As Georgina entered the kitchen, she noticed another woman standing near the sink. She was preparing salad, washing vegetables and dicing tomatoes and onions.
‘Georgina, let me introduce you to Korjca. Ray’s nanny.’ Jo-Lynn explained ‘I am a working mother, so Korjca here helps keep my little one in line during the day and school holidays.’
The young white woman turned around and said 'Hello' her accent was eastern European. She was 19 or 20. Slightly overweight but the weight flattered her features, her hair was dark brown, pulled back, secured with an elastic. She wore a straight skirt, which touched her knees and a crisp white blouse, which nearly matched her complexion.
‘Her second name is something unpronounceable.’ Jo-Lynn smiled.
Korjca laughed. ‘Piekarska.’
‘See I told you.’
Georgina shook Korjca's hand.
‘Hello.’
Korjca smiled. ‘Hello...I’m from Poland, so you must forgive my English.’ She seemed to be apologising, there was unsureness in her voice, even though her English was far better than Georgina's Polish ever would be. ‘So, my English is still not too good, but I am learning.’
‘Yeah, I teach her.’ Ray sidled in to grab some attention.
‘We were going to eat outside but I think it may be too hot.’ Jo-Lynn was standing at the open rear door leading in to the garden.
‘I like the heat; it can get a little sticky but when you’re raised in Maryland you learn to appreciate the hot days.’ Georgina joined her at the door and looked down the length of the garden.
A paved patio area was home to a sun lounge and a table. To the left was a hardcore area with some familiar looking painted markings and a basketball hoop. Further up was a large lawn with a huge hole being dug at the very foot of the garden.
‘Good, I like the heat too; I was just saying that so as to be polite.’
‘It’s a nice garden.’
‘Don’t you mind the mess at the end there. That’s where we’re having a pool built, come down I’ll show you what we have planned.’ Jo-Lynn stepped into the furnace of heat outside; Ray pushed past Georgina and ran down the garden shouting at the top of his lungs with his arms outstretched pretending to be a plane. Jo-Lynn and Georgina walked up the garden toward the construction area. The sun was high in a cloudless sky and for a brief time the world seemed at ease.
‘I don't blame Lia for leaving Leroy. The job takes too much from relationships; time, energy...don't you find that?’ Jo-Lynn spoke as she walked.
‘During training they prepare you for everything except the sacrifices, both personal and mental. You seem to be coping though.’ Georgina replied.
Jo-Lynn laughed sardonically. ‘Yeah, I'm coping but I feel I shouldn’t have to cope. Ray suffers. He misses his father. I try to be here as much as possible but there are times when it seems I don't see my son for days. That's not unusual for the both of us because of our work commitments; there was a time last year where I never saw Ray for nine days. Korjca is invaluable, I don’t know how other families cope, families that can’t afford to buy help.’
They reached the large hole; mounds of earth were piled to one side of the rectangle ditch. A small digger lay dormant a few yards away.
‘The compensations for our sacrifices, the loss of time and family against a nice house, a new car every other year, a pool and a foreign holiday. We truly are children of the new millennium.’ Jo-Lynn sighed.
‘A beautiful son. Some people would swap the world for a child.’ Georgina was watching Ray bounce a basketball on the hardcore. He was throwing the ball up to the hoop.
‘Yeah, I know, it would seem that when you have everything you never realise what you truly have, only what you don’t. I should thank God. I know how precious a child’s life can be.’
Georgina knew that Jo-Lynn was alluding to Jordan. ‘I was sorry to hear about your loss.’
Jo-Lynn stared into the freshly dug pit, remembering a day three years previously when she was staring into a different pit. ‘Yeah, everyone’s sorry.’ She turned and looked at her son trying to shoot a hoop. ‘His father said he’d help him practice today…another broken promise.’
‘Put your weight on your back foot, then lean in to the shot.’ Georgina shouted to Ray.
Ray did as told and put the ball clean through the hoop. He yelped with delight.
‘Rick promised, hand on heart, that he would shoot some baskets today.’
‘But he wasn't to know about Leroy?’
‘No....but there is always something.' Jo-Lynn began to walk back to the house.
