Hindsight (35 page)

Mira shivered. ‘Serenity started out as a penal colony. I’ve seen cruelty far worse than this. Just never with the victim so willing.’ Her stomach churned and she felt sick.

Hugging her tummy, she noticed Josh was kneeling again, with a fist full of Shelley’s breast.

You can’t blackmail Jake either, you dumb bitch! He’s my brother. Shithead or not, he’s also my partner. If you blackmail him, you blackmail me!
He slapped her face.
Smile as you process that, baby. We share everything, him and me. Everything.

Shelley looked horrified.
Then Jake, he … he told you what he was doing with me?

You think I’m psychic? Every time he was doin’ you, I was doin’ Chloe.
His smile changed from playful to wicked.
Let me show you something I learned from her.
Swiftly and roughly, he twisted Shelley’s leather bikini top around her head, tied it off as a gag, then grabbed her ankles and lifted them high as he repositioned himself. Shelley tried to squirm away but she bumped her head against his bait and tackle box, and he pinned her there by pushing her ankles down against her ears and folding her double.
If Chloe could take it with a smile, you can, baby. Let me look at those pretty gleamers now!
He spat on his fingers, and Mira didn’t dare to watch any more. She’d seen the century old ghosts of male guards at Serenity holding some of the male prisoners down in the same position, and they’d needed saliva too as lubrication.

‘They’re not saying much,’ she reported to Lockman. ‘Just that Jake and Josh were partners, but Shelley didn’t know about that. She tried to blackmail Jake, and now Josh is punishing her.’

‘Josh and Jake were partners all right. They’re the pair that Greppia’s people refer to as the counterfeiters. We just can’t find their base or supply lines.’

‘That doesn’t make sense,’ Mira said. ‘They robbed his store — I think. At least, Ben’s sure they were both responsible for framing him. Now it seems they’re also working for the Greppias? I don’t get it.’

‘We’re definitely missing something. In all the surveillance tapes, the Markovics walk and talk as if they’re only small-time. Squeaky clean if you read only police records, and yet, Gregan Greppia maintains a close interest in them.’

‘He sent Josh Markovic to fetch me. That’s why he’s here with Shelley.’

Just then, Markovic stumbled backwards into Mira’s field of view with the scaling knife buried deep between his shoulder blades. Swearing and foaming at the mouth, he was turning about, panicking, unable to get it out.

Shelley stood up, laughing. Her mouth was almost free of the gag, when Markovic pulled the handgun from his overalls, and shot her.

‘This is a dead end,’ Mira said as Markovic fell to his knees. ‘Get me a boat, or get me to that shop, but get me out of here, Lieutenant. I never did like this place; now I’m as creeped out as I can be.’

‘Why the shop?’ Lockman asked. ‘It’s miles inland.’

‘You want Mr Mystery, don’t you? Or Garland does. If you won’t let me out in a boat to track Ben, I have to do something or I’ll go rabid with frustration!’ She could already feel it building.

‘And if Gregan spent a lot of time at that shop, we could get lucky.’

F
ar away later in Lockman’s Hilux, Mira peeled off the layers of army uniform, leaving only the soothing softness of the skirt and blouse that she’d bought shopping with Gabby. Lockman peeled off his army shirt too, replacing it with a fishing vest over his t-shirt, which she verified by ‘accidentally’ stretching, yawning and touching him, but as best she could guess, he’d left on his camo trousers as if they were casual enough already.

‘That skirt is too bright and memorable,’ he said as he turned further inland. ‘Mind if I arrange something else along the way?’

Mira shook her head. ‘I’ll choose my own clothes. The question is where?’ Time was pressing, and while the purple sun was rising ever closer to its zenith, the invisible moon had long sent its chill and dew into the air.

‘There’s a donation bin ahead,’ he suggested.

‘Forget it. I’m not stealing from charity.’

‘It wouldn’t be stealing. We’d leave money.’

Mira frowned, doubting him. ‘I must have left my purse in my other uniform. Oh, wait. I don’t have a purse. I left all my old crap at Serenity.’

‘Wasn’t the idea to set you up for independence?’

‘Give us a break, Lieutenant. Ben hardly had a chance.’

‘Would have been top of my list. He was at the bank anyway to pay bills.’

Mira chewed on her lip. ‘What are you saying?’

‘Nothing. What would I know? I’m just security.’

‘Cut that out. If you have something to say, just say it.’

He sighed and veered across traffic to the kerb, where he cut the engine outside of a spooky-looking mortuary, with an atmosphere made all the more frightening by the purple haze of yesterday.

‘What are you doing?’ Mira asked, thinking all the worst things. She heard the squeak of springs under his seat, the groan of his uniform on vinyl seats — until she recognised the sound of a hand tugging out a wallet from his back pocket.

‘Here’s a hundred.’ Lockman pushed two polymer notes into her hand which she could tell from the size and feel, were both fifties. ‘Take it.’

