‘Mr Hardy?’
I’d been silent for too long. ‘Okay,’ I said. ‘I’ll take it on, but you know how things stand. How tricky it all is. There are no guarantees.’
‘There never are. I learned that a long time ago. Thank you. As to the money…’
‘You’ve already paid me enough money to get started. We’ll see how it goes. We’d better meet and you can fill me in on all the details.’
‘Right. I can be there in a couple of minutes. I’m on my mobile. I’m parked in William Street.’
I had to laugh. ‘Jesus, you were confident.’
‘No. I was desperate.’
St Peters Lane, even though the area is gentrifying fast, isn’t a place to walk around in after dark, for man or woman. I went down and waited for her at the door. The bonnet of a silver Saab appeared at the top of the lane and stopped in a marginally legal parking spot. A bit of a parking fine wouldn’t worry Lorraine and the attendants gave the area a wide berth anyway. I heard the door close and then she was striding down the middle of the strip. I was starting to learn to read her. Would she have the white suit on? Sexy and successful. Or the smart dress, neutral colour? Relaxed and in control. Neither. She was in dark pants, dark shirt, blazer, flatties. All business.
It was cold there in the shadows and I was in shirtsleeves. I have to admit it-the sight of her warmed me. She stopped a metre away, shifted her bag on her shoulder.
‘Mrs Master.’
‘Can we go back to Lorrie?’
‘Didn’t work so well last time.’
‘I’m sorry. I didn’t behave well.’
Peter Corris
CH26 — Master's Mates
‘Lorrie, it is. Let’s go up; it’s cold down here. I can’t offer you anything like the hospitality you offered me.’
‘Don’t worry about it. I saw your set-up and I’d settle for a cup of instant. I sat there in the car for over an hour trying to summon up the courage to ring you.’
‘I’m glad you did,’ I said, and I meant it.
Had to hand it to her. She had the answering machine tape of Montefiore’s first message, the one she hadn’t been home for. She made notes on the second message and she recorded the third.
‘Mrs Master, I met your detective Hardy in Noumea. We have some unfinished business. I’ll call again.’
The next time he rang he made remarks about the monkey and the organ-grinder. He said he expected she’d use me as a go-between, which was all I ever was. He’d give her a day or two to contact me and then he’d call again with instructions.
‘Mrs Master, why do I suspect you’re recording this? But I do. I hope you’re planning to cooperate. I’ll ring Hardy on his mobile soon and I’ll expect you to have made arrangements with him. I understand your reluctance to talk to me. I’m not offended. Goodbye.’
‘Pretty slick,’ I said. ‘No names, no threats, but it’s interesting that he’s being so cautious. This isn’t extortion. I think on the whole it’s a good sign.’
‘Why?’ I’d made two mugs of instant coffee with long-life milk and she was drinking hers with what looked like enjoyment.
‘It suggests that the information is genuine. That the guy in question really is a cop, straight or crooked, and that they’re in dangerous waters. Chances are they could be in some trouble themselves.’
‘Like?’
I drank the coffee which tasted fine to me, though not as good as the stuff in Noumea. ‘I don’t know. Problems with Penny? Problems between the two of them? Outstanding warrants? Illegal entry?’
‘I’m not interested in getting the upper hand, Cliff. When he rings, I just want you to agree to his terms and get the name and anything else on offer. We can take it from there.’
I nodded. ‘Let’s hope it goes that way.’
‘What else?’
‘Someone doesn’t want this looked into. What if Montefiore’s playing both sides of the street?’
‘Mmm. Is that likely?’
‘Its possible. What if he’s been out to see Stewart?’
She almost jumped from her lumpy chair. ‘Why d’you say that?’
‘Just speculating. What’s wrong?’
She relaxed back in the chair and wrapped her hands around the mug as if the warmth would comfort her. ‘I went to see him the other day.’
‘What did you tell him?’
‘Everything. He was furious. Told me not to interfere and that he’d sort it out himself. I lost my temper. Well, you’ve seen what that’s like. I argued with him about the gym purchase. We ended up shouting at each other and he walked out.’
‘But you still want to…’
She nodded vigorously. That gesture had made her glossy hair bounce the previous time. Now the hair was less glossy, less alive. She seemed to have aged a bit. In a way it made her more attractive. The artificiality I’d noticed in her features previously had diminished. It must have been a matter of makeup and deliberate control of facial muscles. Now the makeup was less careful and distress had removed some of the control. She drained her mug and set it on the desk.
‘I’ve made a mess of two men’s lives, I don’t want the score to go up to three. I still want to help him.’
‘Even if he doesn’t want you to.’
‘Yes.’
‘Does you credit, Lorrie. Well, we’ll see how it goes when Montefiore rings. These sort of elaborate entrapments have a way of going wrong. I suppose if we can find out enough we can apply some pressure in the right places. Maybe threaten to go to the media. Who knows? But it’s still a long shot.’
She gave me a searching look and the strain lines subsided as she smiled. ‘That’s not what you mean, Cliff. You mean it’s dangerous.’
‘Yeah. Could be. For all concerned. Stewart included.’
She shrugged. ‘I’m game and my guess is you are as well. Stewart? He doesn’t have any choice.’
It wasn’t a bad summary of the situation-realistic, pragmatic. She stood and I did too, as a sort of reflex action. She moved around the desk and I found myself moving towards her. We stood close, almost touching. She drew in a deep breath and I saw her full breasts rise inside her shirt. She lifted her left hand and stroked the right side of my bristled face. I hadn’t noticed that she was left-handed. Some detective. Her hand was warm.
She stepped back. ‘Sorry. Sorry. Not a good idea. Shit, I didn’t mean to…’
I reached, took hold of her hand again, held it for a few seconds, lowered it and let it go. ‘I like the idea.’
‘No. Not now. Let’s…’
We’d got through the moment, just, and we both knew it. ‘Right,’ I said. ‘You’d better get back to Britt and the kids and I’d better make sure my mobile’s charged up. Things to do. I’ll see you to your car, Lorrie. No harm in that.’
She smiled. ‘No harm at all.’
Montefiore’s call came through later that night.
‘Hardy? This is Jay Montefiore.’
‘I’ve been expecting you.’
‘That right? Good. Means the lady with the loot’s been taking notice.’
‘Speak your piece.’
‘Don’t you want to hear about our voyage?’
‘All I want to hear is where I meet up with Fay and when and how I make sure you’re not both
