Death by Beauty (7 page)

‘More often than you’d think,’ Gemma said. ‘Steve, this is bad. You’re about to be charged with corruption. If it sticks …’

‘If it sticks, it’s the end of my career. And the beginning of a jail sentence. It already looks like I’m at the end of the
road.’

‘But you can’t let that happen! It might be just talk, Steve. You know how cops gossip and how rumours spread.’

Steve shook his head. ‘This isn’t just a rumour. She hates my guts. She threatened me and she’d like to see me dead.’

Gemma took a deep breath. ‘
Did
you take bribes from Raimon Fayed?’

Steve shuffled impatiently. ‘Hell, no. But I used to meet him and we’d trade information. He sometimes gave me things – photographs
of people, addresses. Often the information was in envelopes. So it’s possible there
is
video footage of me taking something from him. Lorraine’s statement says she saw me count out thousands of dollars after
a meeting with Fayed. Which is total bullshit.’

Gemma swore. ‘What are you going to do? How can you fight this thing? You’re going to have to find out what sort of a case
they’ve got. Who’s going to believe Lorraine Litchfield, even if she did give a sworn statement?’

‘Fayed’s backing up her story. He’s besotted with her, plus he doesn’t have anything to lose. If he can help bring down a
corrupt cop he’s got everything to gain. Like a lighter sentence next time. It’s in his interest to perjure himself about
me.’

‘But he’s a career criminal! Who’s going to believe him?’

‘Better men than me have gone down because of this sort of situation. Gems, I’m in deep shit.’

‘I’ll do everything I can,’ said Gemma.

Steve shook his head. ‘I didn’t come here for that, Gemma. I’m here to warn you. I’m worried now that she’s going to come
after you as well – again. She didn’t get you last time, but now she’s out and boiling for revenge.’

He stepped forward and took her hands. ‘I’d never forgive myself if anything happened to you because of me.’

‘Don’t worry, Steve. I know how to look after myself.’

As Gemma’s mind raced ahead of itself, trying to find solutions to a situation that hadn’t even happened yet, ugly memories
surfaced … Steve acting undercover to trap a powerful criminal, taking on the role of Lorraine’s boyfriend … Lorraine becoming
infatuated with him … The humiliating confrontation between the two women: Lorraine with her flawless skin and big blue eyes,
big blonde hair, her perfect figure hugged by her powder-blue angora suit, balancing on impossible silver high heels, wielding
a Colt M1911; Gemma dishevelled, face streaked with dirt, bloodless lips, still pale with shock from the way she’d been abducted
by Lorraine’s bodyguards, forced to stand unsteadily in Lorraine’s mother-of-pearl encrusted living room while Lorraine aimed
the gun and shrieked at Steve to choose between them … Steve’s response as he desperately tried to save Gemma’s life and his
own: ‘Baby, look in the mirror. Look at her. Then look at you. There’s no contest. She means nothing to me.’ Lorraine lowering
the M1911 and Gemma’s heart almost stopping.

Gemma looked at Steve on the pier and remembered Lorraine’s later words, after realising the depth of Steve’s relationship
with Gemma: ‘You’re
dead
, bitch!’

Her later attempt on Gemma’s life had been thwarted, but now she was back, with vengeance on her mind.

‘She’s trying to destroy me,’ said Steve, ‘and it’s a dead certainty she’ll be coming after you too.’ He looked away out to
sea and then back to Gemma. ‘This could be bad, Gems. Really bad.’

His mobile rang. He answered it, grunted, and rang off. ‘I’ve got to go. There’s a legal guy I’ve finally tracked down and
he has time to meet me tonight. I’ll grab a cab near the shops.’

‘Let me give you a lift. I’m heading to Kings Cross.’

‘But Rafi—’ Steve began.

‘Mike’s there and I’ll be home in an hour or so. Rafi will be fine.’

‘Mike’s a good man,’ said Steve quietly. ‘You’re better off without me.’

She almost objected, but caught herself in time.

Gemma and Steve were silent during the drive to the Cross. Steve’s familiar bulk beside her in the passenger seat aroused
all sorts of memories as AC/DC belted out another song. She turned the music up to try to force these memories from her mind.

Steve’s hand shot forward to turn it down and he faced her, his features soft with tender regret. ‘Gemma, oh Gems, I wish—’

‘Don’t,’ she said, turning the music up again.

Baroque Occasions appeared no different from the other terrace houses in the quiet road below Victoria Street at Potts Point
– apart from the red light over the front door.

Gemma reversed into a parking spot a few doors down.

‘Where do you need to go now? I can drop you somewhere if you want to wait.’

Steve shook his head. ‘This is fine. I can get a cab from here, no problem.’

