Sharp Edge

by Marianne Delacourt

  I slipped my feet onto the cold lino and tested my ankle. It seemed less painful, so I tiptoed across to check on her. Her face was slack with sleep, her bottom lip jutting forward slightly. More tiptoeing took me over to my phone on the arm of the couch. It was 6.30am. Joanna would be up and I needed to have a conversation with her when Cass wasn’t around, so I headed to the main house after swinging by the loo.

  The pool cover was peeled back, suggesting that someone had been up doing laps already. I yawned at the thought. Swimming wasn’t my favourite pastime. A splash in the warm salty sea was fine, but laps in a cold pool before breakfast—ungodly.

  Joanna was sipping tea at the counter, reading a cookbook. I paused for a moment in the doorway. How should I start this conversation? She looked so sweet sitting there in her pale pink silky PJs, her aura slowly gently burbling around her. But the woman was made of kryptonite.

  I took a deep breath and stepped into her den.

  ‘Morning Mum,’ I said and eased past her towards the coffee pot.

  ‘Moring darling, you’re up early.’ She took a moment or two before glancing up from her recipe.

  I poured the coffee into one of her everyday Doulton china mugs and took a sip. ‘Nice flavour.’

  ‘From a little boutique roaster in Brisbane. Arabica, they’re called. Quite divine.’

  ‘Hmmmm…’ I said sipping again.

  She closed the book and sat up straight. ‘What is it?’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘You’re standing in my kitchen at 6.30am complimenting me on the coffee. Something’s on your mind.’

  I nodded. Might as well get to it. ‘Yes actually ... you see, Liv’s done something.’

  ‘What do you mean? Is she alright? I spoke to her last night, and she said she’d be out in a day or so. Tara, what are you keeping from me?’

  ‘Mum, calm down. Liv’s fine as far as I know. But she asked me to call past the hospital yesterday. She told me that she’s bought me premises for my business.’

  ‘Your business?’ she said suspiciously.

  ‘My investigative agency.’

  ‘Oh, that’s what you call it?’

  I let that go. ‘Yes. She’s purchased the old Gar Lok restaurant, near Wal’s flat. It needs to be re-outfitted a bit but there are two bedrooms upstairs.’

  She was still for a moment, a guarded expression on her face. ‘When will you be moving out?’

  ‘Soon,’ I said. ‘The next few days.’

  ‘Very well.’

  ‘But…’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘There’s the issue of Cass.’

  ‘A Chinese restaurant is no place for a sixteen-year-old girl,’ said Joanna.

  ‘I agree,’ I said. ‘So… I was wondering if she could stay here in the flat.’

  Joanna blinked a few times then cleared her throat. ‘Why do you think that would be acceptable?’

  ‘You said yourself, the Gar Lok wouldn’t be right. And she has nowhere else to go,’

  Joanna’s eyes narrowed. ‘You’re too old to be passing your responsibilities on to me, Tara. You must deal with them yourself.’

  ‘My responsibilities? It’s not like I took this on. It just happened. What would you have me do? Call welfare? Cass is sixteen. It’s unlikely they’ll either be interested or able to do anything. And she can’t go home to her mother.’

  ‘No indeed! Dreadful business. Fortunately, I have managed to get her job back for her at the deli though.’

  ‘Truly?’ I felt the tightness in my chest ease. ‘That’s wonderful. How did you manage that?’

  ‘I explained the situation. That the girl is a refugee and that…’

  ‘Joanna!’ I admonished my mother, my instance of pleasure evaporating.

  ‘What’s wrong dear?’

  ‘She not a refugee.’

  ‘She is, in a way.’

  I put my elbows on the bench and my head in my hands. ‘Do you know how that sounds?’

  Joanna looked baffled. ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘Prejudiced, privileged, insensitive, inappropriate … take your pick.’

  ‘Oh don’t be so delicate, dear. You always dramatise things.’

  I made an impatient noise. ‘She can’t stay here then?’

  ‘I think Cassandra has the makings of a superior young woman, but I’ve done my child rearing. She’s your responsibility.’

  ‘What was all the recipe swapping about then? The chit chat?’

