Nick shook his head. ‘He’s alive, thanks to you. Send him round to see me if he’s got a problem. Boards can be re-glassed. Lives aren’t that easy to replace.’ His voice was rough. Too much emotion for a surfing accident. ‘Go on, off you go. Do what Ellie says. We’ll be in touch.’
The sharp glance Ellie shot at him went unnoticed. Footsteps on the sand behind them made her spin around. ‘Hey, guys, you made good time,’ she said to the two paramedics.
‘Yeah, we try, Ellie.’ The older one was already pulling on protective gloves. ‘Good meeting on Friday.’
The younger man smiled. ‘Yeah. If we’re not called out to another job, we’ll be at the town hall later this morning.’
Nick snorted in disbelief. ‘Guys, glad you have faith in my repair work, but do you think one of you could check the lad out?’
Two frosty pairs of eyes swung around to glare at him. ‘Thanks.’ The older man pursed his lips. ‘Good to see you can be of help somewhere, but we’ll look after him now.’
‘Right.’ Nick gathered up the first-aid kit in silence before he stalked off to his car.
‘Arsehole,’ the younger paramedic muttered.
‘Guys, he did do a great job,’ Ellie ventured.
‘What is he, a boy-scout leader or something?’
Once they’d loaded Max into the back of the ambulance, Ellie wandered back down the beach to pick up his board and her own. She cast a speculative eye up at the LandCruiser. She could see Nicholas talking animatedly on his mobile phone. For a moment there on the water he’d been almost human. Shame about the gun. A memory niggled but she couldn’t quite grasp it. She shook her head. It will come eventually.
She struggled to pick up the two boards, then trudged up the beach. Maybe she could hitch a quick lift back . . . Two boards were a tad awkward.
‘Ellie, I’ll drive you home. Hop in.’ Nicholas was standing by the open passenger door. ‘Boards will fit in the back.’
Gratefully, she nodded. She couldn’t afford to be late. ‘Thanks.’
‘No trouble.’ He loaded the boards and slammed the door. ‘Will lover boy have breakfast waiting for you, or can I buy you some in town?’
Ellie bristled. ‘Look, it’s none of your business what I do in my private life so I don’t know why you keep digging.’
‘I got the distinct impression I was being warned off by your boyfriend on Friday. So who’s telling the truth? I don’t poach on other people’s turf, so . . .?’
‘Alex is not my boyfriend, but let me be clear I’m not in the market either.’ She hesitated fractionally. ‘And no offence, but especially not to you. Never.’
He shrugged. ‘Never say never, Ellie. You can’t deny there’s an attraction here.’
She scoffed. ‘I can and will deny it.’
He shot a mocking look at her, disbelief stamped on his rugged features.
The car bumped along and she sat in silence, looking out the window towards the ancient trees that towered over the proposed development site. She couldn’t help niggling at him again. ‘So how long have you been a civil engineer, Mr Lawson?’
‘Back to that, are we? What happened to Nick?’
‘Just for once, answer the question. How long, what’s your specialty?’
He looked puzzled. ‘Consulting engineer is a diverse job. I do everything from supervising the surveying of the site to overseeing the groundwork and infrastructure, to checking on the stormwater run-off; a multitude of different roles. I graduated ten years ago.’ He looked quizzically at her.
‘Right. But that’s not what you’re actually doing here.’
‘I don’t follow you, Ellie. What are you trying to say?’
She shrugged, ticking the points off on her fingers. ‘I know and you know that you are paying for O’Sullivan’s re-election campaign. You’re registered as an engineer, but no one’s seen you do anything remotely like getting your hands dirty. Instead, you’ve worked very hard to charm everyone in a fifty-kilometre radius of the Bay. You carry around a first-aid kit that makes an ambulance look under-resourced and you’re way too proficient at fixing up injuries. You walk like there’s trouble round every corner. And . . .’ She paused, deciding against mentioning the gun. ‘I don’t believe you are what you say you are. I think you’re lying about your true motives. I will work it out if you won’t tell me and if you’re into something more illegal than bribing O’Sullivan, I will find it.’ Her chin was up, daring him to deny the accusations.