‘Do you think Ray would allow me to practice a few shots with him?’
Jo-Lynn stopped. ‘Are you serious?’
‘Deadly. I may be white, but I can shoot hoop.’ Georgina threw an imaginary basketball at an equally imaginary hoop.
‘No, that’s not what I meant...I mean of course you can. Ray has been on to me an’ Korjca all morning. Ever since his father left this morning. Tell you the truth I may be black but I ain’t no good. Korjca plays with him sometimes, but right now she’s more use to me in the kitchen, another place that's not really my domain, I’m happier in court.’
Georgina and Jo-Lynn walked together back up the garden toward the hardcore area where Ray was practicing shooting.
‘Rick mentioned that you were a partner in a practice just out of Springfield.’
‘Yeah, it’s just small. Mainly divorce work, lord knows there’s enough of that, and a few local issues, planning that sort of thing, nothing too exciting but that’s the way I want it. My partner Phillip Galloway, had to defend a man charged with murder about a year ago, domestic violence, but most of the big stuff goes straight to the attorneys in Missouri.’
They stopped at the edge of the miniature basketball court.
‘Hey, Ray?’
Ray looked sideways at his mother and totally missed the shot.
‘Ah, mom.’
‘What you say if Miss Georgina here wants to practice with you?’
Ray looked Georgina up and down disapprovingly, while bouncing the ball.
‘But mum, she’s...’
‘White.’ Georgina chipped in
‘A girl.’ Ray said with disgust.
‘Now Ray, you know what your Mama says about working with minorities.’
Okay.’ Ray groaned reluctantly giving in.
Georgina smiled and stepped onto the court
‘Ray, like my husband and myself, never see colour in skin, only the heart that beats behind it. Good or bad.’
‘I guess that’s twice that I've put my foot in my mouth today.’
‘Nonsense.’ Jo-Lynn bent down to her son’s level and spoke to him sternly. ‘Ray, I want you to play nice. No rough stuff.’
Ray smiled his best, most mischievous smile
‘Pass me the ball, Ray?’ Georgina called. Ray passed the ball straight to the detective. Georgina caught the ball expertly and in one fluid movement twisted and shot the ball straight through the hoop. Ray stood open mouthed.
‘WOW.’
‘I am impressed, Miss O’Neil. Would you like to be my son’s personal coach?’ Jo-Lynn said obviously impressed. Georgina ran over to the hoop and collected the ball.
‘Okay Ray, how about a little attack and defence? You try to score, and I'll defend. One on one.’ Georgina passed the ball to Ray, bouncing it off the ground. Ray caught the ball and immediately went on the attack, bouncing the ball, moving forward, shimmying to one side, trying to faint a dummy to throw Georgina off her stride. She stood in front of him, arms flapping trying to block any potential shot. They were in front of the 'D' ring. Ray took two quick steps to his side and launched a shot, which ricocheted of the hoop board.
‘Good shot, Ray.’ Georgina praised the boy’s effort.
Sweat was beginning to run down her back, she used the bottom of her vest to wipe her forehead. Ray watched fascinated, studying her stomach, looking at the half-exposed
cups of her sport bra. Something caught the light, dazzling reflecting from the sun.
‘What's that?’ Ray pointed to a shining object that appeared to be growing from Georgina's navel.
‘A stud.’ Georgina explained. Ray still looked puzzled. ‘You know like ear rings, but I've had one put in my tummy instead.’
‘Why?’
Georgina thought back to the drunken night she decided to have the stud inserted. She had been working on a case in L.A, during part of her training. She was teamed with an experienced female investigator and their enquiries had led them to a tattoo and piercing parlour. She watched a young girl, no more than nineteen having her stomach pierced. The girl already had her tongue pierced and was talking quite frankly with the piercing artist about how her girlfriend got a kick out of the small silver ball. With their enquiries complete, Georgina thought no more about it until, celebrating the successful conclusion of the case, she found herself lying on a chaise lounge having local anaesthetic applied to her navel. The rest was a blur. She woke the following morning with a bruised stomach and the beginning of an infection that took three hundred dollars of drugs to clear. Having suffered so much for the dammed thing she decided to keep it.
