Page 31 of Sharing Forever in Hope Creek (Hope Creek #2)

Jack pressed his fingertips into the back of his neck, kneading the muscles there as he sat in the small, stark interview room and waited for his lawyer to arrive.

His sister, Jacinta, had engaged a senior counsel on his behalf and had advised him not to speak to the detectives from Melbourne who were waiting to interview him.

She assured him her friend from university, Sian Lowe, was enroute.

Jacinta had chartered a helicopter and it was flying Sian straight up to Hope Creek.

With no local taxi service available, Jacinta had called Mitch to have him standing by to pick Sian up and drive her to the police station as soon as she landed.

Jack looked around the room for the thousandth time and wondered how Callie was coping.

The police had taken his phone away so there was no way of contacting anyone to find out if she was okay.

This shock couldn’t be good for her, especially after yesterday’s fainting spell and blow to the head.

He ran his hand through his hair in frustration.

He was boxed in here. There wasn’t even a window in the room he could look through.

In fact, it was more like a large cupboard than a room, barely fitting the table and three chairs into the space.

There was nothing to look at except a clock, and if he had to watch the second hand going around one more minute, he’d probably go mad, but it was either focus on the clock or recall the shock and devastation scored into Callie’s features.

The accusation he’d witnessed in her eyes had burned indelibly into his memory.

That she could believe him capable of murder was soul-destroying.

And while he told himself that the argument he’d had with Thompson yesterday was damning, how could Callie have doubted his innocence for a second?

Margaret and Jim had stood by him, but Callie—who should know him better than her foster parents—had doubted him.

Was there any comeback for them from this point when she had so little faith in him?

Each second that ticked by he regretted having confronted Thompson yesterday rather than going directly to the police.

Cursing, Jack stood and paced around the table. He was a man who was almost constantly on the move and this space made him feel claustrophobic, but there were a lot more serious emotions closing in on him.

Shutting the door on his thoughts of Callie, he turned to his most pressing problem.

He couldn’t wrap his head around being charged with Thompson’s murder.

For God’s sake! They’d had a heated argument, but he’d explained what that was about.

Damn it all. The police had a lot to answer for in arresting him so quickly with no solid evidence, but then again, if the mother of his child didn’t believe in his innocence, why should anyone else?

Don’t think about Callie.

Focus on anything else.

Business—focus on business.

In the quick call he’d been allowed to make to his deputy CEO, he’d left her with a raft of instructions and had to advise her to inform the company lawyers.

As shocked as she’d been, he knew Rebecca would hold things together.

She was one heck of a capable woman and he trusted her to handle any problem that arose with the business.

Shit. The company was in a sound position with all its developments, but it was inevitable that share prices were going to plummet when news of this got out.

This mess had to be over quickly so he could be back at the helm, the company could recover from the scandal and he could move forward with his life.

Callie.

It was useless trying to block her from his thoughts because she was tied inextricably to his future.

It looked like she won’t want you in her future now , his inner voice jibed.

No!

He wouldn’t let Callie shut him out of her life—out of their child’s life.

Of course she wouldn’t shut him out, he assured himself.

For now, she was just in shock. It wouldn’t last. Besides, he was innocent and she’d accept that once the real killer was apprehended.

But it must be impossibly hard for her to deal with the father of her child being held on suspicion of murder.

A few minutes later, he sat back down on the uncomfortable wooden chair that had to be at least fifty years old.

Fifty years old, but with very little wear.

He guessed there hadn’t been too many people interviewed at this country police station.

He may well be the first person to be detained here for such a heinous crime.

Hardly something he wanted to be his claim to fame.

Shit! He still couldn’t believe Thompson was dead.

Murdered for God’s sake.

The only thing he could think was that someone had been royally pissed off with being stung by his Ponzi scheme and they’d exacted their revenge.

He made a note to ask the police and his investigator to look into all the investors Thompson had stung.

They all had motive, so now the police needed to find out which of them also had opportunity.

The door opened. A very attractive woman with a short, sleek blonde bob oozed no-nonsense professionalism as she strode confidently into the room carrying a black briefcase.

She was dressed in an expensive-looking black pencil-slim skirt, blazer and high heels.

