Kathryn Fox - Malicious Intent

MALICIOUS

INTENT

A Novel

To Mum and Dad for giving me the heart, soul and wings to fly.

With eternal thanks, respect and love.

Contents

Clare Matthews was cold, wet and late for dinner again.

Dr. Anya Crichton sat in the witness box and surveyed

Anya entered the histology lab at the State Forensic Institute

Two days after her court appearance, Anya caught up with

Senior sergeant John Ziegler had been on call the night

At eight oclock the following morning, Anya stood in

Dan

Dr. Jennifer Wallaces surgery was nestled between a pharmacy the

Debbie Finch watched the little boys chest rise and fall

The following evening, Anya finished some paperwork, edited

two

articles

Early the next morning, Anya pulled into the car park

Anya studied the computer screen. On the desk lay the

The man in the car watched Mohammed Deab park his

Anya put the suitcase in the trunk and slammed it

Moot court began at eight-thirty the next morning. Each

At four oclock the following morning, the high-pitched beep

Dan Brody ushered Anya into his office. Sorry to call

Peter Latham looked at the pile of work on his

Anya pounded the treadmill and raised the incline. Sweat leached

Once showered and changed, Anya drove through Newtown, past the

The taxi driver honked as Anya grabbed her keys. She

After clearing security and being escorted upstairs, Anya sat down

Brian Hogan shook his head. Shit. There could have been

The following day, Anya returned to Cleveland Street and

met

Mmmy! Ben jumped out of the backseat and ran to

On Monday morning, Elaine arrived during the second bowl

of

Anya plugged in her PowerPoint presentation and glanced around the

Searing pain shot through the womans chest and left shoulder.

As a passenger in Dan Brodys Ferrari, Anya noticed things

She saw another white light, this one bright and warm

The following week, Dan Brody thanked Grant Bourne, Vaughan

Hunter

Anya answered the door, dressed in a striped T-shirt and

Anya couldnt get comfortable in bed. Neither hot nor cold,

Anya drove along Old Northern Road, past a weatherboard school

Elaine opened the mail and presented Anya with a series

At 1:00 pm Anya arrived at the desk in the

While you were out, a medical student popped in.

Elaine

Anya stepped out from the lift and saw Professor Jules

Anya knocked and pushed open a large wooden door.

Lying

Who is he? Anya pressed. Is he alone, or does

Returning to her office, Anya couldnt help wondering why

a

Inside Kates flat the following evening, Anya tried not

to

The next morning, Anya arrived at the home of Dr

Anya stopped outside the hospital florist. A row of

white

After leaving the hospital, Anya called the nursing home

to

Anya arrived at Western District Hospital at 8:30 am.

With

The director of intensive care came out of the unit

At seven oclock on Saturday morning, Ben sat down to

Anya went back inside and locked the door, her hands

Kate Farrer sat on her lounge room floor wading through

Anya didnt notice Elaine arrive.

Anya entered the atrium of the National Research Center for 293

Anya was exhausted by the day. She switched on the

When the sound abruptly stopped, the silence made Kates

ears

After two hours with crime scene at Kates house, Anya

Vaughan peeled away the yellow cloth and Anya stepped back.

Life began to hemorrhage from Vaughan Hunter. His breathing

Became

Inside Castle Hill police station, Hogan and another detective

escorted

Two days later, Dan Brody appeared on the doorstep, hands

Clare Matthews was cold, wet and late for dinner again. As the train pulled into Seven Hills station, she peered along the empty platform through teeming rain and braced herself to dash for cover. Two or three steps later, the full force of the storm unleashed itself, snapping her umbrella inside out. Dodging puddles, she sprinted up the stairs, along the overpass and down the ramp to the multilevel car park. Safely inside the entrance, she had a coughing spasm, and wiped her nose with a sodden cardigan sleeve. A group of teenage boys on the stairs above wolf whistled.

Clares pulse pounded. Shed worked with girls whod been raped in situations like this. Turning around brought the realization: no one else had left the train. The usual peak-hour crowds had long gone, escaping early for the weekend.

Just keep walking; dont bother them and they wont bother you.

Look what we got here. One slid down the metal railing and landed in her path. How about a gangbang? He leaned forward and trailed a finger down her arm.

Repulsed, Clare turned and pulled away, but he grabbed her from behind, thrusting his pelvis into her back. The others laughed. She swung her bag at him and ran up the stairs.

Halfway up, two more appeared and blocked the way while a pair of hands groped her breasts.

PROLOGUE

Leave me alone! she screamed, struggling to push them back.

The one in front pulled her skirt up to her waist and shoved a fist between her legs. With one hand fending off the fist, she used the other to ram the broken umbrella spoke into what she hoped was his groin. He instantly withdrew, clutching himself.

She ran up the remaining flight of stairs as fast as her legs would allow. Swearing followed by loud laughter echoed through the concrete stairwell.

Clare pulled open the doorway to the car parks second level as pain stabbed at her rib cage. Suppressing another cough, she frantically tried to remember where shed parked her car. Back on the stairwell, the laughter and noise stopped. The silence frightened her more.

Grabbing the house keys from her bag, she crouched behind a cement pillar, unable to see her car.

As soon as they come out that door and start looking, Ill get downthe stairs and back to the platform.Theres got to be someone there bynow.

Raucous laughing started again, and grew louder.

Then she saw the man. Thank God she wasnt alone. Holding her chest with one hand, she hurried to where he was standing.

He looked like a lawyer: long black coat, expensive shoes, impeccable hair.

This is the third time Ive called. He spoke loudly into his mobile as she walked briskly toward her Volkswagen. Its a black BMW.

The man managed a harrowed smile before moving away to continue his conversation. Clare turned around. No one was following. Her body shuddered with relief. Her car was just down this aisle.

She took some slow, deep breaths and looked back at the man. A broken-down BMW. So God had a sense of humor, after all.

Hands trembling, she fumbled with the key and opened the PROLOGUE

door of her yellow VW. Leaning in, she quickly threw her bag onto the backseat. Shards of glass covered the seat and floor.

What?

Theyve been at my car too. The lawyer approached, briefcase in hand. Only they tried to steal mine and destroyed the ignition barrel in the process. It wont start.

Clares eyes flicked to the stairwell door. No one else was on the level yet. We should call the police, she managed, feeling a pang of guilt about thinking hed broken down.

Ive done all that. With the storm and the Friday night exo-dus, theyre caught up with accidents, and the Motor Club will be at least two hours. They said the best thing is to drive to the local police station. He glanced around the near-empty car park.