August

by Gabrielle Lord

  I ruffled up my wet hair with the towel. I should have felt great after having a shower, and knowing something other than grey slop was waiting for me at the table, but my head was all mixed up, trying to work out a plan of attack to track down my sister. The problem was that I didn’t know where to begin. Nelson Sharkey, my rescuer and an ex-detective, was the perfect person to have on-side. I needed to call him.

  ‘Oh,’ Winter said as she slid a couple of pancakes onto my plate, straight off the hot pan. ‘I should give you my notes, so that you at least have something on the DMO to refer to. Now, where did I put them?’ Winter wiped her floury hands on a tea towel and searched through some papers on her desk. I spotted her diary there and remembered the line I had read: How much of myself have I given away, to get the things I want?

  I was ready to give everything if it would bring back Gabbi.

  ‘Here they are,’ she said, passing me some folded notes.

  I put my fork down and swallowed a huge

  ‘The pancakes are awesome. Thanks Winter.’

  ‘Thanks for these,’ I said to Winter. They weren’t the real thing, but they were better than nothing. ‘You’re not having any pancakes?’ I asked, noticing that the pan was sitting in the sink.

  ‘I thought I’d go for something a little healthier. You finished with those?’ she asked, pointing to the bowl of berries.

  ‘They’re all yours.’

  Winter tipped some muesli into the bowl and then added a huge dollop of yoghurt on the top. ‘Cal,’ she said, ‘you can stay here as long as you like. You’ll have to disappear when I’m being tutored, but that’s about it. Sligo has no idea that we have anything to do with each other, remember. And he almost never comes round here.’

  ‘Almost never’ wasn’t quite good enough. I’d already ‘almost’ been sprung by him once before. I knew it wouldn’t be safe enough for either of us if I stayed too long, but the thought of being on my own filled me with dread.

  ‘Maybe I will for a couple of days,’ I said. ‘Right now there are a few places I want to scope out. See if anything points to where Gabbi’s being held.’

  ‘Places? Like where?’

  ‘Oriana’s, Sligo’s–the car yard and his new place.’

  ‘OK, how about you try Oriana’s, and I’ll stop by the other two?’

  ‘All right, but be careful.’

  ‘Me? You’re the one that needs to be careful, Ormond.’

  There was a phone call I needed to make before I started walking to Oriana’s.

  I stopped at a phone box, not far from Winter’s, and pulled out Nelson Sharkey’s card. I took a deep breath and dialled his number.

  He answered almost immediately.

  ‘Sharkey here.’

  ‘Sharkey, it’s Cal. I’m more than ready to meet up.’

  Sharkey was able to see me right away, so I cautiously headed straight over to the meeting place he’d suggested–his gym.

  Thoughts of Gabbi had filled my mind on the walk. Who had her? Were they looking after her? What did they want from me in exchange?

  ‘Fit for Life’ was painted in faded blue letters on a translucent glass panel in a timber door. I was hovering outside, unsure whether to just walk on in, or wait for Sharkey, when the door opened and his head popped around it. Beads of sweat dotted his brow.

  ‘Come on in.’

  I followed Sharkey into the near-empty gym, past a few resistance machines and an old guy slowly splashing his way along a glassed-in lap pool. In the far right corner, in a small office area, I could see another guy, with a Fit for Life T-shirt on, talking on a phone.

  Sharkey stopped at a weight bench and picked up a drink bottle. ‘I’m just about finished here,’ he said. ‘Be done in a minute, then we can talk in the sauna. No-one will hear us there.’

  He swung a leg over the bench, laid back and grabbed onto the weight bar.

  I climbed onto the rowing machine next to the shelf of weights. I rocked back and forth, starting to work up a sweat.

  Sharkey stopped and wiped his glistening face with a towel, then threw it around his neck and gestured to me to follow him.

  The door to the sauna was near the lap pool, in the enclosed glass area. We both changed and grabbed fresh towels from a pile near the door to wrap around our waists.

  The heat hit me like a wall. The sauna was empty, but in one corner, coals gleamed under their dusting of ash. Nelson scooped a small bucketful of water out of a deep sink and emptied it on the coals. A white whoosh of steam exploded up into clouds.

