Chapter 16: Careful what you carry

Monday started late. I had managed to get out for a predawn pee, and slip back into bed without disturbing Pauline, and it was nine am before were both fully conscious. Room service provided an adequate breakfast, and we dallied in the jacuzzi, enjoying doing lotsa nothing much.

Shortly after ten, Pauline’s phone rang. Whatever it was, it was clearly not good news.

“Oh shit!” Her face was ashen and the hag was back. The call was brief, and she terminated without any further comment. She turned to me with a heavy sigh and looked at me keenly before evidently coming to some decision. I waited.

“That was the funeral director. The shit’s hit the fan.” I waited some more.

“You should go for a walk. I need to make some more calls.”

“Nah. You need to tell me what’s going on.” Pauline bristled.

“I don’t want to get you involved in this mess. You’ve been marvellous but this is becoming a whole different deal.”

“Bit late for that. I’m here, so I’m involved. Neither of us can pretend nothing is going down here.” I took a big breath and committed myself at a level that was quite scary. “I’m with you – whatever it is.”

“You can’t. You don’t understand. You can go for a walk and you won’t be involved.”

“Bullshit! I agreed to support you and I still want to do that, but I need to know what you’re dealing with – whatever it is.” Pauline’s face relaxed just a little. “So spill!”

“They aren’t going to release Ivan’s body today. The toxicology came through, and he was off his face on crystal meth. The coroner will want a full autopsy later in the week, and the cops will eventually be involved.” My heart sank, but I waited two or three full breaths before pushing further.

“And?” There was a long silence. “Come on Sunshine – start at the beginning.” Pauline brightened a little.

“That’s the first time you’ve ever called me Sunshine.” I’ve never been known for my patience, but I kept waiting. Pauline drew another deep breath and let it out with a huge sigh.

“Ivan was an industrial chemist. When we first met he worked for the Dairy Board. He was a world authority on making milk powder. After we married he started to experiment with synthesising all sorts of illegal psychedelics.

“‘Breaking Bad’?”.

“Not at first. It was strictly non commercial at the start. Brews for friends and parties.” I made a connection.

“Leslie?”

“For a while – he was making Ecstasy then. She quit as soon as things started to go sideways.”

“What happened?”

“Ivan fucked up. He lost his job and went downhill from there. I left him – basically because he was out of it whenever he wasn’t cooking stuff up, and he was doing dodgy deals with some bad people.”

“Gang connections?”

“Yup. He was cooking crystal meth, and using it heavily. That’s bad shit!” I had a worrying thought.

“Please reassure me you weren’t involved and that none of your money came from there!”

“I wasn’t involved, and my money came from the chain of Hat Shops that dad used to own. But Katarina’s money has come from Ivan’s drug manufacture, and that’s where my problem is.” I got the picture, but asked anyway.

“You’re worried about the ‘Proceeds of Crime’ legislation?”

“Yes – if they go after his estate there’ll be no more fruitcake and fine china, and Katarina will have to be transferred to somewhere a lot less fancy and comfortable.

“Why would they go after his estate? What have they got on him?”

“Dunno – if he was on the Drug Squad’s radar, the toxicology report will go straight to them cos he will be flagged on the National Police database, and they will be round to take a look at his place pretty quickly. If he wasn’t on their radar, he will be just another ‘methed out’ casualty and it will take a while for them to get around to deciding to follow up.”

“Why would he be on their radar?”

“If he’s still only cooking meth on a small scale – and he’s always worked very small and very clean in the past, he shouldn’t be.”

“You seem to know a lot about it?”

“Been here before. Sorted it out. But he eventually goes back to it on his own or Barry leans on him. It’s happened twice before.”

“Who is Barry?”

“Wannabe drug lord. Used to be with the Tribesmen before the Bandidos took them over. He didn’t patch with the Bandidos and as far as I know, he operates as a small time semi-independent. Barry has always bought everything Ivan has made since he first started cooking. He arranged raw materials, and provided protection, all that stuff.” Pauline paused, I waited. “Barry has blackmail material on Ivan and vice versa, but Barry still used to bully him to cook. He beats people up. He’s dangerous!”

“Mutually assured destruction. How will that work now Ivan’s dead?”

“Dunno – Don’t want to know.” She took a couple of deep breaths. “I don’t want anything to do with Barry. I just want to check out Ivan’s place and clean out anything that shouldn’t be there – like Ivan’s set up.”

“Why would he cook at home? Doesn’t it stink out the whole house?”

“Amateurs do. Ivan was a professional. Well fitting glassware inside a sealed system vented through the woodburner’s chimney.”

“Makes sense to get rid of it if it’s there. Even if Ivan is on the cop’s radar and they turn up while we’re in the house, we will be completely ignorant and innocent. You’re next of kin. Of course you would go to the house. Actually, the sooner we go and sort it the better.”

Ivan’s house turned out to be a modest bungalow among hundreds like it in one of the less desirable suburbs on the North Shore. We pulled into the carport, and Pauline produced a key from her purse.

“How come you have a key?”