She sailed past her sister with a cheerful, “Go sit down, I’ll bring coffee. If anyone else asks for crepes, the kitchen’s now closed.” Looking back over her shoulder, she called “Another one for you too, Trev?”
He nodded, but his eyes went back to the backpacker.
Viv sank into the seat vacated by Lissa. “I’d love to sit down for a while. We’ve been on the run all day, and if you look outside, you’ll see the tennis club ladies are about to take refuge from the rain in here too.” She smiled at him ruefully. “I might have to jump up and help Lissa. Will you stay anyway?”
“Sure,” he said. “Just give me a newspaper to read and I’m cool.”
His day had just improved a hundredfold.
His eyes went again to the backpacker. Something just didn’t feel right—especially when the kid shoveled down the crepe like he had twenty seconds to eat it, tossed down his coffee and bounded out of the door, elbowing his way past the ladies from the tennis club.
He went straight back across the road and into Jim Beggs’ cafe.
Why hadn’t he eaten his lunch over there?
Trev frowned. On impulse, he stood up. “Just a second, Viv. There’s something I want to check out.”
23
Team Meeting
There were five of them gathered in the caravan: Georgie, Scott, Lissa, Viv and Trevor Chaffey. All five felt charged: things were coming to a head. Trev kept casting little looks at each one of them, as if he wasn’t quite sure what he was doing there.
Georgie felt nerves getting the better of her. She didn’t understand enough about what was going on, and she still didn’t know who, precisely, was responsible for everything that had happened to Scott’s sisters, although she had her suspicions.
They waited silently while Scott listened to his brother and scribbled on a pad of paper next to his elbow. “Uh huh,” he muttered. “How many investment properties? You’re kidding. Okay. Birthdays?” He paused, nodding and listening, and looked at Georgie. “Sent an email. Right.”
Georgie reached for her tablet and called up her email, and studied the document that Bluey had sent through. She passed it around so that the others could take a look too.
Finally, Scott hung up. His eyes were serious as he looked at Georgie. “Get this. From what Bluey has been able to find out, Jim Beggs is worth somewhere between one point five and two million. It could well be more than that, judging from the way he’s been able to hide most of it.”
Georgie’s mouth opened in shock. “That much. Well, he’s certainly hiding it from Maureen.”
“There’s more,” Scott went on. “Ron Foley has played the same sort of games with his ex, Linda. She’s much better off than Maureen Beggs, but she probably only knows a fraction of what Ron is worth. And both Jim and Ron are in deep with Stan Lambert and the local dentist, Stephen Patterson.”
“It’s pretty obvious that the four of them are tied in to whatever is been happening with you two,” Georgie said to Scott’s sisters. “But how we can prove anything, I wouldn’t have a clue. Nor do we know what else they might have planned. And who? Are they all in it, or just one? Or two?”
Trevor glanced at Viv, and then the others. “At least we’re not working in the dark now. Well, not totally.”
“Largely thanks to you,” Viv said, looking at him gratefully. “Those tennis women were about to sit down right where that horrible kid dropped the mouse pellets. There were so many of them… another health violation would have ruined us.”
Trevor made a face. “I still wish you’d let me go over there to sort Beggs out.”
“It wouldn’t have achieved anything,” Viv said, her tone dispirited. “Jim would never admit to it, and even if the kid looked shifty enough for you to wonder what he was up to, you didn’t actually see him drop anything on the floor.”
Lissa sent Trevor a grateful look. “Quick thinking, to blame the mud on your boots.”
An unwilling laugh broke from Viv. “I can still picture it, Trev standing there, scraping all the mouse pellets into a heap under his feet, with the tennis club ladies tut-tutting at him because he hadn’t wiped his boots before coming in.”
“Anyway,” Georgie pointed out, “Now we have the advantage. We know that Jim Beggs is implicated in all of this. We just have to figure out if it’s only him, or if the rest of his little crew are involved as well.”
