Sharp Shooter (33 page)
I reached for a glass of water to give myself time to think. I couldn’t tell Bligh about the shooting; they could nab me for trespassing, not to mention aiding and abetting an armed crazy man. I couldn’t tell her about the warehouse either, because that’d be trespassing too, and there was Edouardo to consider.
My phone began to vibrate on the bedside cabinet. ‘Excuse me one minute,’ I said and grabbed it.
‘Missy?’
‘Hoshi?’
‘Mrs Hara has a message for you from her friend. Mr Viaspa says that all is good, as long as you don’t mention names. You understand?’
‘Are you sure?’
‘Yes. Yes. He says his dogs have been called off.’
Dogs?
He meant Barbaro and Lupi.
‘Thank you,’ I said. ‘I’ll collect the bird soon.’
I hung up and smiled at Bligh. ‘My boss has our family bird. You remember Brains?’
Her eyes narrowed. ‘Sharp?’
‘Where’s Barbaro’s boarding house?’
‘Upper Perth,’ she said. ‘Near the corner of George Street.’
‘Oh,’ I said, mustering a relieved expression. ‘Must be a coincidence. I was picking up my aunt’s boyfriend so he could move in with her. He can’t drive anymore. He has a medical condition. He lives on George Street.’
‘Can he verify that?’
‘I expect so.’
‘What’s his name?’
‘Wallace Grominsky.’
‘GROMINSKY!’ she snarled at me. ‘What little game are you playing at, Sharp?’
I gave her my best innocent expression, which was a fucking genius effort, since every muscle in my body ached and I was busting to pee on account of the drip. ‘I introduced them. No accounting for love’s taste.’
‘Neighbours reported gunshots,’ said Bligh.
‘Really? I’m glad Wal’s moved out then. Bad area.’
She grunted and scribbled in her book. ‘Where is he now?’
I gave her Liv’s address.
The nurse poked her head around the curtain. ‘Are you nearly finished, Constable? I’m having trouble holding back the hoards.’
Bligh sighed and stood up. ‘We’ll be talking again soon, Sharp.’
I sat up straighter. ‘Fiona?’
‘Yes.’
‘Thanks for today. I mean, you know I wasn’t seeing Peter behind her back. Carlotta really must be nuts.’
‘
That
,’ said Bligh, ‘I believe. His secretary owned up to being the other woman under a little bit of pressure from Cravich and Blake.’
I should have felt sorry for Giggler but I didn’t.
She left and within a second the curtain was flung open, and the cubicle teemed with excited people: Craigo and the boys, Bok and Smitty, and Edouardo.
I introduced them all to each other, and Smitty pinned Edouardo to the wall, while the boys immediately began to chat up Bok.
Craigo leaned over to give me a hug and pushed an envelope into my hand.
‘What’s that?’ I asked.
He gave me a delirious smile. ‘We won the tri. The organisers decided that the car debacle didn’t influence the final placings and awarded the first prize anyway. The whole thing got such great media coverage they’re happy for the publicity. And the gym is already getting membership calls.’
I opened the envelope and peered in: a cheque for three thousand dollars.
‘Split three ways,’ he said.
‘Of course.’
‘Now tell me, Tara,
who was
that crazy woman?’
A wave of elation swept over me. ‘I’ll tell you all about it at lunch. Everyone’s invited back to Aunt Liv’s for a celebration. Follow me!’ I thrust back the covers and leaped out of bed.
Perhaps a little ambitious. Edouardo grabbed me as I started to wobble. With his arm tight around my waist we all headed out of the ER laughing and chattering . . . and ran straight into Nick Tozzi carrying an enormous bunch of flowers.
The heat of his glare at Edouardo was enough to melt the vinyl off the seats in the waiting room.
Bok covered the awkward moment by having a fan boy attack. While he took over introducing himself and everyone else to Nick, I read the card on the bouquet.
Tara. You were
right. What can I do to thank you?
N.T.
I looked at him standing there, a gorgeous giant attracting attention from everyone in the waiting room, and had an idea.
