The Dingo Dilemma

Ariana put her face in her hands. 'When I was leaving, she pleaded with me, begged me to take her there. She said someone was waiting for her. Someone who loved her.'

I put my tea down carefully, and moved to take her in my arms. I could cry for the pity of it, but that would be no comfort for Ariana. 'What else?' I said.

'That was the worst. That and her bewilderment at not being able to get up and walk. She treated me like a friendly stranger. 'Something's the matter,' she said. 'Will you get someone to help me, please?'

We sat in silence, Ariana in my arms, for a long time. Then she stirred. 'I'm exhausted.'

I kissed her, gently. She didn't push me away, nor did she respond. I said, 'Come to bed.'

'Kylie, sex is the last thing on my mind.'

'I had more in mind a comfortable cuddle.'

She gave me a small, tired smile. 'Why do I not believe you?'

'Fair dinkum, Ariana. I won't start anything. Promise. It's just that I don't think you should be alone tonight.'

She nodded slowly. 'Just for tonight, I'd…'

'Appreciate my company?'

'Something like that.'

'Can you give me an old T-shirt to wear? I hadn't planned ahead.' Sure.

She moved without her usual taut energy. I took Gussie outside for a quick run, then came in, cleaned my teeth in the guest bathroom and changed into the old, soft T-shirt Ariana had left out for me. I padded into her bedroom. I could hear her shower still running, so I sat on the bed and waited.

She came out wearing green silk pajamas. I looked at her without passion, but with a love so overwhelming it frightened me. I clenched my teeth to avoid saying, 'I absolutely adore you.'

She turned back the bedspread, and without a word, we slid between the sheets. She reached up, snapped off the lamp beside the bed and turned her back to me. I put my arm around her and snuggled up close. Her breathing slowed almost immediately, and I realized she had fallen into an exhausted sleep.

I was sure I'd lie awake all night, joyful that Ariana lay within the circle of my arm. That was my last waking thought.

Sometime during the night I awoke. From her ragged breathing, I knew Ariana was weeping. I touched her wet face, then gently took her in my arms. Eventually I felt her relax as sleep overtook her again. This time I did lie awake for a long time.

****

'Night on the town, eh?' Lonnie said, beaming as he joined me at Kendall & Creeling's front door at eight- thirty the next morning. I gave him the hairy eyeball, and he said, 'Sorry, Kylie. None of my business.'

As I unlocked the door I thought how astonished Lonnie would be if he knew I'd spent the night in Ariana's bed. Or perhaps he wouldn't be at all surprised. His little-boy manner made it easy to underestimate how sharp he was.

Ariana had been sound asleep when I'd woken up. I'd shushed Gussie, let her outside for a bathroom break while I dressed, checked that Ariana was still sleeping, then put Gussie back inside with whispered instructions not to wake her mistress.

Lonnie was clutching his McDonald's breakfast, and was in an excellent mood, even side-stepping Julia Roberts without his usual complaints, when she darted out from behind Melodie's desk and tried to brush against his legs. Whistling, he made his way to the kitchen, where he busied himself making coffee, while I put the electric kettle on for tea.

It wasn't unusual for Lonnie to come in to work during the weekend, as up to now he hadn't had much of a personal life to take up his time. Come to think, he did look rather tattered around the edges, so I said, 'I reckon you're the one who's had a night on the town.'

'I did tie one on,' he said, clearly pleased with himself. 'In fact, I've hardly had any sleep at all. Out on Friday until the wee small hours, and last night Pauline took me to an event to launch a new perfume-Moonlight Reconnaissance. Everyone who's anyone was there.'

He started to reel off names. I interrupted with, 'Moonlight Reconnaissance is the name of a perfume?'

'Not exactly a perfume-a male fragrance. 'Moonlight' has connotations of romance and 'Reconnaissance' conjures up the raw, masculine element.'

He shoved his face near mine. 'Take a sniff. I'm wearing the Moonlight Reconnaissance aftershave splash and skin invigorator. What do you think?'

I sniffed. 'Crikey,' I said, 'you're telling me a true blue bloke would wear that?'

He grinned at me. 'It is a bit on the strong side, isn't it? But Pauline likes it.' A calculating look crossed his face. 'About Pauline-now that there's so much publicity about the Collie Coalition and the threat to harm Darleen, it's even more important that Pauline-'

'Don't ask, Lonnie. I've already told her there is no way, even without her poodles, I could get her onto the Darleen Come Home soundstage. She even suggested hiding in the boot of my car, but I pointed out security was checking every vehicle and she'd be sprung before she got through the gates.'

'Pauline will find a way,' Lonnie said, his admiration obvious. 'She's implacable, relentless.'

'Ruthless, even?'

'That too, but in a nice sense,' Lonnie assured me. 'And speaking of ruthless, what I've discovered so far about Norris Blainey is very interesting.'

Dramatic pause. He waggled his eyebrows at me. Obediently I asked, 'What was very interesting?'

'What happened to Louie and Louise Thorburn.'

'They came to no good?'

'You could say that. They're both dead.'

My skin prickled. 'Murdered?'

'Hit and run. The vehicle was never found and no one was ever charged.' Lonnie unwrapped his first Egg McMuffin and took a healthy bite. He chewed, swallowed, then sighed with satisfaction. 'This is such good stuff. You should try it.'

'I have. I prefer porridge. Now tell me about Norris Blainey.'

Lonnie demolished the rest of the McMuffin, then said, 'Blarney's always had a keen interest in show business, which isn't unusual. You'll find many entrepreneurs are lured by the glamour of Tinseltown, and this guy was no exception. He put money into a few projects, and finally linked up with a husband-and-wife team, Louie and Louise Thorburn, who'd previously produced TV programs. As three equal partners, they formed a production company called Zurial Entertainment. Blainey provided the funding, the Thorburns the expertise.'

While Lonnie attacked his second McMuffin, I poured my tea. Fortified, he continued, 'Initially Zurial Entertainment had some modest success packaging programs for cable, and then things took a turn for the better business-wise, but not at the personal level. Zurial seemed bound for the big time when one of the networks expressed keen interest in the pilot episode of a proposed sitcom. Sprong & Sprang was about two undercover cops, one neat and one messy, who are forced to work together.'

'One neat and one messy? It doesn't sound very original.'

'Nothing much is original in the biz,' Lonnie said with a cynical smile. 'It's recycle, recycle, recycle. If it worked once before, it'll work again.'

I'd never heard of this particular show, but perhaps it was one never telecast in Australia. 'Was Sprong & Sprang a hit?'

'It made it as a series, tanked, and was canceled after four episodes, but initially test audiences loved it, so the show looked set to be a big success. The promise of substantial money put Blainey and the Thorburns at each other's throats. Blainey bitterly resented that their original business arrangement split profits three ways. He demanded that either the split be amended to fifty-fifty or the Thorburns allow him to buy them out.'

'I guess they didn't agree with him.'

'The whole thing was headed to court when Louie and Louise conveniently died. Under the terms of the agreement, their shares of Zurial automatically went to Blainey.'

'You really believe he had them killed?'