Things seem to be working out pretty well, Cliff,' Marisha said.
I grabbed her and kissed her. I'd say so. Are we past our little ... emotional difficulty?'
Yeah, let's hope we have some more.'
Bound to.'
We walked in companionable silence until the wind got colder and we agreed it was time for coffee. When we got back to the flat we found that Wakefield, Kristie and her belongings, and the Twizell papers and the trunk had gone.
Marisha and I tidied the fiat, stacked the dishwasher and went to bed. We surfaced in the early evening and turned on the television news. After the usual political lies and gossip there was a report of a car crash on the highway south of Newcastle. A Mercedes sedan carrying a man and a woman had collided with a petrol tanker. The tanker driver was unhurt, but the car and its occupants were incinerated. The car was identified as having belonged to Professor Henry Wakefield of the Independent University.
part three
23
The university turned on an elaborate funeral service for Wakefield. I didn't go. Our relationship had improved over the time I'd known him but that was as far as my feelings for him went. His death brought home to me again the fragility of life. You take your pills, do your exercises, watch what you eat and drink, and a faulty tyre or a patch of oil on a road can make it all meaningless.
I stayed in Newcastle for Kristie's funeral and to comfort Marisha, who took the death hard. She'd lost a valuable informant, but also someone she'd come to like and admire in the short time they'd had together.
She'd been through a lot,' Marisha said as we stood in the rain at the cemetery, and she was still in there pitching.' I agreed.
The day was cold, grey and wet the way it should be for a funeral. It was a big affair and the second in a short space of time for the Tanners and their many connections.
There was a heavy police presence on the lookout for Hector but he didn't show. Joseph, who'd been indicted and was awaiting trial, was allowed to attend. He was closely guarded but not under restraint. He saw me and scowled, or perhaps he was scowling at Marisha. Anyway, he didn't hold the expression long. There were a lot of cameras around and he didn't want to look too threatening on the front page of the Newcastle Herald.
We didn't go to the wake. Without saying so we were both aware that the last wake we'd been at was Lily's and that, with all due regard to the love we'd had for her, was something we wanted to put behind us.
Kerry Watson fronted up as we were leaving the cemetery. He looked as worn out as ever.
Going to the booze-up?'
No,' I said.
He nodded. Duty calls, but the Tanners have given me a lot of grief over the years. I'll be glad to get a drink out of them.'
Nothing on Templeton and Twizell?' I said.
To tell you the truth, we've been too busy with other things to bother much. See you, Hardy, Ms Henderson.'
There hadn't been a lot to say about the documents lost in Wakefield's car. Whether the journal he'd found was real or a fake, or whether it was supported or not by the letters and other papers, no one would ever know. The story of the Dunbar would remain as it was.
Marisha was quiet on the drive back to her flat. We hadn't spoken about it but we both knew I'd be heading back to Sydney soon. We'd been getting along very well and, in the way that people do when they find mental and sexual compatibility, we each had a good idea what the other was thinking about.
Come on,' I said, there's something on your mind about Templeton and Jack Twizell, right?'
Mmm.'
What?'
You're not interested in following it up, are you?'
No, not much.'
Because there's no money in it?'
Partly.'
What if there was?'
Are you offering to pay me again?'
She touched my arm. No, I don't think either of us'd like that much, and I couldn't afford you for very long.'
What is it, then?'
Let me think about it.'
We got back to the flat, hung up our wet coats and agreed we should have a drink for Kristie. Marisha got out the vodka that was Kristie's favourite tipple and built two big ones with tonic and ice and slices of lime. We stood by the window looking out at the grey, misty view, and touched glasses.
Kristie!'
We drank.
Hector Tanner,' Marisha said suddenly.
Jesus Christ, are you having dealings with him? He's bloody dangerous. How did you contact him?'
He contacted me. I have to admit it was scary. He rang me and it was clear he knew a lot about me and what I was doing. I nearly pissed myself but all he wanted was to help me.'
I can't believe I'm hearing this. All Hector Tanner would ever want to do is help himself.'
