“Yeah.”
“And you were on the boat last night?”she continued.When he nodded, she asked, “Was anyone else with you?”
He glanced at Rodney and then shook his head.“No.”
Dot’s phone rang, and she answered it, moving away from the table as she did so.
“It’s Jenifer.Natasha is in class and has been fine all morning.”
Dot smiled.“Thanks for your help.”She hung up and sat back down.
Steven glanced at her.“Good news?”
“Yes.Who called you to tell you about Natasha?”
“Kristy.She usually gets the calls from the school, but she’s on an excursion with Joseph’s class today.They’re snorkelling around at Turquoise Bay.”
Someone was lying.“You’ll be happy to hear Natasha is fine.She’s not ill and has been in class all morning.”
Steven nodded, but a slight film of sweat beaded on his forehead.“That’s great news.Kristy must have got the wrong message.Phone signal can be a little spotty in places.”
“Did anyone else use your boat yesterday?”Rodney asked.
Steven blinked as if surprised by the question.“Not that I know of.”
“What time did you get back?”
“About…” he took his time thinking about it.“Eleven o’clock.”
Impossible.They’d seen the boat around that time.“Are you sure?”
“Yes.Kristy wanted me home by midnight and she was surprised I was so early.”
Dot really wanted to get Kristy in an interview room.
“How do you explain this photo taken at ten fifty last night?”Rodney placed another photo on the table.“Who is this with you?”
Steven didn’t answer.
“Why did you run when Sergeant Campbell asked you to stop?”Rodney continued.
Steven glanced at the table, his fingers tapping a beat.He opened his mouth and closed it a couple of times before saying, “I’m sorry.I thought I’d got the zoning wrong, and I was fishing in the wrong area.I’d be in so much trouble at work.”
“What is your job at the shire?”Dot asked.
“Town planning.”
Fish zoning fell under Parks and Wildlife, but still he would know the gulf had only a few areas at the tip where you couldn’t fish.
“Getting caught would make you look the fool,” Rodney commented.
Steven nodded.“I’m so sorry.I should have dealt with the issue, but Kristy’s talking about me running for Shire President next year.I can’t have a stain on my record.”
He’d have more than a stain by the time Dot was through with him.
“Tell me when you met Kurt Webb,” Rodney asked.
Steven blanched but shook his head.“Who?”
