They ordered club sandwiches and a jug of water. Anna Reid also ordered wine in a small carafe. Wyatt didnt touch the wine. He said, What are you doing here?
She knew what he meant. I grew up here, remember?
Yes.
So after the fuck-up in Melbourne I packed it in down there and came back here to live.
The fuck-up didnt ring true. Shed forced it, as if she hoped it might establish a common ground between them, something hard and streetwise. She saw the shutter close over Wyatts face, and went on quickly: I walked straight into a good job.
She paused and searched his face for some encouragement. Wyatt didnt help her. There was no expression in his eyes, no softening, only a kind of hard summary.
You know, she said, that time in Melbourne… I didnt mean
She stopped, but Wyatt was still focused on her, a force complete and silent.
She said rapidly, I slept with you because I wanted to, not because it would make the job go smoother.
He continued to watch her.
I didnt know in advance what would happen with you. Surely you can see that?
Wyatt maintained his hard silence. He didnt eat, didnt touch his glass.
Sometimes I think of you, Anna said. I didnt mean for things to go wrong.
Wyatt leaned toward her and his directness was unnerving. You set up a scam that was intended to make you a lot of money. You put the money ahead of me. Know that about yourself.
She flushed. That pretty well makes us alike, wouldnt you say?
He didnt answer and he didnt let his face show anything. The truth was, she would have killed him then if he hadnt stopped her; hed had the chance to kill her and he hadnt taken it. That fact lay there between them and he hated it. He said, The past is a waste of time. Its only good for reminding you that it repeats itself. What do you want?
She was still angry and showed it. Not to kill you, if thats whats bothering you, and certainly not you for yourself. As I said, theres a job youd be good at. The moneys big, up to a couple of million, all large denominations so itll be easy to bundle.
What happens if I say no?
She looked tired suddenly. Youre free to go. The five thousand is yours, no strings attached.
People hurried by a few metres away. Just down from the bistro the fashion parade MC was inviting the gawkers to give his girls a great big hand. Wyatt tried a smile. Once it started, it was genuine. Tell me about it.
Anna nodded and some of her anger drained away. I work in the head office of an insurance company, run of the mill legal work. Several weeks ago a memo came across my desk from TrustBank, asking for a ruling on liability in a one-off matter affecting one of their branches. She leaned forward, dropping her voice. Between here and the Gold Coast theres a sprawling development called Logan City: new low-cost housing, down-market shopping centres, blue collar and lower white collar workers, young families, mortgages, high unemployment. TrustBank has a main branch there and two smaller branches. On Friday week the two minor branches will be closed for a security upgrade. The work will be carried out over one weekend and all their funds will be transferred to the main branch. As I said, up to two million, all in one place.
She sat back. I want you to hit that bank. I think its possible.
On Friday week?
She smiled apologetically. For a while there I didnt think Stolle would find you in time.
Rob it all by myself, Wyatt said.
I know people. I used to run with some hard cases when I was young, people my father used to defend before he was disbarred. I can put you in touch with the right kind, steady, no junkies or morons.
The point is, will they work with me? Do they know who I am?
Im not spreading your name around, if thats what you mean.
He stared at the table.
Ive seen you in action, she said. You can make it work if anyone can.
He stared at her for a while. An inside job, he said at last. Just like the last one.
Its not like the last one at all. Its an inside tip-off, thats all. Why should they trace it to me?
Who else knows this moneys going to be there?
A few people at TrustBank, a few in my firm, the security van people.
Wyatt nodded. A lot of people, in other words. There was good and bad in that. The good was that the finger wouldnt stop at Anna. The bad was that others might have got ambitious. He wondered if that was the only catch.
Sixteen
On Friday Daniel Nurse told his wife: Why dont you listen? Its staff only. No family.
His crocodile-skin suitcase was spread open on the bed and he was folding a change of underwear into it. Joyce watched him sourly. He took a couple of white shirts down from their hangers in the wardrobe and tried to figure out how to fold them. Joyce might have helped but she was going to be stuck here at home with their fourteen-year-old daughter all weekend while he went off gallivanting, so he had to do his own bloody packing.
I wouldnt be in the way, she said. I could read, walk on the beach.
Nurse turned away so that she wouldnt see his fear and strain. He also felt close to the edge of smacking her sulky mouth for her, and hed never done that before. He caught his reflection in the window and didnt like it. Short, round, pink and more or less hairless. The view beyond the glass was better. Their house was a 1920s Queenslander on stilts set into a slope of East Brisbane opposite the Norman Creek. There was a private school below the house, tiled rooftops among big old trees. Mignon Nurse would be going there in the next year or so, when hed scraped the money together for her fees. Better than the high school sprawled out on the opposite bank. The trees on that side were home to a colony of flying foxes. They stank, they were noisy, they reminded Nurse of vampires. Here, in East Brisbane, life was cleaner, more orderly.
He turned away from the window. Its a training session, for Christs sake. Im expected to share a room, some assistant manager from the Mackay branch. Ill be at lectures tonight, all day tomorrow, and tomorrow night. Were more or less shut away the whole time. Full on.
Joyce persisted. Theres no reason why we cant get a room together. You go off to your lectures, Ill lay around on the beach. If you got the urge to gamble, Id be there for a change to stop you losing the lot.
Jesus Christ, he didnt want her anywhere near the place. He should have said TrustBank was holding the workshop in Mt Isa this year. Mention the Gold Coast and it was like a red rag to a bull. Look, sweetheart, the head office boys will be there. It wouldnt look good. Theyre trying to build up a team spirit and Id be on the outer if you were there.
Joyce folded her arms. A lot of men and no wives? God, you must think Im naive.
Well be flat-out the whole time. Too buggered to muck around even if we wanted to. Plus which, they dont like it if we booze at these things.
At least, thats how it had been at the one and only TrustBank training retreat hed attended, two years ago. He tucked a pair of carpet slippers into the case. That was the right touch, for the sour look left his wifes face. Lets have a weekend down there soon, she said. Just the two of us.