  Her face reddened. ‘Is there a law against being kind to my daughter’s friends? Oh, that’s right … there is…’ The last was a sarcastic dig at me, for past parental avoidances.

  I straightened up. ‘Fine, Cass will come with me.’

  ‘That’s settled then.’

  ‘Yes.’

  We stood staring at each other from an arm’s length away, and yet the divide between us in that moment was immense. I set my coffee cup down carefully in the sink, and left the kitchen quietly.

  I walked slowly back to the flat, deciding the order of the day. We could move to the new offices after I’d seen Garth and talked to him about last night. I’d set Cass to packing while I was out.

  I took a detour by the garage to grab my suitcase and some stored boxes from the outside storage room. When I opened the door, and inhaled the mustiness, it bought back memories of me hiding in there when I was a kid in trouble from JoBob. The broken armchair that I used to curl up on was still in the corner. The blue corded upholstery looked more faded than I remembered, and there were tell-tale signs of rat nibblings on the arms. I stood on my tiptoes and pulled my suitcase down from a stack of folded outdoor chairs. The dozen packing boxes were folded and leaning against the wall: reminders of my transitory life. I selected four. That should be enough. Cass had precious little.

  Loaded up, I staggered past the birds to the flat. They squawked at me with dismay, distrustful of the boxes and my swaying. Galahs were hardwired to flee at sudden unfamiliar movements and people staggering about loaded up with junk.

  I clicked my tongue soothingly, but they fluttered their wings and Brains dropped to the floor, knocked down by Bono’s flutterings.

  ‘Silly birds,’ I said gently. ‘Just boxes.’

  I continued awkwardly up into the back garden and almost tripped over the doorstep into the flat.

  ‘Rise and shine, Sunshine,’ I called to Cass. ‘Open the door for me.’

  I didn’t get the expected groan, or any reply at all, and dumped my load.

  Inside, the bed was rumpled and empty.

  ‘Cass?’ I called.

  When she didn’t answer, I called louder towards the shower and loo. ‘Cassandra!’

  When she didn’t answer this time, an uncomfortable feeling crept into my belly. I went inside and checked around her bed. Her phone, the Marc Jacobs bag I’d given her and her meagre pile clothes were gone. So was my beach bag and the fluffy toy dog, I’d given her when she arrived.

  I ran out of the flat and back up to the house.

  ‘Mum!’ I cried. ‘Have you seen Cass?’

  Joanna appeared from the laundry, container of bleach in her hand. ‘What’s that?’

  ‘She’s gone. She was asleep when I came up to speak to you, and now she’s gone. All her clothes. Everything.’

  The queasy sensation in my stomach blossomed into something more panicky. ‘Do you think she could have heard our conversation?’

  Joanna frowned and blinked a few times. ‘Was the door open? Did you leave the door open behind you when you first came in?’

  ‘Yes. No. I mean… I don’t know.’

  ‘Tara!’

  ‘You’re the one who said you didn’t want her living here,’ I replied angrily to her admonishment.

  ‘As I recall, you were wanting to leave her here. You’re the one she wants to be near, Tara. Not me.’

  Joanna’s flat statement gave me reason to pause. She was right. I was the reason Cass was here. I was the reaso
n she thought she was going to grow up to be a private investigator. I was the reason…

  ‘I have to find her,’ I said.

  ‘Yes, you do.’

  ‘She can’t have got far on foot. I’ll drive towards the highway.’

  ‘I’ll get Robert to take us towards the river.’

  I nodded. ‘Thanks.’

  Joanna frowned and looked as if she had something more to say.

  ‘What, Mum? I need to go.’

  ‘I didn’t want to fight with you dear. I just wanted you to—’

  ‘Take responsibility. I know. I’m about to do that.’

  She shrugged and a look of mild contrition replaced the frown. ‘I do like Cassandra, you know.’

  I patted her shoulder awkwardly. ‘I know you do. Me too.’

  ‘Then let’s find her.’ She disappeared off into the depths of the house calling for my father.

