Evidence of Love

by Elisabeth Rose

  He downed a slug of red wine then held her eye, the old calculating Ivan. ‘Mostly.’

  ‘Does Susanna know?’

  ‘What do you think?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘No.’ He smiled his oh-so-charming smile and stood up. ‘I’m teasing. It’s all legal nowadays.’

  ‘You’re a…’ She mouthed bastard so Petey wouldn’t repeat it.

  ‘But you won’t say a word, will you?’

  Lara followed him to the barbecue where he began fiddling with dials. Petey lay back on the cushions looking at his book. ‘Believe me, I don’t want anything to do with anything you do, Ivan. I’m only here today because by some stroke of fortune you managed to get a decent woman to fall in love with you.’

  ‘She is, isn’t she? Decent?’

  ‘Yes, she’s lovely. Don’t stuff it up.’

  ‘I’m trying not to.’

  ‘Did you need to buy such an extravagant place? Where did you say the money came from? Didn’t she ask questions?’

  ‘I told you. I sold property in Melbourne and I like nice things. I’m not living in a slum.’ His jaw tightened. ‘I don’t want my kids to grow up the way we did.’

  Not a slum exactly but not in a good area and money was always erratically available depending on the success of the wheeling and dealing. That was when they were small. After their father connected with Tony things took an upswing — or down, depending who you were.

  ‘But you’re using dirty money. I thought you were trying to change.’

  A hint of a smile. ‘There’s a transition phase.’ A calculating expression replaced the sly amusement. ‘What about you? You did very nicely out of your husband’s death. What are you living on while you raise your boy? Dirty money?’

  ‘The properties I sold were in my name. They were all legally bought and paid for and the bank accounts and investments were mine too. I didn’t take a penny of Tony’s filthy money.’

  ‘You couldn’t, most of that was seized by the state.’

  ‘That’s true.’ And she didn’t want any of it.

  ‘But everything you own came through him, Lara, legal or not, so don’t get too precious.’

  ‘He owed me,’ she spat. ‘I paid for everything I’ve got now with tears and pain and blood. I’m raising his child with that money. Petey is the only good thing to come out of that marriage. Tony was a monster and you know he was. You and Dad gave me to him. Or sold me.’

  Ivan stared at her. She swiped an angry tear away. The hardness left his features. ‘I’m sorry. What can I do to make it up to you?’

  So! Ivan didn’t know about Petey’s trust account. If he did he would’ve thrown it in her face just now.

  ‘Ivan, there’s something…’ Petey scampered along the deck to clutch her leg and peer up at his uncle. Some sixth sense must have warned him his mother was upset.

  She rested her hand on his soft curls. Ivan must understand it wasn’t just his sister he was dealing with now. He wanted the best for his unborn children, she wanted the best for her son.

  Chapter 16

  Petey gradually relaxed under the warmth of Susanna’s unrelenting attention. She sat with him and read his book, played with his car and generally indulged him. Lara leaned on the balcony rail and admired the view while Ivan turned steaks and sausages on his high-powered barbecue. How could she capture the way the air shimmered on the horizon with different blues merging in a haze of light? She hadn’t ever tried oil painting, only watercolour and pencil. Maybe she’d learn a whole new way of expression in the art classes.

  A dark smudge edged slowly along the line between sea and sky, far out from shore. A tanker or container ship heading off into the world. She could do that one day, when Petey was bigger. She could do whatever she liked for the first time in her life as long as she didn’t let other people shackle her with their expectations and demands. Lucas was dangerous but she’d lived with people like him most of her life. She had to stand and fight.

  But the cloud would hang over her as long as certain questions remained unanswered. Nick had done that. He’d made her face those things she’d rather not face. So had Ivan, just by being here in Sydney and wanting…what exactly? Could it be so innocent as a desire to re-establish family bonds? She had nothing else he’d want.

  ‘These have a very nice marinade,’ Ivan said. ‘Red wine, olive oil, herbs, garlic. Delicious.’

  Lara turned. ‘I can’t believe you’ve taken up cooking.’

  ‘Why?’

  She shook her head. ‘It’s so…domestic.’

  ‘Like I said, I’ve changed.’ He looked over to his wife, sitting cuddled with Petey on the coloured cushions.