‘I’m not taking your money. That’s too much anyway.’

‘Depends on where you shop. It’s barely a meal for two at a fancy restaurant like this. Might just pay for a couple of their table runners, though. Keep the change.’

‘Table what?’

‘That morgue is really a restaurant. I’m not sure if you can see down the side to the candlelights but those black tables in their smokers’ section have long black lacy tablecloths.’

‘A smoking section in a restaurant? You’re kidding. Isn’t that like having a peeing section in a swimming pool?’

He chuckled. ‘It’s a beer garden, and the lace table runners should tie up nicely around your skirt, with maybe a spare as a shawl to cover and tone down most of your white blouse.’

‘Oh.’ She wanted to argue, but by adjusting her shades until she could see them same time yesterday, the idea did sound appealing — except the part about asking complete strangers to sell her something they didn’t usually sell. ‘There’s no other shops open at this hour?’

‘Not around here. Only service stations and 24-7 grocery stores.’

Appearing through the front door came the ghost of a stocky, hairy little man dressed as a waiter, with tiny pink ears and a black moustache. Small in stature, but he had an arrogant stride about him that suggested he might be the manager. Or worse. Aside from his height and weight, he bore a striking resemblance to Gregan Greppia.

‘You do it,’ Mira said, pushing the money back at Lockman. ‘I’ll repay you later.’

‘Keep it,’ he insisted. ‘Think of it as insurance in case we get separated — or maybe you’ll get sick of me and try to run away.’

‘You’d risk that? Or you trust me that much?’

His door opened in reply, and while he was gone, she had the feeling he was still watching her, but she realised that he was right so far as the money was concerned. How long would it have taken Ben to withdraw a small cash supply from her account? At Serenity, all well-behaved residents were permitted a modest amount of cash to spend every week on treats from the canteen, while all those who’d lost their privileges were dependent on staff from day to day. For almost a decade, she’d been dependent that way.

Shivering at the thought of Ben deliberately keeping her socially crippled like that, she fumbled to find the controls on Lockman’s CD player, hoping to distract herself with his lively music. Instead, she switched on something that filled the cab with the voices of Patterson and Pobody.

‘How does she find her mouth with her fork?’ Pobody asked, and strangely his voice seemed to be outside the car at the same time. ‘It’s a wonder she doesn’t have poke marks all over her face.’

‘How do you get a blind woman to burn her ear?’ Patterson replied, speaking inside and out at the same time too. ‘Call her when she’s ironing.’

Pobody laughed. ‘How do you drive her crazy? Ask her to read stucco. Or bird seed. Or rice.’

‘Or maybe glue doorknobs to her walls.’

‘Okay. So why does she masturbate with one hand? … She needs the other to moan with.’

‘That’s deaf, moron. Blind people don’t speak with their hands … This is bullshit, Jo, I had my own team until this. I was headed overseas for some real action.’

‘This ain’t so bad. Working close to home I get to see my kids on the weekend — and I’d rather secure a convenience store than be driving Miss Crazy.’

‘You should try keeping your dick in your pants. Or hanging it out more often. Either way it’s more time with your offspring.’

‘Nah, I’m shooting blanks nowadays. Eileen talked me into the big snip right before she sprang the divorce papers. Evil bitch. So take heed, mate. You married her sister.’

‘Hey, my gun’s clean, mate. I don’t stick it anywhere it’s not meant to be.’

The driver’s door burst open, and Lockman switched off the audio link before he climbed back in. ‘You don’t need to hear that,’ he said, dumping a bundle of silky soft material into her lap, ‘and even if you do, it’s best not to switch on the loudspeaker.’

‘Loudspeaker? What loudspeaker?’

‘It’s under the tray.’ He gunned the engine and skidded back onto the road. ‘It’s my secret weapon for beach parties; my truck also doubles as a stage.’

Mira sighed, able to picture it well enough, even though she knew she’d never fit into that kind of scene. No doubt, he’d have all kinds of beach girls clamouring after him. ‘I’m sorry I ruined your break, Lieutenant.’

‘Nah. Postponed is all. Now I get to look forward to it twice.’

‘It really doesn’t bother you?’ She couldn’t hear any trace of a lie in his voice. ‘Driving Miss Crazy?’

He laughed. ‘Ignore those fools. My grandmother was blind. Macular degeneration. She had Alzheimer’s too by the end. Was rarely without her charm though.’

‘Charm? Yeah, right. Very charming broadcasting that smut back there outside a restaurant. No wonder I’m failing at independence. I’m socially incompetent.’

‘Competent comedienne, though. That was hilarious. I should bring you back tomorrow so you can see the looks on that crowd in the beer garden.’

‘Oh, too embarrassing!’