  I ran back to the flat, grabbed my keys, phone and bag, threw on jeans and a tee and headed barefoot up the driveway to Mona. Minutes later I was at the highway without having sighted Cass. I did a U turn and backtracked. If she was trying to avoid being seen she may have taken a less direct route. I began a more methodical search of the streets in a grid pattern. When that turned up nothing, and my calls to her cell phone remained unanswered, I rang Joanna.

  ‘Anything?’

  ‘No. We haven’t seen her.’

  ‘Hang on, Mum.’ I checked the time on my phone.

  ‘I have something I have to do. Can you keep looking?’

  ‘Tara—’

  ‘Work. It’s important.’

  ‘Very well.’

  ‘Call me the minute you sight her. We need to talk to her together. Reassure her.’

  ‘Yes. But I’m…’

  ‘What?’

  ‘I shouldn’t have said those things. Cassandra is welcome to stay in the flat.’

  ‘Well let’s worry about that when we find her.’

  ‘Goodbye, dear.’

  I hung up and turned Mona back towards the highway and Garth’s house. I needed to catch him before work.

  Ten minutes later, I caught him about to reverse out of his driveway. Garth normally walked to work, being as it was only a block away. He must be going elsewhere.

  I blocked the road and jumped out of Mona.

  He hung his head out of his Jeep looking vaguely annoyed. ‘Hey, I’m late for a client meeting.’

  I jogged up to the driver’s side and leaned in the window. ‘Call them and say you’re delayed. We need a few minutes.’

  He squinted at me and nodded. As I walked around to the passenger side, he made a call and killed the engine.

  I slid in next to him. ‘Where were you last night?’

  Garth blinked a couple of times and his aura expanded and changed tone in a way that told me he was embarrassed.

  ‘I don’t care if you were handcuffed and covered in chocolate in a Northbridge brothel, just tell me where you were.’

  ‘I stayed the night at Jasmine’s. She was feeling … upset about everything. Why?’

  ‘Have you installed a safe in your office since … I … since you and I…?’

  His eyes widened. ‘Yes, it’s behind the shelves on the wall.’

  ‘What’s in the floor then?’

  ‘The floor? Nothing.’

  ‘You sure?’

  He frowned. ‘There’s a hollow in one of the floorboards. I used to use it for documents until I had the safe installed.’

  ‘When was that?’

  ‘Last week.’

  ‘Had you told anyone about it?’

  ‘Tara, tell me what’s going on.’

  ‘The burglar last night … they didn’t hurry and they knew which room to go to. They were trying to lever up the floorboard and then they saw me.’

  ‘You were in my bedroom?.’

  I pulled a face. ‘Time to move your spare key. But make sure you tell me where.’

  He ran his hand through his cropped hair and licked his lips.

  ‘Garth did Jasmine know about the hidey hole in the floorboards?’

  His aura contracted rapidly and the colour intensified. ‘You’re not suggesting—’

  ‘I’m not suggesting anything. I’m just collecting facts.’

  ‘It doesn’t sound like it,’ he snapped.

  I felt my blood pressure skyrocket. ‘Look, I have other things going on in my life. Helping your girlfriend extract herself from a poor business decision by partnering with a family of vipers is not something I particularly wanted. Either answer my damn question, or sort your own problems out.’

  He blanched, went to speak then pursed his lips. After letting out a breath, he spoke softly. ‘I’m sorry. It’s just, she would never…’

  ‘Fine … she would never. But did she know? Possibly she mentioned it to someone else.’

  Finally, he nodded. ‘Yes, she did.’

  ‘What’s in the safe?’

  ‘Two USBs.’

  ‘Details on the laundering?’

  He nodded. ‘Two copies.’

  ‘First thing, make another copy and give it to me. Then split those two up. One in the safe, and one somewhere else. Not at home. Do you have a safe deposit box?’

  ‘No, but I can get one.’

  ‘Maybe you should. Whatever you do, this tells us that, for the moment, you need to be circumspect. Be vague about your schedule to everyone except me, no details. Not even to Jasmine.’

  ‘I can trust her,’ he said stubbornly. ‘She came to me for help remember. She’s the one who’s at risk here.’

  I wasn’t prepared to be so charitable. ‘Maybe.’

