We were lying close together in the bed. I'd felt something rustling behind my head and I reached under the pillow and pulled out a sheet of paper.
I knew that was there,' she said. I was reading it in bed last night before I fell asleep thinking of you.'
I laughed and did my Bogart. You're good. You're very good.'
She jumped out of the bed. I'm having a shower and you better have one as well. I'll wash that shirt and stick it in the dryer.'
Do the socks and the jeans while you're at it.'
A while later we were sitting on her balcony with coffee and fruit salad watching a storm sweep in from the east. The sky and the sea were purple and, as the light dropped, the sand took on a hard, metallic glow. The trees bent to the wind and the rain moved in, turning the road black and the gutters into rushing streams. I couldn't help thinking of the old house in the bush. It must have endured hundreds of such assaults and it was a wonder it had lasted as long as it had.
So,' Marisha said. You turn up here filthy dirty but horny as hell. What have you been doing?'
I told her.
So the next step is to find Kristie. I want in on that.'
Johnnie, or should I say Jack, Twizell thinks the next step is to get protection from Hector Tanner. How do you feel about that? Hector can't be happy about you.'
You're here to protect me, aren't you? Why are you smiling?'
It's just that I've got a job I'm being paid to do here and now I've got two people asking for my protection.'
I'll pay you. My agent's negotiated a very good advance for this book. I was just doing it on spec before. I can take some unpaid leave now and knock it off.'
I don't want you to pay me. How did the agent manage that?'
I wrote a detailed synopsis and she pitched it really well. She's good.'
Must be. Did you put anything in about the buried money?'
Yes, why?'
Did you mention Twizell?'
Not by name.'
What does that mean?'
I referred to a prisoner about to be released. Hey, why the grilling?'
The people who stole that money don't know where it is. All this time they'll have been hoping they'd hear something that'd help them find it.'
They're not likely to hear about a synopsis given to a publisher.'
Who knows? Your agent might have gossiped; the publisher probably got its legal team to work. They might have had an outside reader look at it.'
God, I thought the money was just a footnote to the story, but if those people, whoever they are, come after Hector and Twizell it becomes much more important. By the way, I did some checking and an English backpacker named Roy Flanagan did go missing from around Newcastle at that time.'
The storm hit and drove us inside. Marisha's reaction was squarely in line with her character. Her whole focus was on her book and she'd view events from that vantage point. If Jack Twizell or Hector Tanner were tortured to reveal what they knew, it'd just be useful collateral damage to her. Maybe I should've viewed it in the same way myself, but I couldn't. I had to warn Twizell at least; Hector I cared less about.
Marisha was keen to get back to work. As soon as the worst of the storm had passed I left, wearing my clean clothes still warm from the dryer. She promised to be extra careful in all her movements and to contact me the second she thought she might be in danger.
You scrub up pretty well,' she said as she kissed me goodbye. Go out and find Kristie for yourself and for me.'
The mobile phone Megan and Hank had given me for a birthday present had an internet function I hadn't yet used. I sat in my car and fumbled my way to the White Pages website and got an address and a number for the Mayfield Apartments, which I rang.
Concierge.'
Mr Twizell, please. Flat ten.'
Apartment. Just a minute, sir.'
Sir waited impatiently. When the concierge came back on the line she sounded apologetic. I'm sorry, sir. The number doesn't answer. I know Mr Twizell is in because he had a visitor a short time ago.'
Male or female?' I gave it a conspiratorial tone to which she didn't respond. Male.'
What floor's Mr Twizell's on?'
He's on the top floor. Is there anything wrong?'
No,' I said, thinking, yes!
Back to Mayfield under a leaden sky. I used the GPS to guide me and found the Mayfield Apartments to be a three-level modern block packed onto a tight bleak cul-de-sac. There were spaces for cars but I wouldn't have wanted to manoeuvre the Falcon into any one of them. The apartments had to be one-bedroom jobs with everything miniaturised that could be. The only thing generous about the set-up was the size of the rubber-tree plants in the tiny garden.
The concierge sat at a small desk in a small tiled lobby. She was thirtyish with a neat, efficient-looking appearance. She glanced up from the computer keyboard she'd been tapping.
Yes?'
