Vengeance

By Dan Malone

Members of the Catholic clergy are going up in flames. The police are baffled. There seems to be no reason for the killings.

Detective Balu thinks he has found the answer, but following the trail leads him into more trouble than he can handle.

A griping suspense thriller you won't be able to put down.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Morris Publishing Australia
• Release date: Oct 26, 2016
• ISBN: 9780994503695

Book preview

VENGEANCE

Dan Malone

© Copyright Dan Malone, Australia, 2016

The right of Dan Malone to be identified as the

author of this work has been asserted by him.

ISBN: 978-0-9945036-9-5

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This book is sold subject to the conditions that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, hired out or otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permissions of Dan Malone.

This is a work of fiction. Names, character, places, incidents, and dialogue are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

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CHAPTER ONE

Father Abbot scanned the few people in the big cathedral. A dwindling crowd of ageing people still came to morning mass on week days. His eyes rested on a woman right at the back of the church. Probably seeking reconciliation with Christ, he thought.

Sunday attendance was better, but not like it was when he was ordained in Ireland years ago and then sent to Australia. Young baptised Catholic people are now leaving the church as teenagers. Parents' influences are waning.

He had to say mass today without altar boys. The young now challenged the church's beliefs and its authority. The fear of hell was no longer taken seriously and the fear of excommunication didn't worry the lapsed Catholics.

They turn up for christenings and many attend midnight mass at Christmas, but otherwise, they have no interest in the church. The older people take confession and communion seriously, but the young have no interest in it. From priest at the big St John's Orphanage here at Stonevalley, then at country parishes as he had risen in the church hierarchy, he had now returned the city as City Bishop elect.

When he had completed the mass and the congregation was leaving, he retreated to the room behind the altar and sank gratefully into a chair.

He looked up as someone came through the back of the altar carrying a takeaway coffee container. 'How can I help you?' he asked.

Without a word, the person poured the contents of the container over him. The smell of petrol slammed into his nostrils and he leapt to his feet. Before he could react further, a match travelled towards him. His clothes caught fire. He screamed with pain and raced back into the church searching for help. Floundering around blindly, he fell over the altar rail and lay on the tiled floor, a ball of flame.

Startled, the few people who were still in the church rushed to his side. Someone screamed to call an ambulance as they all tried in vain to put out the flames.

The ambulance arrived at the same time as the police. The priest's body was now a smouldering mass of burnt flesh. After a quick examination, the ambulance officer lifted his head, his face showing his surprise. 'He is still alive.'

Overcome by the smell of burnt flesh, his companion rushed outside and lost his breakfast. When the ambulance officer returned, they placed him as carefully as possible onto a stretcher and rushed him to the Mater hospital.

CHAPTER TWO

Two young constables were the first police on the scene. The smell of the burnt flesh and the sight of the horribly burnt body made both retch. After the body left, the constables kept everyone from the site until senior officers arrived.

Detective Inspector Harry Hanlon and the forensic team entered the taped off crime area. Hanlon took command of the inquiry that followed. Every detective and uniformed officer was called into the operation, questioning all the people who lived in the area. Hanlon questioned the few people who had remained after the mass, and then later, those who had left. All were elderly and many in a state of shock. They were no help.

It was now murder as the priest had died on the way to hospital. The next day, the newspapers headline screamed, 'Black Thursday Torching!'

Back at the station, Hanlon walked his team through the crime from the scant information he received from those present. 'A woman walked up the centre of the church, went behind the altar, and set the priest alight. She left by the back door of the room behind the altar.' He said he assumed that she then walked through church offices to a car parked on the highway that ran past the church. Nobody was yet at work in the offices, so no sightings occurred.

Police worked over the weekend but hit brick walls. There was no credible eye witness and no motive.

Monday morning from six o'clock, traffic police stopped every car using the highway, which was the main entrance to the CBD. Many workers used it. But no one noticed a car parked behind the church offices on Thursday. Most were only interested in getting to work on time.

Forensic investigation had reported high grade petrol as the accelerant and a takeaway coffee container as its carrier.

That afternoon, Superintendent Noel Casey called a meeting of all detectives and senior uniformed police at police headquarters in Stonevalley. Casey opened the meeting, stated its purpose, and turned it over to Hanlon.

Looking grim he said, 'We have a violent murder in our area. We have no real eyewitness to the crime or any motive. The old worshippers in the church who remained after the service were either praying or meditating. Most are now suffering severe shock. All people living in the area have been interviewed with no worthwhile contribution. Father Abbot was about to be made Bishop and was popular.

'Petrol in a coffee takeaway container was thrown over the victim and ignited. A crude but efficient, premeditated murder. We have been flooded with phone calls ever since the newspapers came out on Friday, but no one had information that was of use. Father Abbot's first posting was to the orphanage here. Follow up all leads received from the public. Do not reveal how the murder weapon was carried.'

CHAPTER THREE

Hanlon instructed Detective Sergeant Glen Balu to investigate Father Abbot's life. Hanlon didn't like Balu, but