C&Q04,5 - Dark Paradise Read online

  Dark Paradise

  Catherine Lee

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  The Dark Series

  Thank You!

  Dark Heart Chapter 1

  Dark Heart Chapter 2

  Copyright © 2017 by Catherine Lee

  All rights reserved

  This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organisations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  For more information about the author, including other books in the series, please go to http://catherineleeauthor.com

  Cover design by https://ebooklaunch.com/

  Edited by Phoenix Editing and Proofreading, http://phoenixeditingandproofreading.com

  1

  It was barely lunch time and Detective Charlie Cooper was already exhausted. "Tell me again why it was a good idea to go shopping two weeks before Christmas?" he said to his wife, Liz, as they got out of the car.

  "So your sons have something to open and squeal about on Christmas morning? That a good enough reason?"

  It made perfect sense, of course, but Cooper hadn't been shopping at all in over a year, and his ears were still ringing from the noise of the shopping centre.

  "Surely we could have bought all this stuff online, saved the hassle. It took us half an hour just to find a parking spot." He opened the back of the station wagon and started filling his arms with bags.

  "Yes, but online shopping is not nearly as much fun as watching you deal with crowds." Liz smiled. "Not those ones," she added, pointing to the bags of toys they'd spent the last three hours accumulating.

  Cooper was about to argue when the front door opened and Michael and Patrick ran to greet them. He closed the hatch and hid the toys just in time.

  "Hey, kiddos. What have you been up to?" He gave each of them a hug as best he could with arms full of groceries, then sent them back towards the house where their grandmother stood watch in the doorway.

  "We made chocolate cupcakes!" said Michael, and raced off to the kitchen to present his handiwork to his parents. Patrick followed, holding his mum's hand. Just turned five and three respectively, the boys were two little bundles of energy Cooper struggled to keep up with. He had to admit it was fun trying, though.

  They dumped the shopping they'd been able to bring into the house and, after dutifully admiring the cupcakes, Cooper fired up the barbecue for lunch. Ann and Bob, Liz's parents, were sticking around to eat with them, and Cooper took a moment to appreciate his family. His moment lasted exactly five seconds before his mobile phone rang.

  Cooper checked the display – his partner, Joe Quinn. That could only mean one thing. He made eye contact with Liz as he answered, and didn't miss the slump of her shoulders.

  "What's up, Joe?"

  "Sorry, boss, we've got a body. I'm on my way to yours now."

  "Got time for a sausage, at least?" Cooper eyed the meat with affection.

  "Sure. Our plane doesn't leave for another two hours."

  "Plane? Where's the body?"

  "Lord Howe Island. Munro says we need to act fast on this one, boss. The victim is a contestant in that reality show they're filming over there. Press'll be all over it in no time."

  Cooper had no idea what Quinn was talking about. "I don't watch much television, Joe."

  "That's about to change. Put a couple of extra snags on for me, will ya? I'll be there in ten."

  Bob joined him at the barbecue, having obviously overheard at least part of the conversation. "You've got a new case then?" asked his father-in-law.

  "Yeah. You know anything about a reality television show being filmed on Lord Howe Island?"

  "That'll be the one Ann's been watching. Transforming something. Ask her, she's addicted to the bloody thing."

  "Ask mum what?" said Liz. She had a glass of wine in one hand, and a beer in the other, which she handed to her father. "I'm guessing you won't be needing one of those?"

  Cooper looked longingly at the beer.

  "No. Sorry, love. Joe's on his way. We've got time to eat, but then we have to go to Lord Howe Island."

  "Lord Howe Island? Why?"

  "Apparently there's a reality show being filmed over there."

  "Transformation in Paradise," said Ann, placing a bowl of salad on the outdoor table. "What about it?"

  "I don't have any details yet. Let's wait until Joe gets here."

  He cooked the meat while the rest of the family set the table and entertained the boys. Quinn arrived just in time, and they all sat down to the last family meal Cooper would enjoy for a while, he supposed. When they finished, Bob took the boys out into the front garden to kick a ball around so the others could talk.

  "Who died?" asked Ann as soon as the kids were out of earshot.

  "I can't say, sorry," Quinn replied. "The sarge has been pretty clear on this one. We need time to get on top of it before the media finds out. But it would be helpful if you could give us a rundown of the show, Ann. You know, from a viewer's perspective."

  Cooper knew this request was for his benefit, but he didn't mind. Plus it would make Ann feel like she was helping, which would garner some excellent mother-in-law brownie points. "Yes please, Ann. Tell us about the show."

  "Like I said before, it's called Transformation in Paradise. It's been running for a couple of months now, I think. The idea is the contestants all have one or more things they want to transform about themselves – whether it's physical such as weight loss, or more mental like a change of attitude or to gain confidence for their career."

  "So the contestants all have different goals?" asked Liz, as she stacked the empty plates and pushed them to one side.

