, and how returning it would have been the perfect excuse to go back to Jenny's house that weekend. "Of course she didn't have the money, although not for lack of trying, apparently. She confronted Jenny, was angry about the threat to her family, and things got nasty. It wasn't self-defence on Elain's part, though. That much we've confirmed."

Allena had been worried that the Bennetts had been involved, hoping they weren’t because if they were, it could almost certainly result in the family being wrought apart. Allena was a professional, who had to remain objective. But that didn’t mean she didn’t feel any of what her client’s went through. But now it was another family. Elain would be up for a long sentence, even if Jenny Taurini had been a criminal.

"Didn't want her girls to miss out on anything apparently; excursions, books," Farley ran a hand through his greying hair, letting out a great sigh. "Understandable. Just unfortunate she tangled with who she did. Unfortunate she did what she did."

Allena glanced at Oscar, staring into his mug of tea. She clenched her jaw, giving Robert Farley a nod in agreement. It was that bitter, cold feeling that often came with the conclusion of a case.

"Mr Bennett took a loan from Jenny to try and help his wife set up her business," Allena said, a statement, rather than a query. But Farley had interviewed Ted Bennett.

"That is my understanding, yes," he said. And Jenny Taurini had beaten Laylor to setting up her boutique biscuit business. Out of spite, perhaps, or to savour the resentment that inevitably ensued. "Demanded Mr Bennet pay back the loan with an an alarmingly high interest rate, too." Allena leant back in her seat, crossing her ankles. As unpleasant a conclusion as it was, Jenny Taurini wouldn't be terrorising parents anymore. In spite of herself, she wondered if Laylor Bennett would get to set up her own biscuit business after all.

***

Thank you for reading my short murder mystery series! If you enjoyed it, please leave a heart <3. If you would like to read from the beginning, please find part 1 of 6 via the link below: