The Reward ch-21

by Peter Corris

  Just one minute, Mr Hardy, she said in a voice that would have lured most sailors onto the rocks, except that her second chin wobbled. Please take a seat. Mr Cavendish is dealing with a tiny detail, then hell be with you.

  I nodded and sat down in a deep leather-covered chair that seemed to swallow me up. The magazines on the table beside me catered for just about all tastes Golf Today, Tennis Australia, Australian Business, Australian Bride, Home and Garden, Best Investments Guide. I leafed through the tennis magazine skeptically, wondering what effect it would have had on Rod Laver if hed been called the new Lew Hoad at nineteen, the way they were calling Mark Phillipousos the new Pancho Gonzales. Darren Cahill had been the new Roy Emerson; Patrick Rafter the new John Newcombe…

  Mr Cavendish will see you now, Mr Hardy. She showed me into an office not quite as big as a tennis court. The walls were book-lined but leaving plenty of room for paintings, framed degrees and awards of one sort or another. You could do at least four different things in that room work at the big teak desk, hold a conference at the big table, have a chat and coffee around a low table or have a sleep on the wide sofa. I assumed that there was a bar somewhere, so make that five things; if there was a TV, six. The blinds were set to allow in enough morning light to read by but not too much. The air-conditioning, keeping the room at a comfortable temperature, was a faint whisper in the background.

  Cavendish stood up behind his desk as I came in. He was taller than me, getting on for 190 centimetres, and he looked fit in his blue shirt, dark trousers and red tie with braces to match. The braces were a jaunty touch in an otherwise very serious-looking man. He was somewhere between fifty and sixty, impossible to be precise because his smooth skin had a slightly artificial look as if hed had a facelift, but that could have just been good genes and good dietary habits. His hair was thick, worn long and with plenty of grey in it. Id have been willing to bet that his teeth were good and his prostate likewise. He took off horn-rimmed reading glasses as I moved across the room and I could see what a good prop theyd be in meetings when making a play with those deep-set but large grey eyes put em on for something serious, whip em off when going for a laugh.

  Mr Hardy. His handshake was firm, his accent what used to be called educated Australian.

  Mr Cavendish, thank you for seeing me.

  Sit down, sit down. I cant give you very long, but I must admit I was intrigued by what you told Mrs Horsfield.

  I unbuttoned my jacket and sat down, wishing I had some red braces to show. I think I can be a little more frank with you. My client has information that may throw light on Ramona Becketts disappearance.

  Cavendish nodded. So I gather. This is very late in the day. May I know the name of your client?

  No.

  Well…

  Id like to ask you some questions.

  Go ahead. Ill try to be more forthcoming than you.

  Is the reward of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars still on offer?

  He hesitated and I watched him closely. Would he tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth? He didnt. Yes, he said. It is.

  Not quite a lie, but an interesting understatement to say the least. Can you tell me whose idea it was to post the reward?

  He picked up his glasses and fiddled with the arms, bringing them together and separating them, as if one was the no comment arm and the other was the name.

  The left arm was folded in. I believe Mr Beckett conceived the idea.

  Did the other members of the family approve?

  The position of the arms reversed. I really couldnt comment on that. I cant quite see where your questions are leading. Perhaps you could be more specific about this information.

  Fair enough. And I couldnt see any harm in stirring the possum. Only a little, I said. It seems to suggest the involvement of a member of the family in the… disappearance.

  Thats preposterous!

  I had a feeling that I didnt have much more of his expensive time and there was no point in fencing with him. He was smart, experienced and looked utterly secure. It was time for the broadsword. She was a blackmailer, Mr Cavendish. I know because I frustrated one of her scams. She must have been an embarrassment to the family, perhaps even a threat. Maybe she went too far…

  That is ridiculous. Absurd. If you go about saying these things

  Shes officially dead. Anyone can say what they like about her.

  I mean… implying that Gabriella or…

  The first slip and my tactic was not to notice it. I dropped my eyes, took out my notebook and made a play of checking a few things off. Cavendish glanced at his watch. Then I tried for my most winning smile, flipped the notebook closed and tucked it and the pen away in the inside pocket of my suit coat. All that took a second or two. I know youre busy. So am I. Like me, you must have a lot of things on your plate. Did you know Cy Sackville, by the way?

  Cy was my lawyer and my friend. Hed been shot to death about a year ago and I missed him badly. But Cy would understand if I used the connection. Hell, hed have been amused.

  Yes, indeed. A fine man. A tragedy.

  Right. I killed the guy who killed him.

  Ah. Yes, I believe I…

  To be honest with you, Mr Cavendish, I dont know how far Im going to go with this. What Ive got, its all a bit thin.

  I was counting on Cavendish wanting to get me out of the hair of his no doubt very financially useful clients as quickly as possible. He dropped the glasses onto the desk. Yes?

  Id like to see Mrs Beckett. I reckon I can manage to get to the son and daughter on my own, but the widow could be a problem. You could arrange it and be present. A quick meeting, a few questions, thats all. What do you say?

  This was more than hed bargained for and he took some time over it. His high brow furrowed and I decided he was closer to sixty than fifty. Worry tends to work against a superficial youthfulness. What, he said slowly, would the nature of the questions be?

  I shrugged. Its been a long time. Perhaps certain things have changed. For one thing, Id like to ask Mrs Beckett if she knows of any propositions that were put to certain policemen.

  What propositions?

  I shook my head. Depending on her answer, Id like to ask her about her relations with her stepchildren.

  I can tell you that. They are distant.

  Id like to hear it from her.

  I dont know. He glanced at his watch again.

  You seem very protective, I said.

  With reason. Mrs Beckett is not a young woman.

  I nodded. About the same age as yourself, Id guess.

  He let that pass although he didnt like it. As you must have gathered, Im a friend to Mrs Beckett as well as a legal adviser. She leads a life of some seclusion and you would find considerable difficulty in getting to see her. A great many journalists have tried over the years and failed.

  I know that, I said. But when you tell her what Ive told you, she may feel differently.

  Youve told me almost nothing, but I take your point. He stood up, indicating closure, and to give himself the height advantage. Ill be in touch with you, Mr Hardy. I assume Mrs Horsfield has the number?

  I stayed in my seat, denying him the advantage and hoping to make him feel just a little abrupt and foolish. Mrs Horsfield has a beautiful voice, I said.

  He looked surprised, thought about sitting down again, decided against it, rested his hands uncomfortably on the desk in front of him. Yes, she does indeed. She was an opera singer. A contralto. Do you like opera, Mr Hardy?

  That was the opening Id been waiting for the chance for the broadsword thrust. I stood up quickly and buttoned my jacket. I despise it, I said. Silly stories, boring music and lousy acting. I hope you dont waste too much money on it. I look forward to hearing from you soon, Mr Cavendish.

  I made the route march to the door, feeling Cavendishs shrewd grey eyes boring into my back. That never hurt anyone. I flashed a smile at the contralto and took the stairs instead of the lift. Muy macho.


  Id parked near my office and walked down to Martin Place. As I strolled back I was feeling pretty pleased with myself. Its not every day you put a high-priced lawyer on the back foot and maybe, just maybe, get to go where fearless journalists have failed to tread. Cavendishs unwillingness to be fully frank about the reward, his relationship with the widow, and his remark about the distance between her and her stepchildren interested me. I pondered these things as I walked up William Street, keeping my breathing as shallow as possiblethe less of that sort of air you take in the better.

  There was no-one in the corridor this time and not much action in the building as a whole. The other commercial tenantsa desk-top publisher of pornography, a mail-order coin and stamp merchant, an acupuncturist and a South African whose business Im not sure oftend to be late arrivers. The few residential occupants on the floor below me, where renovations happened, but petered out, sleep late. I went into the gloomy office and saw the message light blinking on the answering machine. I hit the button as I shrugged out of my suit coat. Two callers. The first was from the bank telling me that a cheque Id been having some trouble with had finally been represented and cleared. The caller gave the time as 11.39. Just ten minutes back. The machine played the next message. Barry Whites agitated voice, sober and high-pitched, cut through my complacent mood like a chainsaw through pine.

  Hardy! Hardy! Where the fuck are you? Im in trouble. Jesus Christ! Get here. Rose Street. Quick as you can.

  8

  The boarding house looked peaceful enough. A couple of residents lounged at the gate yarning to anyone who would stop. They stepped aside to let me pass and went on talking as if I didnt exist. I went up the steps and in the front door to the familiar smells neglected and neglectful men generatea compound of sweat, tobacco, beer, fast food, urine and dirty socks. There were two occupied rooms on the ground floor along with a kitchen and a sitting room, and I guessed three or four on the two levels above. That put Barry Whites room, number 4, one floor up.

  I dont know where White had lived when he was riding high as a corrupt copper, but it must have been a million times better than this. The stairs were narrow and dark with gaps in the uprights and a rickety railing. The carpet was worn and lifting, a hazard to anyone with poor eyesight or a load on board, and that most likely applied to many of the residents. I went up quickly and reached a landing dimly illuminated by a small window that hadnt been cleaned since the end of World War I. I knocked on number 4; I got no answer but the door swung slightly inwards.

  I went in and at first noticed only that the room smelled cleaner than the hall and the stairs. My eyes had adjusted to the poor light and the brightness in here made me blink. Whites room must have been one of the better ones in the establishment. He had, as well as the room itself, a glassed-in balcony, and light was flooding in from there through closed French windows with clean panes. White had made an effort. The bed was neat; some books and magazines were neatly stacked on a dresser beside it. On a small table there was a toaster, a loaf of bread and a tub of margarine. A carton of long-life milk, a packet of tea and one of sugar and a jar of instant coffee were lined up precisely on a shelf.

  I opened the French windows and saw my client. He was sitting in a cane chair and he was wearing the same shirt and tie Id seen him in on the previous two days. The only difference was that the tie and the front of the shirt were stained dark brown with his blood. His head had flopped forward towards his chest but hung there, as if he might lift it at any minute. But he wouldnt. I didnt need to feel for a pulse or put a mirror to his mouth. The blood was in a pool in his lap below his paunch and had soaked down the length of both trouser legs. When you lose that much blood youre history.

  I let out the breath Id been holding and took a look around the balcony. There was almost nothing to see. Lino on the floor, a couple of struggling plants in pots on a shelf and a packet of Drum and a lighter with an ashtray on the floor. Three butts. The windows were fixed except for a small louvred section which stood partly open. This was evidently where Barry sat when he smoked, thought his thoughts and dreamed his dreams. He didnt have to worry about giving up the grog and the smokes and losing weight and eating lettuce now. A slight breeze came in through the window and ruffled his freshly trimmed hair.

  On closer examination it was clear that White had been shot twice at close range. One of the bullets must have hit an artery that pumped out the blood. Perhaps the second shot came later, as insurance. It had taken me about forty minutes to get to the boarding house and White must have made his call after 11.39 from a phone box nearby or somewhere in the house. He couldnt have been dead for more than about half an hour before I got there. There was no smell of cordite in the air but with modern weapons there isnt necessarily. And a silencer can take care of the noise. The police could question the residents about comings and goings but from the indifference Id encountered at the front gate, it was unlikely that theyd glean much.

  I had questions of my own, particularly about Whites mysterious backer. I did a quick search of the room and his belongings, poking through the drawers in the dressers, checking the pockets of his two jackets and three pairs of pants in the wardrobe, looking under the bed and flicking through the books and magazines. All the search told me was that someone else had done the job before me. Several of the pocket linings were displaced the way they get when the pockets are gone through, and the socks and underwear had been disturbed. There were no personal papers insurance documents, letters, bills, photographs but he could have had another storage place for them. The clincher confirming the previous search was that there was no wallet, no address book, no credit cards, no moneynone of the things a person needs to get through the day.

  There was a pay phone in the hallway near the kitchen, perhaps the phone White had used to call me. I dialled the emergency number, asked for the police and told my tale. I was instructed to stay where I was. There was no point in going anywhere. Frank Parker and Max Savage knew of my dealing with Barry White and would put two and two together when they heard of his death and theyd expect me to play it straight. I could expect some unpleasantness from the police but nothing I couldnt handle. Theyd try to make me tell them what White and I were up to and I wouldnt. Our contract was locked in my safe and theyd need a pretty strong court order to get at it. Theyd threaten me with obstruction and Id tell them to see my lawyer, although I didnt actually have one. Perhaps Id give them Wallace Cavendishs name.

  The uniforms arrived first, then the detectives, then the forensic guys and lastly the body-movers. They took over the sitting room and I showed my PEA licence and other ID to just about all of them it seemed, and told my story at least three times. They made me turn out my pockets and took the keys to my car for a look-see, but in general I was treated with more respect than usualmaybe because of the suit. The residents of the house were stirred up by the activity, some got agitated and there was a certain amount of anti-police aggression displayed. As my patience was stretched by the repetition, I began to enjoy that. Detective Sergeant Fowler eventually gave up a half-hearted effort at pressuring me and produced a pocket tape-recorder.

  How about you give me your statement, Mr Hardy? You seem to have the gift of the gab. Ill get it typed up and you can come in and sign it. Then well see what happens next.

  Fair enough, I said. I rattled off a strictly edited version of the events of the past few days while Fowler smoked, looked bored, and occasionally checked that the light on his recorder was still glowing. When I finished he hit the OFF button, butted his fifth or sixth cigarette and stood up.

  Right. Redfern station, lets say, three oclock this afternoon, if thats convenient.

  Sure. No complaint, but your attitude strikes me as a bit casual, Detective Sergeant.

  Fowler shrugged. Barry White was a fucking dog, he said.

  This development left me with what would have been an ethical dilemma if there were any hard and fast ethical rules in the PEA business. There arent, not re
ally. Of course youre supposed to have a client and a contract but no-one would blame me for pursuing the matter Barry White had brought to my attention and, if I ran into any sticklers for the letter of the law, I could always round up Leo Grogan as a standin. Of course, I was assuming that if Whites death was connected with the Beckett inquiry, there was a certain amount of danger involved. There was the prospect now of a bigger cut of the reward to be considered. All in all, going on seemed worth the risk.

  Sudden death can have curious and unexpected effects. Id felt almost nothing on finding White, while searching his sad room and dealing with the police. But as I drove away I experienced something like a sense of loss, or a feeling about the transitoriness and futility of everything. A dark mood settled on me and, instead of heading back to the office and picking up the threads of the inquiry or getting in touch with Max Savage, I found myself driving down Glebe Point Road, heading for home. I had no idea of what Id do there beyond have a few drinks and a walk in the park. I knew I wanted to get out of the suit.

  I parked outside my house, edging in between my neighbours Kombi van and a green Laser I hadnt seen in the street before. I got out and noticed a woman standing on the other side of the street looking intently at my house. She was tall and full-bodied in a stylishly cut charcoal grey suit. She wore a white blouse and her hair, almost the same colour, hung to her shoulders. She saw me looking at her and did a kind of double-take.

  Something wrong? I said.