“And we don’t know why they’re targeting us,” Lissa added. “Is it because we’re a threat to other businesses, or because he wants us out of the building?” She shook her head in impatience. “I’m sure it’s simple, in the end.”
Outside, thunder rolled again and the rain pelted down. Georgie’s eyes met Scott’s, and she knew that he too was thinking of Louise’s warning about water damage.
Scott checked his watch. “Maureen will be here for her reading in about fifteen minutes, so let’s wrap it up. Georgie, see what else you can get out of her. We want to know if she is involved in any way, or if she has some knowledge of what Jim has been up to.”
Georgie nodded, praying that Maureen had nothing to do with it.
“Trev and I have both been up to check the roof of the cafe, inside and out. As far as we can see it’s waterproof, right Trev?”
Trevor nodded. “Ditto for your house. Shouldn’t be any concerns about water damage there.”
“Moving on to the possibility of another break-in…” Scott picked up the tablet to have a look at the email that Bluey had sent. “Ron Foley is the only one of the four who has been in real trouble for dodgy business practices, so he has to be a suspect. On the other hand, Stan Lambert would probably have a key. We’ve seen no signs of forced entry. Jim’s got to be a possibility, given his behavior today. The dentist?” He shrugged. “Can’t find much on him, apart from the fact that he’s in a lot of the consortiums that they’ve set up. Can’t rule anyone out, but he’s probably the least likely.”
Georgie cut in. “We agree we’ve pretty much ruled out Amber and Shane?” She addressed Trevor, since he was the one still a bit puzzled by it all. “We thought Amber might have been the one to drop the cockroaches, but after seeing the backpacker at work this afternoon, it looks like it’s Jim. Getting transients to do his dirty work.”
“And we’re guessing that last backpacker they had is responsible for the cockroaches,” Viv said, a touch of bitterness in her voice. “He’s long gone.”
“Stan Lambert is also known for something else,” Scott said. “Bluey found a few references online from people who have been persuaded to sell for well below market value, only to find that he swoops in and makes a killing. Apparently keeps his nose clean, but associates with others who don’t mind a dirty trick or two.”
He didn’t have to say it, but they all knew who he meant – Jim Beggs and Ron Foley.
“A couple more things,” Scott said, checking his watch again. “Trev and I are going to be watching the cafe tonight. In case they’re watching to see if we go in, we’re going to be stationed in the backyard of Linda’s shop next door, keeping an eye on things. There’s a gate between the two properties, so we can move in quickly if we need to. We can park the LandCruiser there, too, off the street.”
“You’re going to be drenched,” Georgie said, listening to the rain drumming against the roof of the caravan.
“We’ll live.” Scott grinned at her. “Final thing: we’ve got a few matches for the birthdays that my mother saw when she read the cards.” He cast a humorous look at Trev. “All this might sound a bit weird to you, Trev, but the rest of us are used to taking notice of what my mother turns up. She saw two women of significance – one was Aries, the other Taurus. That fits with Maureen and her mother, Vi, who died a few months back. Georgie’s got a reading with Maureen tonight, so we’re thinking she’ll find out more there. The other two… “He exchanged a glance with Georgie. “The other two birthdays match the birthdates of Jim Beggs and Ron Foley.”
There was silence for a moment, and Trevor looked a
bit stunned, before he shrugged and nodded.
“That’s about it for now,” Georgie said. “Sorry, guys, I’m going to have to kick you all out and go up to the gate to meet Maureen—if she turns up in this weather.”
They all stood up and started pulling on raincoats and grabbing umbrellas.
Georgie shook her head at Scott as he prepared to go off with Trevor. “This Australian weather. Bushfires one week, storms the next. You really like to challenge a girl, don’t you?”
“Just testing you,” he said he said, dropping a kiss on her nose. “Can’t be a girly girl to survive in the outback. This is just a taster.”
With that, they all slogged up to the gate, holding umbrellas up against the rain, where the rest of them dispersed to their cars just as Maureen pulled up.
Georgie took a deep breath. How was she supposed to break the news that her husband was worth millions?