I rang a little while back for Mr Twizell. Would you try him again, please?'
She frowned, worried, and hit a button on her phone. I could hear the ringing.
No answer,' she said.
Did he leave a mobile number with you?'
I wasn't here when he arrived.'
Please look. It's important.'
She tapped some keys, found a number and rang it. No answer again,' she said. What's the problem?'
I headed towards the lift.
You can't just go up. I'm supposed to notify the residents.'
You tried,' I said.
I rode the lift to the top floor and got out into a narrow carpeted area. Three apartments up here, with number ten at the front. The lift door closed noisily behind me and the door to apartment ten opened. Hector Tanner stepped out. He was immaculate in a suit and tie as before but this time he was carrying a pistol fitted with a silencer. He pointed the gun at my chest.
Saw you from the window, Hardy. A pleasure to meet you again.' He gestured with the pistol. Step inside.'
17
I walked down a short passage to a living room with windows that looked out to the street. Twizell was sitting in the middle of the room on a chair, with his arms drawn back; both his feet were pinioned to the chair legs by plastic restraints. He was wearing an old dressing gown and looked very vulnerable and afraid. He evidently hadn't had time for a shower since getting back because his scratches were still untreated. He had a black eye and his mouth was puffy with a split upper lip.
Hector pointed to a chair drawn up to the table. Sit over there, Hardy, and sit very still. Johnnie and I have been having a little talk.'
I wasn't too worried about Hector's gun. I had my .38 stuck in the waistband of my pants in the small of my back under my shirt-tail. I thought I could distract Hector long enough to get it out and make matters even. He goes by Jack now,' I said.
So he tells me, but I think I'll stick with Johnnie. That's how I knew him when he came to us with a very interesting proposition. That's before he nearly killed my sister.'
Yeah,' I said, after you'd filled him full of some kind of truth drug.'
True, but he was on something already and the combination did the damage, so it was partly his fault.'
That was interesting. Hector looked to be one of those people who didn't take the blame for anything. A weakness.
I relaxed in the chair and scratched my chin. Best to keep moving in small ways as a preliminary to a big move.
Why'd you go into hiding, Hec? I wouldn't have thought the cops would have much on a cautious man like you.'
I didn't go into hiding. I just happen to have a few places to stay that nobody knows about.'
So you'll show up at your father's funeral tomorrow?'
I'll have to think about that.'
But you'll be there in spirit. I wonder if they'll let Joseph out to attend?'
Shut up. I'm grateful to you for getting Johnnie out early. Now you can help me persuade him to tell me where the money is.'
Don't do it, Jack,' I said. The Tanner mob is finished. They're in debt all over the place and with Jobe and Joseph out of action Hector's fucked. He needs the money worse than you do.'
He doesn't have a choice,' Hector said. I've sent Clem for some bolt-cutters. Persuaders, you might call them. You remember Clem, Hardy. He'll be happy to see you.'
That changed things. I could imagine Clem's enjoyment at the situation. It was time.
Better tell him then, Jack,' I said.
Twizell's head had been slumped on his chest. He jerked up and shouted, Whose side are you on, you-'
Hector focused on him for long enough. I was out of the chair and had my gun free in one movement. Hector swung back towards me but too late. I smashed down on his gun hand with mine; his fingers opened and he dropped the gun. I put the .38 to his temple.
You wouldn't,' he said.
You're right.' I moved my hand away, changed my grip and brought the gun butt sharply back against the side of his head. On the button, as the boxers say. His eyes rolled up and he fell hard.
Jesus, Hardy, thanks.'
I had my Swiss army knife sawing at the plastic restraints before the words were out of his mouth.
Get dressed quickly and collect up anything you need. We have to get out of here. The guy he mentioned, Clem, is bad news and he has a big-time grudge against me.'
Twizell looked as though he'd like to kick Hector but his bare feet wouldn't do much damage. Can't you handle him?'
Get moving! He's a big bastard. If he came at me with a set of bolt-cutters I might have to shoot him and I don't want to do that on your account.'
Twizell got the point. The last thing a recently released parolee needed was to be involved in a shooting. He bolted into the bedroom and I heard him opening and closing drawers and cupboards. He came out dressed in his suit and carrying a bulging overnight bag.