  ‘I used to spend hours here in the early days after I got sacked,’ he said, flopping down onto one of the wooden benches that ran around the walls.

  I sat opposite him. Already the sweat was pouring off me. ‘You were sacked?’

  He nodded. ‘My boss was corrupt. I blew the whistle. Guess what? She got promoted and I got sacked.’

  ‘How could that happen?’

  ‘Very easily. Look at your own situation, Cal. The boss was on the take, accepting bribes from a big criminal gang, and overlooking their crimes. But worse than that, she was tipping them off whenever there was going to be a police raid. I found out and reported it. But then when the hearing was on, these witnesses came forward to say that I was the one on the take and that I was the one who had made the warning phone calls. They reckoned it was my voice in the taped conversations. A specialist even testified that he was convinced it was me, when the whole thing must have been a complete fabrication. Or he was being paid for his “opinion”. It cost me my job, my reputation, my marriage. My kids won’t even talk to me. It was a complete set-up.’ He paused, dabbing his face and neck with the corner of his towel.

  ‘I hear you,’ I said. ‘I had nothing to do with Gab’s kidnapping. I have no idea how my DNA came to be left at the crime scene. Except that I was in my uncle’s house earlier in the year and maybe I left something then. I visited Gabbi when she was in the hospital, and gave her a Celtic ring–maybe that’s where my DNA came from. It doesn’t matter; everyone’s convinced I’m the bad guy. Even my mum and uncle think I’m homicidally insane.’

  ‘That’s why I contacted you, Cal. I saw myself in you. I’ve realised now that it’s too late to do anything about my situation, but I figured maybe I could help someone else. Someone like you.’

  ‘You’ve already helped me once, but I could always do with more,’ I said, ‘so I’ll take it. I have to find my little sister.’

  ‘I’ll help in any way I can, Cal. I have many old connections that may be able to supply information, give us some direction. But it may take time and I know that’s not what you want to hear. I think your sister’s kidnappers will contact you–’

  ‘When? And how?’ I cut him short. ‘It’s not like I can sit at home, waiting by the phone, or waiting for the doorbell to ring–I’m pretty much unreachable.’

  ‘They’ll find a way. They always do.’

  ‘And how do you know that’s what they’ll do anyway?’

  ‘You must have something they want, even if you don’t realise what it is yet. I don’t believe they’ll harm your sister. She’s more valuable to them alive.’

  ‘Man, I hope that’s true.’

  ‘But first, I need to know what’s going on, and the reasons why you’re being chased. I understand why the cops are after you, but I’ve heard on the street that a very big crim is on your tail, too. I have to wonder why that is.’

  ‘Mr Sharkey–Nelson–it’s a very long story.’

  Sharkey stood up and threw another ladle full of water onto the hot coals. More steam spread into the sticky air. ‘Well, Cal, you’d best get started on it then.’

  My story had become such a long saga. Telling the condensed version took me long enough.

  I skimmed over most of the details–intentionally omitting Boges and Winter, for starters–and told him how Dad died before he could explain his life-changing discovery to me, that our house was broken into, how I was mistakenly blamed
for the attacks on Rafe and Gabbi. And then how everything spiralled out of control, forcing me to dodge at least two big crims and their crews who’ve been hunting me down like savage, relentless dogs in an effort to solve the Ormond Singularity and take me out of the picture.

  ‘Without my help though,’ I explained, ‘the things they’ve stolen from me are almost useless,’ I said, hoping I was right. ‘You need to know how to interpret them. I’m sure I know more than they do. I’ve decoded clues in Dad’s drawings, found links between the Riddle and the Jewel … Maybe I can use that as bargaining power when it comes to getting Gabbi back–I’ll offer myself and the information I have as a swap. I’m the person they’re really after.’

  Sharkey shook his head. ‘I’m afraid you’re getting ahead of yourself, Cal. We don’t even know who has your sister. Yet,’ he added. He must have seen the pained look on my face–it wasn’t from the intense heat of the sauna. ‘They haven’t made contact. Yet,’ he added again. ‘But when they do, how do you know they’ll honour their end of the bargain? They could end up with the two of you, instead of just one. You need an exit strategy. Set it up to make it look like you’re offering yourself in exchange, but know that it will end with both of you free and unharmed.’