The look of exasperated anger he shot across at her sent a clear message. He was not a man to be insulted lightly. She didn’t care. The gun worried her. By now they’d reached her front gate and she jumped down from the four-wheel drive without giving him a chance to reply.
He met her at the rear door, dark eyebrows drawn together and the look in his eyes bleak. ‘I honestly thought I helped somebody this morning. I don’t expect to be treated like a hero, but I also don’t expect to be treated like some sort of criminal and accused of having connections with the underworld. I’m sorry if you don’t like my job, but that job is not who I am. It is possible to separate the two, you know. Good journalists do it all the time.’
She raised an eyebrow at him, refusing to bite as he raked her up and down with a hard stare. Anger radiated from him, blazing in his eyes.
‘Maybe I’m wrong about you after all,’ he continued. ‘Maybe you are just a troublemaker, using whatever means required. Enjoy your mate Alex, but don’t believe everything he tells you either. Friends and family aren’t always the people we want them to be.’ He slammed the door, gunned the engine and accelerated away in a shower of loose gravel.
His temper left Ellie breathless. She felt as though she was walking on the edge of a precipice. One minute, she was drawn to his magnetism and the next, defensive at his arrogance. Which one was the real Nicholas Lawson?
Nick swung the car through the bends on the coastal road, tyres squealing. He’d let her get under his skin and under his guard. He should have known she’d sense any inconsistencies.
What else could he do? Ellie wasn’t going to forgive him easily when she realised he’d been lying through his teeth. And what role did Alex really have in all this? The man’s attitude had turned prickly, defensive at the public rally, and Nick didn’t think it was all about testosterone. It was highly unlikely Alex had tracked down any compromising information on him, but a well-connected journalist could never be overlooked as a threat. As long as Alex believed he managed Lawson Engineering, a family-owned civil engineering firm, and worked as a consultant for the developers, he still had a cover to finish the job. His service record was available with the right contacts, but nothing other than his hasty resignation was noteworthy.
Maybe it was time to find out exactly what Miss Ellie knew and what she was guessing. Lunch maybe? Or dinner? Playing with fire, he acknowledged, but then risk-taking was what he’d done for his entire career.
Combat engineers calculated the odds of a burnt-out wreck being an improvised explosive device or just a relic of war. They made educated guesses about the motives of a speeding car heading towards a checkpoint. In war, they made split-second decisions, using everything they’d ever learnt to keep themselves and their fellow soldiers safe.
Calculated risk-taking was what made his adrenalin run. Surely dinner with Eleanor Wilding couldn’t be any more dangerous than life in Afghanistan?
16
Alex heard Ellie’s footsteps up the short back stairs and cocked his head. Too heavy. Something was up. A moment later, what sounded like a surfboard clattered against the back wall and Ellie swore. Definitely not having a good morning. He got to his feet and pressed the automatic coffee machine on. Caffeine always made the world brighter.
‘Hey, babe, coffee, toast?’ he called out.
‘You’re awake? Coffee. Thanks.’
She came into the kitchen peeling her wetsuit down to her waist. He couldn’t stop the quick appreciative whistle. Lugging c
ameras gave the lady great muscle tone and the one-piece swimsuit hid nothing.
She pulled a face. ‘Alex.’
He grinned. ‘Eleanor.’
‘Don’t. No one calls me that any more. What time did you get up?’
‘Half an hour ago. Went to the village for a paper. They only had yesterday’s.’
‘Takes time for news to travel this far. Get it online.’ She came and stood beside him as he poured milk into the mug.
‘Yeah, but I’ll always love the smell of newspaper and ink. I’m an old-fashioned journalist.’
‘You’re a child of the internet revolution, buddy. You’re only ten years older than me.’
‘I’m not. Eight, but who’s counting?’
‘I am. Besides, everything we did at uni was on computers.’
The arrow of dismay settled in the pit of his stomach. She kept brushing him off and it hurt like hell. At least there was no one else.
‘Yeah, but I’m a throwback to the great journalists. Malcolm Brown and his ilk.’
Ellie snorted. ‘And Clark Kent as well, huh?’