  He licked his lips again. His eyes flicked around as he processed my suspiciousness. ‘Am I in danger, physically, I mean?’

  I tilted my head. ‘Honestly, I don’t know. Probably not at this moment. But with Viaspa, you never know. Just take extra precautions and keep the house locked when you’re inside. Put a padlock on the attic window.’

  ‘Do I need like a gun or something?’ His voice seemed disconnected, so did his expression.

  ‘No. Nothing drastic like that. Just be extra cautious.’

  ‘What are you going to do?’

  ‘I’m going to ask some questions. Meanwhile you just go about business as usual.’

  ‘Carefully.’

  ‘Yes. Just appear to be getting on with normal life stuff.’

  ‘The police are coming back for a second interview today.’

  ‘Don’t tell them about the break in here.’

  ‘You sure?’

  ‘Yes.’

  He nodded but I could see his reluctance. He was rattled. I didn’t blame him.

  My phone rang and I answered it immediately without looking at the number. ‘Mum?’

  ‘No darling, it’s Liv. I have Cassandra with me.’

  I let out a loud sigh of relief. ‘Thank goodness. Is she OK?’

  ‘Yes. But you should come now and get her.’

  ‘On my way,’ I said.

  I hung up and pecked Garth on the cheek before leaping out of his car. ‘Stay cool. I’ll be in touch,’ I said through the window.

  Cass was okay. Suddenly the day felt better.

  * * *

  Ten minutes later I was striding along the long, disinfectant-heavy corridors at Charlies.

  Liv was sitting up in bed in silk pyjamas fiddling with her manicure kit. Cass was staring out of the window, shoulders hunched. When Liv saw me she set the little plastic bag down on her food tray. ‘Tara. How lovely. But you just caught me about to shower. Do you mind waiting?’

  ‘Sure, Liv.’

  She winked as she scooped her dressing gown up from the back of the chair and disappeared into the bathroom of her private room.

  Cass didn’t turn around or acknowledge my existence. Her normally cinnamon speckled aura was a molten mess.

  ‘Cass, what’s going on?’

  She continued to ignore me, so I walked ov
er to the window and stood beside her. We both stared out at the cars meandering around the car park.

  ‘What did you hear?’ I asked.

  She shrugged at that. ‘Don’t matter.’

  ‘Actually, it does. What you thought you heard and what was really going on in that conversation were two different things.’

  She hunched further. ‘I need to find somewhere to live.’

  ‘No, you don’t,’ I said firmly. ‘You’re going to live with me.’

  She stiffened at that. From the corner of my eye I could see her lower lip protruding stubbornly. I had to tread lightly.

  ‘Don’t you want to live in the new place too? You can decorate your room the way you like,’ I asked.

  She folded her arms. ‘You want me to stay at your mum’s.’

  ‘I don’t want you to stay there. I thought it was more responsible of me to have you stay there. In case you hadn’t noticed, my lifestyle isn’t exactly safe or … regular.’

  ‘Your mum didn’t want me anyway.’

  ‘My mother thinks you’re wonderful. But she’s using you to make me be more responsible. She hates what I’m doing with my life. She wants me married and holding white linen dinner parties.’

  Cass didn’t reply right away and I gave her a moment to let that process.

  Finally, I added softly, ‘I love Joanna, but our relationship is difficult. Always has been. I don’t want you caught in the middle of it. And I don’t want you at risk from my career choices.’

  Cass turned to me, fists clenched. ‘At risk? Mum’s an addict. My sister’s an addict. My last boyfriend pimped for his mum after school. I had my teeth knocked out when I was twelve by one of my mother’s boyfriends.’ She used her fingers to draw imaginary quotes in the air around the latter. ‘I’ve never felt—been—safer than when I’m with you!’ She almost shouted the last word at me. Her aura slammed me. Tears filled her eyes but she kept them in check with anger.

  My mouth fell open in surprise, and shame washed over me. How much had I really learned about her in the weeks she’d been living with me? I was always wrapped up in a case or my own ridiculous love life.

  And yet, this was not a time to show Cass weakness. Like any teenager, she knew how to manipulate guilt.

  ‘Hey,’ I said. ‘Let’s make a deal.’