  I nodded my head, hoping I’d have the chance to use a strategy.

  ‘What’s your theory?’ asked Sharkey. ‘Who do you think is holding your sister?’

  ‘At first I thought Oriana had kidnapped Gabbi, but I’m not so sure now. She was behind that meeting with Rathbone that cost me the Jewel and the Riddle, and almost my life. As far as she knows she has everything from me, so what would she need Gabbi for? There’s nothing she needs to trade for. And one of the guys who works for her, Kelvin, came after me at the Armitage District hospital, and by “came after me”, I mean he was there to finish off the job. He wasn’t there to negotiate a deal with me.’

  ‘So you’re thinking Sligo now? It could be someone completely from left field,’ suggested Sharkey. ‘You need to allow all possibilities.’

  I shrugged. I needed somewhere to begin. ‘Sligo probably doesn’t know that the Jewel and the Riddle are in Oriana’s clutches. He probably thinks he can bribe them out of me in exchange for Gab.’

  ‘Vulkan Sligo is one of the most powerful criminals in the city. He’s been a thorn in the side of the system for a very long time. Are you sure you know what you’re up against?’

  ‘You don’t have to tell me. But whether it’s Sligo or de la Force, I have to find a way to contact them. I need a contact in the underworld. Someone who knows what’s going on, someone to act as a go-between.’

  Nelson Sharkey nodded. ‘You sure do need to know what you’re doing when you’re arranging contact with Sligo. You can get yourself tortured and killed by asking questions about someone like him. The underworld is a dangerous place. You need someone who knows how to navigate those waters. How to avoid the sharks and the hidden reefs.’

  I knew all about sharks.

  ‘Right,’ I said.

  ‘The problem with using a go-between is that because you’re dealing with criminals, you’re never quite sure whether you can trust them or not.’

  ‘I don’t think I have much choice.’ The reality of Gabbi’s kidnapping was a crushing weight in my mind, never absent.

  The ex-detective looked past me as if he was thinking hard, and his shrewd eyes narrowed. ‘I guess you don’t. This is a nasty situation. Kidnap is a particularly ugly crime. I’ll do what I can. You’ll need an alias. How about Mouse? Mouse, from Armitage. You’re sort of small, preyed on by many, and always running about in the dark. Give me your phone number and leave it with me.’

  I’m not that small, I thought to myself.

  ‘Mouse will be fine,’ I said. ‘I don’t have a phone right now, but I’ll be getting one soon. I’ll call you with the details when I can. Thanks,’ I said, holding out my hand.

  The ex-detective shook it, and smiled, although I wasn’t sure if the smile reached his eyes. His weather-beaten face didn’t give much away, but I could tell he was intensely committed to my case.

  He stood up and stretched. ‘OK, let’s get out of here before we’re cooked.’

  I hurried along the street, still sweaty and hot from the sauna, deep in thought about Gabbi. As I took a hard left-hand turn, I looked up then stopped dead in my tracks.

  I’d sprung a guy spray-painting a tag on the run-down wall of a corner shop. He sensed me there, and then tossed the can and vanished around the corner.

  It was the ‘No Psycho’ tagger!

  I ran after him, but he disappeared in the maze of alleys.

  The paint glistened, still wet. I wanted to know what it meant. It had followed me around the city ever since I first saw it in the stormwater drains.

  I knocked and waited for Winter to open the door of her flat.

  It was late. After meeting Sharkey I went by Oriana’s place and scoped it out for a while, to suss out whether anything unusual was happening there. I watched the place closely for a couple of hours but it remained empty the whole time.

  I knocked again. She had said she was going to be home, but I couldn’t see any lights on inside. Maybe she had to duck out for something.

  The lock on the door finally twisted, but then it swung open slowly, like it was moving of its own accord.

  ‘Hello?’ I asked. ‘Winter?’

  Cautiously I stepped into the flat.

  ‘Surprise!’ Winter and Boges both jumped out from behind the couch!

  ‘Happy belated birthday!’ Winter added, revealing an awesome-looking chocolate cake with sixteen candles on top of it.

