Sharp Edge

by Marianne Delacourt

  My reply to Ed was harder.

  His text had simply read

  ?????

  Finally I settled for

  Let’s meet for coffee tomorrow afternoon if you can. I’ll explain. X

  ‘Tara,’ said Cass.

  I looked up at the doorway. ‘Hey.’

  ‘There’s someone downstairs to see you. She says her name is Phoebe.’

  ‘Here?’

  Cass nodded. ‘I left her in the office. You going to come down?’

  I scrambled up out of bed and checked the time on my phone. 10.30pm. ‘Yes. Get her drink and tell her I’ll be there in a minute.’

  Cass nodded. She hadn’t even laughed at me when I’d come limping in. She was a good kid.

  I slipped into loose shorts and a t-shirt, pulled my hair into a pony tail and went bare feet down to see Phoebe. You call in on a girl late at night, you get what you get.

  I found her sitting stiffly on the couch holding a glass of water. She hadn’t changed from the parade. Cass was leaning awkwardly on the counter, and looked thankful to see me.

  Soon as I appeared, she vamoosed back into the kitchen.

  Phoebe watched her go and then looked sadly at me.

  ‘Phoebe?’ I went to sit next to her on the couch. ‘What’s wrong?’

  ‘Sorry to call in so late, Tara. I got home and looked you up online. I see you really are an investigator.’

  ‘Of a sort,’ I said cautiously. ‘We just moved in today. You’ll have to excuse the mess.’

  She nodded absently.

  ‘What can I do for you,’ I added.

  ‘I’d like to hire you. I assume you have client confidentiality contracts or NDAs?’

  Nondisclosure agreements weren’t something I’d had to deal with so far. ‘I can have Cass send you an agreement as soon as we’re settled in here. But firstly, we need to talk a little.’

  ‘You do private detective work?’ she said, seeking assurance.

  ‘I do specialised jobs. I’m not licensed.’

  ‘Oh?’

  ‘I do some investigation, but my role is more advisory. I have a talent for reading people. What is it you’d be wanting from me?’

  She sipped some water and put the glass down on the upturned box that Cass had dragged close to her to use as a side table.

  ‘Can I trust you, Tara?’ she whispered.

  ‘Absolute trust and discretion for my clients. Yes.’

  ‘I think that my… Bernard was involved in some … well … criminal activity.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  She licked her lips and folded her hands in her lap as if determined to get something off her chest. ‘We’d been seeing each other for about six months. It was very … intense. He was always so attentive. Charming. The dearest man.’

  ‘But?’

  ‘I don’t know really. He drowned, you know. Washed up on a South Cottesloe beach. I mean … he shouldn’t have been swimming then. We had a date earlier that night. He’d left me and gone home.’

  ‘Home to his wife?’

  ‘Yes?’ Her gaze dropped.

  ‘Have you spoken to the police?’ I asked.

  ‘Yes. They aren’t the problem. Bernard disappeared after he left my place.’

  ‘What’s the problem then?’

  ‘Someone … an a-associate of Bernard’s keeps following me. Insisting I have something of Bernard’s that he wants.’

  ‘Scaring you?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘You should talk to the police about it.’

  ‘No! If Bernard was involved in something … awkward, his name will be dragged through the mud. His family will be. It’s bad enough that he and I were…’

  ‘Do they know?’

  She shook her head. ‘We were careful.’

  I bit my lip. You can’t be careful enough in Perth.

  ‘And then there’s my father … if there’s even a hint that I’m connected with anything dubious, they’ll crucify my family.’

  ‘Your father must have people who can handle this kind of thing?’

  ‘I don’t want him involved at all. This is my life. I want to hire you to find who this man is, so I can make him go away. I don’t want anything to taint Bernie’s funeral. Please Tara. Help me!’

  I thought about my position. The Cheaters wanted me to get close to Phoebe and ask questions. Now that I was in a position to do that, it was the last thing I wanted to do. I liked Phoebe. She was mourning for Bernard. I didn’t want her dragged into anything. But maybe, now, I had the opportunity to protect her.

  ‘What does the guy think you have?’