As they were getting out of the car, the brothel’s owner, Naomi, turned the corner, her hands full of shopping bags. When
she saw them her face lit up and she hurried across the road. ‘Guys! Gemma and Stevie! Great to see you again.’

‘You too, Naomi,’ said Gemma as Naomi leaned the bags against the fence and threw her arms around her, kissing her on both
cheeks, then giving Steve a slightly more restrained kiss. She stepped back and collected her shopping, Steve taking the heaviest
bag. ‘Come in. This is really good timing. Today’s been pretty quiet.’ As she unlocked the door, she turned back and smiled
over her shoulder. ‘And it’s just great seeing you two together again. I
knew
you guys would work it out. I just knew it!’

‘I won’t come in,’ said Steve. ‘I’ve got to get a cab.’

‘Call for one from here,’ said Naomi, smiling. ‘The cabbies know this address well. Come on, Steve. Have a drink while you’re
waiting.’

Steve hesitated then followed Gemma as Naomi led the way inside, past the comfortable reception area and the small bar, down
the narrow hall to the kitchen at the back.

‘Naomi,’ Gemma began, as Naomi put the shopping on the table and started pulling out tins of soup. ‘It’s not quite like that.
Actually, we’re – we’re not together. I’m living with Mike Moody. I’m just giving Steve a lift.’

‘Oh,’ said Naomi, pausing as she put a carton of milk in the fridge. ‘I knew about Mike, but I thought – you know – that eventually
…’

‘Naomi,’ said Steve, ‘maybe you’ve heard something about Lorraine Litchfield. Where she’s living now?’

‘Last thing I heard, she and that brute Raimon Fayed were thick as thieves.’ She wrinkled her nose in distaste. ‘We were all
very happy when Terry Litchfield died and Lorraine was jailed, but somehow she’s managed to get an early release. If I hear
anything interesting I’ll tell you, Gemma, and you can pass it on to Steve. Okay?’

‘Good.’ Gemma nodded.

‘I’m having a chardy to celebrate your visit,’ said Naomi, opening the fridge and taking a wine glass from a cupboard. ‘Anyone
else want one?’

‘I’d better not. I’m on the clock.’

‘And I’m going,’ said Steve. ‘But thanks, Naomi. I can find my own way out.’

Gemma watched him leave and heard the front door close.

‘Oh hell, Gemma,’ said Naomi. ‘I’m sorry about that. I hope I didn’t embarrass you too much! You just looked so – so
right
with each other.’

Gemma sighed. ‘There were always problems, Naomi. Steve just isn’t the type to make a commitment. He’s always said he couldn’t
picture himself with a family.’

‘Has he seen the baby?’

‘He saw him at the hospital the night he was born. That’s when he found out he’s Rafi’s father.’

‘You mean you didn’t tell him?’

‘I was about to – once. I was just about to tell him when Julie Cooper interrupted me to show her engagement ring. That kind
of took the wind out of my sails, so I shut up.’

‘Send him a photograph of his son. He’d like that.’

‘Yes, I think he would. So, how have you been? How is the fine arts course going?’

‘Not bad. I got two distinctions last term. I’m deferring this
year. Uni life takes up a lot of time and this place needs a lot of work.’

‘Ever think of meeting a nice John and settling down?’

‘Like you?’ Naomi laughed. ‘Except you met a nice Mike. Nice Johns are thin on the ground in my line of work. Although there
is one guy who’s pretty sweet on me. But you know my rules: if it’s friendship you want, then it’s no sex. And that means
I lose a paying customer!’

Gemma laughed. ‘I think your mother had the same attitude.’

‘She did. And she saved enough money to buy this place.’

‘She was a smart woman,’ said Gemma, remembering Shelley and her spunky spirit. ‘Naomi, have you heard anything about some
guy who targets girls?’ she asked. ‘Spikes their drinks and then takes them somewhere and attacks them. There’s no sexual
interference, at least in the case we know about. He uses an instrument, could be some kind of syringe. Just leaves a puncture
mark.’

‘Is he infecting them with something? HIV?’

‘We don’t know yet. The victim’s had the first blood test. We won’t know for sure until the second one. But get this: while
he carries out the attack, he wears vampire teeth.’

‘You’re joking.’

‘Dead serious. Angie McDonald brought a girl around to see me. She’d been assaulted by this man. I saw the mark and the bruising
on her neck. What started out like a date-rape story ended up like Dracula. I was wondering if you’ve heard of any similar
attacks.’

‘We’ve had our fair share of ugly mugs, but vampires …?’ Naomi’s voice trailed off, then she frowned, putting her glass down
on the kitchen table. ‘Hang on, one of the kids
did
say
something weird. Last week, something to do with a vampire. I just thought the ice was getting to her.’

‘When did it happen? Did she talk about an assault?’

‘Yes, but I didn’t take all that much notice about the details. It was after our precinct meeting – Angie was there, and the
sex-workers outreach – and we were having coffee and biscuits.’

