by Bev Robitai
Mike had told her that Colwyn usually had a session in the gym mid-afternoon. She half hoped he wouldn’t show up, while the other half just wanted to get it over with.
The second half won. When she had been in the gym for about half an hour, Colwyn Symons walked in. Immediately the swarthy egg-shaped man hurried over, and from her seat across the room, Robyn could see him fawning until Colwyn waved him away and faced up to the wall mirror to do some warm-up stretches.
Robyn couldn’t believe her eyes. She’d been expecting a covered head, or a dye job to mask her artwork, but he was wearing a cap and a T-shirt proclaiming “I support child cancer research”, as if he’d been shaved bald for charity. What a downright lie! She had to admire his nerve, but was seriously annoyed that her scheme hadn’t had the impact on his life that she’d hoped for. Why, people were probably applauding him for his generosity of spirit at the same time that he was taking their money! She growled quietly, firming her resolve to get him once and for all.
She spent some time watching him as he began the circuit, noticing the way the swarthy man was always on hand to wipe down the machines ready for him to use. As they worked closer, she picked up snatches of conversation and learned that the groveller’s name was Harry. Damn, she thought, I would have called him Igor.
She waited until Colwyn was using the machine next to her, then tried a smile. He smiled back briefly then ignored her. She pushed weights until her arms ached, trying to think of a way to start a conversation, all the time conscious that either Colwyn or Harry might recognise her at any moment. She pumped on, eyes screwed shut, sweat pouring. Finally, gasping, she had to stop for a rest, and got off to do some stretches.
‘Excuse me, are you finished with this one?’
Suddenly Colwyn was standing right there beside her, with Harry standing by to wipe down the machine she’d been using. Robyn stood up, momentarily dizzy.
‘Oh! Er, yes, do go on,’ she said, belatedly remembering to use her English accent. ‘Terribly sorry, I’m afraid I over-did it a bit and lost track of time.’
She groped for a way to prolong the conversation. ‘I say, you’ve done a lot of work on your abs, haven’t you? Are you on any special diet, to get that muscle definition?’
He looked pleased. ‘Why thank you. I don’t eat as carefully as I should, but then again, who does?’
Robyn smiled warmly, just the way Mike had taught her. If she played her cards right, she might be able to lead the conversation round to dinner. She opened her eyes wide and started to speak, but her words were cut off abruptly.
‘Excuse me, Mr. Symons, but your cell-phone is ringing.’ Harry stood there, holding out the shrilling instrument. Robyn could cheerfully have drop-kicked it across the gym. Colwyn smiled absently at her and took the call, moving slowly away towards the window as he spoke. He nodded a lot, murmured a few quiet comments, and finally said goodbye and thumbed the off switch.
Robyn prepared to turn up her charm to full wattage, angling for that dinner invitation. She ran her fingers through her hair, noting that it was damp with sweat but hopefully still appealing in an active out-doorsy way. At least she still had some hair, she thought with satisfaction. She wondered if the purple dye was left on the skin at the back of his head. He wouldn’t be able to take that cap off for weeks!
Colwyn put the phone back in his gym bag. But then instead of resuming his workout, he headed straight for the door.
‘Thanks, Harry, that’ll be all for today,’ he called as he left.
Robyn fumed.
‘I just about had him,’ she complained to Mike later, banging down her coffee cup so forcefully that the café manager looked over and frowned. ‘We were talking about food already, I’m sure I could have got him to invite me out to dinner if that bloody oaf hadn’t interrupted us. Damn cell-phones, you just can’t get away from them. Have you noticed they always ring in the middle of movies, or during the speeches at weddings? You’d think people could function without being attached to the blasted things twenty-four hours a day, wouldn’t you? I wish they could be banned completely.’
‘Oh, I don’t know. Listening in on cell-phones has given me some important leads in a couple of cases,’ Mike said mildly. ‘Look, you did well. He’ll recognise you next time, you’ve already broken the ice, and I bet he’ll be happy to talk to you again. It’s a good start, don’t be discouraged.’
