Last Known Contact

by Phillipa Nefri Clark

  Half an hour later, hair in a ponytail and wearing a short white dress, Ellie strolled along the promenade at South Bank. On one side, the Yarra River reflected the first rays of sunset, while on the other, restaurants lined the street level of Crown Casino. She loved this part of Melbourne, where indoor and outdoor met and no matter what your age or lifestyle, there was something to enjoy.

  She stopped to watch a group of children squeal and dance as narrow columns of water shot randomly from holes between patterned tiles. Fire burst through the top of pillars.

  A helicopter rose from a helipad on the water, sightseers inside with cameras. They had a treat in store, seeing Melbourne at sunset from the air. Dad had taken special clients up in the past and it always enthralled them.

  Back to the task at hand, Ellie turned away from the river and wandered along the restaurants. The Riverview was her target. She’d made a booking earlier, lucky to have a table available on such short notice. Elegant yet casual, it was an iconic Melbourne delight and one she and Dad often visited.

  “Mrs Connor! How nice to see you again.” Georgio, the maître de, ushered Ellie to an outside table. “I’ll send water across immediately, but can I recommend a cocktail before ordering?”

  “Thank you, but just sparkling water tonight.”

  “Indeed. I see your booking is for one?” he tilted his head.

  “I’m starving, Georgio. You must have heard that Dad is missing and I’ve barely eaten since getting home. I needed to be here.”

  “And I shall look after you myself, my dear young lady. Your drink is coming.” He hurried away.

  With a sigh that came from deep down, she forced her shoulders to relax. This choice of restaurant wasn’t random. Her eyes drifted around the diners. Couples and business people.

  True to his word, Georgio reappeared shortly with a tall glass of sparkling water with lemon. “Do you wish to order, or people watch for a while?”

  She smiled. “You know me too well. But I’ll order, then people watch.”

  Ellie sipped her water after ordering. At last her insides began to settle, instead of flipping between nausea and a clutch of ice. She had to stop letting Meredith get to her. To find Dad, she’d need to see through whatever her game was.

  From her vantage point, Ellie surveyed the people in the restaurant, including staff. Nothing was out of the ordinary, at least compared to what she was used to. Efficient and courteous service. She recognized a few people dining here and hoped they didn’t see her. Tonight, she wasn’t up to pleasantries. Except with Georgio.

  “And, here is your starter.” With a flourish, Georgio placed a plate of delicacies before Ellie.

  “Beautiful. As ever.”

  It was delicious, and despite her lack of interest in food, this sparked her hunger. Every morsel sent her taste buds into joy and the perfect starter was gone before she knew it.

  Should I talk with Ben?

  Sure. He’s absolutely the best person to turn to. Ellie swallowed the remains of the glass. As if watching her, the waiter reappeared. As he poured, Ellie spoke.

  “You’ve seen me here with my dad, haven’t you?”

  “I have. And I am sorry. I saw on the news he is missing.”

  “He had a booking here a few nights ago.”

  “Ah. I’ve just returned from a short holiday, so shall I ask Georgio?”

  “No. No, I’ll ask, but thank you.”

  She had to wait. Her main arrived with the same waiter and as she ate, Georgio was nowhere to be seen. The lovely meal reminded her of ones with Dad. They’d talk the whole time, laughing their way through the courses as they compared books they’d read, or conversations they’d heard.

  “I miss you so much,” she whispered, head down. Her heart ached. Was she the only one to want him back home? Joni was upset of course, and the house staff, but his wife and close colleagues acted as though his disappearance was nothing unusual.

  “Dessert?” It was Georgio, and Ellie lifted her head.

  “Georgio, did you see Dad here the other night?”

  “Which day?”

  “December four. He had a dinner reservation that evening for two.”

  “Let me check.”

  He darted away to his station near the door and flicked through the old-fashioned book he kept for reservations. Back and forth his finger went across the page, then he spoke to one of his waiting staff, glancing at Ellie. Both men went through the book again. When he walked back to her table, Georgio’s face was puzzled.