  "Yes. The public votes, and the one who has the biggest transformation wins the competition. They've been eliminating contestants one by one along the way, and there are six left now."

  "What's the prize?" asked Quinn.

  "A million dollars," said Ann, eyebrows raised. "It's the biggest prize offered for a show like it in Australia," she added. "I read that they're trialling the concept here, and if it works it's going to be rolled out to other countries."

  "And is it working?" asked Cooper. His brain was still processing the million dollar prize pot. That would have to be enough motive for murder, if they did indeed have a murder on their hands.

  "It's the most popular show in the country, has been ever since it started. Really, Charlie, you don't watch any television at all?"

  "When do I have time?"

  "Speaking of time," said Quinn, "we need to head off. I'll help clear up while you go pack a bag, boss."

  Once they were in the car, Cooper was finally able to get the full story from his partner. The victim was one of the remaining contestants, a young woman by the name of Zara King. She was found dead in her room this morning by another one of the contestants, who went to check on Zara as she hadn't come down for breakfast. She was on top of the bed covers, still dressed in the clothes she'd worn last night.

  "What's the law enforcement situation on Lord Howe?" As far as Coope
r could recall, Lord Howe Island was a tiny tourist spot a couple of hours' flight off the New South Wales mid-north coast. It had a total population of less than a thousand people, including tourists.

  "Police station with one officer, a Sergeant Garry Adams. I spoke to him as I was on my way to your place, told him when we're due to arrive. He'll meet us off the plane."

  "He competent?"

  Quinn shrugged. "Sounded all right on the phone. Never dealt with an unexplained death, though."

  "No, I guess not. So far the press haven't got wind?"

  "Not to my knowledge. We'll find out soon enough, though." Quinn found a parking spot in the main car park of the domestic terminal. "This is the only flight out today, so if they know, they'll be on it."

  2

  As it turned out the plane from Sydney to Lord Howe Island was only about a quarter full, and Cooper didn't recognise any of the other passengers as belonging to the media. They'd caught a break. It wouldn't take long, though. If, as Ann said, this Transformation in Paradise was the biggest show in the country right now, they should expect tomorrow's flight to be full. That gave them twenty-four hours.

  Sergeant Garry Adams was on the tarmac when they exited the plane, and spotted them immediately. He held out a hand, which both Cooper and Quinn shook. "Thanks for coming," he said, once they'd been through the introductions and headed for the terminal.

  Adams gave them an update as they waited for their checked baggage, which contained their firearms. The body had been removed from the house, and was currently on its way to Sydney on a flight chartered by the NSW Police. Munro certainly wasn't wasting any time; they hadn't even confirmed it was murder, yet.

  "What about the other contestants? I understand they all shared a house."

  "Yes, they're all still in residence. There are five remaining contestants, plus the show's host, producer, and a couple of cameramen. My understanding is the show was winding down, in its last week of production here on the island. Thank goodness."

  "You're not a fan?" asked Cooper.

  "It's not that. I'm just looking forward to things getting back to normal around here. Or I was. Guess that's not going to happen for a while now, is it?"

  "Probably not," Cooper agreed. "What is normal for Lord Howe Island, Garry?"

  "We've got three hundred and fifty full-time residents, and usually a couple of hundred tourists at any one time. Maximum capacity for tourists is four hundred, we don't allow any more than that. Since the show started we've been at capacity the whole time."

  "Got your hands full, then."

  "You could say that. I'm not complaining, we rely on tourism so it's good for the island and the people here, but I like the quiet life, you know?"

  Cooper could definitely relate.

  It was a short drive from the airport to the house used to film the show. As they pulled up outside Cooper couldn't help but feel relaxed, despite the circumstances. The place was beautiful, surrounded by lush gardens and palm trees, with a stunning beach at the back door.

  "The house was purpose built," said Garry, as they exited the police Land Rover. "Once the production company is done filming they're leaving it behind as a gift for the islanders, with the proviso that they can use it again if they want to film another series. It'll be run as a guest house in the meantime, with profits going back into the island."

  "Doesn't sound like too bad a deal," said Quinn.

  "No, the locals are pretty happy with the situation. Not sure what they'll think of things now, though."

  Cooper ran through the known facts of the case in his head as they walked to the front door. The dead woman was Zara King, a twenty-eight-year-old socialite from Sydney. She was last seen by the group at around nine o'clock last night, when they all broke up to have an early night. There was nothing in her manner or demeanour to suggest she was ill in any way. When she didn't come out of her room for breakfast another of the contestants, Ivy Lennox, went looking for her. There were no locks on the bedroom doors, so she went in and found Zara dead on top of her bed.

  At this stage they wouldn't know what killed her until Garrett did the autopsy, and Cooper was pleased the body was already on its way. Their job until then, as Munro had clearly stated, was to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death, and to determine if anything was suspicious. Whether she was murdered or not, Zara King's death was about to become very public.