Jack knew before she even introduced herself that this was his senior counsel.

‘Sian, thanks for interrupting your holiday to come,’ Jack said as he stood and extended his hand.

‘I wouldn’t have done it for anyone except Jacinta.

’ Her voice was cultured and her handshake firm.

Her gaze seemed to penetrate his as though she could see to his very soul.

With a slight nod as though she was satisfied with what she saw, she said, ‘I’ve heard a lot about you over the years, Jack.

I wish we were meeting under different circumstances.

Jacinta’s filled me in a little on what’s happened, but I want to hear it from you. ’

Ten minutes later, Sian went to the door and ushered in two detectives.

Sian’s advice had been not to give an interview. ‘I would normally tell you not to do an interview and the police would either accept that or proceed with the interview and you would answer “no comment” throughout.’

‘I’m innocent,’ Jack had replied. ‘I need to tell them what I know to help them find the killer so I can get out of here and get back to my company and my life.’

The lawyer still wasn’t happy with it. ‘Look, Jack, this is an unusual situation. When I generally defend those accused of murder, I make myself unavailable. That way the court can’t say the accused didn’t give an interview.

’ She shook her head. ‘They’ve been very quick to hold you on suspicion of murder based on a witness seeing you threaten the victim yesterday.

Generally, they would keep you for questioning for up to four hours to “help them with their investigation”.

This doesn’t feel right. They must have something else. ’

‘They can’t have anything else. I’m innocent,’ Jack had insisted. ‘I’m going to cooperate fully with the investigation.’

Sian hadn’t been happy. ‘Jacinta told me you’re stubborn.’

Now, a woman and man stepped into the room, overcrowding the small space.

Sian resumed her seat next to Jack and he felt his chest tighten with uncertainty—not a feeling he was used to.

This was really happening.

He was being interviewed as a prime suspect in a homicide investigation.

‘I’m Detective Fahey, Mr Marshall,’ the woman told him as she took the seat opposite him. She pointed to her colleague, who stood beside her. ‘This is Detective Marr.’

Jack nodded to them.

Detective Marr produced a phone. ‘We’ll be recording this interview.’

Jack nodded again and listened as the man proceeded to speak into the phone, stating the time and date of the interview with Jack Marshall and listing those present.

‘Please state your full name and date of birth,’ the woman commanded.

Jack complied.

‘Tell us about your movements from yesterday afternoon when you left the vineyard,’ the female directed.

Jack went over the story again. ‘I arrived at Hope Creek Vineyard shortly before four pm to meet with Andrew Thompson.’

‘The deceased,’ Detective Marr put in.

‘What time did you leave the vineyard?’

‘I was in the car, about to drive to the police station when I received a call from Margaret Richardson to tell me that Callie was on her way to hospital. My phone records will pinpoint the exact time, but it was about 4.20 pm. I wasn’t at the vineyard for very long.’

‘Where did you go when you left the vineyard?’

‘I drove straight to the hospital. It’s about a forty-minute drive to Lancaster from Hope Creek so I would’ve arrived there about five o’clock where I went straight to emergency and asked after Callie.’

‘When did you leave the hospital?’

‘I think Callie was discharged about six o’clock.’

‘You were with her until she was discharged?’

‘Yes.’

‘Hospital records showed she was discharged at 6.11 pm,’ Detective Marr supplied.

That was even better. ‘Then it would’ve been shortly after that I left the hospital. I walked to the car with Callie as well as Jim and Margaret Richardson, and said goodbye to them before I drove straight to Lancaster Police Station.’

‘Did you tell them where you were going?’ Detective Fahey asked.

Jack shook his head. ‘No. I didn’t want to worry Callie, so I didn’t mention anything about the Ponzi scheme or my meeting with Thompson.’

‘How long is the drive from the hospital to the police station?’ Fahey asked.

‘Google Maps would tell us exactly,’ Jack said, ‘but I’d say no longer than ten minutes.’

‘Okay,’ the female detective said. ‘That puts you there around 6.20 to 6.25-ish. You told Sergeant Houghton and Constable McMahon in your earlier interview with them today that you found the Lancaster Police Station unmanned.’

‘That’s correct.’

‘How long did you stay at the station?’