The Dunbar Case(21)

Twizell shrugged but I judged that he'd wisely decided he'd be over-matched against Templeton. Along for the ride. Just showing Hardy the way. Is Kristie here?'



She is. Are you hoping to make amends for what you did to her?'



Maybe just explain.'



Fair enough. C'mon on in.'



The door led straight into a large living room with poor lighting, a threadbare carpet and furniture that looked as though it had been scavenged from the back lanes of Newtown. Through the gloom I saw a passage leading to other rooms. It was a fair bet that the kitchen would have a wood stove-the era was right and the air had the right smell.



Templeton invited us to sit down and said he'd fetch Kristie.



Place has a certain charm,' I said.



Twizell pointed to the fireplace. Gets fucking cold in winter. You need that. I nearly did my back in chopping wood.'



You're nervous, Jack.'



Something about that guy worries me.'



Something about the time Templeton was taking worried me. I heard activity outside near the SUV and wondered for a minute whether they were going to take off. But no engine started. Then I heard voices raised and a slap. I got to my feet just as Templeton came back pulling Kristie with him by the arm. She was a big, strong woman but he managed her easily with one hand. In his other hand he had a double-barrel shotgun with the stock cut down to a pistol-grip size. He was wearing the leather jacket I'd first seen him in and his face was set in hard, determined lines. He almost threw Kristie into a chair.



He pointed the shottie at Twizell but I could tell he had me well within his field of vision. He said, Stay where you are, Hardy. Don't move a muscle.' He gestured at Twizell.



Get up. You're coming with me.'



The fuck I am.'



Two long strides took Templeton across to where Twizell was pressed back in his chair. He hit him hard with a backhander, grabbed the collar of his jacket and pulled him to his feet as though he weighed nothing. He rammed the short barrels up under Twizell's ear and dragged him towards the door.



Make a move, Hardy, and it's one barrel for him and one for you, or her.'



I froze. Kristie screamed something and Twizell yelled as the sharp, sawn metal tore into his skin. Then Templeton had him at the door.



Open it!'



Blood was running down Twizell's neck and his eyes were wide in terror. He opened the door. Templeton tapped him on the sweet spot just above the temple and Twizell sagged. In almost the same movement Templeton hoisted him onto his shoulder with the shottie now pointed at me. He backed through the door. I pulled out the .38, jumped up and went after him. A sawn-off shotgun has spread but no range and I thought I might get a chance for a shot when his gun was ineffective. But Templeton was extraordinarily quick. He'd thrown Twizell into the back of the SUV and extended his long arm out over the car as I reached the door. He fired, I ducked, and the pellets splattered against the wall of the cottage and ricocheted around me.



The engine roared, the wheels spun, and the SUV rocketed, swerving, across the clearing and down the track.

 
 

  20





I stood, staring at nothing. Templeton's action, brutal, super-efficient, utterly surprising, had stunned me. In the cottage, Kristie was hysterical, throwing herself around the room, wailing and tearing at her hair like a berserker. She launched herself at me and beat on my chest with her fists.



Why didn't you shoot him? He doesn't love me.'



She was fit and strong and in her passion her blows hurt. I pushed her off and held her at a distance as she flailed at me, crying and snarling. All you can do is wait for the moment to pass. It took a long time. Eventually she calmed down. We went through to the kitchen at the back of the cottage. Sure enough, there was a wood stove and a kerosene fridge. I found a bottle of brandy on a sideboard and Coca-Cola and ice in the fridge and made her a drink. I took my brandy straight. We sat at the vinyl-topped table with our drinks.



Have you got any pills?' she asked.



What kind of pills?'



Any kind.'



No.'



Shit, I'm going to need something to get through this. My dad's dead and my brother did it and my other brother ... And fucking Rod ...'



Sorry, no pills. You seemed to be coping.'



She laughed, lifted her glass. With this, and love. What I thought was love.'



We sat quietly for a while and had more brandy. The bathroom was in a lean-to at the back of the building. She went there and came back with her face repaired. Her heavy makeup had smeared and smudged. She'd restored it expertly and regained her composure. With her height and heavy features, she looked a little like Angelica Huston in certain roles. She'd had some experience at recovering from bad times and she was putting it to use now.