  I grabbed Boges around the shoulders. ‘You both nearly gave me a heart attack! Nice hats!’ I added, noticing the sparkly party hats they were both wearing. Once I’d caught my breath I realised that the place smelled delicious, and Winter’s table was covered in good stuff–lollies, chips, slices and cupcakes!

  Boges cleared his throat and in a deep voice started singing ‘Happy Birthday’. Winter was quick to join in and add the higher notes.

  ‘Go on, Cal’ said Winter. ‘Make a wish and blow out the candles!’

  I stared into the glow on the cake and smiled. It sure wasn’t a happy birthday–I was so worried about Gabbi–but having my friends on my side, and a powerful ally like Nelson Sharkey, gave me the boost I needed to know we’d get through it OK.

  I blew the candles out and my friends came over and hugged me.

  ‘That’s for Gabbi,’ said Winter when she saw me looking at a thick, pink candle that was burning on the desk near the photos of her parents. ‘That’s her candle. I’m going to keep it burning, whenever I’m here, until we bring her home.’

  Inside me, the small light of hope in my mind grew, until it shone like sunlight on a murky pond.

  ‘Thanks guys,’ I said, and plunged the knife into the cake.

  ‘We’re a bit late!’ said Winter. ‘We planned on doing this after your meeting with Rathbone, but we all know how that didn’t quite go to plan. Anyway, you should open your present,’ said Winter, pulling out a small box tied with a bow. ‘It’s from both of us.’

  Boges sawed off huge chunks of chocolate cake, while I opened my card and present.

  ‘This is unreal, thanks you guys!’ I stared in awe at what I had been given–a new mobile. It was similar to the one I’d just lost, but a newer version.

  ‘I’ve already set it up for you,’ said Boges. ‘The number’s written on the back of your card. I’ve done what I can to make sure you can’t be tracked on this one, but it’s hard to know for sure when technology’s always changing. I don’t fancy setting another phone up for you again, so do me a favour and try to hold onto this one, will you?’

  ‘And now for present number two,’ announced Boges as we demolished the cake. He lifted a bulging backpack out from behind the couch. ‘What do we have here?’ he said to himself. He unzipped the bag. ‘Ooh, some new clothes!’

&n
bsp; Out came a pair of jeans, some T-shirts and hats, and a new hoodie. Boges pulled one thing out after another, flourishing them like a stage magician pulling rabbits out of a hat. He waved them around before tossing them to me.

  ‘Here’s your new backpack,’ he said, sliding the now-empty bag over to me with a kick of his foot. ‘Like I said about the phone, try to hold onto these this time.’

  ‘One final thing,’ said Winter, looking at me sheepishly.

  ‘What is it?’ I asked. The curious look on Boges’s face matched my own. Clearly he had no idea what she was about to reveal either.

  She stood up and twisted on the spot, seeming unsure about whether she wanted to follow through with handing over her gift or not.

  ‘Come on,’ said Boges. ‘We’re late enough with his birthday as it is.’

  ‘OK, but please don’t get angry at me,’ she begged. ‘Promise you won’t get angry?’

  ‘Winter, what are you talking about?’ I asked.

  ‘Promise?’

  ‘Fine, just out with it already!’

  Winter opened a drawer in her kitchen and pulled out a familiar handful of folded papers. She walked over to me slowly, and placed them in my hands, all the time staring into my eyes as if she was afraid of how I was going to react.

  Confused, I removed the rubber band around them and unfolded them. A memory stick fell out from in between some of the papers.

  ‘The drawings?’ asked Boges, taking the words right out of my mouth. ‘The memory stick! And the transparency!’

  ‘And the letters!’ said Winter, excitedly, before turning to me very seriously again. ‘Remember you said you wouldn’t get angry at me.’

  ‘You’d better start talking and explain this, fast,’ I told her.

  ‘I can do that,’ she agreed, nodding to both of us. ‘OK. So on the night that we went with you to Temperance Lane, and we were waiting outside before you went in … I was thinking about how dangerous the situation was and how I didn’t want you to risk losing everything. I knew you had to take the Jewel and the Riddle, but no-one ever said anything about the drawings or the transparency or the letters that you’d collected and worked on for months.’