‘Bok,’ I said, cutting across their babble. ‘Do you still need a celebrity interview and photo spread?’
Bok’s eyes lit as he caught my line of thought. ‘You
know
I do.’
‘Nick would be happy to do a celebrity interview for your mag. Wouldn’t you Nick?’
All eyes swivelled to Nick.
Tozzi’s aura radiated with the intensity of an impending supernova. For a moment I thought he would refuse. But I waved the card at him and smiled sweetly. ‘Martin is one of my best friends and he needs this interview.’
Nick took a deep breath and smiled at Bok. ‘I don’t normally do publicity, Martin, but I have a new investor in the team, and some plans to expand, so it might be time for an announcement. Sure thing.’
‘Photos?’ asked Bok.
‘Why not?’
‘Nick’s just moved into a new house,’ I added. ‘I’m sure he’d love to show it off.’
Martin gave a little crow of delight and got straight onto his phone to start arrangements.
‘A quick word, Tara, if I may?’ said Nick.
I eased Edouardo’s hand off my waist. ‘See you all outside in a second. Just got some business to sort,’ I told them.
Edouardo looked doubtful, but Smitty dragged him along. ‘Come on, Edouardo, this might be the only time I get you to myself.’
Blessed Smitty.
‘I’ll be right outside, waiting.’ Edouardo told me, looking straight at Nick.
A
S THEY PASSED THROUGH
the automatic doors, Nick helped me over to an empty set of chairs screened from the main waiting room by a row of large potted palms.
‘You were right about a connection between Viaspa and the exploration lease,’ he said, as we sat down.
‘What do you mean?’
‘I didn’t tell you, but the lease was about to expire. The regulations state that if you don’t start mining your lease within five years, you lose it. I was about to let the lease lapse because the assay report had said it was worthless. Your suspicions made me have a second assay done in Sydney. The lease is actually gold rich.’
My mouth dropped open. ‘Gold? Truly?’
‘Shh,’ he warned. ‘It’s not something I want to advertise. Anyway, I think Viaspa has had Lupi pulling this scam for a while. Lupi falsifies an assay report then Vogue acquires the lease under a different name, trucks his mobile plant up there and rips the mineral out of the ground. The industry’s been so buoyant these last few years that small mines have been springing up everywhere – so it’s been a perfect time to go undetected.’
‘So now what?’
‘I’ve told the police about the false report. They’re questioning Lupi but I don’t know that an association with Viaspa will be found. You’re the only person who saw Lupi at the warehouse; the only person who could connect them.’
Nick bent closer until his breath was hot on my lips. The damn cord appeared, and started pulsing between us, chest to chest. ‘What do you want to do, Tara? Will you go to the police?’
‘What do you want me to do?’ I asked. He looked so concerned and caring that I almost melted onto the floor.
‘Whatever you can live with. I’m worried for you. If Vogue knows you can pin Lupi to his warehouse then he might try and . . .’
‘Run me over?’ I ate up his concern like a starving person falling on a piece of pork roast and salt crackle. ‘Actually, that wasn’t him. Turned out to be Delgado’s crazy wife.’
He raised his eyebrows. ‘Carlotta Delgado?’
‘You’ve had the pleasure?’
‘It was no pleasure. The woman’s spiteful. She tried to hit Toni one time at a charity fashion parade.’
‘If only she’d tried to punch me,’ I lamented, ‘I could have taken her. Anyway, I’ve just spoken to the police. They’ve got nothing on Johnny Vogue. They’re pushing for something. Anything. But I’ve found a way to make Vogue leave us both alone without involving them.’
Nick stared hard at me. ‘Seriously?’
I met his look without blinking. ‘Deadly.’
‘I won’t ask.’
‘Don’t. But I promise he won’t be bothering you.’
‘So you’re happy to leave it at that then? Lupi goes down, Vogue walks?’
I sighed. ‘Not really. Viaspa deserves jail and more, but I’m just getting a business started. I’m broke.’ I gave a weak smile. ‘I don’t want to spend the next five years in a witness protection program. Does that sound pathetic?’