  She shrugged and looked at me with such weariness, I thought she might just curl up on the couch and pass out. ‘Are you going to help me? I mean… I should have said earlier… I can pay whatever your rates are.’

  ‘Yes. I will help.’

  A little tremble of relief moved through her.

  ‘Do you know this man’s name? Have a picture of him?’

  ‘No picture. He turned up at my door the morning after Bernie drowned. He’s been following me ever since. Even tonight, after the parade. I’m s-scared he might do something to me. He seems desperate. Unpredictable.’

  My mind spun with possibilities and I watched her aura for clues. It was turbulent but not as flaky as before.

  ‘Listen, I’m going to send a guy to watch you. His name is Wallace—Wal. He’ll keep you safe from this man while I do some background checks. When I know what we’re dealing with I’ll be in touch. OK?’

  She seized my hands in hers and laid her face over them. ‘Thank you,’ she whispered. ‘What do you need?’

  ‘The names and contact numbers for any of Bernard’s friends that you’ve met. Also, do you know if he kept a safe at home?’

  ‘I’m not sure that I can be of much help there. We kept separate from his friends, and I’ve never been to his home … naturally.’ She looked away.

  ‘Can you tell me his home address at least? I can probably find out the rest.’

  ‘That I can help you with. He lives … lived at 36 Victoria Ave, Claremont.’

  I took out my phone and keyed the address into my memos. ‘Wife’s name?’

  ‘Stacey Jane,’ she said quietly. ‘They have two children, Maria and Armanno. Only Maria lives at home.’

  ‘How old is Maria?’

  ‘Sixteen.’

  That was enough to get me started. I patted her awkwardly on her shoulder. ‘Now what’s your address.’

  She gave it to me, and as I typed it in I said, ‘Wal will be with you first thing in the morning. Now go home and get some rest, Phoebe. Try not to worry.’

  She straightened, stood up and gave me a watery smile. ‘I’m grateful I ran into you yesterday, Tara. I badly needed a friend and the universe sent me one.’

  My heart expanded a little, and I shut the guilt out. ‘I’ll do what I can.’

  I showed her to the door and locked up after she drove away. As I made my way up to bed, I realised that the ant bites had almost stopped hurting.

  A quick glance into Cass’s room told me she’d beaten me to light out. I lay down on my bed amid the sea of unpacked clothes and strewn shoes. Sleep couldn’t come quickly enough.

  18

  I woke to daylight and the delicious smell of bacon wafting up from the kitchen.

  ‘Cass?’ I yelled out.

  When she didn’t reply, I pulled my jeans on under my nightie and wandered downstairs to see what was cooking.

  Cass was busy scrambling eggs over one of the two large stoves and Wal was sitting up on one of the three kitchen benches that lined the walls, drumming his booted heels on the cupboards.

  In the middle was a fourth large, square bench that served as a kitchen table or a giant chopping block. We had no stools.

  ‘Smells good,’ I said, eyeing the dried herbs she was sprinkling into the eggs. ‘Where’d you learn to do that?’

  ‘Everyone can fry bacon an
d scramble eggs,’ said Cass over her shoulder. Her hair was scraped back into a pony tail and she wore shorts and a crumpled Megadeth t-shirt.

  Everyone except me.

  ‘Wal,’ I said, ignoring her bait. ‘We’ve got a job. I need you to watch Phoebe Kenilworth until I can find out who’s harassing her and why.’

  ‘The Premier’s daughter?’

  ‘Yep.’

  ‘Won’t she have … like cops around her?’

  ‘She doesn’t live at home, and this is something she wants to keep quiet,’ I said checking my phone. I forwarded her address to Wal’s number. ‘Can you go now?’

  He glanced mournfully across at the eggs. ‘After breakfast?’

  My stomach rumbled in agreement. ‘After breakfast.’

  The three of us stood around the centre bench, forking our eggs onto some crusty fresh bread, and crunching the bacon.

  ‘You’ve shopped,’ I said.

  ‘It’s our first day in our new house. Wanted us to start it properly.’

  ‘How’d you pay?’ I asked.

