You mean ringing you now.
I pressed the cold glass to my forehead. You know what I mean.
I suppose I do. I cant tell you just yet. I want you to know I admire you, though.
To hell with you. You lied to me from the first fucking minute.
Thats right. I had my reasons.
Claudia, if thats your bloody name. One mans dead and another might as well be. Were there reasons for that.
I had nothing to do with that. I swear it.
I wish I could believe it. But how can I believe anything you say?
You want to though, dont you? We were good, Cliff. Werent we good?
Stop it!
All right. Lets keep it businesslike if thats the way you want it. Whats your next move?
Youve got a nerve. Why would I tell you anything? I dont even know who you are.
Thats right, you dont. And thats the way it has to stay for a while. But I can tell you this everything youve done so far in this matter has been orchestrated by me. I sent Barry White to see you. And then I followed up myself. I enjoyed it, too. But you dont want to talk about that. My god, I nearly died when I bumped into you at the Connaught. And then you handed locating Barrys mystery contact right over to me.
That must have given you a laugh.
Not really. It was a lucky break, but if youre smart enough you create your own luck. You must know that.
Despite all the rage inside me, I found myself enjoying talking to her. Whats your interest in all this? Is it the reward?
No. I cant tell you but I will eventually. Right now, I need to know what happened up in Queensland. Did you see the Hawkins woman and Andrea Neville and Colin Sligo?
You take my bloody breath away. Yes, I saw them. But Ill be buggered if Ill tell you anything about it. Why should I?
Youll have to, sooner or later. Who was it, Cliff? Who suppressed the note? Was it Mrs Beckett, Sean, Estelle, Cavendish? Do you know?
No comment.
Thats childish, after all Ive done for you.
She was steering me back in that direction again and I let myself be steered. I couldnt help it. Like what?
Didnt you wonder why the bashing you got was so… gentle?
I wouldnt call it gentle. What dyou mean?
I wanted to test your resolve, Cliff. They went a bit too far, but I made it up to you, didnt I? Tell me you havent thought about it since. Tell me you havent thought about having your cock in my mouth. Tell me youre not thinking about it right now?
Im thinking youre a crazy, manipulative, lying bitch
With a lovely tight cunt.
I was sober now, or close to it, and able to think. I tried to turn this weird contact to my advantage but couldnt see how. I said nothing.
Stony silence. OK. Do whatever you like. You wont get far. Ill call again this time tomorrow and maybe youll be more reasonable.
Claudia, dont
She hung up and I slammed the phone down again. It rang straight off and I let it ring for a long time. When I picked up Penny Draper sounded very peeved.
I thought you mustve left the phone off the hook. You were very rude, before, Cliff.
Im sorry, I said. I really cant talk to Max just now. I have to get some sleep and straighten things out in my head. Ill ring at nine tomorrow. OK?
I hung on while she communicated this to Max. I expected her to speak again but it was Max himself on the line.
Cliff, I understand youve got some problems. OK. Just wanted to tell you that Cavendish has gone to Melbourne for a day. They work late in that game and his secretary told me. Hes our best way into this thing as I see it. Not much we can do till he gets back. Well talk tomorrow. Come in here about ten. Goodnight.
He hung up and I stood there with my hand cramping around the phone.
I had to bend down to shake Penny Drapers hand and I have no doubt she would have been able to flip me over the back of the wheelchair if shed wanted to. She was a solidly built, dark-haired woman in her thirties. Her face was pleasant and just missed being plain. She wore eye make-up and lipstick and knew how to apply them for best effect. She wore a white blouse, dark trousers and flat-heeled shoes. At a guess, she did weight trainingher shoulders were developed and her grip was strong. Short nails, no rings.
Im glad to meet you, Cliff, she said. Max thinks a lot of you.
Hello, Penny. Sorry I was so shitty last night. Id been put off-balance.
Fatal in any game, she said. Dont worry about it. Max isnt in yet, surprisingly, or maybe not. Can I get you a cup of coffee?
We were deep in the bowels of the Darlinghurst police complex in a small office that had two smaller rooms attached to it. The service, evidently, did not give great weight to its consultant investigative unit. The outfit had two computers and lots of paper. In the important divisions these days, its the other way around. I suppressed the normal impulse to refuse when a cripple offers to do anything for you.
Thanks, Penny. Some coffeed be good. White, no sugar.
She wheeled swiftly across to a table where the urn and fixings were set out and did the business briskly. I looked around the room, noting the orderliness and efficiency. Schedules and lists were pinned to noticeboards; a big whiteboard was covered in diagrams and notes; a scale model of a building was showing on one of the computer screens while options like dimensions, colour, entrance, exit, flashed enticingly. The coffee was good. I leaned against a desk while Penny answered a phone.
When shed finished I said, You suggested that maybe its not surprising that Max isnt here. What did you mean by that?
She picked up a pencil and tapped on the desk with it for a minute. Then she put it back. Have you ever been disabled, Cliff? Put out of action for a while?
I nodded. I had an eye injury. I was effectively blind for a bit.
Right. Did you notice an increased sensitivity to sound and smell and all that, the way the books say?
I did, yes. It went away when I could see again.
Did you have a partner at the time?
Helen Broadway, I thought. Yes, by god I did. I nodded.
Touch became important, right? And smell and taste?
Thats right. I had no idea where this was heading, but it made me feel vaguely uncomfortable. I sipped the coffee and wished Max would come.
Well, its like that with me since… this happened. I can read peoples body language, pick up things from the way they move, the tone of voice, the balance of positive and negative in what they do. Dyou understand?
Whats this about, Penny.
If you asked Max why hes late hed say he was giving us a few minutes to get to know each other. But thats only partly true. What hes really doing is using you as a way of finding out what I think of him. Is that too devious for you?
A bit. Yes.
Im in love with him. I have been since the first day. Hes smart and funny and not vain. Hes stubborn about his deafness and the most understanding person Ive met about my condition. Im crazy about him. I want him very badly.
Penny, I…
I can have sex, you know. Everythings all right down there. Masturbate. Its fine. Itd take a little ingenuity but I reckon Max is an ingenious enough man. Youre embarrassed. I understand. But just hear me out. Pretty soon, Max