Subtly, that’s how. Just a hint for Maureen to follow up.
24
Maureen’s Reading
Georgie and Maureen ran from the visitor’s car park back to the caravan, exchanging rueful grins as the rain set in to a steady rhythm.
“I wasn’t sure whether you’d come,” Georgie admitted as they tumbled through the door.
“And I wasn’t sure whether you’d want to go ahead with it.”
“Scott couldn’t stay,” Georgie told her, handing her a towel to dry off. “He already had another appointment—but you can come back tomorrow for a card reading, if you like.”
“I might do that.” Maureen looked around her admiringly. “This is lovely. What fun, to travel around Australia in this!”
“I’m looking forward to it,” Georgie admitted. She kind of hoped the rest of her trip was a little less exciting than the first month, but she wasn’t about to tell Maureen that.
Maureen’s gaze fell on the quilt, which Georgie had replaced on the bed. “Oh, your quilt! It looks perfect there, doesn’t it?”
“It does. And when I go back to the States, I’ll have my Australian quilt to remind me of my adventures here.”
Georgie gestured to the dinette with the crystal ball on the table. “Take a seat. Would you like a hot drink?”
“No, thanks, I’m not cold. Just a bit damp.” Maureen sat opposite the crystal ball, her eyes riveted to the shining crystal globe. Georgie already had her LED candle flickering on a little corner shelf, so she flicked off the main light before sitting down.
Immediately, the caravan became cozier, more intimate.
Maureen, unlike many of Georgie’s customers, wasn’t a bit intimidated by it all. Rather, her eyes were bright with anticipation. “I love this kind of thing. The woman who does the tarot cards at the market is really good; I always go to her for a reading. I can’t wait to see what comes out of this.”
Privately, Georgie thought that the tarot card reader couldn’t have been all that good, since Maureen didn’t appear to have any idea of the extent of her husband’s perfidy.
“I usually start by asking whether there’s anything you’d like to know,” Georgie told her. She ran her fingertips over the crystal ball, and waited. “You can ask out loud, or you can just hold the question in your mind.”
“Oh.” Maureen bit her lip while she thought. “It would be kind of nice to be surprised. How about you just tell me what you see, and then I can ask questions later?” She put her fingers to her forehead and closed her eyes tight. “Okay, I’m thinking of a question.”
Georgie almost laughed at Maureen’s obvious effort to concentrate, but choked it back and focused on the crystal ball instead.
She blinked. Right away, a furious grey mist was arising from the depths, swirling angrily.
Wow. It was rare to get such a swift, almost violent reaction.
She tried to relax, to let the messages appear as they would, but it was one of those readings where no images appeared at all.
No audio, no words, either.
Just information, flooding into her mind.
Georgie took several deep breaths against the onslaught.
Maureen seriously disliked her husband, that was clear. Georgie wouldn’t go so far as to say Maureen hated him, but she wanted to change things. To get away from him, as far as possible.
Keeping one hand on the crystal ball, Georgie rested her forehead on the other, letting the impressions flow.
Maureen had had a tough time of it recently. She could feel the other woman’s compassion as she nursed her dying mother; could feel that mother’s anger channeled through Maureen. Her mother had never liked Jim Beggs, that was clear. And Georgie was sensing some kind of trickery there, too.
No, not trickery. It was more like her mother had been…twisting things.
Twisting things? Setting something up? Georgie concentrated harder, and then got an impression of an austere office, and people in formal suits. Lawyers? Solicitors?
Oh. Suddenly, she understood, with perfect clarity.
Maureen’s mother’s will. Her mother didn’t like Jim Beggs. She had structured her will in a way to ensure that Jim Beggs wouldn’t get his hands on her money.
“Georgie?” Maureen’s hesitant voice sounded as though it was coming from a distance. “Uh…do you want me to ask a question now?”
Georgie came back to earth with a thump, opening her eyes to find Maureen staring at her. “Sure. If you like.”
Maureen darted a glance at the crystal ball, still filled with mist the color of licorice. “Does it always go black and smoky like that?”