  ‘You left your purse downstairs. Change is on the counter.’

  I sighed and raised my eyebrows to Wal, but he just grinned and went to rinse his plate.

  When he’d gone, Cass and I cleaned up and went over our schedule. She was going to work and then class. I was going to visit the Romeos, have lunch with Ed to explain why I was at the parade with someone else, and then check in on Garth. So far nothing in my day held any appeal.

  I dropped Cass at work about a half hour later and did a drive by the Romeos’ house. It turned out they lived almost dead opposite Aunt Liv’s apartment block but on the river side.

  I couldn’t see any cops or paparazzi, so I parked and walked up to the security gate and buzzed. While I was still working up a story in my head, Maria Romeo’s face appeared on the screen. I knew it had to be her from the familiar teenage scowl.

  ‘Your mum home?’ I asked.

  ‘Who are you?’ Her voice sounded thin through the intercom.

  ‘I’m a private investigator,’ I said, deciding to go with only a slight stretch of the truth. ‘I’m very sorry for your loss. Would I be able to speak with her?’

  ‘Mum doesn’t want to talk to anyone like you. And you’d best leave before my brother hears you. He’ll likely knock you sideways.’

  ‘This could be important. About your father,’ I said.

  She killed the video feed anyway.

  Right. Not the way I’d imagined it going.

  I went back to Mona and sat staring at the picture of Phoebe and her stalker on my phone. Recognition lingered frustratingly just outside my grasp, so I texted the image to both my cousin Crack and Lloyd Honey. Lloyd was an ex-client of mine who had access to lots of personal information about people. I didn’t ask how and he did me the odd favour on account of the service I’d once done him. One day that payback would probably run out, but for the moment, Lloyd seemed happy enough to help when he could.

  Crack answered almost immediately with a negative. While I waited for Lloyd to answer, I grabbed my binoculars out of the glove box and walked across the road to Liv’s. I was betting her apartment had a fantastic view into the Romeos’ back yard.

  I’d had keys to Liv’s apartment for years and I let myself in quietly. The place smelled of her Lanvin eau de parfum and I stood for a moment, inhaling her scent, think of the woman who’d been so kind and accepting of me over the years. Without Liv…

  My eyes moistened and I thought of Cass. She needed me the way I’d needed Liv. I mustn’t let her down no matter how annoying her teenage self could be.

  I went to the window and braced the binoculars against the frame. There was nothing happening in the Romeos’ front yard, but at the back there were people by the pool. One appeared to be sullen Maria, who was now sprawled on lounge chair; the others—a thickset dark-haired woman and dark-haired young man—were engaged in an energetic conversation. At this distance and magnification, their auras were impossible to read, but it was easy enough to see that they were disagreeing about something.

  After a few moments, the young man went back inside. I watched for a bit longer, but the binoculars began to get heavy.

  Just as I was about to pack them away, the automatic garage door lifted, and he—Armanno, I was guessing—got into a blue BMW.

  I shoved the binoculars into their case and ran for the door. Following him seemed the next best option I had.

  By the time I pulled Mona out onto Victoria Ave, Armanno was rounding the corner towards Queenslea. I sped up and caught him at the highway lights. From there, it was a difficult shadow along the highway and up Thomas St to Leederville. Armanno was one of those drivers who accelerated in spurts, making following him tricky. I hadn’t done a lot of car surveillance before, but I did my best to stay a few cars back out of his direct rear view.

  Finally, he turned left into Newcastle Street and pulled up just short of the Leederville Hotel. I watched him disappear into the opening between the hotel and its adjacent garden restaurant. Though the gate was open, the hotel wasn’t which meant I’d be conspicuous if I wandered in after him.

  I sat for a moment, trying to think of a way in when a truck pulled up and began unloading crates of boutique beer to take inside.

  I jumped out of Mona and ran across the street to the driver.

  ‘Twenty bucks to help you carry the crates in,’ I said to him.

  He stared at me for a moment, confused. Then he shook his head. ‘Health and Safety says you don’t. You’re not insured.’