  ‘Right.’

  Ivan flipped the sausages. ‘How’s Brooke? Any more problems?’

  ‘She seems okay. I hope that scumball doesn’t get away with it.’

  He nodded. ‘There’s something to be said for justice being done as opposed to the law.’ He met her startled eye.

  ‘Meaning?’

  ‘Nothing. Just that the law doesn’t always provide the correct and just result.’ He grinned. He ought to know. ‘A good lawyer can work wonders.’

  ‘Yes.’ His survival of the Tony empire implosion being a case in point. Lara glanced across at Susanna and Petey. Totally engrossed. No doubting the fact Susanna was itching to be a mother.

  ‘What did you want to ask me? You said there’s something. ’

  ‘Have you seen Lucas recently?’

  The barbecue fork stopped mid turn, a piece of steak dangling, dripping juice to spit and sizzle. ‘Lucas who? This is ready,’ he called to Susanna.

  ‘You know who,’ Lara hissed as the other two came towards them.

  ‘What makes you think I know anything about him?’ He busied himself with piling the meat onto a platter. Susanna twined her arm around his waist, sniffed appreciatively at the results of his cooking, deposited a quick kiss then disengaged herself.

  ‘Let’s sit down,’ she said, indicating the table.

  Susanna settled Petey on his chair with one of the big cushions to lift him to a comfortable height. The woman was clucky as could be, fussing about making sure he had the food he liked and a drink in a plastic mug he could hold easily. Lara caught her brother’s eye across the table and he smiled. She shook her head slightly and exhaled gently so Susanna wouldn’t notice. Was he lying?

  To her surprise she enjoyed the lunch. The view was magnificent, the weather ideal, Ivan’s cooking excellent and Susanna was innocently friendly and very anxious she and Lara become friends. Petey already liked his aunt and was less and less wary of his uncle as the meal continued. There weren’t many men in his life, it was natural he be overawed by someone so big and confident. Oddly enough he’d taken to Nick immediately. He’d offered him a red block on first meeting then dug beside him in the garden with great vigour. He ran after him to wash his hands. He wanted to be with Nick. So did Lara. She missed him suddenly with a pang of longing that almost took her breath away. But he wouldn’t fit at this table with this company. Not ever.

  Susanna must have hidden psychic talents because she suddenly asked, ‘Do you have a man in your life, Lara?’

  The hesitation was brief but just enough for a smile to spread across the eager face. ‘Tell.’

  Conscious of Ivan’s alert interest, she said, ‘We’re friends at the moment. Nothing else, really.’

  ‘But you’d like there to be,’ she prompted.

  ‘I haven’t had a very good time with men, I’m not in a rush to find another one.’ She paused. ‘My husband bashed me.’

  ‘Oh my goodness!’ Susanna turned to Ivan. ‘Did you know?’

  He gave a brief nod. ‘Not at first, but yes.’

  ‘And did you help her?’ She was aghast, eyes wide, mouth open.

  Lara waited for Ivan to fib his way out of this sticky little situation.

  ‘I’m ashamed to admit it but I didn’t. It’s difficult to intervene in som
ething like that.’

  Susanna’s tone changed dramatically. ‘No, it’s not! I see battered women at work. They need support from their friends and families and they need to know they don’t have to put up with that treatment. There are places they can go if they don’t have a refuge with someone they trust to protect them.’

  ‘Lara’s husband was my boss,’ Ivan offered in his own defence.

  ‘You should have changed jobs.’

  Lara stared at Ivan with a tight little smile stretching her lips. And how would he answer that one? No doubt he was beginning to regret inviting his sister into his home. He looked at her but she picked up her glass and drank cool water. You’re on your own, big brother.

  ‘It was complicated — I hadn’t been in the job for long and the opportunities were good.’

  ‘So you put your job prospects ahead of your sister’s well-being?’ Susanna’s frown deepened as she came to terms with this new and unpleasant revelation about her beloved.

  Ivan swallowed. ‘I…’

  ‘How badly were you hurt, Lara?’ This was professional Susanna, now. The nurse who had dealt with many cases of ‘I fell down the stairs’ and ‘I’m so clumsy’.