‘Can you remember anything more?’

‘I’d just started chatting to this kid when she told me the story. I presumed she’d been off her face at the time of the attack,
and I kind of switched off.’

‘What’s her name? Where can I get hold of her? What did she say?’

‘I don’t know her real name, but her working name is Brie. She hangs out near the Forbes Street square. Gets around in thigh-high
boots and shorts. She’s a nice kid. I remember her saying a vampire had attacked her. I just said, “Sure honey, can I get
you another coffee and a Tim Tam?”’

‘Naomi, if you could track her down, I’d be really grateful. I’m not quite as mobile as I used to be – with Rafi, I mean.
I’ll do what I can, and I’ll have a look for her now on my way home.’

‘Look out near Forbes Street or the corner where the Ferrari showroom used to be and the block around there,’ Naomi suggested.
‘That’s where she generally works.’

Gemma headed slowly down William Street, eyes scanning each side of the road, and drove up and around to the area near the
Forbes Street steps. A couple of girls were standing there: one could have been a tranny, tall and broad shouldered, with
muscular legs ending in high heels, and a thick blonde wig; the
other a thin woman in a black halter, short skirt and thigh-high boots. She was lighting the tall blonde’s cigarette as Gemma
pulled up and called out to them from the car window. ‘I’m looking for a girl called Brie. Either of you know where she is?’

‘You a cop?’ called the thin girl.

‘No. I just want to talk to her. About an attack on her last week.’

‘We haven’t seen her this week,’ said the blonde. ‘She said she was going to Melbourne. But yeah, she said she was spooked
over some weirdo who attacked her. She wanted to get away from him.’

Gemma fished out two of her cards and handed them to the women. ‘Here you are. You can check out my bona fides with Angie
McDonald. If you see Brie or hear from her, please ask her to contact me. I may be able to help her.’

‘You’re a private investigator,’ said the thin girl. ‘She’s not in trouble, is she?’

Working the streets and using ice might be considered trouble already in certain circles, Gemma thought. But she shook her
head. ‘She could be. But not from the law. And not from me. I’m trying to get information about the man who attacked her.’

‘That’s good. If it means trouble for him,’ said the blonde woman.

‘It will,’ said Gemma. ‘I can promise that.’

It was nearly eleven o’clock when she arrived home. Her body was tired and her thoughts were confused. Seeing Steve, the old
familiarity, the memories of the good times and the deep regret about the bad times stirred her at soul level. Her spirit
felt restless and scratchy. She took a deep breath and looked up at the moon, steadying herself before unlocking the front
door.

She walked into the living room, where Mike was stretched out on the leather lounge, Taxi curled up on his stomach. He looked
up from his reading. ‘Hiya, Gems.’

Gemma leaned down to give him a kiss then sat beside him and dumped her bag on the floor.

‘Did Rafi wake while I was gone?’

Mike shook his head. ‘No, but I didn’t realise you were going to be out for so long. What kept you?’

She didn’t answer straight away. ‘Mike,’ she said at last, ‘Steve rang me earlier while I was in the car, and I miss him –
I mean I
met
him—’ she laughed to cover her slip, ‘—down at Phoenix Bay. He’s worried. Lorraine Litchfield is out of prison—’

Mike swore and sat up, forgetting Taxi, who scrambled to the floor, tail waving in displeasure. ‘He has no right to involve
you in his stuff-ups.’

‘He was warning me, Mike.’

‘He could have done it over the phone. There was no reason for you to go and meet him. Litchfield nearly got you killed.’

‘Don’t remind me. She’s done a deal of some sort, reckons she’s got evidence that Steve took bribes from Raimon Fayed.’

‘Who’d believe her?’ Mike said. ‘She’s a perjuring crim’s wife. But that doesn’t stop her from being a real menace to you,
Gems. We’re going to have to be very, very careful.’ He stood up, agitated, and strode across the room to open the curtains
and the sliding doors to the deck. A cold wind blew in, and the curtains billowed behind him, briefly concealing him as he
stepped outside. Gemma realised he’d gone to check that no one was out there. Within moments he returned, locked the doors
securely and pulled the curtains closed again.

‘If she’s still planning to eliminate me,’ she tried to reassure him, ‘she won’t come in by the deck again. She’ll try something
different. Maybe by now she’s forgotten about me and is concentrating her vengeance on Steve.’ That thought worried Gemma
almost as much.

Mike went to the kitchen and, stepping around Taxi, pulled down the scotch bottle from the shelf. ‘Drink?’ he asked, taking
a tumbler from the cupboard, but she shook her head.

‘You go ahead, though. Have one for me.’

She crept into the bedroom to check on Rafi and was surprised to see in the gloom that his eyes were wide open and turned
in the direction of the window.