  “You are correct. Mr Bannerman’s secretary made the reservation that morning. In fact, we only just managed to fit him in, but…”

  “But?”

  “Someone called during the day to cancel the booking.”

  “Someone? Joni, his PA?”

  Georgio shook his head. “Apparently it was a man, and not Mr Bannerman.”

  15

  The Plot Twists

  “Good thing your carer had that last-minute date, huh?” Ben pushed a wheelchair along a softly lit path, away from a graceful old building through pretty gardens. “And I got here just in time, considering what she was going to feed you compared to what I will.”

  The man in the wheelchair grinned an awkward sideways grin, his eyes brimming with excitement.

  Ben went off the path and carefully manoeuvred the chair across a perfect lawn, down a gentle slope to the shores of a large pond. At a bench, he parked the chair and locked the brake. “Care to join me for pizza, dude?”

  He slid his arms under the man’s armpits and helped him upright, then together they covered the small distance to the bench. “Gonna sit you here, Michael, okay?”

  It took a moment to steady Michael so he was corralled between the back and arm of the bench. Ben made sure Michael’s legs were comfortable. Then, he slid a pizza box from a basket beneath the wheelchair. “Ta da.”

  Michael made happy noises, no words, just the sounds Ben had grown to understand. “Mate, you don’t know the best part.” He slung a backpack off and flopped beside Michael. “Wanna see?”

  From the backpack, Ben extracted a six-pack of beer. Michael’s off-centre grin widened. “Yeah, knew it. These, my friend, are from the Barossa Valley in South Australia. There’s a cool micro-brewery there and I picked a few up. Now, they’re a mix of two each of their best, so let’s start and you can tell me which you like best as we go.”

  As the light faded and sounds of night birds joined the soft sploshing of water against the banks, the men ate and drank. Once pizza was in his hands, Michael could manage it with a bit of help.

  “I reckon your motor skills are better than last time. No more missing your mouth like I do when I’ve had too many drinks.”

  Michael’s laugh brought a smile to Ben’s face and he opened fresh beers, their second each. He wiped Michael’s hands clean with a moist towelette, then wrapped his fingers around the middle of one bottle. “Got it? Cool. This is a pale ale. These guys make everything in a building barely bigger than a shed. You’d love it.”

  Ben’s phone vibrated with a message, and his lips tightened as he read it to himself.

  Any chance we can meet tonight for an update?

  Ellie. He tapped a response.

  After nine. Tell me where.

  Did she have news, or was she after intel?

  Michael nudged him, curious, and Ben held up the phone so he could read the message.

  “She wants to meet up for a drink. Do you think I should go?”

  “Y…es.”

  “But I’m having drinks with you and there’s still another one each left.”

  “G…o.”

  “Hang on, new message alert. She says to meet her near the helipad by the river. Hope she’s not planning a night flight.”

  Michael snorted.

  “Guess I’d better meet her. What if she decided to steal a helicopter?”

  “Arr…arr…st.”

  “Did you say arrest her?”

&nb
sp; Eyes glinting with mischief, Michael nodded.

  “Now, that would be misusing my powers as a police detective.” Ben picked up the empty pizza box. “However, if it stopped a potential theft of an expensive item…” he winked. “I won’t tell her you suggested it.”

  An hour later, Ben found Ellie on a footbridge, staring into the dark river below as though contemplating life. What did she see in the slow-moving water? Lost dreams and forgotten hopes? An answer to where her father was? Or memories of the once strong and vibrant brother he’d recently wheeled back into his exclusive, expensive, residential care facility?

  Ben stopped, hands clenched. Michael didn’t deserve what had happened to him.

  But nor did Ellie.

  She appeared so fragile. Her body was too thin. She wasn’t eating properly, surely, and how could she, being so worried about damned Jack Bannerman? Probably not sleeping either.