“Sometimes.” Hardly ever, Georgie thought. Not that dark.
Suddenly, Maureen spoke, her voice shaky. “What would happen if I divorced Jim? Would he be able to take everything away from me? We’ve got our house, and a little duplex over near the mall, and the cafe…but he says there’s a lot of debt still on the duplex and the house. He had to re-mortgage the house for a deposit on the duplex. Would I have enough money to live after he pays everything off?”
Georgie reached over and took her hand. “He can’t take it all. Divorce doesn’t work that way, Maureen. How long have you been helping Jim? Working in the shop, building up the business?”
Maureen’s mouth twisted. “Too long. Nearly a lifetime.”
“Then you helped to create everything you own, and you’re entitled to a fair share.” Georgie squeezed Maureen’s cold fingers. “And I have a sense that your mother wanted to protect you, didn’t she? She’s tied up her money somehow so Jim can’t get to it?”
Maureen’s mouth fell open as she stared at Georgie in shock, and then at the crystal ball. “Is that what you just saw?”
“Yes.” Georgie nodded, holding her gaze. “Felt it, more than saw it. I’m sometimes wrong, though. Tell me if I’m wrong.”
After a pause, Maureen shook her head. “You’re not…goodness, I can’t believe you knew that. How could you see that? That’s exactly what she did.”
Georgie already felt drained, and they’d barely started. Somehow she felt that Jim’s negative energy was hovering around them both. “What else would you like to know?”
Maureen’s gaze dropped to the table, and she played with her watch. “I…well…can you see whether Viv and Lissa will be all right?”
Instantly, Georgie’s attention sharpened. Why would Maureen ask that?
Perhaps she had been involved in some way with the girls’ bad luck.
“I think so,” she said slowly, feeling her way. “To be quite honest, they don’t feel that everything that has happened to them is an accident. Why do you ask?”
Maureen swallowed, and looked miserable. “Because it’s partly our fault. It was Jim who reported them about all the tables on the footpath, on Melbourne Cup day last year. I heard him call Stan Lambert, and then he phoned them, and it made all their customers cranky. Everyone was talking about it. I feel really bad. I should have stopped him.”
Relieved, Georgie breathed again. “But if it wasn’t you who reported them, y
ou weren’t to blame.”
“I should have stood up to him. Not just about that, about a lot of things.” She sighed heavily. “I’m doing it now, I’m just starting to, but I wish I’d said something when he did that. It wasn’t a nice thing to do.”
“It’s not your fault,” Georgie repeated. Then, softly, she said, “Is that all he’s done?”
“No,” she said, looking even more woebegone. “When Irene came over after she saw the cockroaches, all huffing and puffing and saying how disgraceful it was, he told her she should report them. She might not have thought of it if it wasn’t for him.”
Georgie looked at her. Should she take it any further?
“Still,” she said, “it was Irene who did that, not you. Perhaps Jim bears some of the responsibility, but unless he actually walked over and let them loose, it wasn’t his fault either, I suppose.”
She held her breath.
“I guess you’re right,” Maureen said. “We all know how hard it is to keep on top of cockroaches. I just thought they were unlucky, having a few scuttle around at the wrong time. I was a bit mad at Irene for doing that.”
Georgie relaxed. Thank goodness. She really hadn’t wanted Maureen to be involved in all this. She decided not to tell her about today’s incident with Anton and the mouse droppings. Maureen had enough to cope with right now.
The other woman was still sitting there with a faraway look on her face. Looking…almost defeated. Georgie could hardly begin to know what it must be like for her.
Making a decision, she drew the crystal ball toward her. “There’s just one more thing, Maureen…from what you’ve told me, it doesn’t really make sense, but I’ll share it with you anyway.”
The other woman looked up, puzzled.
“About Jim…I just have the strongest feeling that he might be a little better off than he’s admitting.” Like nearly two million better off. “I could be mistaken.”
“Really?” Maureen frowned, looking skeptical, as her eyes searched Georgie’s face.
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