Free Challis - 05 - Blood Moon by Garry Disher Page B

met them from time to time, and had a pretty fair
understanding of what formed them. They were often born into money, but not
necessarily love and intimacy. Theyd be sent to exclusive boys-only boarding
schools which filled that void with a competitive and repressive masculinity,
and where the few women they ever saw had teaching, nursing or servant roles.
No wonder they went on to become aggressive and autocratic CEOs and
politicians, driven to succeed but also aloof, insecure and blinkered.

    Challis himself had had two
encounters with Hindmarsh. He was sitting in a Qantas jet one Monday morning,
about to fly to Sydney to extradite a woman wanted for murder, when Ollie
boarded. Hed delayed taking his seat at the head of the plane and remained
standing for several long minutes, so that everyone saw and recognised him. And
during a charity dinner in the Waterloo town hall a month later, Challis had
gone looking for the mens room in a warren of corridors and found Ollie
screaming into the face of a waiter: Do you know who I am? Ive half a mind to
grab you and run you against a wall, you scumbag. Youre an absolute joke.
Hindmarsh was red-faced, his veins popping, spittle flying. It seemed
reasonable to assume that hotel staff, airport clerks and chauffeurs around the
country had received the same treatment over the years.

    The guy was also Mr Everywhere.
Challis kept finding Ollies publicity leaflets in his letterbox, two or three
photographs of the man on every foldturning a sod for another housing estate,
singing to a roomful of pensioners, cutting a ribbon, introducing a chaplain to
a school community.

    Perhaps we should sit, Mr
Hindmarsh, Challis said now, taking charge.

    That threw both men for a moment,
but Challis sat and they followed. Hindmarsh made an effort. Look, were
reasonable men here and

    Challis cut him off. He dealt out
the photocopied e-mail and blog pages one by one across the heavy table. This,
he said, is a provocative and racist e-mail forwarded to Lachlan Roe by his
brother, Dirk. Lachlan then forwarded it to others.

    He glanced at Hindmarsh and
McQuarrie. He had their attention. And these pageshe stabbed them with a
forefingerare taken from a blog called the Roe Report. It is viciously
racist, to the extent that it breaches racial vilification statutes. Criminal
charges may be laid. The material appears to have been written and posted by
Dirk Roe, with contributions from Lachlan Roe. Dirk Roe is the manager of your
electoral office, Mr Hindmarsh, am I correct? Challis didnt give the man a
chance to answer. And Lachlan Roe was appointed chaplain of Landseer with your
support? One of my best detectives has spent the morning at the school. She
assures me that Roe is deeply disliked there, by staff and students. I have
also learned that Lachlan Roe heads a...fringe religious sect.

    Hindmarsh patted his thinning hair
as though to reassure himself that some remained. He coughed. I happen to
believe in the fundamental decency of his platform. The fact remains

    Finally, McQuarrie stirred. The
fact remains, Mr Hindmarsh, that you employed one racist and assisted another,
he said, his voice starting with a squeak but gaining in strength. One would
like to see how that plays out in the media.

    You little shit, growled
Hindmarsh. Ive a good mind

    Challis had never seen McQuarrie so
firm and dignified. My officers and I are not vindictive. We dont play games.
We dont play politics. It hardly needs to be said that Dirk Roes blog is
public property. Theres a very good chance that members of the media already
know about it.

    Hindmarsh opened and closed his
mouth. Fucking Dirk, fucking stupid little...

    McQuarrie tipped back his chin. He
didnt like the language. Will that be all?

    Hindmarsh nodded. He looked lost.

    * * * *

    When
the man was gone Challis said, Thanks, sir.

    But the honeymoon, if thats what it
had been, was short-lived. The superintendent gestured dismissively, as if hed
forgotten Hindmarsh