Evidence of Love

by Elisabeth Rose

  ‘Call your neighbour and ask her to come straight over.’ Cop mode in an instant. ‘Have you called triple 0?’

  The answer must have been no because he went straight on. ‘Don’t worry. I’ll call a patrol car and get them there as fast as possible. We’re on our way but it will take us at least forty five minutes.’

  More listening then, ‘Sit tight. Are the doors and windows secure?’ A pause. ‘Good. You’re perfectly safe. I’m hanging up now, I need to call the patrol car… Okay. Make yourself a cup of tea.’

  He redialled. Lara listened in growing horror as he identified himself and spoke rapidly and firmly to the other person. ‘Send a patrol immediately…an intruder…woman alone, victim of a recent attack.’

  Call finished he said, ‘We have to go. Brooke said a man was snooping about the front garden but she didn’t get a good look at him. He came up on to the porch but didn’t ring the bell or knock. You heard what I said to her.’

  ‘My God! It’s that creep who bashed her!’ She grabbed Petey’s hand and dragged him to his feet. ‘We have to go home, now. Come on.’

  ‘We don’t know that, Lara,’ Nick said over Petey’s wail of rage. ‘It could be anyone, something quite innocent.’

  ‘Bullshit! Petey, come on! Who sneaks about in someone else’s house and garden?’

  She set off across the sand towing wildly protesting Petey, charged up the steps and stopped at the top to wait for Nick with the stroller, brushing sand from her feet and legs with furious slaps. She snatched sandals and bag, handed Nick his shoes and socks then bundled Petey into his seat.

  ‘We’ll have to find a taxi,’ he said.

  ‘It’ll take forever!’

  ‘What else do you suggest?’

  She charged off over the uneven grass towards the road pushing the stroller. ‘I should have insisted she come with us. Or not come out at all.’

  ‘Lara, Brooke is fine. She was frightened but she’s okay. The patrol car will be there in a few minutes and your neighbour will be with her by now.’

  ‘Ellie’s not home, she was going out for lunch.’ She didn’t turn her head, intent on the traffic flowing slowly by, searching for a taxi.

  ‘Brooke is okay,’ he repeated. ‘She had a fright, that’s all.’

  ‘But what if it was him?’

  ‘Think about it. He doesn’t know where you live. It’s broad daylight. Even if he did know the address he’d have no idea who lives there with her. Plus the man is on bail. He wouldn’t risk doing something so stupid. What would be the point?’ Was he right? Was this a false alarm?

  Lara said more calmly, ‘I still want to go home.’

  ‘That’s where we’re going. There’s a taxi.’ He raised his arm. ‘We’ll go by the wharf and check the timetable. There’s a fast ferry service but it may only run at peak times.’

  ‘Nick, if it wasn’t him, who was it?’

  He couldn’t answer that, of course.

  ***

  ‘So she didn’t recognise the man?’ Rob asked the next morning.

  ‘No and the constables didn’t find anyone. Neighbours didn’t see anything odd either.’ Nick sighed heavily.

  ‘Do you think it was Garrett?’

  ‘I’d be very surprised if it was. Probably someone looking for a lost cat or something.’

  Lara would have none of that, though. She’d convinced herself it was Garrett even though by the time they arrived at her house Brooke had calmed down, reassured by the earlier and rapidly responding police presence. Somehow Lara managed to imply Garrett’s release on bail was the police’s, and more specifically his, fault. Useless to try to explain the court system and the decision of a judge. And how infuriating both often were to the arresting police officers.

  ‘Mmm. Do we know where he was yesterday afternoon?’ Marie put in.

  ‘At home.’

  ‘Alone?’

  Nick nodded. ‘Can’t prove it but how would he know where Brooke was?’

  ‘It’s not exactly a closely guarded secret.’

  ‘And where were you yesterday afternoon when this was happening?’ asked Marie into the silence.

  ‘At Manly.’

  ‘And Brooke called you rather than triple 0?’

  Nick picked up a folder of paperwork and put it down again. ‘She called Lara Moore.’

  ‘And then Lara called you…’

  He let that assumption float about the office unchallenged and took a form from the folder. Why were women so nosey? Especially when they sniffed something personal that had nothing to do with them.

  ‘So Lara Moore had gone out and left Brooke alone.’

