unless I got hit by a bus or a bullet.
The phone rang and it was a reporter from Channel 10 asking for an interview. He’d been to Glebe with a crew and they had footage of the police technical boys working on the Falcon before towing it away.
‘Dramatic,’ I said.
‘They say a couple of high-power blast grenades were used. We need to talk to you, Mr Hardy. Who tried to kill you?’
‘You’ve got it wrong. Somebody wanted to kill the car. Sorry, mate, no interview. Thanks for the information.’
‘Huh?’
‘You’ve told me what happened and where my car is. Very useful. Thanks again.’
I hung up. On television, private eyes go straight for the jugular. If a Harley Davidson’s been spotted in the alley the gumshoe heads directly to the toughest biker bar in town and wraps a pool cue around the neck of a seven-foot behemoth with a beard down to his Nazi chest tattoo. Not me. I had a meeting with the client at seven and it was my responsibility to be fully functional when I got there. That meant leaving the places where I’d have to go to get a line on Haitch Henderson until later. I phoned Fleischman Holdings and asked to speak to Mr Katz’s secretary.
‘Mr Katz’s office. Kathy speaking. How can I help you?’
‘My name’s Hardy. I’m a private investigator working for the barrister defending Mrs Fleischman. I’d like to see Mr Katz in that connection at his earliest convenience, please.’
Kathy said, ‘Just one moment,’ and I waited through fully two minutes’ worth of classical music that sounded like a string section trying to put a percussion section to sleep and vice versa.
‘Mr Katz could see you at 2.15 this afternoon, Mr Hardy. Would that be suitable?’
‘Definitely,’ I said.
Fleischman Holdings was housed in a fifteen-storey building a block from the Stock Exchange. The company had three floors-the top three, naturally. I wondered whether it owned the building or rather, given what I’d learned about Fleischman’s operation, had a mortgage on it. Expecting to be calling on people, that morning I’d put on a grey lightweight suit, Italian slip-ons bought on special and a freshly dry-cleaned pale blue cotton shirt with a buttoned-down collar. No tie. I entered the world of polished steel, chrome, and glass and rode the lift up to the thirteenth floor. The view was spectacular, the carpet was thick, the service was efficient. A heavily made-up young woman wearing a shiny cream suit and with her blond hair pulled back into a tight roll, took my card, pressed buttons and then escorted me to a waiting room that had a 180-degree view, armchairs, pot plants and coffee machine.
‘You’re a fraction early, Mr Hardy.’
I looked at my watch-2.14 and ten seconds.
‘So I am.’
‘Mr Katz will see you very soon. Would you like coffee?’
I shook my head. ‘No thanks. I’ll just feast my eyes on the stock exchange for a while.’
She forced a smile and left the room. I walked to the full-length window and looked out on the best city view in the world. Under a blue sky the harbour was poetic; the parks were green and fresh looking and the buildings seemed to frame the natural beauty and not diminish it.
‘Mr Hardy.’
I turned slowly and felt my hand reaching out towards a handshake as if it was acting on its own accord. The man who’d entered the room without a sound was a couple of inches taller than me, six foot three at least, and built like an athlete-wide-shouldered, lean-hipped, spare. He had regular features, an even tan and white teeth, but nothing was overdone. His hair was dark and short with a bit of grey in it at the front and sides. We shook hands. It wasn’t that he was charismatic or commanding. There was nothing aggressive or forceful in his body language, but he had somehow taken charge and compelled that handshake.
‘I’m Wilson Katz.’
‘Thank you for seeing me at such short notice. I imagine you’re a busy man.’
‘Always.’ He stepped aside and moved an arm, indicating I should precede him and the direction I should go. I forced myself not to oblige and stood still.
‘I won’t take much of your time. We could talk here.’
A wrinkle of irritation appeared on the almost unlined face and then was quickly smoothed away by a slight smile. ‘No, no. My office is more comfortable. You can have my undivided attention for fifteen minutes, Mr Hardy. Then I’m afraid I’m off to a meeting.’
The accent was American, East Coast, eroded by time spent in Australia. He wore dark suit trousers, a cream shirt and a burgundy tie-the uniform of the money-makers. Suddenly we were, subtly, like two boxers circling each other in the ring. He was trying to feint and baulk me into his corner and I was resisting. I won. He shrugged and led the way out of the room, across the corridor and into an office that had no name on the door. I bet that all the underlings’ offices did have names on the doors. Cute.
‘Have a chair, Mr Hardy, and let me know what you want from me.’
I unbuttoned my jacket, sat down and crossed my legs. The office was austere but stylish with a couple of paintings on the wall, a bookcase, a desk that looked as if work got done on it and chairs that were comfortable, but not so comfortable you felt like settling in. Sitting very upright with his back to the magnificent view, Katz somehow looked invulnerable, as if he could whistle up help from all over the place to solve any problem he might have.
‘If Claudia Fleischman didn’t have her husband killed,’ I said slowly, ‘then there’s someone or some people walking around out there who did. I was wondering if that made you nervous, Mr Katz?’
His pale eyes opened wider and he stared at me as if I’d spoken in Urdu. ‘I confess you’ve surprised me. That’s quite a neat little question. Really bores in, doesn’t it?’
‘What’s the answer?’
‘Like I say, that’s new territory for me. I’d have to think about it. I’ve been assuming Claudia did it.’ He smiled. ‘Lucky I’m not eligible for jury duty, huh?’
I decided then that I disliked him, but it might just have been his supreme confidence that annoyed me.
‘Things must be rather difficult for you just now,’ I said. ‘Mrs Fleischman being the heir but also suspected of murdering your boss. I suppose everything is on hold, business-wise.’
‘Not at all. You obviously don’t understand business to say that.’
‘True, I don’t. I know a bit about people, though. Do you think Mrs Fleischman is stupid?’
I could see he was tempted to be flip but he didn’t want to hedge another question. ‘No. Julius wouldn’t have married a stupid woman.’
Interesting angle, I thought. He probably knew exactly what Julius thought about Hunter Valley reds and jockey versus boxer shorts. ‘Only a stupid woman would do what she’s accused of.’
‘I guess things went wrong with her plan.’
I stood up. ‘I don’t think so. Well, thanks for your time, Mr Katz. You’ll make your meeting OK.’
He half-rose, then sat down harder than he intended. ‘That’s it?’
‘Yes, unless you have something you’re burning to tell me.’
The eyes weren’t wide open now; they were shuttered and probing. ‘No, of course not.’
‘Fine.’ I nodded and left the room. There was no-one in the corridor or the waiting room and I stood by the door and listened. After a few seconds I heard water running and realised there was only a thin wall between me and Katz’s en suite bathroom. He wasn’t getting himself a glass of water, that was for sure. Miss Cream Suit would be trotting down with the Evian if that’s what he wanted. His hands and face had looked clean enough to me, so why was he splashing about in the bathroom? It seemed I’d rattled Mr Katz’s chain a little, which was all I’d hoped to do.
6
