"I need your help on this one, Mal."

Mal chuckled and swigged on his bottle of diet coke. "Just like old times, Harry."

"Yeah... old times." Harry sighed. "If I don't find something soon, they're going to charge him."

"What's their motive?"

"Revenge. She used to give him a hard time. The staff, who work at Sykes, have verified that, so they're saying he cracked. That she pushed him too far."

Mal huffed. "I can tell you there's more than one person in that place who has motive."

Harry crinkled up his brow. "What'd you mean?"

"I've been working a case for the defence forces." Mal took another drink and put the bottle down on the bar. He looked over his shoulder, and then back at Harry. "I shouldn't be telling you this but it could help. One of the high-ranking officers has been running a scam to do with drug testing. When they do random urine tests he sends it to Sykes, to a Bill Peters to be precise. Peters works for Sykes, with Rohan. So far, I've been told Peters gets paid a pretty packet to replace the urine with his own so the results come back clear. Sally Parks just happens to have been having a relationship with Peters. Maybe she knew. Maybe she threatened to spill the beans. Lotta people could get hurt if that came out." He sniggered. "It's gonna come out anyway because I've just about wrapped it up but, maybe my man put pressure on Peters to stop her from talking."

"Shit. I wonder if Rohan knows about this." Harry ran his hand down his face. "He better not be involved. Hell..."

"Another thing," Mal added, "Sally Parks was also doing the owner of the unit she lives in. A man named Joe Cartarney, a man with history." Mal chuckled. "He, in turn, is plugging a woman named Penny Macy. Penny works accounts at Sykes."

"You're bull shitting me, right?"

Mal laughed and shook his head at Harry's shocked face. "I haven't finished yet and I can tell you it's a tight package. Sally's had her fingers in a few pies. Even fucks her brother-in-law and has spent some time in the sack with her best friend..." He chuckled again. "Guess who her best friend is."

Harry sucked in a breath of air and shook his head. "No idea."

"A girl named Mercer Kennedy. You're not gonna believe this but Mercer works at Sykes and guess what?"

"Jesus... Mal. What?"

"She has form." Mal grinned and shrugged. "So, a lotta possibilities if you tell me."

"What's the Kennedy girl's story?"

"I've only touched on each of them because they work with Peters. I let it all go because it wasn't relevant to my case but I could dig deeper if that's what you want."

"That's exactly what I want." Harry's face lit up. "Thanks, Mal." He started to stand and said, "I'll be in touch."

Mal grabbed his arm. "There's one more thing, Harry."

"Christ. Don't tell me the boss was doing her too?" Harry shook his head in dismay and slid back onto his seat.

"Rohan's got history too."

"Fuck..." Harry rubbed his forehead with his fingers and exhaled. "What kind of history?"

"Seems he might have a grudge to bear. That motive the police have come up with might not be too far from the truth. He's got a coloured past, in and out of centres, boy's homes and foster families." Mal turned up the side of his mouth and joggled his shoulders. "I'll dig it all up because you can guarantee the prosecution will."

"Okay... thanks, Mal." Harry sighed again. "I'm wondering what kind of place this Sykes is. Seems weird they're all interlinked like that."

"Nah... I think it was this Sally who's connected them all more closely. After being in the business as long as I have, you soon realise most working environments tend to be the same. This one sleeping with that one, or in a scam with a couple of others."

Harry nodded and stood up. "Let's not say anything to Annie about Rohan's past. At least, not until we have too and have all the proper details." He patted Mal on the back. "I'll be in touch."

"No worries, Harry."

Mal sat at the bar and studied the label on his bottle of coke. He sighed and lifted his mobile phone, pumped in some numbers and waited.

"Yeah... hey I wondered if I could speak to Felix Wight." Mal ran his finger around the rim of the bottle. "It's his cousin. Mal Wight. Yeah... thanks."

The barmaid lifted the empty bottle and held it up in front of him. Mal shook his head.

"Felix. It's Mal Armstrong." He chuckled. "She asked me who I was. What would you have me say?" Mal laughed into the phone once more. "Look. Do you remember about a month ago I was in there looking through some children services files?" He paused. "Hey, I know and I really appreciate it but, I need to come in and look through those files again." Mal sighed. "Last time... promise. Surname Wayland. Yeah. I'll be over in an hour. Thanks, Felix. I owe you." Again, he laughed. "Alright. Bundaberg Rum. Got it."

Mal is a wealth of information, isn't he?

Photo - dreamtime.com