Free My Island Homicide by Catherine Titasey

us how long he and Melissa had been having an affair?’
    â€˜I don’t want to get Melissa into any trouble.’
    â€˜That’s the point, Georgia. Melissa is in trouble and what you tell us might get her out of trouble. That’s why police rely on people like you to be completely honest.’
    She looked down and took a deep breath. ‘It began halfway through last year,’ she said in a whisper, lifting her eyes, ‘but it ended before uni started this year and that was the end of February.’
    â€˜How did they manage to pull off an affair on such a small island?’
    â€˜Sometimes they’d meet here when Tim was away for work or on fishing trips so I’d go for a few drinks at the Railway. Melissa always told Robby she was studying, going to CWA meetings or working. She also went to Dave’s house when his wife was away. The affair worked wonders for Melissa’s self-esteem. She needed that to cope with . . .’ she paused and grimaced, ‘. . . Robby.’
    I thanked her and we left.
    â€˜Oh, shit,’ said Shay as she stopped the car at the station. I thought she had forgotten to ask Georgia an important question. ‘This weather’s crap. My sister sent up a new bikini that I was going to wear tomorrow. Jack is supposed to be taking his girlfriend, Kelly, the nurse who punched the molester of Millman Hill, and me and some friends out wakeboarding.’
    â€˜You could stay home, eat pizza and play Twister.’
    â€˜Twister? Never heard of it. Hey, do you wanna come with us if it clears up?’
    â€˜That’s sweet, Shay, but I’ve got too much to do. Can you organise a meeting with Dave Garland and track down the mute and arrange to talk to him? Second thoughts, you won’t be able to talk to a mute. Just sort Dave Garland. Ask Jenny to locate the mute. And, is there anywhere close by that does food? On Good Friday?’
    â€˜I’ll be heading out to get something. The Cultural Centre cafe is always open.’
    â€˜A hamburger and chips? I’ll fix you up later.’
    â€˜Sweet.’
    I’ve a soft spot for hamburgers. The thing about the great Australian hamburger is that it is always the same. There is a beef patty, sliced tomato, shredded iceberg lettuce and tomato sauce (never barbecue sauce, thank you). With luck there would be beetroot, pineapple, cheese and an egg fried on one side. That’s if Shay thought to ask for the works, which I should have mentioned. Oh well, even the standard great Australian hamburger is delicious.

Chapter 9
    My stomach was gurgling with hunger as I made a list of tasks. The media release was the top priority. Once it was cleared through the Media Unit in Brisbane, it would be broadcast on Torres Strait and Cairns AM radio stations and printed in the weekend Cairns Post . The dam would need to be searched. I wasn’t sure how long I’d been working when Jenny wandered in, nibbling at a carrot as if it were doused in insect repellent.
    â€˜Shay said you wanted to know about Franz Rigel Josef. He’s about 25 and is well known on TI. He has never, repeat never , come to police attention. Story is he was brain damaged at birth and has never talked. His mother was half-Japanese and half-Islander, and his father a German builder, both deceased. He lives with his much older sister, Izzy Josef, and her husband, Cedric, in the family home. She provides a bed and meals and leaves him to his own devices, which is why he cruises the streets. He’s usually outside the IBIS supermarket or Triple F.’
    â€˜What’s Triple F?’
    â€˜Fabulous Fried Fish, the fast-food fish and rice shop. It’s an Islander family business and I can tell you, Islanders know how to cook fish. You can have it grilled, battered or crumbed, which is what white people like, but the Islanders go crazy for zura , fish soup, and wings, the side bits with the fins. The fried heads are my