  Ellie gazed up, straight to his eyes as though feeling his on her across the distance. Her face was tense but suddenly, she relaxed and offered a small smile. And that was all it took for his anger to drain away, replaced by a long-buried yearning to protect her at all costs.

  By the time he reached the bridge, she’d walked to its end to meet him. Her white dress followed every movement and long, golden tendrils of hair had escaped a ponytail. Up close, those gorgeous eyes gave away a mountain of pain and he wanted to brush the hairs back and hold onto her.

  “Bit late for a stroll?” he managed.

  “I’m sorry. I should have left things until morning.”

  “Didn’t mean that. And I’m hardly an early to bed kind of guy.”

  A spark of something—amusement or an old memory—replaced the haunting pain in her face and Ben caught his breath. Nothing would ever be over between them.

  He nodded at the empty helipad. “Left without us?”

  Ellie laughed. A real, straight-from-the-heart laugh.

  “You can laugh. But now we’ll miss the best cityscape view the world has to offer.”

  “You don’t like flying.” She reminded him.

  “True. Do you want a drink?”

  “Yes. I’ve kept a clear head all day so yes, I’d love one.”

  “Okay to walk a bit?”

  “Unless the helicopter returns, I think we’ll need to.”

  In silence, they crossed the footbridge and wandered for a while before settling on an outside table of an upmarket bar. Conversation and music spilled out from the packed area inside as Ellie sat.

  “What would you like? Are you hungry?”

  “Just a glass of wine thanks.”

  Ben wove through the customers and ordered a bottle of wine and a cheese platter. He waited for the wine, leaning against the counter, and watching Ellie. She sat motionless, shoulders slumped. Did she know something new, something distressing, or was she utterly exhausted?

  Two glasses and bottle in hand, he returned to their table. Her eyes widened a little at the sight of a whole bottle.

  “And there’s some food coming.”

  “Damnit, Ben. This isn’t a date.”

  He opened the wine and poured. “No. It’s a meeting to discuss Jack, at your request. But we’re not at the station, or at your office. Are we?” He took his time putting the bottle to one side and picking up one glass, which he held out to her.

  Ellie bit her bottom lip. Ben knew that look. She was churning inside, battling to control the need to walk away.

  Stay this time, Ellie. Stay.

  “I’m tired of people thinking they need to feed me.” Her voice was low with a touch of bitterness. Then she accepted the glass with a soft, “Thank you.”

  Picking up his own glass, he tilted it toward her. “To resolution.”

  She nodded and sipped.

  “Who else is feeding you?”

  “Paul. Paul Dekeles. We had a coffee and he ordered breakfast when I said not to. Which I probably needed, but it was beside the point.”

  Unease settled in Ben’s gut.

  “Why were you meeting him?”

  “To catch up from the previous night. He said Dad always wanted him to keep an eye on me. For safety.”

  “He dropped off some footage from the building. The day Jack vanished.” Ben said.

  “And?” Ellie leaned forward, eyes huge. Hopeful.

  “Still working on it. I need more.”

  “More?”

  “Ideally, footage from the house.”

  Ellie sat back and drew in a long breath. She drank half her glass quickly, then put it on the table. “There’s a heap of cameras there. I thought about this earlier. Dad left the office to go home and change. Now, I haven’t asked everyone, but I get the feeling nobody at the house saw him. Whether the staff were out or he just slipped in…I don’t know.”

  “You think something is off.” Ben finally lifted his own glass.

  A waiter appeared and placed a platter on the table. Cheese, fruit, crackers, and quince paste. Ben glanced at Ellie.

  “I ate at The Riverview. But…” she reached out and delicately took a tiny piece of cheese. “Sorry. For snapping earlier.”

  “If my opinion is still worth anything, it is for you to cut yourself some slack.” Ben refilled her glass. “What have you found out since the other night?”

  The wine slowly disappeared and little was left of the cheese platter by the time Ellie filled Ben in. Much he dismissed. And some was noteworthy, but probably of no consequence.