‘Yeah, I suppose so. I just wanted to get on with it, that’s all. I’ve only got a few days left before my flight home, and my money has just about run out - if I don’t deal to him right away I’ll either have to slink on home, or stay here and find a job and a place to live.’
Mike stared at her. ‘I didn’t realise your ticket home was already booked. You didn’t really think you could do this in a matter of days, did you? It’ll take way longer than that for him to trust you enough to leave you alone in his apartment. This is a long-term project - it has to be to get the kind of evidence we need. Can’t you change your ticket?’
‘Only once. After that there’s a huge penalty payment that I can’t afford.’ She looked at him unhappily. ‘How long do you think this could take, realistically?’
‘I’d say at least three weeks, probably four. Con-men tend not to be very trusting themselves, so he’s not going to let you into his life all that easily.’
She swallowed. ‘OK, suppose I change my ticket to return home in a month. I’ll get Pete to send me some more money - if I can convince him that this is going to work. I’ll try for some sort of job too. I’m a photographer back home, I’ll try to get into one of the photo studios - they could probably use an assistant.’
Mike seemed to be undergoing some internal struggle. He got up and paced around, frowning. Finally he appeared to reach a decision.
‘If it makes things easier, you can stay at my place instead of a hotel. There’s a sofa bed. I can clear a drawer or two for your stuff.’
‘Are you sure?’ She looked at him. ‘It doesn’t make you uncomfortable? You don’t look too keen.’
‘Just out of practice, I guess. I’ve had the place to myself for so long I’ve forgotten how to be a gracious host.’ He raised a small smile. ‘You’d be welcome, really.’
‘Well, if you’re sure you don’t mind. It would make things a lot easier, and you’ve seen just how unappetizing that grotty hotel is.’
‘Yes, perhaps I’d better have you showered and de-loused before you come round.’
‘Oh thanks a bundle! It’s nice to think you find me so appealing.’ She cocked her head on one side and looked at him winsomely. ‘Since you’ve offered, I don’t suppose I could move in today, could I? So that I’d save another night’s charge at the hotel? I could dash home and get my stuff and be back here in a jiffy, if it’s OK with you. I’d shake off all the fleas on the way, of course.’
‘My humble apartment is at your disposal, my lady.’ He bowed theatrically. ‘Here’s the address.’ He handed her a piece of paper with a quickly-scrawled map.
‘Sweet! I’ll see you in a bit, then.’ She popped her head back around the edge of the café door as she left. ‘I really do appreciate this, Mike. You’re a hero.’ She blew him a kiss and disappeared.
Mike’s apartment was just along the street from the coffee shop where they’d met, on the first floor of a faded but gracious three storey house. As he welcomed her inside she looked around appreciatively. Even though the building was elderly brick on the outside, his apartment was bright and fresh. Cream-painted walls provided a background for an extensive collection of masks, mostly in African earth tones, but with occasional Caribbean or South American examples gleaming like bright jewels with colourful feathers and spangles. The furnishings were simple but useful, and she nodded appreciatively at the lack of pretension.
‘Do I take it you approve?’ he asked dryly, seeing her response.
‘Yes, I do. It’s masculine, without being, um, what’s the word I’m looking for?’
�
�Without being a garbage dump of unwashed dishes and dirty laundry?’
‘I wasn’t going to say that! It looks like a room where someone thinks a lot. Shelves full of books are always a good sign of character, I reckon.’ She smiled at him and he acknowledged the compliment graciously.
He steered her to a hallway where a collection of smaller eye-masks brightened the walls.
‘Right, your room is through here. It’s usually my office so just drop your pack down beside the desk there. The bottom drawer is ready for you to use, and I’ve made up the sofa bed as I wasn’t sure if you’d have a sleeping bag with you. There’s an empty shelf in the bathroom cabinet, and a couple of places in the kitchen where you can put any food you’ve acquired.’ He hesitated. ‘I wasn’t sure what you’d like to eat, but I’ve got the basics here, and a couple of kiwi-fruit. They might make you feel at home.’
