PENNY: “I’m sure of it, but he needs to know the story to put the pressure on. I don’t really understand it myself Mrs Baker, I just have to ask you some things.”
BAKER: “All right, ask away.”
PENNY: ‘You’ve answered one – you and Albie Simmonds were lovers?”
BAKER: “Yeah, when he was off the grog.”
PENNY: “Hardy said to ask you about the bank job, Simmonds and Berrigan,
Noni and the money.”
BAKER: (Laughter) “Shit, he does know a thing or two. Smart bugger is he?
Alright, this is it. Joey and Albie did the job. Fifty thousand they got. Nearly killed them. Well, me and Joey weren’t getting on so well, on account of me and Albie, see? They gave me the money, but Joey got real rough one night and I decided to do him. I got Noni to get off with him and charge him with rape. I paid her a hundred dollars.” (Laughter) “Funny thing, I never had to pay her all of it because she got put away for moral danger, you know?”
PENNY: “Yes.”
BAKER: “Well, Joey got sent away. Albie went to see him. They’d been mates for years, and I don’t know what Joey told him, like, but Albie wasn’t never the same again. He went on the grog like you’ve never seen. He took his boy to Sydney. Nellie, the mother, she was dead by this time, and he stayed down himself a while. He came back from time to time but he was never much good. Nice bloke though, Albie. What’s his son like?”
PENNY: “Bit wild.”
BAKER: “Yeah? Albie was quiet, real quiet, drunk or sober.”
I stopped the machine, re-wound the tape and played the last two passages again to make sure I had it right. Then I let the tape run on.
PENNY: “What about the money?”
BAKER: “I moved it, got about thirty thousand for it. I sat on it for a while, then I got the farm and started to set up… you know about that?”
PENNY: “No.”
BAKER: “Doesn’t matter then. Oh shit, this pain in the side of me head, I can’t stand it.”
PENNY: “Are they giving you something for it?”
BAKER: “Yeah, doesn’t help though. I reckon I’ve got something bad.
Growth or something. They won’t listen, nobody’ll listen…”
PENNY: “Why did you stay here? You must have known Berrigan would come back.”
BAKER: “Yes, I did. Well, I’ve got some money put away. I was going to give it to him, it’d be his share of the job nearly. And there’s big money coming. Was, anyway, before this. But I hadn’t reckoned on him looking up the girl and finding out it was me set him up, see? It’s a long time ago but he was wild, crazy. When I didn’t have the whole fifty grand to give him he went off his head. Noni just watched while he worked on me. Christ it hurt, still hurts… Well, that’s it, that’s what your man wanted to know?”
PENNY: “I suppose so. Is there… anything else?”
BAKER: “No. That’s enough isn’t it? Jesus what a mess. He wouldn’t let me explain. I wonder if Albie seen him?”
PENNY: “Do you think he might have Mrs Baker?”
BAKER: “Ah, I dunno. Albie was up here not long ago. He was talking about
Joey and his boy. Pissed, though. Didn’t make much sense.”
PENNY: “I’ll have to go. Don’t worry Mrs Baker, I’m sure nothing will happen to you.”
BAKER: “Good luck to you girlie, you’re game. I’m not worried.. . doesn’t matter… I’m not going to leave here alive anyway.”
22
I woke Penny up and we got on the road again. I was tired and edgy from the heat and the travelling and the unravelling of people’s private lives. And this was just the beginning; the real sortings-out were ahead. I smoked and the tobacco tasted like old spinach. Penny looked at me as I swore and threw the butt away.
“What’s the matter?” she said. “Is the tape alright?”
“The tape’s fine. I feel lousy.”
She looked and smelled fresh. The breeze was in her afro mop and there wasn’t a drop of sweat on her.
“Too much beer,” she said shortly. “Have you thought what you’re going to do next?” She clicked her tongue. “I can’t see how that tape will help you.”
I wasn’t quite sure myself. It had confirmed things I’d sensed, things about a quiet, dark man who’d dumped his son, parted ways with another man and gone to pieces. Twelve years ago. If I was going up against a talking situation the more I knew the better. Trouble was, it might be a shooting situation. I was afraid of that; I didn’t trust Penny not to do something independent and dangerous under those conditions. I considered calling in the cops but rejected the idea quickly. To do that would up the chances of shooting starting. That is, if the cops didn’t just run me straight out of town. Macleay cops would feel about an armed private detective wandering about with an Aboriginal girl calling in on the hospital and the black citizens, like they would about a drop in pay. I didn’t say anything. I thought and sulked and drove.
It was nearly four when we got back into town; long shadows were starting to drape themselves over the streets and the air had cooled. The sky was like a sheet of pale blue silk stretched over the frame of the world. It would be a good night for taking a walk, or going to a drive-in or doing almost anything other than what I had to do. I drove up the back street and stopped by the derelict shop.
“We watch for a minute from there,” I told Penny.
“Then what?”
“I’ll phone the place and start bargaining.”
“For Noni,” she sneered.
“Right. Come on.”
The street was empty. A factory faced the shop from across the road and nothing seemed to be going on there. I grabbed the binoculars and got out of the car. Penny followed me as I picked my way through the rubble of the shop’s ground level. I took a quick look at the back of the garage before going up the staircase and what I saw made me stop in my tracks. Penny bumped into me and swore.
“Shut up,” I hissed. “I don’t like this.”
“What?”
“See that car, the yellow one?”
The yellow Mini was parked at the back of the garage. I could see the tape holding the rear window together. I’d seen the car before – in the street outside Saul James’ terrace house in Darlinghurst.
“I see the Mini. So what?”
“It belongs to Noni’s boyfriend, actor named James. He’s the last person I need around just now.”
“Isn’t that nice?” she purred, “Noni’s boyfriend. Tough character is he?”
I laughed. “Just the reverse. Soft as mush.”
“Is he in on it, the kidnapping?”
“I can’t see how.” I considered it. “No, no chance. He’s blundered into it somehow and it screws it all up.”
“How?”
“He’s a potential hostage for one thing, and if he was thinking of coming up here he might have told someone else. He might have told Tarelton. The army could be on the way.”
“Your precious Noni could get hurt,” she crooned.
I lost my temper and rounded on her. “Drop it Penny! This is serious, I’ve got bad feelings about what’s going on in there. It’s not just Noni who might get killed. Another man’s dead anyway.”
“Who? There was panic in her voice.” What are you talking about, who’s dead?”
I got myself under control and felt disgust at my outburst, but it was too late to play secrets. “It’s time to come clean Penny, to stop the games. I’ll tell you something you don’t know. Berrigan’s not in there. He’s dead. He was shot in a park in Balmain the other night. I know because I was there, in fact the police think I did it. Now I’ll tell you something you think I don’t know. Ricky Simmonds is in that garage.”
I heard the quick intake of her breath and felt her stiffen beside me.
“How did you know?” she said softly.
“I wasn’t sure until I checked at the cafe. You saw Noni and Berrigan alright. You also saw Ricky. I didn’t think you’d go through all this just for revenge on Noni. Ricky’s your obsession – which is worse luck for you.”
“Why?”
“Remember you told me he seemed to be looking for someone, a young man?”