  “Tell me again about Joni.” Ben created a mini stack from the last of the brie, an olive, and a cracker.

  Ellie leaned on an elbow, more relaxed now but still with a haunted expression. “She told me Dad was fine before the meeting. When he came back, he got his briefcase and an envelope then stopped at her desk to wish her happy birthday.”

  “But her birthday wasn’t that day?”

  “No. And he said there was something extra in her pay, so he’d already arranged that with payroll.”

  “Is that what he’s done in the past?”

  “Normally he sends flowers, perhaps a small gift. But it was ahead of time and it makes me wonder…” she played with the stem of her empty wine glass.

  “What? That he knew he wouldn’t be there for her birthday?” Ben split the remains of the bottle between their glasses. “Is it possible he had a business trip planned?”

  “She’d know. Dennis would know. And he wouldn’t have left that message for me and hidden a letter.”

  “Do you believe the envelope Joni saw was that letter?”

  “Yes. Perhaps. Dad would have left it in the bottle when he arrived home to get ready to sail. And between that time, and last night, it disappeared. Tell me, Ben, isn’t that the least bit suspicious?”

  On more than one level.

  “Are you going to take his disappearance seriously?” The sudden panic in Ellie’s voice pitched it higher and she paled.

  Without thinking, Ben covered one of her hands with his. It was cold. “I do, Ellie. I’ve taken it seriously from the time Paul Dekeles reported him missing. And regardless of whether it becomes a full investigation or not, I’m going to help you find him.”

  She shook her head but didn’t pull her hand away. “I’m so worried, Ben. I know you don’t like Dad but he’s never acted this way.”

  “My feelings are irrelevant. My suggestion is that you go home and sleep. In the morning, come into the station. I’d like you to look at the footage Dekeles gave me. Okay?”

  Why would Jack leave a note for Ellie, phone her to tell her to look for it, and simply vanish? His earlier speculation that Dennis had something to do with the disappearance was probably wrong. This felt like a plan from Jack which had gone pear-shaped.

  Somebody knew something and he was making it his business to find out who.

  16

  Lies And Other Stories

  Sea Angel moved under the weight of a man stepping aboard, her old boards creaking. The sun was an hour away from ri
sing, but the air was already humid and warm. Only two other yachts were tied up and nobody was aboard them.

  Gloves on his hands and by the narrow beam of a small flashlight, the man searched the seating area, moving the cushions. He crouched to look beneath the benches, pulling out lifejackets and shaking them. Then, he sank back on his heels, turning the flashlight in his fingers, a grim smile on his face.

  Back on his feet, he took the steps leading below deck. In one of the cabins, he extracted a handgun from a pocket. He glanced around, then pushed the gun between the base and mattress of the bed.

  He shoved the gloves into his pocket and climbed back to the deck, turning off the flashlight as he stepped onto the pier. He surveyed the horizon of Port Phillip Bay. A faint lightness in the sky heralded dawn.

  It was going to be a perfect day. And everything was going perfectly as planned. Better than planned thanks to an unexpected turns of events.

  Earlier, he’d arrived to plant the gun, cutting through the deserted carpark after leaving his car a block away.

  The crunch of gravel from the other side of the road had stopped him in his tracks. He’d pressed himself against the bushes, heart thudding as he formulated an explanation for being there.

  “Someone there? You okay, mate?” Fishing rod in one hand and bucket in the other, an older man had peered through the dim light.

  Yeah. I’m okay. More than okay thanks to you.

  He’d stepped away from the bushes to show his face.

  The fisherman had smiled. “Oh, it’s you.”

  Now, he reached his car, which he’d had to bring closer. Only so much a man could carry, particularly out here where he might be seen.

  Ellie sat in a small waiting area in the police station, early for her arranged meeting with Ben. She’d slept for several unbroken hours, waking in a calmer state of mind than she’d had in days. Talking to Ben, unburdening herself in a way, took some of the pressure off.