I tidied up a bit and was getting ready to go to bed when my mobile rang.
Mr Hardy, this is Courtenay Braithwaite. Your client, Professor Wakefield, has asked me to make some recommendations to Corrective Services about Twizell.'
Yes.'
I'm inclined to do it. I didn't tell you, but I always felt there was something odd about the whole matter.'
Odd?'
As if the whole story hadn't been told.'
Is it ever?'
Sometimes. Anyway, you can tell Twizell I'll do what I can.'
What does that mean,' Twizell said, he'll do what he can?'
I don't know-talk to the right people, email them ... Are you behaving yourself these days?'
I'm a fucking choirboy.' He laughed. Hey, you know what I mean.'
It was the first sign of humour I'd seen from him. The little hint of good news seemed to have improved his mood out of all proportion. It's like that in prison, no matter how long or short the sentence-you inflate the smallest flicker of hope, particularly if it carries the promise of getting out.
The guard by the door wasn't paying us much attention, but I lowered my voice and leaned forward. I've got another message-from the Tanner brothers.'
He'd been affecting a lazy, relaxed demeanour but that galvanised him. He straightened up and drew in a deep breath.
Those cunts. What're you doing talking to them?'
I didn't want to. They grabbed me in the car park here.'
He sneered. Grabbed you? Thought you were supposed to be tough.'
Three men, confined space. Bad odds, and then they applied some pressure I'm not in a position to resist. Not just yet. D'you want to hear what they had to say?'
The good humour had vanished. Yeah.'
I'd made my decision: I was going with the scenario Templeton had sketched. I don't understand it,' I said, but they say they want to let bygones be bygones and that they'll protect you when you go for the money.'
His eyes got a faraway look as if he was envisaging scenes and conversations in the distant or not so distant future. He glanced at the guard, who gave him a hostile stare in return.
That's something to chew on,' he said with the faraway look back in place.
I waved my hand in front of him to get his attention. Back to the business in hand, my client's matter. He's come some of the way towards you.'
Yeah, I suppose.'
Clearly the Tanners' message had claimed top place on his agenda. If he had hopes of the Tanners they'd be balanced by misgivings, but a couple of million dollars would draw the focus of most people.
The guard looked up at the clock. Not long to go.
The Tanners'd rob their grandmothers,' he said. But I wouldn't mind talking to them. You get a day release organised and we could do that.'
It'd be closely supervised.'
There's ways. I have to thank you, Hardy, although I'm sure you're a bastard at heart. You've given me something to think about apart from counting the fucking days and weeks and months.'
So glad,' I said. Now how about my business?'
Yeah, there was a family Bible and all sorts of letters and shit. Talk to Kristie, she knows more about it than me.'
I'd learned something of this from Kristine but it wasn't the time to say so. How come?'
We're related, third cousins twice removed or some such shit. My grandma and hers were sisters, I think, or cousins. Anyway, she's the one who knows about the family history.'
He realised what he'd said and covered his face with his hands. Jesus, I've blown it. Your bloke won't give a fuck about me.'
I was thinking fast. The business with the Tanners and the buried money was no affair of mine, but I had a score to settle with them over the threat. And I felt some guilt about Pete McKnight's death and regret about Marisha, and it was all connected. I wouldn't be able to let it all drop.
No,' I said. A deal's a deal. I'll try to make sure he sticks to it.'
When I got back to the motel I looked through the documents Wakefield had given me and confirmed the Tanner-Twizell family connection Kristine and Johnnie Twizell had referred to: William Twizell's de facto wife and the mother of his son. It was a long time back, but in those days people tended to remain in the one locality and marriages between cousins and less closely related people were common down through the generations.
It was going to take time to ease the restrictions on Twizell, if it could be done at all, and I had nothing better to do than to pursue the written account that was supposed to put flesh on the bones of the second survivor of the Dunbar story. I had Kristine's mobile number and I rang it.
Kristine, this is Hardy.'
Kristie, for God's sake.'
Kristie, I need a number for Hector to tell him I've delivered the message.'
Why would I help you do that?'
Come on, it's probably the best way.'
You fucking men. You always know what's best, don't you?'
