Shattered by Gabrielle Lord Read Free Book Online Page B

shrugged. ‘You know the rules. I’ve signed an NDA. Have you contacted Steve yet?’
    ‘No. But I will,’ said Gemma, recalling the acronym – non-disclosure agreement.
    ‘When?’
    ‘Soon.’
    ‘How soon?’
    ‘Angie, stop riding me like this. Just back off, will you?’
    ‘Okay, okay.’
    Gemma, relieved to change the subject, told Angie the story of the missing prefect as they entered the café near the fountain and put their jackets on the chairs of a table near the windows.
    ‘Right,’ said Gemma. ‘What’s going on with Natalie Sutherland?’
    ‘Natalie Finn, now,’ said Angie. ‘Natalie married Bryson Finn, the man who was shot dead last night.’
    Gemma gasped. ‘Finn the superintendent somewhere in the northern area?’
    Angie nodded. ‘That’s him. Superintendent at Manly.’
    ‘What about the other people involved?’
    ‘The other fatality was his sister-in-law, Bettina Finn – married to Bryson’s brother.’
    ‘And the little boy?’
    ‘Natalie and Bryson’s nine-year-old son, Donovan. He’s hanging on in a critical condition. He only survived because Natalie arrived almost immediately after the shootings and was able to stop the haemorrhaging. He’s in intensive care at North Shore hospital with neck and head injuries. Critical, but stable.’
    Angie made herself more comfortable on the café chair. ‘So you can imagine what it’s been like at work. We’ve got to drop everything and throw our energy into tracking down this cop killer. Usually I reckon too many senior police officers are only interested in protecting their careers and keeping their desks clean. Fighting crime is a distant priority. But this case has really got them going. The crime scene people were practically ordered to give exclusion DNA samples so as to eliminate everything except foreign genetic material – despite the Police Association threatening a walk-out over it. Even I let them do a buccal swab because I’d attended the scene. Rumours are flying all over the place. I’m glad to get away from the joint for a while.’
    ‘I vaguely remember Bryson Finn – from when he was just an acting inspector,’ Gemma said, trying to recall his face from thirteen years ago.
    ‘I don’t know a great deal about him yet either,’ said Angie. ‘But I’m working on it.’
    ‘How did it happen?’
    ‘He was gunned down at his sister-in-law’s front door. Just like she was. You don’t expect things like that to happen in quiet cul-de-sacs in posh suburbs like Killara.’
    ‘Poor Natalie,’ said Gemma, remembering Natalie Sutherland’s wide face, aquiline nose and intelligent grey eyes. ‘She must be beside herself. Three members of her family shot like that. Does she have any other kids?’
    ‘An older daughter. About seventeen, I think.’
    Gemma looked around for a waiter, suddenly ravenous. ‘Any ideas?’ she asked Angie.
    ‘Everybody has a theory about what happened,’ said Angie. ‘People think they know something. Generally they don’t. I can’t tell you the amount of times I’ve heard that I’m about to be sacked, or that I’m supposed to be gay, or that I’m about to run away with somebody’s husband – or wife – or I’m in some crim’s pocket. It’s pathetic.’
    They placed their orders with the hovering waiter.
    ‘Bryson Finn was involved in that big drug operation last year,’ Gemma said. ‘Operation Skylark. It was in all the newspapers.’
    ‘You’re right. Skylark was a big joint operation with AFP involvement and undercover dogs and all sorts of funny business,’ Angie said. ‘Involving Louis Fayed.’
    ‘Related to George Fayed?’ Gemma asked, remembering her previous involvement in an investigation into the late Lebanese drug lord.
    ‘His cousin,’ said Angie. ‘They’re a big crim family. Even got a couple of the youngsters into the cops for a while. Once Cousin George left the scene, Louis’s pretty well taken over Sydney drug distribution.’
    ‘Are