Georgina pulled her vest down. ‘You know, Ray, I really don't know why. Sometime adults do strange things. Come on, you try defending, I'll attack?’ She grabbed the ball from his hands and tried to make a sharp dart around him, but Ray was quick and blocked her attack shot by jumping and parrying the ball with his hand. The ball bounced once and Ray was on to it, bouncing it and leading it away from Georgina. He turned to attack, running down the court, dribbling the ball expertly like a miniature Harlem Globetrotter, as he drew near, his eyes lit up and he called ‘Hey, Dad?’
Georgina foolishly turned and within an instant, Ray had passed her and had a free shot at goal. He steadied himself, aimed and leapt, launching the ball against the rim board. The ball hit the rectangle marking and bounced against the hoop, rolled around the rim and fell through the net. Rick was nowhere to be found. Ray fell to the floor laughing, celebrating his victory.
‘Hey, that’s not fair.’ It was Georgina’s turn to complain, though she was laughing as much as the boy.
Jo-Lynn and Korjca watched from the kitchen window. Salad, vegetables and fruit were washed, sliced, cooked and prepared. Four huge mounds of fresh steak were lying on a cutting board, waiting to be cooked on the barbeque.
‘I hope Rick's not too long, this food ain't gonna stay fresh forever.’
Korjca finished drying her hands, watching Georgina play with Ray. ‘She's very good.’
‘Yeah.’
‘She's also very good with children, Ray has taken to her very quickly.’ Korjca knew it had taken her about three weeks to reach the stage that Georgina had achieved with him in little over an hour. Three hard weeks of tantrums and cajoling and trying to win over the barrier that Ray had imposed.
‘I think I should bring them a drink maybe?’
As Jo-Lynn watched Korjca give her son and the detective sodas, she felt a twinge of sadness that Jordan wasn't out there with them playing. Jordan's premature death had hit the whole family with such a jolt that it threatened at one point to devastate it. Moving away was their salvation, but somewhere left in Chicago were tiny fragments of family life that could never be stuck back together.
His hands moved closer, closer. Fingers outstretched, ready to wrap around her neck. They moved around the base of her neck feeling the smooth brown skin.
‘JESU...’ Jo-Lynn started to turn around, but the fingers loosened their grip and slid to her collarbone.
‘Hi-ya, babe.’
‘Jesus! Rick you scared the shit outta me.’
Rick laughed. ‘You were miles away. We came into the kitchen banging an' a crashing around, but you were out there in a world of your own.’
‘We?’ Jo-Lynn turned to be greeted with a kiss from her husband. Over his shoulder she could see Leroy standing three feet away, looking awkward. He waved 'Hello' and smiled.
‘Where's my little man?’
Jo-Lynn nodded out of the window. ‘On the court, playing basketball with our guest.’
Rick leaned against his wife, peering over her shoulder. He saw Ray, Korjca and detective Georgina O’Neil, shooting penalties. ‘Hey, Leroy, you gotta see this? A white girl playing basketball.’
‘Don't mock, Rick. She's good.’ Jo-Lynn informed them.
All three were leaning forward looking out of the window, while Georgina aimed a shot at the hoop. The ball glided through the air and went clean through the basket.
‘Good shot.’ said Leroy, clearly impressed
‘I told you she’s good. She’s been teaching Ray a few moves too.’
Ray took the ball it was his turn. The kitchen fell silent. As he lined up, Georgina, tapped his feet. Ray moved his legs, spreading his feet slightly. She stood behind him coaching him through the shot, moving his arm down a little and motioning to him to stretch up before letting go of the ball. As he released the ball, Georgina looked into the kitchen window at the anxious faces. She didn’t bother to watch the ball as it fell through the hoop, just their faces. The cheer that erupted from the kitchen told her all she needed to know.
Rick, Jo-Lynn and Leroy walked in to the garden cheering and whooping to join the celebrations.
‘Hey, Agent O’Neil, that was some fine shooting.’ Rick called.
Georgina nodded.