  ‘Why shouldn’t she?’

  Marie shrugged innocently. ‘No reason. Do we know who she hangs out with?’

  Nick slapped his palm onto the desk. ‘That has nothing to do with us or the case.’

  ‘Except she’s connected to one of Australia’s top crime bosses. Was married to him.’

  ‘How do you know that?’ asked Rob.

  ‘I checked her out. Maja Djokovic was married to Tony Petrovic for nearly four years until he was killed two and a half years ago.’

  ‘She was never accused of any crime and the bastard beat her up on a regular basis,’ added Nick. ‘What are you implying? That Lara Moore had something to do with this attack?’

  ‘No, of course not, but her family are a right bunch of losers,’ Marie went on. ‘The father was a lowlife in Petrovic’s mob. He was killed in an unsolved hit and run a year after Petrovic died. Her two younger brothers spend most of their time in gaol, the mother is a drunk and the older brother Ivan, who was closely associated with Petrovic, has avoided being caught by a combination of nifty legal work on the part of his lawyer, handy alibis and witnesses who’ll swear away their lives he was somewhere he wasn’t. And he’s the joker who paid Brooke a friendly visit in hospital.’

  ‘Hard to believe she’s not connected to something dirty with a background like that,’ Rob said, pulling the sides of his mouth down so he resembled one of those ugly fish — a grouper.

  ‘That’s as may be but it has nothing to with Brooke and this Garret bloke,’ Nick interjected in an effort to stem the growing witch-hunt and herd the cats away from Lara. ‘It’s totally irrelevant. We can’t be sidetracked. You’ve got enough to do without wasting time investigating innocent people.’

  ‘Hardly a good place for Brooke to be though, is it?’ objected Marie. She stood up, coffee mug in hand.

  ‘She’s starting work again today so she’ll probably go home soon.’

  ‘If she’s got the guts. Poor kid.’

  ‘The older brother, Ivan, is manager of a private club in Bondi. Has an apartment there, too.’ Marie fired a parting shot as she sauntered out the door.

  Bondi. The beachside suburb Lara was not keen to visit. In case she ran into her brother? Quite possibly. She’d definitely been frightened by the idea of him living in Sydney and relatively close by. Was Ivan starting up in Sydney now the Melbourne situation had imploded?

  Nick ran a hand over his chin. This was beginning to involve Brooke, slim and circumstantial though the connection maybe, but he had a duty of care. He rummaged about looking for a business card and picked up the phone. Much as he hated to involve the bullyboy from the drug squad, the man knew his stuff.

  ‘Steve? Nick Lawson. How are you going?’

  ‘Nick. Can’t complain. You?’

  ‘Yeah, good thanks. What can you tell me about Ivan Djokovic?’

  ***

  Lara accepted the kiss from her brother despite wishing she hadn’t agreed to meet. She’d spent the whole journey across town wondering whether to jump off first the bus then the train at the next stop. But she didn’t and she walked the couple of blocks to Ivan and his wife’s favourite coffee shop with heart thudding and legs like overdone spaghetti.

  She sat down opposite the pair at their table. He looked well, better than she remembered. He’d always been good-looking with his
dark hair, brown eyes and chiselled features, but since he’d been a teenager she’d always sensed an underlying anger, a ferociousness — like a vicious dog ready to snarl or bite off an arm or a leg. Now he smiled and didn’t sit tapping his fingers on the table and glancing about the room for an assassin or someone to beat up. Maybe he was still recovering from his operation.

  Susanna, the auburn-haired calm-faced woman wearing a diamond ring and a gold wedding band, would have something to do with that. She smiled and said hello but stole little sidelong looks at her husband while they talked. He did the same. Lara watched in amazement. Was this really her big brother? One of Tony’s rising inner circle? The man always two steps ahead of the cops? Known to be ruthless, ambitious and smart? Would he really give all that away and go straight purely for the love of this woman? Had he, or was he playing some new game?

  ‘How are you?’ she asked after the introductions were made. ‘You look well, Ivan.’

  ‘I feel great. Susanna takes good care of me. She’s a nurse.’

  ‘He’s doing well,’ Susanna put in. ‘But he has to be careful not to do too much too soon.’ Another shared affectionate glance.

  Too much of what? Organising crime?