You'd better tell me all about it,' I said.



I'd better make some coffee and something to eat or I'm going to be too pissed to think. Why didn't you go after him?'



We left the car a kilometre down the track.'



She nodded and set about brewing coffee-loading the percolator, pushing kindling and paper into the stove, watching while it caught and adding bigger pieces of split wood. She was wearing tight jeans, low-heeled boots and a dark, long-sleeved top. Her movements were decisive and deft. She stopped from time to time, presumably remembering happier moments, but she kept working.



I had my mobile sitting on the table along with the .38. The phone rang. I felt sure I knew who it'd be. I answered.



Hardy.'



This is Rod. Is Kristie okay?'



Sort of.'



Tell her I'm sorry.'



Tell her yourself.'



No.'



Where are you?'



He laughed. Goodbye, Hardy. I hope never to see you again.'



Don't count on it. How's Jack?'



He cut the call.



Kristie looked up from what she was doing and wiped her hands on a cloth. Hung the cloth where it belonged. Normal things. She knew how to cope.



That him? What did he say?'



He said he was sorry.'



She shook her head. He's not, but he will be.'



Kristie made the coffee and we drank it spiked with the brandy. She stuffed rocket and grated cheese into some bread rolls and I ate three to her one. She told me that Templeton had said he was due some leave and that they should get away somewhere. She'd suggested the cottage.



And you wanted to put him to the test?'



Johnnie told you about that, did he? Yeah, well I did. I was very keen on him and I wouldn't have cared if he didn't make it.'



Did he?'



She paused and drank some coffee. He went up it. Like climbing a ladder. Then we ... well, what does it matter now? I know why he kept me with him. I should have known from other clues.'



She said that when he'd had too much to drink, Templeton let slip that he was unhappy in the police force. He also talked about the buried money more often than she was comfortable with.



Rog ... Rod, that is, knew that you wanted to talk to me because I told him. And he knew that you'd be in touch with Johnnie. Johnnie knew that I'd bring a new man here. He just used me as bait to get hold of Johnnie. He's a bloody good actor. I believed what he told me about...'



The undercover guys have to be that,' I said. It might not have been acting, altogether. He sounded sincere when he said he was sorry.'



No.' She touched her face. Looking like this puts blokes off, all except the kinky ones and who needs them? Fuck him!'



What she said about Templeton's actions made sense and fitted in with a hint Ted Power had given me: I don't think he feels fully appreciated. Kristie was constructing defences, something she was good at. I suspected she might be in the mood to be useful to Marisha and I could do myself some good by bringing them together.



He'll make Johnnie show him where the money is,' Kristie said. He'll get it, kill Johnnie and disappear.'



To do all that's a big ask. Twizell's tough and he's been around.'



Johnnie's not tough. He only acts tough.'



He implied he'd had military experience.'



Yeah, in some bullshit peace-keeping gig. Briefly.'



I wasn't sure peace-keeping operations were as soft as she thought. Maybe Jack Twizell could make a stand, but I couldn't see any way I could play a part in that. I tried to tell myself I was in the box seat-Kristie could tell all she knew about the Twizell family papers and I could complete my job for Wakefield. Whether he got what he wanted or not I'd be paid. And there was Marisha. But there was also Hector Tanner, who couldn't be feeling well disposed towards me, and I had a guilty feeling about having led Jack Twizell into a potentially deadly trap. Things are never simple.



Kristie was listless, a bit drunk from the brandy and at a low ebb. She needed activity and motivation.



Come on, Kristie,' I said. We have to get out of here. There's someone I want you to talk to and I need to ask you about Grandma Twizell's papers when you're up to it.'



She nodded and stood. I'll get my stuff.'



Let's hope Rod didn't disable Jack's car.'







He hadn't. He was banking on us not knowing where Jack's cave was. Safe enough for me, but I didn't know about Kristie. She'd brought all she wanted to take from the cottage in a backpack. I unlocked the car and we climbed in.



This is Johnnie's?' she said.



I nodded.



I wonder where he got the money.'



I do, too.'



How long after he got out before you caught up with him?'



Day and a bit.'



Long enough for him to do a deal with someone else about getting the money and getting something in advance. He'd have been thinking about it from day one, inside.'