  Lara glanced down at Petey, sitting with big round eyes, absorbing it all.

  ‘I’d rather not talk about it. It’s in the past now,’ she said softly. ‘But thanks, Susanna.’

  Susanna reached out and squeezed her hand. ‘If you ever need to talk, you know where I am.’

  Tears pushed at Lara’s lids. Where was this woman when she needed her? Not that Tony would have allowed her to have such a friend. ‘Thanks.’

  Conversation came in short constrained bursts after that. Susanna did her best but the atmosphere had changed subtly. Ivan hardly said a word beyond the courtesies of a host. When Susanna, insisting she needed no help, cleared plates and went to the kitchen for dessert, Lara sent Petey back to the cushions with his books.

  She was expecting anger so Ivan’s repentant tone surprised her when he said, ‘Lara, I’m really sorry.’

  ‘It’s over. Nothing you can do now.’

  ‘But Susanna’s right, you’re my sister and I should have stood up to Tony.’

  ‘So should Dad but he didn’t.’ Impossible to prevent the bitterness and hatred seeping into her voice. She glared at her brother. ‘Why did he do it, why did he give me to Tony?’

  Ivan drank some wine. ‘He owed Tony big money and he wanted to be onside with him. Tony wanted you and that was the deal. Clean slate.’

  Simple as that. She was the repayment of a debt. ‘No-one asked me.’

  ‘Where Dad came from women didn’t have opinions. Marriages are arranged in lots of cultures.’

  ‘I would hope most of those parents wouldn’t knowingly sell their daughter to a sadistic wife beater like Tony.’

  ‘It’s the way things were done.’

  ‘And you? You were raised here. How would you do it? No-one arranged your marriage for you.’

  ‘I have no excuse.’

  ‘You thought exactly the same, Ivan, don’t pretend you didn’t. I wasn’t important to you at all.’ Her mouth twisted. ‘Will you treat your own daughters with as much disdain, I wonder? Will you sell them off for money and status even though you married for love?’

  He didn’t answer. He couldn’t. Lara leaned forward fixing him with a hard stare now she had him at a disadvantage. She had two issues burning, two issues Ivan had to help with if he wanted to prove himself to her.

  ‘Tell me what happened to Cam Rogers.’

  ‘Nothing.’

  ‘Tell me!’ she hissed. He held her gaze and she recognised her own intent expression on his face. No hiding the fact they were brother and sister.

  ‘I am telling you. When Tony found out what he was doing he sent Lucas and Guido to shut him up…’

  ‘Kill him, you mean,’ she stated flatly. Lucas the killer. She swallowed the sudden rise of fear. Ivan must protect her now, he had to.

  Ivan nodded. ‘But they couldn’t find him. He’d gone. Disappeared. We never saw him again.’

  ‘What about the cops?’

  ‘They nosed around a bit but we assumed he’d been pulled out and reassigned somewhere a long way away. Like the outback. They must have known something because they didn’t come around accusing anyone of murder and no-one found a body.’

  Lara frowned. ‘Is that really true?’ It sounded plausible that Tony would send his goons and not Ivan, who was more a businessman than a hit man. No-one had questioned her about it but her husband would make sure that didn’t happen.

  He shrugged. ‘Lara, the guy was a lowlife.’

  She gave a short disbelieving laugh. ‘He was a lowlife?’

  ‘Look what he did to you! He used you to get closer to Tony. He didn’t give a rat’s arse about you as a person.’ Apparently nobody did. ‘He looked out for number one.’

  ‘But he’s still alive?’

  Another shrug. ‘As far as I know. I haven’t given it much thought. I never liked him.’

  Lara leaned back in her chair with a sigh. How could she possibly tell if this consummate liar was doing exactly that? ‘What about Lucas and Branko?’

  ‘What about them?’ He didn’t exclude Lucas from the grouping. Her stomach sagged.

  ‘Do you see much of them?’

  ‘Like I said, as little as possible. Branko comes into the club and tries to involve me in stuff but I don’t want to do anything like that anymore.’ Still no denial of seeing Lucas.

  ‘Is Branko dealing?’

  He glanced towards the apartment where Susanna was moving about in the kitchen, a shadowy, indistinct figure through the reflections in the glass. ‘I’d say so. Importing.’

