Vodka doesn't freeze

Although she knew this was not the killer, Jill asked him anyway whether he'd seen Manzi recently. She later wished she hadn't.

'He'll never garden again.' O'Hare wasn't really looking at anyone.

'What do you mean, Travis?'

'Satan and his organised followers designed a time machine to take me there, but they didn't know I had recorded it all. The numbers took care of all that.'

'What are you talking about, Travis?' Scotty used an authoritative tone. The interview room seemed suddenly very small.

'Oh, I've made sure he'll never cut me up again. There's no chance of that now. It's all recorded. We can play it back anytime we want. It's beautiful. It's been designed with the gardens and the numbers.' O'Hare was smiling now, laughing and mumbling.

'Did you take your medication this morning, Travis?' asked Jill, moving her chair a little further from the huge man.

'That's all been cooked by Satan. They've tried too many times to poison me.'

Without warning, he was on his feet, and within one step had crossed the floor to reach Jill. She saw his huge fist coming towards her face, before Scotty crashed into him, knocking him off balance. It took both of them to even begin to restrain him, and the room was trashed by the time two other officers arrived to help.

In handcuffs and howling incoherently, Scotty and Jill led O'Hare through the squad room out to await an ambulance to take him to Cumberland. Jill heard Elvis's laughter even over O'Hare, roaring in restraints beside her. 'Let's get out of here, J,' said Scotty as they saw the ambulance off.

'We're supposed to be working with them all day.'

'Fuck them.'

'I'm with you. Wanna go find Jamaal?'

'Definitely.'

They both knew that they should let the rest of the taskforce know that they were going to re-interview the only person who had survived the serial killer, but neither mentioned doing so.

Jardine and Harris had last interviewed Mahmoud while he was still in hospital, but all of his details were on file. Jill always kept her copy of the file up to date.

'Let's go to Lakemba then.' Jamaal, however, was in Hunters Hill, drinking Coca-Cola in the billiard room at the back of the mansion. As was the case from most rooms of this house, the view was incredible. Jamaal kept the hate from his features as he glanced at his boss's profile. Twenty grand he'd given him for the boy. Sebastian would make five times that. More. Jamaal knew he would never have a house like this if he wasn't allowed a more pivotal role in the business.

The pain in his head still bent him double at times. More than money, more than a mansion like this, or a life without his fat wife, though, Jamaal wanted to find the son-of-a-whore who had hit him with the hammer.

'Boss,' he began, interrupting Sebastian reading the paper.

'Yes, Jamaal.' Sebastian did not look up.

'Have you heard any more about who has been killing our friends?'

'Well yes, Jamaal. We are drawing quite close to finding this person.'

'You haven't told me anything about it.'

'I haven't.'

'Who is looking into this for you? How are you getting your information? If you tell me, I could help. Maybe I can find this person faster. You never know.'

'No. You never do.'

Jamaal's silent fury was palpable in the room.

'Jamaal. You know you are my right hand.' Sebastian finally put down his paper. 'We have been together for many years. You know I know you. You want this man very badly, as do I, but we cannot afford for there to be any mistakes. He knows us. What we do. He knows you, Jamaal. I am certain that he knows me.

'This man is more dangerous than you might imagine, Jamaal. It is not the risk to our members that concerns me most. We can always find more friends. It is that this man draws the police to us. Do you understand? They already have been asking questions about you and me. A female detective in particular is worrying me greatly. Just two days ago, Jamaal, she was at the youth centre. She asked for you, do you know?

'In short, my friend, I cannot allow any more attention to be drawn to us. Your temper at this time could be our undoing. We do have plans coming together to meet this person soon, but you must be patient.'

Jamaal stayed silent for a while. He would be patient a little longer.

'Who is the bitch that asks for me?'

'Now that, Jamaal, is perhaps something youcould turn your attention to.' He paused. 'In addition, I will need your expert hand to prepare the welcoming party for our friend, Jerome.' He smiled. 'I do not think Tadpole can wait much longer to introduce him to our society.' On the way out to Lakemba, Jill filled Scotty in on Jamaal Mahmoud's criminal history. She'd pulled his records after the hospital visit with Honey. While his boss, Sebastian, had managed to escape any criminal convictions, Mahmoud had had numerous charges laid against him.

'Assault mostly, both in gaol and outside. Drugs, goods in custody, two charges for kidnapping and extortion. The last two didn't stick.' Jill's feet were up on the dash again.

'Kidnapping a child?'

'Nope. Adult male. In the burns unit at Concord Hospital, the victim made a statement, claiming Mahmoud had abducted and tortured him. Kept him for two days. Cops were collecting his statement between his surgeries – he had a skin graft for one of the burns on his inner thigh; jaw wired; left eye socket and cheek reconstructed. They were getting ready to bring Jamaal in when the vic suddenly realised he'd made a mistake. Wasn't Jamaal at all that did this to him. In fact he was certain of it, and was sure he wouldn't be able to identify who did do it.'

'Of course.'

'Hmm.'

Scotty was silent a moment, then said, 'I've been wondering, Jill, if Manzi and Jamaal let the perp in their car, then Jamaal must know who hit him. Why do you reckon the killer's still out there alive?'

'I've wondered that too.'

'What if it was Mahmoud who did it? Could be the third person in the car was escaping him – hit Jamaal to get away.'

There was silence for a moment, until Scotty discounted his own supposition. 'Nah. Blood found on Jamaal was all his own, none of Manzi's. One thing's for sure though, J,' continued Scotty, 'we wouldn't be the only people out here hunting this bloke.'

'And we've got to get to him first. He's gonna give us Mahmoud and Sebastian, and whoever else is on his shit-list to do next.'

'His or her shit-list.'

Jill had her head in the street directory. 'It's left at the lights, Scotty. Then second right.'

Through the one-way mesh of a security screen door, and over the sound of a toddler crying, Mrs Mahmoud gave them nothing. No, her husband wasn't home. No, she didn't know where he was. No, she didn't have a mobile phone number for him. She shut the door while Jill was still saying goodbye.

'Friendly.'

'Real chatty.'

Jill and Scotty looked the outside of the house over, but nothing really distinguished it from the others in the street. Even the bars on every window were more common than not in this neighbourhood.

They stepped over a child's broken bike on the way back to their car.

40

'About the case,' she said by way of greeting. 'We should tell the others about Mercy.'

The morning was clear and cool so Jill and Scotty had met for a bike ride, something they hadn't done since the murders began.

Scotty looked at her sideways.

'Like you said, the cigarette butts could be anyone's.'

Jill gave him back his sideways glance.

'So, do you figure she's capable of it?' Scotty's tone was sceptical.