Page 79 of Murder in the Family

I don’t envy you your job, mate.

TRACY RYAN

So what do you need from us? I mean, I never saw the guy again after he left for Sydney.

MITCHELL CLARKE

And why do you think he left?

TRACY RYAN

You are joking, right? I mean, his parents die, he inherits the cash, what else is he going to do? I’d have gone myself, given half a chance.

CUT TO: Studio, as before.

MITCHELL CLARKE

As you can see, I drew a pretty predictable blank there. So the next stop was Sydney. Unfortunately, the bar Luke worked in has long since gone, but thanks to an old friend of Laila’s who now lives there I did manage to track down the man who owned it back then.

CUT TO: Mitch at his desk, this time on speakerphone.

MITCHELL CLARKE

(into phone)

Hello, is this Don?

DON WYNDHAM

Don Wyndham, that’s right.

MITCHELL CLARKE

And you used to own the Board Room, is that right? The bar?

DON WYNDHAM

Sure did, mate. Owned it till I retired. Fifteen years ago now.

MITCHELL CLARKE

And I’m guessing from the name that it was popular with the surfing crowd?

DON WYNDHAM

(laughs)

Couldn’t move for ’em. Specially on a Friday night.

MITCHELL CLARKE

And Luke Ryder worked for you? This would have been soon after he arrived in Sydney in 1994.

DON WYNDHAM

Young ‘Easy’ – absolutely, worked for me a couple years. Nice kid. A bit shy to start with, but he soon came out of his shell, especially once he got the surfing bug. And he got aseriouscase of it, too – first the board, then the birds.

Shit, sorry – probably shouldn’t use that word, should I, not these days. #MeToo and all that malarkey—

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