The Dingo Dilemma

around Dingo's apartment building. We'd left Bob and Lonnie, armed with the photos of Morgan and Unwin, trying to establish whether or not they did work for Homeland Security. Bob was inclined to think Norris Blainey was behind the bugging and it was linked to the attack on Quip, so he was going to visit Quip at home and show him the photos in the hope he might identify the two blokes as the ones who'd bashed him.

Lonnie's cynical opinion was that Morgan and Unwin had been such clueless amateurs that they probably did belong to Homeland Security or some other government body.

'We can't decide on any plan of action until Bob and Lonnie find out who these guys work for,' Ariana said. 'So to change the subject, how was your first day on the Darken set?'

Soon I had her laughing. I told her about the two opposing rent-a-crowds chanting 'Dingo!' and 'Collie!' at the entrance to the studios. I recounted my capitulation to Felicity Frobisher on the matter of what constituted an Aussie accent. I gave her a word-for-word of Dustin Jaeger's penchant for referring to himself in the third person, and I described how I fronted up to Earl Garfield.

I saved my conversation with Dingo O'Rourke for last. 'He didn't want to talk to me, but I said I wasn't going anywhere until he did, so he finally gave in.'

'I know just how he feels,' said Ariana dryly.

I ignored that. 'First up,' I said, 'you have to know Dingo is absolutely devoted to Darken. There are three dingoes playing the part, and he says he's fond of all of them, but the dingo he loves most is the main one, and her name actually is Darleen.'

In my mind's eye I could see Dingo as he talked about Darleen. His drawn face had become animated. Even his droopy mustache had seemed to perk up.

I went on to explain how he had come to believe the whole dingo napping threat by the Collie Coalition was a set-up to generate publicity for a show that was sliding in the ratings and in danger of cancellation. The idea that Darleen might be the target for abduction had first been mentioned on Internet notice boards where fans of the show exchanged messages. As rumors spread, the story reached critical mass and was broken to the general public by the media.

'Does he know who's behind the scheme?' Ariana asked.

'Earl Garfield and Norris Blainey.'

'It makes sense for Blainey to be involved. He needs Darleen Come Home to be renewed by the network as he's in an ongoing financial crunch. Kenneth Smithson called me this morning to say rumors are circulating that Blainey is close to bankruptcy.'

'Ripper! That means he won't be trying to buy our building.

'I wouldn't get too elated,' said Ariana. 'Blainey's a financial Houdini. He's been close to ruin many times, but always managed to survive and prosper.'

I went on with Dingo's story. 'He says that until recently Blainey's only occasionally turned up at the studios, but now he's there every second day. And he's taken a big interest in the whereabouts of the dingoes. They're in their kennels at night, but during the day they're taken to different places for their exercise regimen, training sessions, and grooming. They have their own vet, and when a dingo's involved in a scene, a representative from animal welfare has to be present.'

'What about on-location shoots?' Ariana asked. 'Surely it'd be easier to carry out a snatch when there's no studio security to worry about.'

'Dingo says all location work has been canceled. He doesn't believe it's a case of snatching Darleen, anyway. He's got the idea in his head that one of the dingoes will be killed. That's why he's taken to sleeping at the studios.'

Ariana frowned. 'Does it make sense to kill Darleen? She's the star of the show.'

'There's three of them. As long as one dingo is left alive, the show can go on. Dingo thinks the story will be that Darkens stunt double has been murdered in mistake for her.'

'If he's so sure this is going to happen,' Ariana said, 'why doesn't he blow the whistle on the scheme?'

'I asked him that. He says he can't because he'll be deported and have to leave Darleen to her fate. He's here on a working visa-dingo wrangling's a rare skill, so Dingo's not displacing any American-and he's applied for a green card. He passed the background check to get the visa, but any serious investigation will turn up Aussie drug convictions under another name. Blainey dropped a hint that he knows about Dingo's criminal record, so Dingo's sure Blainey will dob him in if he blabs.'

Ariana asked what Dingo had to say about the blokes Phyllis Blake had chased off.

'He said he had no idea who they were, but I didn't believe him. He clammed up then and I couldn't get another word out of him, so I left.'

'Quite a full day,' she said.

'You're not wrong! And to top it off, a bugging. And Lonnie.'

'Lonnie? There's a problem?'

He hadn't sworn me to secrecy, but I didn't feel right revealing he'd specifically asked me to quiz Pauline about her love-or otherwise-for him, so I said, 'From the way Lonnie talks, he's very serious about his relationship with Pauline Feeney. I just wonder if he's riding for a fall.'

'They do seem to make an odd couple,' said Ariana, 'but there've been stranger combinations that have worked. Unfortunately Pauline does have a reputation for loving and leaving, and she usually dates much younger men.'

'Eye candy?'

Ariana grinned. 'You're getting more LA every day.'

'It's just that I overheard Melodie and Harriet talking about Pauline giving Brucie a job as a party motivator, and Harriet said something about eye candy.'

'To provide glitz and glamour, event coordinators like Pauline provide A-list functions with a cast of beautiful people, usually models or actors. Sometimes they're paid, sometimes they do it for free drinks and the chance to rub shoulders with celebrities.'

'If you ask me, Ariana, Brucie would be way out of his depth.'

'Don't be so sure. You Aussies are endlessly entertaining.'

'Do I entertain you?'

Her smile faded. 'You do much more,' she said quietly.

We looked at each other. 'Can we go?' I asked.

****

I was silent as I drove up the winding streets to her house. When I stopped the car outside her front door, she said, 'You're coming in?'

I nodded, then got out of the car feeling giddy with desire, but terrified I'd say or do something that would destroy the fragile link between us. Surely Natalie was in Ariana's thoughts. She was in mine.

Gussie greeted us with well-mannered enthusiasm. Ariana let her outside for a run, and stood with me at the front door watching Gussie ricochet around picking up scents.

After a while, Ariana said, 'She has such an uncomplicated delight in simply living.'

She called Gussie inside. Closing the front door behind us, she said, 'You haven't spoken a word since we left the restaurant.'

I gave her a rueful smile. 'It's safer that way.'

'Kylie, you can say anything to me.'

'That I love you with all my heart? Can I say that?'

Ariana leaned forward and kissed me gently on the lips, then stood, pliant, within the circle of my arms. 'I trust you,' she said.

When we'd made love before, Ariana's cool persona had vanished in a scorching passion that set us both ablaze. Tonight was different, and even more intoxicating. She was tender, gentle, unrelenting. I was drunk with sensation. A climax that would have exploded in minutes seemed to take hours-a spring coiled tighter and tighter until it seemed the sweetest agony I had ever felt.

As she played the music of my body, I played hers. We rose together in flight, a glorious culmination that went on and on, until I believed together we would die from joy.