She burst out laughing. ‘Relax, will you? You don’t have to try so hard! Just go about your usual day and pretend I’m not even here - I’ll keep out of your way as much as I can. I may even cook you a meal now and again if the spirit moves me. At the very least I’ll make you a cuppa and a Vegemite sandwich when you come home from work tired and hungry.’
He looked relieved, then worried. ‘No, I’ve heard about Vegemite. Peanut butter will do fine, thanks.’
‘Oh be adventurous, Mike! I’ll introduce you to it properly later,’ she promised as she tugged open the top of her back-pack. ‘Right now, if it’s all right with you, I’m going to have a shower in a proper bathroom where the floor isn’t slimy, and there aren’t little gobs of matted hair stuck to the wall.’
She grinned and closed the bathroom door on his look of horror.
CHAPTER 5
Next day Robyn went back to the gym to try for another meeting with Colwyn. She sidled in as before and was doing a few warm-up stretches when she noticed the swarthy man watching her. She gave him a bright smile before sitting down to do some leg lifts. Her heart beat faster as he came over to her, a doubtful look on his face.
‘Hi there,’ she said, before he could ask any awkward questions. ‘I saw you here yesterday, didn’t I? Oh yes, you were with that nice Mr. Symons. Is he here today, do you know?’ She leaned towards him. ‘He’s rather dishy, isn’t he? I’d quite like to get to know him a little better.’
Harry leered knowingly. ‘I’ll bet you would. He’s not here right now, but he may be down later, you could luck out. Can you tell me which apartment you’re in, miss…?’
‘I’m staying with my cousin,’ she invented hurriedly. ‘She’s in, um, now what flat was it? Oh I’m just hopeless with numbers, they go straight out of my head. That’s why I’m over here, really. Daddy said I should come and see where all our money is invested so that I appreciate it when I get my inheritance. He knows that figures don’t mean a thing to me.’ She paused in the embroidery of her story to see if it was working. Harry appeared to be following with interest.
‘I can call her and find out the number, if you need to know right this minute?’ She prayed he wouldn’t call her bluff.
‘Nah, don’t worry about it. I’m sure we’ll meet again if you’re living here.’
She tried not to recoil as he angled his greasy head towards her and tapped his pock-marked nose.
‘I’ll tell Mr. Symons you were asking about him. Maybe he’ll take you out on his boat one day.’
She tried to look impressed. ‘Gosh, that would be super! I‘ve missed the yachting ever so much since I’ve been away. Daddy was going to take me to Cowes this summer, but I had to come here instead. Oh well!’ She got up from the machine and walked bouncily away with a cheery little wave. ‘Bye bye! Be sure to give Mr Symons my message, won’t you?’
She could feel Harry watching her all the way out of the room. Hopefully he would pass on to Colwyn that a rich girl was keen to see him, and the trap would have been well baited.
When she got back to Mike’s place, he greeted her with a small package.
‘Here, I know you hate these, but it’s going to be very useful for you.’
Robyn blinked in surprise and unwrapped it cautiously.
‘Oh, a bloody cell-phone! You’re right, I hate it. How’s that thing going to be useful?’
‘If you want Colwyn to get in touch to ask you out, how’s he going to do it? If he rings here, chances are that I’ll answer the phone, and that’ll give him the wrong idea. If you have a cell-phone, you can be anywhere when he rings. He won’t know whether you’re in the same building or across town somewhere. Don’t you think that will give you a strategic advantage?’
‘Yeah, I suppose so,’ she said grudgingly. ‘Is it going to cost much?’
‘Don’t worry about it - got it covered,’ he said enigmatically. ‘This is your new number, now what name are you going to use?’
‘What, you mean like a call sign? “Come in Rubber Duck, there’s a convoy going down” kind of thing?’