  ‘Why didn’t you bring your little boy?’ Ivan asked. ‘We wanted to meet him.’

  Nothing would have convinced her to bring Petey to meet his uncle. She didn’t want Ivan to lay eyes on him until she knew she could trust him. However long that took.

  ‘It’s hard to drag the stroller on and off public transport,’ she said.

  ‘Don’t you drive?’ Susanna asked.

  Lara shook her head. ‘I can but I don’t have a car.’

  The waitress deposited coffee and pastries on the table. Lara hadn’t ordered. Ivan must have. He pushed a small elaborately swirled chocolate mousse tart in front of her with a smile, a gesture typical of Tony. He knew she liked anything with chocolate and drank cappuccinos so assumed she would never want to change her order. Little wife taken care of, now to the more important issues. Habit kicked in.

  ‘Lovely, thank you.’ She snapped her mouth shut. Already. She’d been in Ivan’s company two seconds and she’d reverted to meek and submissive survival mode. But Tony was dead and she was her own boss now. Ivan had no claim over her or her life whatever he might think. None!

  ‘Ivan said you like anything chocolate so we ordered. I chose the chocolate cheesecake mousse tart for you. I hope that’s all right. It’s fabulous. Have something else if you’d prefer.’ Susanna’s innocent smile stifled the flash of anger. ‘I have to ration myself to one indulgence per week or I’ll pile on the weight.’

  ‘No, no. I do love chocolate.’ Lara picked up her spoon and tasted under Susanna’s anxious eye. Creamy, smooth and exquisitely delicious. Heaven on a plate. ‘Mmm, you’re so right. This is fantastic.’ She smiled. ‘I’ll just run an extra kilometre tomorrow.’

  ‘Do you run?’ asked Ivan. ‘That’s a new thing, isn’t it?’

  Lara ran her tongue over her lips savouring the sweet rich flavour. ‘I’ve been doing it for a while now. I enjoy it.’ She caught his eye. ‘Tony wouldn’t have let me.’

  He held her gaze for a moment then looked away.

  ‘I run in the park in the mornings. That’s how I found Brooke.’

  ‘Where do you live?’ It was an innocent enough question coming from Susanna, but Lara wasn’t giving that information away although Ivan already knew the general area, because he knew where Brooke worked and where she was found.

  ‘Inner West.’

  Ivan didn’t react. He stirred sugar into his black coffee.

  ‘We wanted to be near the water,’ said Susanna. ‘I love the ocean. I grew up on the coast. We walk on the beach most mornings. Or we will again when Ivan is stronger.’

  Walks on the beach? Interest in her son? Remembering what she liked to eat? What was going on here? She stared at Ivan and eyes as brown as her own looked back. Their father’s eyes. For an instant the old, calculating Ivan appeared. He smiled.

  ‘I’m happy,’ he said softly. ‘Are you?’

  She nodded not releasing her hold on his attention. ‘I’ve never been happier.’ She knew he got her message. Don’t mess with me, don’t interfere, don’t spoil my life.

  He gave the tiniest nod and turned to kiss Susanna’s cheek. ‘Same here, and it’s this wonderful woman I can thank for that.’

  ‘How long have you been married?’

  ‘Three months.’ Susanna beamed. Her front teeth were perfectly even. Her parents had cared enough about their daughter to pay for braces. Both Lara and Ivan had slightly overlapping front teeth. Nick’s teeth were straight, too. Natural or straightened? She dragged her focus back from Nick and the vagaries of teeth and parental responsibility to the happy couple.

  ‘Congratulations.’

  ‘Thanks.’ She kissed her husband with more enthusiasm than Lara expected Ivan to accept in public but he returned her passion with vigour.

  Lara ate creamy and very delicious chocolate mousse as the kiss continued across the table. Who was she to criticise? She’d kissed someone in public with at least this much passion, if not more. What would Ivan say if he knew she’d kissed a policeman that way? Ask ‘are you out of your mind?’ probably. ‘Don’t do it again. Nothing good can come of it.’ He’d be right, she’d reached that conclusion herself.

  The trouble was her body reacted to the man in ways her brain couldn’t override. The only safety was in separation or avoidance, both of which were impossible when he suggested they take friendly outings together. She had no good reason to refuse him. She enjoyed his company and it was good for her son to have a male in his life. There’d be no more kisses though, in public or elsewhere.

