‘And you gave him the name of a clinic. Which clinic?’
She adjusted the lace that came down from her wrists over the tops of her hands. She had nice, slender hands and wore a wedding ring. ‘I’m not so sure I can tell you that.’
‘Why not?’
‘I’ve got a sort of arrangement with them. I get a spotter’s fee you might call it. I don’t think they’d like the idea of me…’
‘Look,’ I said. ‘I won’t mention you. No chance. You won’t come into it.’
‘I don’t know. I’ve got a good deal there.’
With that sort of an arrangement it was a sure bet she’d have the name and number written down somewhere, maybe even have a card. I could find it by applying the right pressure and maybe I would have if Geoff hadn’t been there.
I took out the picture of Eve French and held it in my hand. ‘Annette, she’s my daughter. She’s on the run with this Talbot bastard and I need a lead on him. There’s a chance he went to the clinic. I need the information.’
She studied me for a few very long seconds, then got up and walked out of the room. She came back and handed me a card. ‘If you catch him, give him a fucking good kicking for me.’
I kissed her cheek. ‘Thanks. I will. And I think you look terrific’
‘You should’ve seen me when I was Geoffs age.’ She did a quick, expert bump and grind.
Geoff looked at me strangely as we left the building.
‘You said she’s your daughter. I thought you had doubts about that.’
‘I do. That was just to get past her objection to telling me about the clinic’
‘Mm.’
“What does that mean?’
‘Mum said you could be a bit of a shit.’
‘She was right. You have to be in this game. Can you drive a manual?’
‘Of course I can.’
I tossed him the keys. ‘Don’t get your back up. A lot of young people can’t these days. How about you drive while I think.’
‘Where are we going?’
We got into the car and I examined the card Annette had given me. I laughed. ‘It’s called Potential. “Realise your full sexual potential blah, blah.” It’s in Paddington. Does a North Shore type like you know his way around Paddo?’
For an answer he started the motor, dropped neatly into first and took off smoothly. He drove well, without flourishes but handling the car nicely in the traffic and maintaining a good pace. Unlike a lot of young people, he seemed to be able to do things without having music blaring at him. Maybe he was tone deaf, but I guessed he had something on his mind. I did my own thinking and let him do his.
‘She seemed like a nice woman,’ he said suddenly when we stopped at a light. ‘That Annette.’
‘I’d say so.’
‘Umm, have you ever been with a prostitute?’
‘On occasion.’
We moved off in heavy traffic and he concentrated until he’d positioned himself where he wanted to. ‘What’s it like?’
I took my time in answering. Maybe I was a father, maybe I wasn’t, but either way I wasn’t comfortable in this kind of role. But the kid was serious and needed a response. ‘Unsatisfactory, unless she happens to be a friend.’
He nodded and chewed it over. At the next stop he said, ‘Got any cassettes?’
I opened the glove box and produced the only one I had. ‘Edith Piaf.’
‘Who?’
‘French cabaret singer. Before your time.’
‘I’ll give it a miss. Have you been to France?’
‘Yeah. A couple of times. Briefly.’
He moved out and passed a truck. ‘I’ve never been out of Australia.’
‘Plenty of time, Geoff. Plenty of time.’
‘I guess. Not for Mum, though. Well, she and Dad went overseas a couple of times so I suppose she’s got the memories.’
‘That’s about all it comes down to. What did you and your sister do when they were away?’ As soon as I spoke I thought: What am I getting into all this shit for?
‘Dad’s sister, Aunt Jessie, looked after us. Out in the country. Great fun for us, we didn’t mind.’
Happy families, I thought. The couple of pseudo aunts and uncles I had lived in places like Kingsford and Botany. No fun there, just more of the same. And as far as I knew no member of my family had gone overseas before I did. And my first time was to Malaya in uniform. No holiday, that.
We passed by Sydney University and Geoff gave it a brief look.
‘Is that where you’re studying?’
‘Yep. Third year.’
‘Like it?’
‘Some of it. The practical stuffs okay, the theory’s a bit of a drag. I don’t mind taking a break for a semester.’
‘How d’you get on for money?’
‘Mum pays the fees and… shit, I forgot. I’ve got a part-time job in the Vet school. Cleaning up and that. I’ll have to ditch it.’
‘No, you won’t. I’ll go along with this arrangement but I won’t need you twenty-four hours a day. What is it, night work?’
‘Yeah, sort of. It’s pretty flexible. As long as I put in the hours I can do it pretty well any time. You sure about that? I don’t want to bludge off Mum any more than I do already.’
‘I’m sure. Who says you’re bludging?’
His driving faltered for the first time. He had to brake sharply to avoid a late lane-changer. He hit the horn angrily. ‘Fuckin’ Annie does.’
I remembered the conflicts I used to have with Eve over almost everything. I was beginning to like this kid. ‘Take it easy,’ I said. ‘We want to get there in one piece.’
‘Sorry, Cliff. What’s going to happen next?’
I cleared my throat and unshipped my mobile. ‘I’m going to pretend to be impotent and you’re going to crack a computer system. Okay?’
13
The clinic was housed in one of those big Paddington terraces in a street that seemed to have speed humps every fifty metres. The house was painted white and its iron lace was black. The fence was in good repair and the narrow front garden was neat. The contrast with my place in Glebe couldn’t have been more marked. A discreet brass plaque by the gate indicated professional activities went on here but was vague about the details. I’d told Geoff how I hoped things would go and what he was to do if they did.
‘That’s illegal,’ he said.
‘So’s kidnapping.’
‘We don’t know that’s happened or anything like it.’
‘Well, let’s try and find out what has happened.’
We mounted the steps to the porch and I pressed the buzzer. The door opened and we went into the standard hallway that had been blocked off before the stairs. The block steered you into the front room where there were chairs, a table with magazines and a receptionist behind a desk. She wore a version of a nurse’s uniform and was middle-aged and comfortable looking.
‘Can I help you?’
‘My name’s Hardy. I rang a little while ago for an appointment.’
‘Ah, yes, Mr Hardy. And this is…?’
‘Geoff. My son. He’s here to lend me moral support. I’m a bit anxious about this.’
‘How nice,’ she said. ‘There’s certainly no need to be anxious. If Geoff can just wait here. I’ll get some details from you. I take it you’re in a health fund.’
I said I was and gave her the details.
‘Fine. I’ll take you through to the patients’ waiting room and see how long until Dr Pradesh can see you.’
I nodded to Geoff and let her lead me away, moving as slowly as I could. We went through a passage that had been created by partitions to a small room at the back of the house, one of three. There had been a lot of dividing of space back here.
‘Please wait here, Mr Hardy. I’ll have to ask you not to leave the room until you are called for.’
‘Why’s that?’
‘Our patients demand and expect privacy. I’m sure you understand.’
‘Of course.’ I tried to look as if I’d be worried that someone would see me there. Come to think of it, if I was impotent, I would be.
I delayed her for as long as I could with a few questions but she was obviously keen to get back to her station. The magazines were soft-core pornography and there was a stack of videos of the same kind on a shelf. Good healthy in-out, in-out stuff. I leafed through, admiring the supple bodies and feeling distinct stirrings. I had an image of Annette doing it in her bride’s outfit with a man in a dinner jacket. I was smiling when the doctor opened the door.