He handed over the coffee, holding it a moment to make her look at him. ‘Only if you’ll be my Lois.’
‘Oh, Alex, give it a rest. I’ve had enough bullshit this morning to last all week.’
‘What have I done now?’
She sighed, her shoulders slumping. ‘Nothing. I ran into Lawson in the surf. I’m sure there’s something else going on. I found a gun in the back of his car.’
‘A gun? What the bloody hell were you doing in the back of his car?’ Alex was waiting for a call back from his contact in Defence. This made getting an answer even more urgent.
‘Long story, but I was looking for a first-aid kit and found the gun in a holster. I think it was an ankle holster so that would make it a concealed firearm.’
‘Shit. What did he say?’
‘I didn’t tell him, but I did accuse him of being into something illegal on the drive home.’
‘Drive home?’
‘I couldn’t afford to be late this morning.’
‘No, of course not.’ None of this was making any sense, but Ellie didn’t look in the mood for questions either. ‘Fill me in over breakfast? Bacon and eggs?’
She shook her head, looking weary. ‘I’ll see how much time I have after a shower.’
He turned a slow three-sixty in the small kitchen after she’d walked out, looking up at the ceiling. Lawson had a concealable gun. That wasn’t in itself a crime, but who carried weapons in Australia? Being ex-military made it slightly more likely, but he’d still need a permit and a reason. And if he didn’t, then it was illegal and that was a whole new ball game.
His phone beeped and he glanced at the screen. Text message from Sammie. Teisha with u??? Not answering her phone.
He typed a reply. No, she stayed in Sydney. Probably forgot to charge it.
The reply shot back. MayB . . . No show for brunch y2dy 2 . . .
Alex tapped the phone on his thigh. That was out of character and Teisha hadn’t answered any of his messages. He’d assumed she was sulking.
He dialled and the newsroom phone was picked up immediately.
‘Jan speaking.’
‘Hiya, it’s Alex.’
‘Mate, how are you? How’s the coast?’
‘Yeah, good. Can you put me through to Teisha? I keep being shunted to voicemail.’
‘Sorry, she’s not showed up for work today either. The boss is pissed.’
‘Really.’ Alex sat down. ‘She didn’t ring in?’
‘Nope.’
‘Shit. I hope she’s all right. I’ll be home later, but can you send someone to stop by her place and mine? I haven’t heard from her all weekend.’
‘Sure. I’ll swing past on the way to a job this morning. What about her mobile?’
‘Everything’s going to voicemail.’
‘Okay. She’s probably lost her phone.’ Jan’s voice did nothing to reassure him.
‘Right.’
He hung up and ran his hand around his throat. What the fuck was going on? He logged his computer onto Facebook and checked Teisha’s status. Nothing since a photo of her and Sammie was posted on Friday night.
‘Who’s that?’ Ellie leant over his shoulder, tugging a comb through her hair. ‘Looks like a wild night.’
He closed the browser. ‘A colleague who’s failed to show up for work two days in a row.’
‘So why are you checking?’
‘The paper rang me to see if I knew where she was.’ He got to his feet to carry his mug to the sink. ‘Thought I might have brought her along on this trip.’
‘Right.’ Ellie’s inflection cut to the bone.
‘It’s not like that.’ He hated sounding defensive, but right now he was worried and his guard was down.
‘Alex, someone told me you had a girlfriend called Teisha and that she’d moved in with you. Can’t be too many Teishas on your Facebook friends’ list.’
‘It’s over, Ellie. It should never have started. I was drunk, she was available and I’m an idiot.’
‘No need to explain to me.’ She touched his shoulder. ‘Does she know it’s over? Is that what her disappearance is about? Could she be . . .?’
‘Suicidal?’ he supplied with a shake of denial. ‘No, she’s got too much life in her for that. She might suspect I’m leaving, but I was waiting until I got back from here.’ He knew he sounded miserable, but the words came out of their own accord.
‘Oh, Alex.’ He saw the recognition and the distress in her face. ‘I’m sorry. Honestly, I thought you were just flirting with me, not serious. Is that why you’re here? Because of something between us, not the story at all?’