  ‘How’s that young girl who was beaten up? The one Ivan visited in hospital,’ Susanna asked suddenly, coming up for air and a bite of caramel slice. ‘She’s staying with you, isn’t she?’

  ‘Yes. She’s pretty good. She went back to work last week.’ This at least was a neutral topic.

  ‘Is she ready? Ivan said she looked terribly bruised and she’d lost her memory.’

  ‘She did but her memory’s come back apart from the actual night and the doctors said that part may never return.’

  ‘That’s common and it’s probably just as well.’

  ‘She’s determined not to let it ruin her life.’

  ‘Have they caught the slimeball yet?’ That had a touch of the Ivan she knew best.

  ‘Yes, but he’s out on bail.’ Lara felt her lip curl. ‘Brooke had a scare over the weekend. I was out and she thought the guy was prowling about the front garden.’

  ‘Was he?’ Susanna straightened, eyes wide.

  ‘We don’t know. The police couldn’t find anyone.’

  ‘Useless,’ Ivan muttered. ‘I suppose he was at home at the time.’ The comment dripped with sarcasm. Her brother would know all about giving himself an alibi but he’d make sure he had witnesses.

  ‘I don’t know.’

  ‘What’s his name?’

  ‘Keith Garrett. Turned out he’d been into the café a few times. They caught him trying it on another girl in the same bar he was with Brooke.’

  ‘Fool.’ Ivan plonked his half empty coffee cup down.

  ‘Dangerous fool,’ said Susanna.

  ‘I have this horrible feeling he’ll get away with it,’ said Lara. ‘They don’t have any witnesses to the actual attack so it’s her word against his. She can’t remember him doing it but he did, for sure.’

  Ivan nodded slowly. ‘He was with her that night though, was he?’

  ‘Yes. No doubt about that but it’s afterwards. He says he took her home and left. He doesn’t know what she did after that.’

  ‘It’s all so horrible,’ said Susanna. ‘Let’s talk about something else. You must come over for a barbecue, Lara. Bring your little boy and Brooke. We have a big balcony that’s just perfect for Ivan to do his cooking on.’

 
Lara smiled. Ivan wielding barbecue tongs and cooking steak? Almost worth the risk of taking Petey to their home and getting to know her brother again. Almost but not quite.

  ‘Thanks,’ she said. ‘Maybe one day.’ She scraped up the last of the mousse. ‘That was absolutely delicious. Thanks, Susanna.’

  ‘I’m so happy to finally meet my sister-in-law. I don’t have any sisters.’

  ‘Neither do I.’ But she wasn’t going to leap into any heart to hearts with this woman just yet. She turned to Ivan. ‘What are you doing now? What sort of work?’

  ‘I’m manager of the Sprinters Club. It’s a private place. Members only.’

  Lara nodded. That sounded familiar. Wheeling and dealing, keeping a finger on who was who and what was dirty and who could be levered when necessary. And she knew the type of entertainment that would be on offer. Did clean and wholesome Susanna? Time to leave.

  She left them finishing their coffee with a promise to keep in touch. Maybe she would, maybe she wouldn’t. The whole situation was extraordinary and almost surreal. Did Susanna have any idea what her husband was capable of? What he’d done? Did she know and believe he’d changed? Or did she not care because she loved him anyway? She wasn’t a stupid woman, or a desperate one. She had her own career, was nice, and kind, and clearly in love. She must have had her choice of boyfriends. If Lara wasn’t so cynical she could believe Ivan loved his wife just as much in return and that he actually was in charge of running a private club, with no extracurricular activities.

  ***

  ‘That was Nick,’ said Brooke. ‘He’s dropping in tonight on his way home.’

  She resumed her place at the dinner table and stuffed in a mouthful of salad. Nothing wrong with her appetite and since she’d gone back to the café she’d been eating and sleeping more and better. A week and three days and no problems. Maybe she’d be thinking about returning home soon. No hurry for that. Let Brooke suggest it herself when she was ready, but Lara would miss her.

  ‘Why?’ Nick hadn’t been seen or heard from since the Sunday drama. Nothing had been said about the intruder, no follow-up, no arrest, nothing.

  ‘He didn’t say. But I’d guess it was to see you.’