Free Challis - 02 - Kittyhawk Down by Garry Disher Page B

found to be unroadworthy and
a fifth
had a direct or indirect link to various criminal offences: getaway vehicle, transportation of stolen goods, etcetera, etcetera.'
    The audience shifted, murmured. Ellen muttered to Challis, 'So what are we supposed to do, check out every disabled-parking spot?'
    'So what I want you to do,' Kellock said, 'in the normal course of your duties, is run an immediate numberplate check on any car you see parked illegally. I want to test the Huddersfield study here on the Peninsula. If I'm not mistaken, the results will duplicate the Huddersfield results. Any questions?'
    John Tankard was scowling. 'Sarge, why can't the traffic wardens do that? We've got enough on our plates as it is.'
    'Because the traffic wardens don't have the power to arrest or the means to carry out computer searches of registration plates, that's why. Next question?'
    There were a few desultory questions and someone shouted that no one ever said your average crim was a genius, and then the meeting broke up.

CHAPTER TWELVE

    When Challis and Ellen went upstairs afterwards they found Scobie Sutton at the water cooler, staring into space, his long, mournful face heavy with thought.
    'Penny for them,' Ellen said.
    He came out of his trance. 'It's just… sometimes you're reminded how precious and vulnerable children are, and how precarious everything is, and how hard it is for some people.'
    Sutton could be overly sentimental sometimes, but that was probably not a bad thing, Challis thought. It didn't make Sutton a worse copper—probably the opposite. In fact, Challis believed that his own sentimentality was leaking away and he wondered whether he'd have to chuck the job in when it was gone.
    Meanwhile he said nothing. Scobie Sutton could be an earbasher on the subject of his little daughter. To avoid that, Challis said, 'Could I have a word with both of you?'
    'Sure, boss,' Sutton said.
    Ellen took off her jacket. 'What about?'
    'Two things, but they're both linked to the one person.'
    He ushered them into his office and shut the door. The flimsy wall shook.
    'A woman called Janet Casement operates a flying business out at the aerodrome. Some charter work, aerial photography, joyrides—'
    'The one you call Kitty?'
    'That's right.'
    'Someone rammed her plane on the weekend,' Ellen said.
    'Yes.'
    They looked at him expectantly. He said, 'John Tankard found the Land Rover on patrol yesterday. I'd like to question the owner.' He held the palm of his hand out toward them, as though to forestall objections. 'I know it's not strictly my area, but maybe it was
attempted
murder. Also, I know Kitty, and saw the incident, so I have a personal interest.'
    Ellen looked at Scobie for confirmation. He nodded and she said, 'Fine by us, Hal.'
    'Next matter.' He showed them Kitty Casement's aerial photograph. 'I found this pinned to a noticeboard in the hangar where she works.'
    He watched them lean forward to peer at it. Scobie's hair was thinning, he noticed. Ellen's was neatly parted down the centre of her scalp, short fair hairs standing up here and there amongst the longer ones, and he felt an absurd, everyday connection with her, and remembered his childhood and playing with his sister on the sitting-room floor.
    'What are we looking at?' Scobie said.
    Ellen knew. Her long thin forefinger tapped the area of dark green under the washed-out eucalyptus tones. 'Marijuana crop,' she said. 'Mature plants, ready for harvesting by the look of it.' The finger moved. 'Irrigation pipes here and here, leading down from this dam. Pump housing. This could be the curing shed.' She looked up at Challis. 'Where was this taken?'
    He shrugged.
    Scobie said, 'Is she involved?'
    'I don't know,' Challis said. 'People commission her to take aerial photographs all the time. We can't be sure she knows what's in this photograph.'
    'Does she know you're with the police?'
    'Yes.'
    'Then she'd be a mug to leave it out where you can see it, wouldn't she?'
    'That's