  They entered the house, where two people sat waiting in a large lounge area. The woman was short, but with a no-nonsense look about her, the man tall and imposing. Together they probably made a formidable pair.

  Across the room Cooper noted the remnants of either an early dinner or a late lunch, and his own stomach grumbled. It would have to wait. Adams introduced the male as Kyle Aren, the show's host, and the woman as Maeve Singer, the producer. It was Maeve who addressed the police officers.

  "Thank you so much for coming so quickly," she said. She was forthright, someone Cooper got the impression you couldn't mess with. Probably necessary to produce a show like this. "We're all devastated by what's happened. We've become a bit of a family over the past couple of months, Detective. Zara was an important part of that family."

  "Speaking of family, are hers coming here?" asked Kyle as they all took seats on the oversized lounge.

  "No," said Cooper. "Zara's body is on its way back to Sydney. Her parents will see her at the morgue, before the autopsy."

  "Yes, okay." He had blond hair and a strong jawline. Kept in shape, too, by the look of him. Cooper wondered whether he had a trainer as well as the contestants.

  "Where are the remaining contestants?" Cooper asked.

  "They're in their rooms," said Maeve. "They're quite upset, as you can imagine. We finished eating and they were upsetting themselves talking about Zara, and about your arrival. I thought it best to put a stop to it, they were working themselves up. So I suggested they all take a break in their rooms, and we sent the cameramen back to the resort."

  "The cameramen? You've been filming them today?" asked Quinn.

  "Yes, we have. It's reality television, Detective. We'll be judicial in what we use, of course. The program is filmed a week in advance, so what the public are seeing on their screens right now happened last week. We have plenty of time to edit appropriately."

  Cooper couldn't believe what he was hearing. "A young woman has died, and you're concerned about your show? Are you serious?"

  Maeve's eyes narrowed. "I've already spoken with our lawyers, they will review everything we plan to air. We'll of course be respectful of the family, but Zara was an important part of this show. Her loss will be felt by viewers around the country. They have a right to grieve as well."

  "And by grieve you mean watch on as your cameras prey on the emotions of those left behind," said Quinn, who appeared as disgusted as Cooper.

  "I think that's a little dramatic," said Maeve. "We'll merely be giving the public an opportunity to mourn with the rest of our tight-knit family."

  Cooper shot Quinn a look to stop him from speaking further. As appalled as he was by this woman's callousness, they needed to get a feel for the situation here. Letting her speak freely was the best way of achieving that.

  "What can you tell us about the rest of the contestants?" he asked.

  "As I said, they're in their rooms now. I can get them, and you can find out for yourselves."

  "Not just yet," said Cooper. "I want to hear about them from the two of you, first. Who are they, and why are they here?"

  "You haven't been watching the show?" asked Kyle.

  "Not really my cup of tea." Kyle looked shocked, and Cooper suppressed a smile. "Who wants to start?" he asked.

  "There are five contestants remaining, besides Zara," said Maeve, taking control. "Ivy Lennox is the one who found Zara's body this morning. She's probably the most upset by it all. Can't have been nice for her."

  "Tell us about Ivy," said Quinn, notebook at the ready.

  "Twenty-two
years old, wonderfully talented singer," said Maeve, and Kyle nodded his agreement. "No self-confidence, though. She's quite overweight, was in the obese category when the show began. Her weight is holding her back. Ivy came on Transformation in Paradise in order to lose the weight and gain the confidence she needs to make it in the music industry."

  "And has she made progress?"

  "Oh, yes," said Kyle. He got a look from Maeve that shut him up quickly. He held out a hand palm up. "Sorry, go on."

  "She's lost quite a bit of weight, and has bonded well with one of the other contestants, Dax. He also has confidence issues, and the two of them have been working together with our therapist. The results have been steady."

  "Steady?" said Cooper.

  "Yes, that's how I would categorise it," said Maeve. "Neither has made huge breakthroughs, but they've come a long way since the beginning of the show. The audience obviously likes them, otherwise they wouldn't still be here."

  Quinn looked up from his notes. "They started out with twelve contestants, and have been eliminating one each week for the last six weeks," he explained to Cooper.

  "Looks like one of us has been watching," said Cooper with a raised eyebrow.

  "I might have caught a couple of episodes," Quinn replied.

  Cooper turned back to Maeve. "Tell us more about this Dax fellow."

  "Dax Collins, twenty-eight. Suffers from extreme agoraphobia. We had a hell of a time just getting him out here to the island. He wouldn't leave the house for the first two weeks. He's also uncomfortable with people, especially in large groups."

  "Don't forget the food thing," said Kyle.

  "Yes, I was getting to that." Another look passed between the producer and host, and Cooper began to get the feeling there was no love lost between these two.

  "What about food?" asked Quinn.

  "Dax will only eat certain foods; plain things he knows won't harm him. Bread and cheese, mostly. Again, our therapist has been working with him and he's expanded his diet considerably."