‘How about a match...Ray, Korjca and my good self against you, Jo-Lynn and Leroy?’ Georgina asked
‘Are you kidding? We'd wipe the floor with you, it would be embarrassing.’ Rick replied laughing with Leroy.
‘Don't include me, you know I can't play.’ Jo-Lynn tried to back away.
‘Don't worry babe, trust me we're gonna win, but we need you to make up the numbers.’
‘Well, I'm a good loser, I promise you.’ Georgina bounced the ball at the detective.
‘Okay, but to spice it up the loser gets to be barbeque chef.’ Rick smiled a mischievous grin
‘Hey man, I'd end up killing most of you with my cooking.’ Leroy scoffed but before he could protest further, Georgina's hand was slapped in Rick's, shaking it hard
‘Deal, I love it when a man cooks.’
Nineteen
‘No way…’ Wesley Timms jaw dropped. ‘No fucking way.’
He looked over his shoulder. No one could see him, and even if they could they would not pay any interest. They were all too busy wrapped up in their own work to notice. Too busy selling advertising space to major players by the inch, by the yard, by the foot, on billboards, on TV, on the back of bus tickets, even on a grain of rice. Wesley once made one person into a permanent walking advert, when a seventeen-year-old boy had a well-known clothing brand trademark tattooed on his face to help pay for his university education. The boy got the money but was promptly thrown out of the university. Wesley didn’t care. Wesley didn’t care that the boy took his own life three weeks later when his girlfriend dumped him, though the advertisers were pretty pissed. The united colours of grief.
He clicked on another page. This was just too good. He looked at the page counter 11,185,000 hits since…Wesley quickly looked at the calendar on his desk…yesterday.
‘No fucking way.’
‘Harley must have suffered for so long...I can't believe she managed to keep it to herself.’ Narla's hand trembled holding the cup. She felt dead, hollow. Sitting in the forensics room dressed only in a white gown, a pair of paper slippers and an elastic rimmed paper cap, which was cutting into the skin on her forehead. ‘How long before I will know the result?’ Narla handed a nurse a small vile filled with a sample of her urine.
‘Not long, but we will run other checks to make sure. At the most three hours.’ The nurse was sympathetic. ‘But it would pay to be safe and have a further test later in the month.’ She marked the sample bottle N. O'Connell.
‘What about Harley?’ Narla asked anxi
ously.
The nurse looked through the glass partition that separated the two rooms, at the young girl sitting on a trolley bed swinging her legs.
‘She remarkable, I don't know how she's managing to cope so well. I'm a little worried that she may be blocking everything out. A skill she could have developed to help keep the abuse secret.’
‘Do you think she could be pregnant?’
‘She hasn't begun menstruating yet. As far as we can tell, she seems to be in the clear. We're testing her just to be on the safe side though.’
The door to the small room opened and Captain Frusco walked in. Narla guessed from the look on his face that he wasn’t about to impart good news.
‘I take it you haven’t found Charles yet?’
Norman Frusco shook his head. ‘Not a sign of him yet but events have just turned again.’
Narla could feel the pit of her stomach turn. ‘What is it?’
‘Harley’s teacher, Karen Fuller failed to return home last night. Charles credit card was used last night at Palacs, a restaurant in Campbelltown. We checked and he was with a woman answering her description. Her friend rang in early this morning to report her missing. At the time she was only six or so hours overdue, the desk sergeant figured it was some sort of domestic and told her to give it another couple of hours. Needless to say, she hasn’t shown.’
‘It’s too much of a coincidence. Do you think they could be together?’
‘I think we have to assume something along those lines Mrs Fleisher.’
Narla’s put her cup down and gripped the chair she was sitting on for support.
‘O’Connell, please use my maiden name…I am no longer his wife.’ She stood and ran to the sink in the corner of the room. ‘I think I’m gonna be sick.’ Her stomach retched but nothing other than coffee and phlegm escaped. Frusco steadied her, supporting her weight. Between gasps Narla fumbled for reason. ‘You think that Charles is this guy the TV are talking about?’
Turtle Island: 20th Anniversary Edition (Georgina O'Neil Book 1) Page 10