  ‘He scares me.’

  ‘Good. Keep away from him.’

  ‘He doesn’t know where I live or my phone number or anything, does he?’ She narrowed her eyes, assessing his reaction, alert to any telltale signs of lying.

  ‘I don’t know where you live. And no I haven’t given him your number. And I won’t, I promise. Cross my heart and hope to die.’ He performed the solemn chest crossing actions he’d made them do as children, swearing oaths, vowing to keep secrets.

  Lara studied him for a moment longer then leaned forward and hissed, ‘Lucas already has my number. He called me.’

  A very familiar expression stole over Ivan’s face. Cold, hard and merciless. One Susanna would be stunned to see. ‘The bastard. How did he get your number?’

  She shrugged. ‘Through Branko, through Brooke? What does it matter? He has it. What can I do? I think he might be working up to something. Using me for something.’

  ‘Like what?’

  ‘I don’t know but why else would he call? I thought he might try blackmail but there’s nothing he can use against me.’

  ‘Whatever he wants, tell him what he wants to know. He’s a killer, don’t mess with him.’ His eyes locked on hers. ‘What information do you have, Lara?’

  ‘Are you working for him?’

  ‘No. And I’d never do anything to threaten you or Petey. Trust me on that. Never. We’re family!’

  ‘Okay,’ she said slowly. ‘Okay, I believe you.’

  ‘What does he want? There must be something.’

  ‘Tony set up those bank accounts for me but he also set up an offshore one for Petey. No-one knew about it and I didn’t tell the cops.’ She hesitated. ‘It’ll be dirty money. Proceeds of crime. Lucas might know about it — I don’t know how he would. Did you know?’

  ‘Aah! I’d forgotten about that. He was very excited when Petey was born. His heir.’ Ivan exhaled. ‘You don’t have a lot of choice if he wants that money. He’s vicious. He’ll carry out his threats.’

  ‘That money is for Petey so he’ll always have a back-up if something happens to me.’

  Ivan hissed air in between his teeth. ‘What do you want me to do?’

  ‘Talk to him for me.’

  ‘And
say what?’

  ‘You must know stuff about him, stuff you can use. He’s calling himself Jason Mackenzie now.’

  Ivan nodded.

  ‘You knew?’

  ‘Branko told me. I’m not sure he’ll take any notice of me. He’s the boss now and he likes to throw his weight around. I keep out of his way and there’s nothing he wants from me, which is how I like it.’

  ‘So you won’t help me.’ Lara stared out at the ocean. Spineless. She’d never thought of Ivan that way, but he was a coward at heart. When he’d left her to Tony’s whims she’d thought it was because he didn’t care but now she wondered if it was because he was too scared to act. Like her pathetic excuse for a father.

  ‘I can’t help you. Lara, I’m sorry. Why don’t you tell your policeman friend? Ask for his help, that’s what the cops are for.’

  ‘Admit I have dirty money?’ She shook her head. ‘When Tony set that up I thought it was basically a tax dodge. He did everything. It’s too late to own up now.’

  Ivan firmed his mouth. ‘If you want to be a normal law-abiding citizen you have to give it up. Tell that cop and plead ignorance. Bat your eyelids at him.’

  That came straight from the Tony chauvinist pig camp. Why did she think Ivan would stick his neck out for her?

  ‘I can’t.’ How could she admit something like that to Nick? He assumed she was the innocent victim, which she was to an extent. She couldn’t bear to see the disappointment on his face, she craved his good opinion.

  ‘Look, Lara. You don’t know that’s what Lucas wants. Calm down. He might not contact you again. He might have been fooling around, messing with you for kicks.’ He drained his wine glass. ‘Tell me about this policeman friend of yours.’ He spoke lightly but his eyes were sharp.

  Conversation over. Sounded as though she was on her own.

  ‘He’s been very good to Brooke and he’s really pissed off they let that guy out on bail. She wasn’t his only victim.’ If she steered him back to Brooke maybe she’d get away without answering any more questions about Nick. Ivan could smell a lie or a prevarication as easily as the garlic on garlic bread.

  ‘So they let him out to have a go at a few more women.’

  ‘That’s the way the law works.’