‘I’m not that pathetic. The story has potential, but when you called, I thought . . . I hoped . . .’
‘I’m sorry.’ Ellie kept her distance now, arms folded across her chest. ‘I would never lead you on. I thought you and Nina were an item. You’ll always be a brother, Alex, part of my life with Nina, and that’s way more important than being a boyfriend. God knows the life expectancy of any relationship with me is about six months.’ Her laugh was brittle and her eyes were glassy.
‘I’m the one who should be sorry. I didn’t mean to put the hard word on you.’
‘It’s okay.’ She drained her coffee. ‘I’ve got to run, but we need to talk more. I couldn’t bear to lose you, Alex. I hope Teisha’s okay. See you at the council chambers later?’
He felt like howling as she left the room.
There. She’d said it. She simply wasn’t interested.
Half an hour later he was still brooding on the verandah when his phone rang. ‘Hello.’
‘Alex, it’s Jan. There’s a problem at your house. It’s been trashed. What do you want me to do?’
‘Fuckin’ hell!’
‘Do you want me to call the cops?’
‘Of course. Why wouldn’t I?’
‘There’s a message in lipstick on the fridge. “U R cheating on me”. I thought maybe it wasn’t a break-in at all.’
‘Fuck.’ He swore again and shot to his feet. ‘Are there any messages on my answering machine?’
‘Ah . . .’ He could hear her moving, sounded like she was walking over broken glass. ‘The light’s flashing. Do you want me to listen to it?’
‘Yes, of course.’ He knew his voice sounded odd.
‘Here. I’ll hold the phone down so you can hear it.’
According to the automated voice the first message had been received on Saturday morning at five a.m. Alex felt the hairs on the back of his neck go vertical as Teisha’s voice came down the line. ‘Alex? It’s me. What game are you playing? Alex, pick up the phone, you cheating tosser!’ There was a squeal, then the message ended. He heard Jan swearing.
The second message started to play, received Sunday morning, six a.m. ‘Hello Alex, it’s Lachlan. It’s time we talked. Teisha sends her love. I’ll be in touch.’ The man’s mild t
one, the deceptively gentle words, made bile rise up Alex’s throat.
‘Did you hear that, Alex? What’s Teisha doing? Who’s this Lachlan?’
‘Her new boyfriend, I think. Found him on her Facebook page.’ The lie came easily.
‘The cops are going to be interested in that. What was she thinking, trashing your place?’
‘I’ve no idea. Can you lock the front door or is it damaged?’
‘I’ll check.’ He heard her heels clicking on the floor. ‘The lock’s fine. What do you want me to do?’
‘Just pull the door closed. If Teisha’s gone on a rampage, I don’t want that being aired in public. I’ve been a bit of a prick. She probably guessed it was over between us.’
‘Shit, Alex, you certainly know how to screw up your private life. You sure you don’t want to report it to the police? This is serious.’
‘I’m positive. Shut the place up and I’ll be home this afternoon to sort it out. Can you do me a favour when you get back to work?’
‘Sure.’
‘There are a couple of USBs and a portable hard drive in my drawer. Put them somewhere safe, just in case Teisha turns up there.’
‘She bloody well better not try anything at work. I’ll have security haul her out. This is bullshit, Alex.’
‘I know. I’m sorry to involve you in it, Jan. Thank you. I’ll see you tomorrow in the office.’
He rang off and stood staring into space. Was Teisha being coerced or was she part of Lachlan’s team? Had she been playing him all along?
17
The walk through the council chambers did nothing to calm Ellie. Being in the building again brought a wave of irrational anger crashing down on her. She was sure Nicholas Lawson would be there today. She stopped as she entered the main chamber, took a deep breath and held it for a moment. Keep him in perspective. Concentrate on the presentation.
With her pulse slowing, she let out her breath and glanced about her with affection. As a primary school student she’d come to the council chambers to experience democracy at work. Enthralled by the sense of occasion, she’d been seriously disillusioned to discover politicians had appalling manners. When a councillor threw the first ball of screwed-up paper across the chamber, the class had twittered like starlings on the wire.
Half Moon Bay Page 11