You're wrong. Listen to me. He's not as bad as Joseph, not really. Don't forget I got a lot of stuff from Jobe and Kristie. Hector never killed anyone. He was more of an organiser, an administrator, if you will.'
You're kidding yourself.'
Maybe, and I'm being super-cautious.'
You better be. How long has this been going on?'
Her laugh was unlike her usual full-bodied guffaw, more uncertain. Just since yesterday.'
What're you hoping to get from him?'
Whatever I can. More to the point is what he wants from me.'
And that is?'
He wants help from you.'
From me?'
Yes, he's been in touch with Templeton, who he calls Tarrant, but same bloke. Templeton says Twizell won't tell him where the money is.'
Oh, so he wants Hector to come along with Clem and the bolt-cutters.'
No. According to Hector, Twizell says he knows he'll be killed if he tells Templeton what he wants so he doesn't care what Templeton or anyone else does to him. He wants to negotiate a safe passage and wants you to supervise the deal. Broker it, as it were.'
That's crazy. Why would I do that?'
Twizell trusts you and Hector and Templeton respect you.'
You're snowing me.'
No. That's what they say and I believe it. Anyway, they thought the proposition'd have a better chance with you coming from me.'
Who thought that?'
She shrugged. Your guess is as good as mine.'
I'd been so astonished by this that I'd neglected my drink. The ice had melted. I took a long swig and Marisha did the same.
Ever feel manipulated?' I said.
Manipulated and manipulating-I'm a journalist.'
And maybe that's all you are, I thought, but I didn't say so. Marisha took her drink into her study. I paced around as the light dimmed outside and the air cooled in the room. In the few days since Wakefield and Kristie had left I'd stayed in the flat and had got used to its workings. But I'd left Marisha alone to write while I checked my emails, rang Megan, did things. We hadn't been in each other's pockets. Plenty of chances for her to contact people and be contacted. Hector Tanner and who else?
I finished the drink and resisted the urge to have another. I needed a clear head for thinking. One thought was a repeat of what I'd had a couple of times before-Jack Twizell was a smart cookie and a game one. No comfort there-in my experience smart, brave men are usually at their smartest and bravest when they're looking out for themselves.
Then I had another thought. What if Templeton wasn't a rogue cop after all? What if all this was an act to get hold of Hector Tanner and clear up a nagging rumour about a lot of missing money? And resolve what had happened to a British backpacker?
Marisha came out of her study long enough to give me Templeton's mobile number-different from the one I already had and which hadn't answered the last few times I'd tried it.
Going to ring him?'
I nodded.
Good.' She went back to work.
I knew what an upright citizen should do-go to Watson and have him set up the system they use to locate the source of mobile phone calls. Why didn't I do it? Partly out of respect for Templeton's intelligence and resources. For all I knew there were ways someone could know he was being tracked and Templeton might have sources still within the police force to keep him informed of what was being done to catch him. I couldn't see a pair like Templeton and Tanner positioning themselves where a police raid would be effective.
I punched in the numbers.
This is Hardy.'
Just you?'
Just me.'
Where are you?'
Why?'
Just answer the question.'
No, we're not going to play it that way. If you've got someone watching me, have him come in and I'll give him a drink.'
Templeton laughed. Okay. Your girlfriend's put you in the picture, has she?'
Just barely. Speaking of girlfriends, I suppose you were sorry to hear that Kristie burned to death.'
There was a pause before he came back on the line. You want to make this hard or easy?'
I don't want it at all, but I feel partly responsible for Jack Twizell being in the shit and I've got scores to settle with you and Hector.'
This isn't about settling scores. It's about money.'
If you say so.'
I do. All you have to do is exactly what you're told and everything will go smoothly. Twizell walks away, Hector and I take the money and you get on with whatever. Oh, and your girlfriend writes her book.'
It's a funny thing, but as he spoke these words I knew it was never going to be anything like that. I didn't know why, but I knew. The reference to Marisha was a sort of clue that the net was spread wider than he wanted me to believe.
This is the deal,' Templeton said. We meet up on the highway and go north up the coast. That's all Twizell will say at this point.'
Terrific. How is Jack? Rough him up much?'