“Let’s enjoy the adventure that’s going to unfold. We both need to be strong. Faith will help us.”
They returned to Jack’s work area. He tapped the mouse to wake up his computer. He’d been to church a few times but struggled in some areas. He knew psychics and swindlers fleeced people, but so did so-called Christians. The ‘sweetness’ of church got to him. It wasn’t rugged enough, not manly enough. Erica understood and told him he needed to lower his guard. That was hard, given his occupation and the need to guard his mind from the filth he faced daily. But it was all about protecting his family and society. All good intentions.
Cath stood near his work area. “I always remember this verse. ‘For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.’ We’re the restraining forces, trying to hold back evil. And it’s easier if we call on the supernatural.” With those words, she headed off.
He grabbed his drink bottle and strolled towards the kitchen, passing desks covered in documents, reports, witness statements and other items helping them in their investigations. Based on his discussion with Cath and her statistics, there wouldn’t be any crime-related deaths this week. How long would that last? And was Adventus the reason?
Sally-Anne Richmond came into his mind. She would live.
What was Thomas Wiley up to?
31 - Strange things happening
Thomas Wiley had never killed anyone before, although he liked others to think he had. Image. It was all about image. Now, as he walked along the Noosa Heads Coastal Walk and observed the mixture of people and body types walking past, he hoped that was still the case. He wasn’t sure if he’d ever walked the outdoors with his dad before. He’d peeked at his dad’s face and noticed the wrinkles around his eyes—probably caused by worry brought about by a wayward child: him. The desire to be a good person had come upon him. Where from, he didn’t know. His heart had changed, and it was all confusing.
Something dark, a contrast to the greenery, caught his attention. A large snake was curled up in the grass and low shrubbery at the edge of the track.
“Just a carpet python. A common snake around here.” His dad leaned over the rail fence to get a closer look. “Could be napping.”
“Well, I don’t plan to wake him.” Wiley moved on.
His dad laughed and caught up with him. “Snakes freak people out.”
“And spiders. I wonder why?”
“Some say it’s passed down in the genes, like many other things.” His dad shrugged. “Apparently, parents, and their parents pass down these fears.”
Wiley was surprised how quickly their relationship had mended. They walked in single file as more people appeared on the track. The fin of a surfboard nearly sliced off his dad’s arm as a surfer lost his balance.
They passed the national park’s full car park and headed on towards the main street. More and more people appeared. Wiley got the occasional second glance.
His dad paused outside a store that looked to have all the health solutions known to mankind. “Let me buy you a drink. Coke, okay or did you want something healthy?”
“Coke is good.” He didn’t know how to respond regarding something healthy.
“Grab a seat.” His dad pointed to a bench beside a large pot plant.
Wiley obeyed. Staring down the street, he saw a small shopfront. Signage outside the shopfront indicated that it was a police station. A small one. And at that point, Wiley decided to give himself up. He hoped that he still hadn’t killed anybody.
* * *
Later that afternoon, Jack was tidying his desk. It was good to get a few things done. His phone rang.
“Jack Kinnaird.”
“This is Sergeant Tim Collis from Noosa Heads police.”
Jack felt his stomach tighten up. “Hello, Tim.”
“Just wanted to advise you that we had a fellow hand himself in a short time ago. His name is Thomas Wiley.”
Jack’s stomach relaxed and fluttered. “Wiley? Well, well. That is a surprise. But a good surprise.”
“Yes, I thought you’d think so. Had you down as the contact for the alert out for him.”
The smile was coming. “Thank you. I’ll get one of the team to get back to you shortly to work out how to get him off your hands.”
“While I’ve got you, Jack. He built up a bit of a rapport with the officer at the shopfront where he handed himself in.”
Where was this going?
“He asked the officer to put on some strange-looking glasses. And being the sun-loving free-flowing police officers they are around Noosa way, he complied.”
“I could be aware of the glasses you’re referring too.”
“Really? Well, he asked the officer an unusual question.”
“And what was that?”
“Am I an amber person?”
* * *
Jack got a good night’s sleep but woke with a heavy heart for his son. He sat on the edge of the bed, trying to get his head around the heaviness. If anything, his thoughts were clear. The life he was leading was way off track. How had that happened? He loved his wife and son. How could he lose track of that?
He headed for the bathroom, where he stopped and stared in the mirror. Staring into the mirror brought back memories of times where he looked into a mirror while holding baby Johnny in his arms. He remembered the smirk that would come onto Johnny’s face, and smiled. What had Johnny been smiling at? For all he knew, Johnny didn’t know it was his reflection in the mirror.
The warmth of the shower always refreshed him. The team had the morning off, except for the officers heading to Noosa to collect Wiley. Wiley, the amber person. What had happened to him? Why the change of heart? Jack looked forward to interviewing him.