  ‘I also don’t work for you if it’s cash. Forty bucks. Just one crate.’

  I could see him wavering.

  ‘Fifty,’ I said. ‘Just tell me where to take it.’

  He held out his hand. ‘Up front.’

  I took the note out of my pocket and slapped it in his palm. He tucked it on his hip pocket and slid a crate out for me. ‘In there you’ll see a cool room right in front of you. Our beer is on the left. Just stack it on top.’

  ‘Cheers.’

  I accepted the crate, which was heavier than I expected and headed into the space between premises. It was connected by a pergola and a corrugated plastic roof. Not exactly tasteful but effective.

  To the left I saw the cool room, to the right were the restrooms, and in the middle, white tables and chairs, potted palms, and a small bar.

  The dark-haired young man leaning on the bar looked about the right size and shape for Armanno. He was leaning into the ear of another man that I recognised as Phoebe’s guy, Mr Short Round. Now I was closer, I could see the latter had thick shoulders and a large gut. His face was also heavily fleshed, like his cheeks might burst if someone squeezed it. Neither of them took any notice of me as I entered the cool room with the beer.

  I paused inside the door and listened, but heard nothing. I had to get closer. After shelving the crate, I walked out confidently and straight up to them. ‘You think I could get a glass of water?’

  Both of them scowled at me but only Phoebe’s guy replied. ‘Bar’s closed.’

  I frowned back at them, letting them know their inhospitable manner annoyed me. It also gave me time to take in their auras. Armanno’s was a racy blue, tinctured with puddles of black, not uncommon for someone who was grieving. Phoebe’s guy was blood red and spotted white, suggesting health issues and dark appetites. It wasn’t as pustulant as Johnny Viaspa’s aura, but it had a familiar reek.

  ‘Right,’ I said. ‘I’ll go and use the tap in the Ladies then.’

  Both of them turned away from me as I walked the couple of steps to the restroom. It was much closer to the bar than the cool room, and by leaving the door a little ajar I could hear some of their conversation.

  ‘…Kenilworth … bitch…’

  ‘…today at…’

  ‘…pay in product…’

  The exchange finished there and footsteps told me that Armanno had left.

  I flushed one of the toile
ts, rinsed my hands and headed out. Phoebe’s guy didn’t look up from the till, and I left as quickly as I could, passing the truck driver on his way in with a load.

  ‘Thanks,’ I said softly to him.

  He paused for a moment, causing me to stop too. ‘Don’t know what you’re up to love, but you’re playing with the wrong people.’ He nodded at Phoebe’s guy.

  ‘You know his name?’ I asked.

  He shrugged. ‘Everyone calls him Freddie the Frog.’

  I smiled, wondering if he was joking.

  But he shook his head. ‘Believe me, he ain’t funny.’

  I nodded. ‘Thanks. See you.’

  * * *

  Soon as I was back in Mona, I texted the nickname to Lloyd Honey. Maybe it would help.

  What did they mean about ‘tonight’ and ‘pay in product’?

  I rang Wal. ‘Has Phoebe got anything on today or tonight?’

  ‘Apparently, yeah. She’s opening some health club in South Freo around lunchtime.’

  ‘Let me know the address. And stick close to her, Wal. I think something might be going to happen.’

  ‘You find out anything?’

  ‘Maybe … soon,’ I said, sending out a prayer to Lloyd Honey.

  I hung up and thought about my next immediate problem, which was Ed. I hadn’t come up with an explanation that wouldn’t be a lie, and I wasn’t ready to tell him about Tozzi. I mean, they’d met a few times, but that was all.

  Then a brainwave hit me.

  I limbered up my thumbs and sent Ed a fresh message.

  Ed, I have to go to the opening of a new gym? Can you please come with, and we can talk/eat afterwards. I’ll pick u up at 12pm. T x

  His reply was almost immediate, as if he’d been waiting for me.

  Pick me up from my place.

  I started the engine, but Cass called me before I could pull out onto the road.

  ‘Pete’s been in here and left you a burner,’ she said.

  ‘How does he know where you work?’

  She hesitated then managed to spit out the truth. ‘I told him.’