‘No, I mean what are you going to tell Colwyn your name is? Using Robyn Taylor is a bit risky if he’s likely to recognise it.’
‘Oh come on, it’s a common enough name, and besides I’m being English, not Kiwi. There are thousands of Taylors in both countries, anyway.’ She had a sudden thought. ‘I know, I’ll be Robbi, shall I? With a little heart-shape dot over the i. That would fit the cutesy bimbo character to a T.’
‘Can you live with that? Robbi Taylor?’
She grimaced. ‘Frankly, no. How about using my mother’s maiden name? I should be able to remember that all right. I can be Robyn Heverill - is that better?’
‘Yes, that could work. You haven’t got any initials on any of your things have you? Cases, clothing, pens?’
‘No, pretty sure I haven’t.’
‘Fine, I’ll print you a few cards then, so you can give them out when you want to pass on your phone number to people. “Robyn Heverill” it is.
After a few moments work on the computer, he handed her a page of cards with her new name and phone number, and a small picture of her in the corner of each one.
‘Wow! How did you do that? I haven’t had any photos taken since I had my hair cut!’
‘Just scanned it from your passport photo,’ he said modestly. ‘Did a bit of retouching to fix the hair, added a smidgeon of make-up, nothing too difficult.’
She peered closely at the picture.
‘Not bad! I could almost believe it myself. Can I get an enlargement of this some time?’
He pressed a few buttons, and the printer whirred again. A sheet of paper emerged with the new sophisticated Robyn Heverill printed across it. Robyn grabbed it happily.
‘Cool! I’ll be able to send this to…’ She stopped suddenly. ‘Oh. I forgot for a minute.’ Her face was bleak. ‘I’ve got no parents left to send it to. You know, being orphaned sucks, even when you’re grown up. Oh well, maybe it’ll give Pete a laugh. Thanks anyway, Mike.’
The next time she went to the gym, she peeped round the door first to see if Colwyn was there. She didn’t want another close encounter with Harry if she could possibly help it. Something about him gave her the creeps.
Colwyn was standing quite close to the door, lifting dumbbells in front of the mirror. She walked past him, squeezing his upper arm as she went.
‘I say, that’s coming along very nicely!’ she purred. ‘Keep it up.’
She positioned herself on a thigh machine nearby and began to work, keeping him in view in the mirror. This acting lark wasn’t too hard, once you got over being self-conscious. If you could keep pretending you were someone else, it seemed to be quite easy.
She caught his eye in the mirror and smiled, then squeezed her legs together while holding his gaze. He looked away, but his eyes slid slowly back again. Robyn pretended not to notice, and continued the flexing and squeezing routine with her thigh muscles, spreading her legs wide apart then slowly bringing them together. From the corner of her eye she saw him mop his face with a towel.
After
a few minutes, she got up and moved away. No point in making it too easy for him. Some guys preferred to give chase, and she suspected Colwyn would be one of the predatory types.
She ignored him for the next half hour, then headed for the changing room. He caught her just as her hand was on the door handle.
‘If we’re going to go on meeting like this, I need to know your name.’ He paused, giving her a meaningful look. ‘It’ll give me something to call out in my sleep.’
At such close quarters, the full power of his charm was impressive. Despite herself, Robyn felt her heart flutter. She smiled back at him with very little effort.
‘My name’s Robyn. I’m over here from England, staying in the city with my cousin. I’m finding that Toronto has a lot of unexpected attractions.’
He laughed, showing off perfect teeth.
‘It’s a very great pleasure to meet you, Robyn. My name is Colwyn Symons, and I’m a businessman from Australia. My hobbies are fine wines, beautiful women, and making a great deal of money.’
‘It’s nice to find a man who knows how to lay down a good full-bodied red,’ she said, trying her best to be sultry. It seemed to work, as his blue eyes sparkled.
‘Can I take to you dinner and indulge in two of my favourite activities?’ he asked. ‘That is, if you’re free tonight?’