I tossed him the pass and drove out.
I stopped at the first set of shops I came to and bought some painkillers. My back was aching and sending shooting pains up to my shoulders. I took three pills and sat on a bus stop seat drinking a takeaway coffee waiting for them to work. I stamped the image of Louis Salter on my brain-about my height and a bit heavier, maybe fifteen years younger. He had ginger hair and a long chin. The expertise of his punch suggested some kind of combat training, maybe military.
There was a reasonable chance of meeting up with him again. For one thing I still hadn’t sighted Anton Beaumont, but there had been something distinctly conspiratorial about the behaviour of the three senior associates. I had no idea what it was about but they were overanxious about something. Salter had reacted oddly when I mentioned Phil Tyson. I wondered whether Phil knew how his minions handled apparently minor matters.
8
There was no blood in my urine and I bounced back pretty quickly from the kidney punch. My doctor, Ian Sangster, whistled when he saw the bruise.
‘One of your best,’ he said.
‘Well placed,’ I said. ‘On the button. You can really deliver a whack there without fear of hurting your hand.’
‘You’d know. Just watch yourself for a few days. There could be some collateral damage.’
‘Like what?’
‘Don’t ask. I must say, apart from this you’re in better shape than you were a while ago. Getting back to work’s obviously good for you if you can just avoid the heavy stuff. How’s your sex life?’
‘On hold. . wrong expression. In abeyance.’
He laughed. ‘Use it or lose it.’
I thought about it as I walked down Glebe Point Road to get a coffee and do some thinking. I’d underestimated the Sterling guys and knew I’d have to rethink my strategy to get a look at Anton Beaumont. Or maybe not. I’d rattled the other three; so perhaps it was time to keep on rattling.
I sat in the sun and ordered a long black and flicked through the paper. The minority government was still being cautious, the opposition was still being aggressive and the independents were still being as independent as they could. It wasn’t very interesting but the opinion polls showed the voters were happy. Australians like a quiet life.
I rang Frost. I didn’t have much to report but I wanted to ask him about the Sterling associates I’d met. Before I could do that he thanked me for going to the funeral.
‘Sorry I didn’t get a chance to talk to you,’ he said. ‘It was good of you to come.’
‘It was a big turn-out,’ I said. ‘He was popular. I didn’t see the girlfriend there-Jane Devereaux.’
‘I asked her, left a message. I suppose she had her reasons.’
I asked him about the Sterling men.
‘I know Cochrane. He’s a tough prick. Don’t know much about the others. Do you reckon Cochrane could have had a hand in it?’
‘I don’t know, but there’s something going on there. The blokes I saw are up to something.’
‘You mean a few of them could be involved in killing Bobby?’
‘No, I’ve got the feeling it could be something in the future, but I suppose it could be connected.’
‘Well, stick with it, Hardy. With you on the job at least I feel like I’m doing something.’
It wasn’t a ringing endorsement but it was all I could expect. I finished the call and my mobile rang straight away. An unfamiliar female voice.
‘Mr Hardy, this is Jane Devereaux, Robert Forrest’s friend. I wonder if it’d be possible for me to see you.’
Robert? I thought. ‘Yes, Ms Devereaux. How would you like to arrange it?’
‘I’ve taken some leave. I’m quite free. I could come to your office. Would later this morning suit you?’
‘That’d be fine. Do you know where my office is?’
‘Yes, I have the card you gave Robert. That’s how I know your mobile number.’
She was on time. She knocked confidently and walked in the same way. She was medium-size in height and build, looking taller in very high heels. She wore a dark skirt with an ice-blue silk blouse and carried a substantial briefcase. Her fair hair was curly and short. The photo I’d seen hadn’t done her justice; she had fine-grained skin and though none of her features was striking taken separately, in combination her face became interesting and drew my attention. Her manner was assertive but her smile was shy. I stood and we shook hands.
‘Thank you for seeing me, Mr Hardy.’
She had a slight countrified drawl. I asked her to sit down and watched as she lowered the briefcase to the floor. She sat straight; her skirt rode up exposing slightly heavy legs, flattered by the high heels. She wore light makeup, no jewellery other than small silver earrings.
‘I’m sorry about Bobby,’ I said. ‘I liked him.’
‘People did,’ she said. ‘I hesitated about coming to see you because I thought you might have given all those sordid details to the press.’
I shook my head but she went on before I could say anything.
‘But I asked around and I was told it’s not the sort of thing you’d do.’
‘That’s right. Do you mind my asking who told you that?’
‘Harry Tickener. We’re doing a book for him-a collection of pieces from his newsletter.’
‘He’s an old friend.’
‘So I gathered. He encouraged me to come and see you.’
‘What about?’
‘I believe I know who killed Robert.’
I studied her for a second before replying. She seemed to be in command of herself, not showing signs of outward grief but carrying some kind of burden.
‘Have you spoken to the police?’
She smiled. ‘They interviewed me after Robert died. Not very thoroughly. I didn’t tell them what I’m about to tell you. Did you read those tabloid articles about Robert and me? All that “plain Jane” and “brains before beauty” stuff?’
‘No. I was aware of it though.’
‘It was very hurtful and humiliating. I haven’t got over Robert’s death. I’m trying to, but it’s hard. And I haven’t got over that humiliation. I couldn’t go to the funeral. I’ve written a note to Robert’s father. It has affected almost everything I’ve done since. I’ve been made a figure of fun. The police wouldn’t take me seriously. And I have no proof.’
‘You’d better tell me about it.’
She straightened her shoulders and made herself more comfortable in the chair. ‘I’m not a sexually attractive woman at first glance. I know that. My mother told me so. But I am very highly sexed and I’ve never had any trouble attracting men. I’m also highly disciplined and I knew an MA would help me get the kind of job I wanted in publishing. So I kept everything under wraps while I worked for the degree. It took a while to get the job and in that time I went a bit wild. I screwed around-men, women, youngish and oldish.’
I nodded.
‘This is about two years ago. I’ve only had the job a little over a year. In that wild time I met a man and we had a very hot affair. A crazy affair. He was married. I broke it off when I got the job. I didn’t need the distraction and there was no future in it anyway. He wouldn’t let go. Maybe he tried; he went away for a while but he came back. I met Robert only a month or so ago and-’
‘Sorry to interrupt, but if you say you can attract men easily why did you do this online thing?’
‘It was in reaction to what I’m about to tell you. I decided to be more careful about men. When this man I’m talking about found out about Robert he threatened to kill him.’
‘Threatened how?’
‘Letters.’
‘Have you still got them?’
‘No, he broke into my flat and stole them.’
‘You didn’t tell. . Robert about this?’
She frowned, which made her look older. I guessed she was a couple of years older than Bobby.
‘It’s ironic, isn’t it?’ she said. ‘Robert kept his stalker from me, I suppose because he was afraid he’d lose me, and I did the same. I was very, very deeply in love with him. I wanted to keep him so badly. I wanted it more than anything I. .’