‘Don’t answer any more questions,’ I advised, ‘without a lawyer present.’
I handed Mark my phone with the recorded confessions. There was nothing more I could do here.
‘I’ll make my statement later.’
Mark nodded. ‘Give you the heads-up. There’ll be a press conference shortly on the Moss case.’
It was his way of thanking me for today. And letting me know Eliza would need all the support I could offer.
Chapter 105
I DROVE BACK to the office. Exhaustion was hitting me hard. Any relief at finding baby Zoe safe and well was countered by the pain and grief Eliza was going through.
We still had no DNA to compa
re with the body from the water, even if we could extract a tissue specimen. Darlene was denied access to the autopsy even as an observer.
Mark Talbot texted my usual phone number.
Televised press conference 4 pm. Family NOT briefed.
That was barely enough time for the autopsy to be performed. Toxicology results and microscopic examination of the body were impossible to complete by then. This reeked of a cover-up. Relatives should be told before information was made public. Eric Moss’s only family member was being frozen out. The instructions had to be coming from the highest level. But from whom?
I decided to leave Eliza in my office. She had only just fallen asleep. According to Darlene, she hadn’t received any calls from the police.
The rest of us gathered around the TV in the conference room. The police commissioner was confirming the death of Eric Moss in a boat explosion.
‘We are satisfied there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding Mr Moss’s death. The coroner has released Mr Moss’s body for burial. There will not, at this point, be an inquest. I’d like to take this opportunity to offer my condolences to his family and friends.’ He looked up from the podium. ‘Any questions?’
‘Can you confirm an investigation is underway into fraud at Contigo Valley?’ a reporter asked.
He cleared his throat. ‘An investigation was conducted into alleged fraud at Contigo Valley. I believe Mr Moss was aware he would face charges. As a result of that investigation I can confirm the name Eric Moss was in fact an alias for a Hans Gudgast, a Swiss national who fled Switzerland before being tried on embezzlement charges. At this stage I would like to stress that Contigo Valley is in no way implicated in the fraud perpetrated by the man we now know to be the fugitive, Hans Gudgast.’
That was news to my team and me. The investigation into Contigo’s finances was still pending. This had to be a stitch-up, with Eric Moss being tainted with guilt when he could no longer defend himself.
‘Now we know why Eliza wasn’t briefed,’ Mary said coldly. ‘She was blindsided so she couldn’t refute any of it.’
‘Did Moss commit suicide?’ a TV broadcaster queried.
The commissioner sighed, and became more sombre. ‘We never know what was going on in someone’s mind in the moments before death. Mr Moss resigned from the organisation on Friday afternoon and was reported missing by a family member. It appears Mr Moss was intoxicated when he started the boat and may or may not have intentionally set the fire that caused the explosion. Only he and God know what he was thinking that fateful night when the police were closing in on him.’ He went on to add further insult. ‘The coroner has released Mr Moss’s body for burial. As I said, there will not, at this point, be an inquest.’ He abruptly ended the press conference.
I sat in complete disbelief. The commissioner had implied that the investigations into fraud and Moss’s death were both closed, exonerating Contigo Valley and Lang Gillies from any wrongdoing.
I stood up, replaying in my mind what we had just witnessed.
‘Eliza’s going to be devastated when she finds out,’ Darlene said quietly.
I turned to see Eliza in the doorway.
Chapter 106
I DROVE ELIZA back to my place. She didn’t speak at all on the way and her withdrawn state concerned me. Once back home, I tried to get her to open up. Even a little.
She used her crutches to step out on to the balcony. Hair gusted across her face as she stared at the waves pounding on the sand. I placed two hot mugs of tea on the table.
‘If you like, I can organise a funeral home. The coroner’s releasing –’
‘Dad didn’t drink. Why was he on that boat?’ She seemed bewildered. ‘And how could he be Hans Gudgast? I thought they were different heights.’