‘No. It sounds practical.’
‘But what about you, and Antonia and . . . ?’
His face closed over, the warmth fading from it, his aura listing like a damaged ship. ‘The estimated value of the lease gives me a new asset. It’ll keep the bank happy and get me over my short-term money issues. Thanks to you we’ve avoided the drug plant. I’ve employed security for the new house. Toni and I will be fine.’ He smiled. ‘Means I can keep the Reventon. I’d offer you a drive but –’
‘You don’t trust me.’ I smiled back. ‘Look, I didn’t mean to be –’
He took my hand. ‘I know, you didn’t, but I can manage my marriage.’
Fair enough. ‘Well that’s that then?’
A silent moment.
‘Umm, we’re going off to celebrate our win. Would you like to come with us?’ I asked politely.
‘Maybe another time. But I won’t forget what you did to help me. I’ll never forget.’ His voice deepened and his expression changed again. This time he seemed emotional. ‘Tara, I – look, there’s something –’
The cord of energy between us brightened and tightened, as though it was pulling us together, and I felt my lips parting in preparation for what he might say.
‘Tara!’ Edouardo’s voice.
It cut through the moment, and I drew back. He was looking for me on the other side of the line of palms.
I smiled at Nick and stood up. As I’d just told him, I didn’t need complications in my life right now. ‘Maybe another time,’ I said.
I
RANG
L
IV ON
the drive home to warn her and Wal about Bligh, and the impending numbers for lunch. She took both things in her stride, and asked me to pick up extra bread rolls and a cooked chicken.
Then I rang Mr Hara and JoBob and asked them to join us as well.
Safety in numbers, I decided, was the best strategy where my parents were concerned. JoBob would never make a scene.
Bligh and Bill Barnes stepped out of the lift as we crowded into the foyer of Liv’s apartment block. Bligh nodded at me as we passed. I knew better than to think that she would let things lie. The woman had a touch of pit bull in her and she wanted Viaspa.
I just wanted him to leave me alone.
Wal answered Liv’s door wearing chinos and an open-necked shirt.
It took me almost a whole bottle of champagne and half a bacon quiche to get over the shock.
We sat on Liv’s balcony and drank, and ate, and laughed until well after dark, when Craigo and the boys headed off to a party, and Bok ran Smitty home.
‘Darling,’ Smitty said, with good old alcohol-fuelled affection. ‘You never, never disappoint me. Oh, I do love you.’
‘You too, Smitts,’ I said. ‘Make her drink water all the way home,’ I hissed at Bok. ‘Henny will gut me for sending her home in this state.’
Bok hugged me. ‘Thanks for saving my arse, T. All the national magazines have been trying to nail Tozzi for an interview for years. They’ve offered me a bonus if I get pics of him and Antonia together.’
‘You’re welcome,’ I grinned, ignoring the little sore spot in my heart.
I shut the door after them and leaned against it.
Edouardo left the balcony and came inside. He gave me the most bewitching smile. ‘Your friends and family are nice, Tara.’
I looked out at Mr and Mrs Hara, JoBob, and Liv and Wal playing Pictionary, and squeezed his hand. ‘They’re lame actually. And I wish they’d all leave so you can give me that foot rub.’
‘Just your feet?’ he said wistfully.
‘It’s kind of crowded here at the moment, Ed,’ I said softly. ‘Wal’s staying as well.’
‘You want to come back to my place?’
I thought about it. But the elation had worn off, and the champagne and food had left me feeling kind of woozy and tired. I wanted to lie down and sleep, even more than I wanted to lie down next to the gorgeous Edouardo.
He must have caught my mood because he propelled me over to an armchair and sat himself on the footstool. Before I could argue, he picked up my bare foot and began to rub it.
I sank back into the chair and gave a little moan of pleasure. ‘Where did you learn to do that?’
‘It’s hereditary,’ he said. ‘I come from a long line of masseurs.’