Crisis of Identity

From the meeting I drove mum back to hers, where my Ute was parked. Mum invited me to stay for lunch before returning to work. Of course I accepted.

I have never been able to knock back mum’s offer for roast beef and cheese rolls, warmed up in the sandwich press.

As we rolled along mum’s street, a police car cruised passed in the opposite direction. The cops slowed and obviously checked us out as we passed.

I watched in the rear view as they did a u-turn and quickly caught up to us. I parked mum’s car in the driveway, while the cops parked on the street, across the driveway.

Mum and I met them in the drive near the front footpath. ‘Can I help you?’ mum asked.

‘Are you Mrs Vicky Miller…?’

‘I am. What seems to be the problem?’

The cop shifted his focus to me. ‘And you are…?’

Annoyed by your intrusion. But what I actually said was, ‘Kade Miller. Why are you asking?’

The cop opened a folder and slid out some paperwork. He handed one to mum and the other to me. ‘Those are warrants issued by the Perth Magistrates Court. In essence, they are compelling you both to give DNA samples and to provide your medical records to police within eight days,’ the cop said. ‘Have a good day,’ he said in a matter-of-fact tone then returned to his car.

‘Are these warrants issued from Queensland?’ I asked following the cop to the street.

The cop stopped at the driver’s door and said across the car roof, ‘I don’t know anything about the circumstances, mate… I’m just executing the warrant.’ He opened the car door. ‘The informant’s name is on the warrant.’ He lifted his chin towards me. ‘I suggest you contact him, or your lawyer if you require any further information.’ He slid into the car and left.

When I turned back to mum her stunned eyes were reading the warrant. ‘Don’t worry about it, mum. I’ll speak to Miles.’

‘Dawes’ name is on this warrant as the informant,’ mum said.

‘Did you really need to read the warrant to find that out?’

Mum’s arms fell limp by her side. ‘Will this ever end, Kade?’ Her breaking voice oozed with desperation.

‘Look… We beat him on the last warrant and we’ll beat him on this one, OK.’

Mum pointed to the name on warrant. ‘This one is from the Perth Magistrates’ Court, not the Queensland court, like the other one.’

Her hand was shaking when I gently eased the warrant from it. ‘Don’t worry about it, mum. I’ll take care of it, OK?’ Her eyes welled with tears. Mum is a strong woman, but under these stressful times, she looks so frail.

It breaks my heart to see her upset by all this unnecessary stress Dawes has caused to our family and further fuels my anger and hatred towards him.

I put a comforting arm around mum and hugged her tight as I gently guided her inside her home for a cup of tea, or something harder.

Once inside mum made us both a cuppa, while I called Miles. He was still on his return journey to the city following our meeting with the West Australian newspaper. I activated the speakerphone for mum to listen in.

Miles said he wasn’t surprised when I informed him of the warrants. He said he expected Dawes to counter after the last warrant failed on a technicality.

’So this warrant is seeking both DNA and medical records…?’ Miles said, as a question.

‘Correct. DNA and medical records. From mum and me.’

Mum served me up a hot cuppa tea. I slid onto a stool at the kitchen bench. Mum remained standing on the kitchen side of the bench, holding her cup with both hands as she sipped on her tea. Her eyes were fixed into a blank stare.

‘That is interesting…’ Miles said. ‘I can understand his reasoning with your mother’s warrant. To him, Vicky is considered a suspect… But the logic behind your warrant escapes me.’

‘Could it be so he has my DNA to compare to mum’s?’

‘No. No… I understand that. That’s exactly why he has included you. But I don’t understand his logic. You’re not a suspect in his case… So therefore, such a warrant doesn’t apply to you.’

‘Oh, OK…’

‘I need to sight these warrants. Are you able to email them to me’, Miles asked.

‘I can do that.’

‘Great. I’ll call you back once I’ve had a chance to examine them.’ He ended the call.

Even though I have been dealing with Miles now for some time because of Dawes, I still find it hard to accept phone calls that end without a simple goodbye or speak to you later. In my world, saying goodbye at the end of a call is the norm; a common courtesy.

Miles however is a high-priced lawyer. Maybe that is the norm in his world. Maybe his time is valuable and banal niceties or salutations simply waste his time, or somehow distract him. He is always succinct and straight to the point. All his telephone calls end this way; abruptly without so much as a goodbye.

It could be because his overactive mind is considering his next move in this real life game of chess that is Dawes. Regardless of the justification, I still have to tell myself, he is not upset. He didn’t hang up angry. That is just Miles.

Mum’s eyes were still glazed into a fixed stare when I placed my phone on the kitchen bench. She was miles away. So much so, I had to summarize the call and the outcome expectations because she never heard any of my conversation with Miles.

‘I’m not sure how much more of this I can take, Kade. I feel like this man is killing me slowly from all the stress.’

I moved to mum’s side of the bench and hugged her tight. ‘I know it is easier said than done, mum… but you have to try not to let him get to you. Dawes has just about exhausted all his avenues of inquiry. Sooner or later, he will have no choice but to give up and walk away.’

Mum tightened her hug. ‘Thank you, Darling.’

I pushed myself away from mum and stared into her red eyes. ‘You OK?’

‘I am. Thank you.’

’Why do you think he is so hell bent on pursuing us over this? I mean… The evidence against his theory is overwhelming, but still he comes.’

’I don’t know, darling. Maybe it’s because his case has sat cold for twenty-five years and now he thinks he finally has a lead… Someone to go after.’

‘Well, he’s certainly going after us,’ I said, flicking a hand at the warrant on the kitchen bench. ‘Anyway, he’ll get his, once we have our day in court.’

‘Let’s hope so.’ Mum glanced at the wall clock. ‘Do you still have time for lunch…?’

I checked my watch. ‘Yeah, definitely. I’m looking forward to your tasty roast beef roll…’

Even though it was a little forced, mum’s smile was the first I have seen from her for some time now. I’ll take that, given the circumstances we find ourselves in.