Not always, no.'
Mr Cool.'
She gave me the number. Is that it?'
No, I need to talk to you about another matter entirely. Can we meet somewhere?'
Oh, yeah, sure, I've got nothing better to do than run around after you and get Hector and Joseph all suspicious.'
Sorry, but it's important. What do you do for a living?'
Nothing. I've got a disability pension. Johnnie left me with some impaired movement. What d'you want to see me about? Planning to double cross ... somebody?'
Nothing like that. It's about history. A shipwreck.'
There was an electronic silence, then she said, Are you serious?'
I am, yes.'
All right, I'll meet you. Not at the motel, though. Somewhere on the road back to Newcastle or the boys'll start wondering why I'm here.'
What have you told them so far?'
Mind your own business. What are you, a detective?'
She named a pub I'd seen on the way out of Bathurst and agreed to meet me in an hour.
I rang Hector.
Hector Tanner?'
Could be. Who's this?'
Hardy. I delivered the message to Johnnie.'
What did he say?'
He said it gave him something to chew on.'
Hector chuckled. It so happens I know you're not lying. We've ... I've had a message from him myself that says he has hopes of getting some outside time soon. That your doing, Hardy?'
I imitated his tone. Could be.'
Are you taking the piss?'
No, if I ever get the chance I'll make you sorry you threatened me the way, you did. But for now, with a job on hand, can I assume your threat to me is dropped?'
Call it on hold. Just keep the fuck out of it.'
He cut the call. There were a lot of things Hector didn't know. He didn't know I knew about the buried money. He didn't know one of his minions was a cop. He didn't know that I'd have to keep monitoring Twizell at least for a while, and he didn't know I was about to meet up with his sister, who wished him no good. That was too much ignorance for someone in his position and could make him dangerous. Trouble was, there were things I didn't know, like who killed Pete McKnight and why, and whether Marisha's dealings with Jobe Tanner were as secure as she thought.
Kristie came towards where I was sitting in the pub. She had her leather coat belted tight and moved confidently in her high heels. I wondered what work she'd done before Twizell put her on the disabled list. I got up politely and she almost sneered.
A gentleman, are you?'
Sometimes. D'you want a drink?'
Why not? Vodka and ice, slice of lemon.'
I realised I hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. I bought two packets of chips, her drink and a red wine for me.
It's a picnic, eh?' she said.
Knock off the tough act, Kristie. We're in a complicated situation. We've got two dead people ...'
She sipped her drink. Like who?'
The backpacker Twizell left in the cave. It must have crossed your mind at some time that he was expendable, given the amount of money supposed to be involved and Twizell's record. And there's my private detective contact in Newcastle. That could be connected to this business,'
I suppose.'
So let's be serious. I've just heard Hector warn me off. If he found out your friend Rod's in touch with me ...'
Okay, okay. You're right. I'm scared and the tough act is ... camouflage.'
What did you do before-'
Before Johnnie sliced me up? I was a marine biologist- well, a marine biologist's assistant. Doing a part-time degree. No more diving for me. Among other things, Johnnie punctured a lung and ruptured an eardrum. Shit, I've lost the thread. Why're we here?'
After all that had happened I'd lost the slick version of Wakefield's story I'd trotted out before. Now I put it together again as best I could without giving away too much.
My client's a historian. He wants to find out some things about the wreck. There's been some talk of a written account and mention of a family Bible. Twizell knew what I was talking about when I mentioned that.'
Yeah, he would. He told you we were related?'
I nodded. We'd been sharing the chips and drinking. It was almost convivial.
Twizells and Tanners hooked up a few times over the years. We're probably a bit inbred. Might account for how crazy some of us are.'
The Bible.'
Grandma Tanner's cousin had one. She was a Twizell. By the time I saw it, it wasn't really a Bible-all the guts had fallen out of it.'
I sighed and finished off my wine. Bugger.'
She smiled and her heavy features changed and I could see how attractive she might have been before the surgery. No, no. It was just sort of a shell of the thing, like a big folder. There were lots of papers inside-letters and ... documents. I had a quick sneaky look once and there was something about a shipwreck. I was interested because I'd dived on wrecks.'