‘Only for Pobody. Idiot should know to keep his mouth shut around an open channel, but you know the problem with sergeants? They think they’re invincible. Catch too many bullets in their teeth, and occasionally one gets through a cavity. Not that it makes much difference. Hard to tell when a sergeant has brain damage.’

Mira smiled. She tried not to, but it didn’t last long anyway. Ahead, she caught a glimpse of their destination.

‘Block secure,’ Patterson reported as soon as Lockman pulled up across the street from Greppia’s store. ‘Detectives Moser and Symes en route. ETA twelve minutes.’

‘They’re bringing the search warrant?’

‘Air mail. ETA four minutes.’

‘We need police?’ Mira asked. In the distance, she could hear the buzz of a helicopter.

‘Only if we want charges to stick,’ Lockman explained. ‘The beach was public property, but here you’ll need authority to gain access.’

Mira glanced to the front door of the shop and saw it was closed, despite the lights on inside. Same time last night, at least. Yet she couldn’t hear any sounds of customers to suggest that tonight was any different. Leaning closer to Lockman, she whispered, ‘Why is it closed when that sign says it’s a 24-7?’

‘Vending machines. Rural stores can get away with closing after hours by having vending machines out front for milk, bread and other staples.’

In seconds, Mira was out and bounding over to investigate, drawn by the thought of food and an ache to fill her stomach.

‘Hey, stop!’ Lockman grabbed her arm. ‘Security camera.’ He tugged her back a step. ‘Give me a second. I’ll disable it.’

‘On it,’ Uno said, jogging past her. ‘I know this system.’

‘Just temporary,’ Lockman ordered. ‘You break it, you bought it.’

‘How’s Josie?’ Mira called.

‘Ah, she’s, ah … doing fine,’ Uno replied, but it was so obviously a lie that Mira could have picked it as a four-year-old. ‘Vet needs her to stay a few days.’

Code for
died
, Mira guessed. No doubt they wanted to keep her happy long enough to get the job done for General Garland. ‘Can I visit?’ she asked as a test.

‘First thing in the morning,’ Lockman promised. ‘For now, I take it you’ve got your appetite back?’

‘I’m starving.’

‘Okay, go,’ Uno called. ‘I just fixed the cams by the pick-n-pays, so you’re invisible.’

In seconds, Mira was led to the front door, beside which was a bank of four large pick-n-pay vending machines. First thing to catch her eye was a carton of iced coffee, but she decided that was a bad idea. She asked for fruit juice instead. ‘Any kind.’

‘Milk is kinder on an empty stomach,’ Lockman suggested. ‘Or better yet, chocolate.’

‘Chocolate?’ Her mouth watered and she scrambled across the four machines in search of it. ‘Oh, chocolate!’ She hugged the glass, wishing both hands could simply reach through it. ‘Who’s got change? I’ll IOU a hundred times over!’

‘No need.’ Lockman jiggled coins out from his pocket. ‘No more than two, though. Most chocolate has caffeine.’

Soon her mouth was full of it, washed down with a carton of chocolate milk, just as the helicopter landed. Mira expected to hear Garland’s voice, but instead she heard enough during the handover of the warrant to figure out that the chopper was piloted by a cop.

‘Delayed,’ he reported of the two detectives who she’d expected to arrive with the warrant. ‘They were on a stakeout and had to wait for replacements. ETA now only ten minutes.’

‘Thanks,’ Lockman replied, but Mira didn’t understand why she had to wait, if Lockman had the search warrant now. Through the shop door, she had a clear view of the last two banks of cash registers and the memorial sign for Gregan’s brother, Theo.

As the pilot buzzed away, Mira adjusted her sunshades until the memorial disappeared. Customers came and went in a blur between dawns and dusks, yet within minutes of fine-tuning, the appearance at night of two men in dark clothes and ski masks caught her eye.

‘I see the robbers,’ she whispered to Lockman. ‘Two of them. Can you please make the others give us space so we can discuss it?’

In reply, he issued orders for Uno, Cinq, Patterson and Pobody to about-face and stride out to secure the perimeter, which wasn’t too far since the store and car park were the only things on the block. No traffic, and no discernible threats from the tractor sales or irrigation warehouse across the street, so Mira kept her voice down to prevent them from overhearing her.

‘They were inside the night Theo Greppia died,’ she whispered, reporting also their descriptions. ‘Both medium height with dark hair, balaclavas and wearing dark jerseys with matching football team logos. I didn’t see them come in from the front. Must have been a back door job.’

‘We can check that soon, but …’ Lockman flipped through a few pages of the police report. ‘Says here, the front door lock was busted.’

‘Well, I’m looking at them in there now and this door is fine … Hey, when did you get a chance to get so familiar with those reports anyway?’

‘Garland left them with me overnight. I read some this morning while I was feeding the joey and the rest while you were out with that konk on your noggin. How is it, by the way? You nearly ready for a painkiller?’

‘Pain is an old friend. Reminds me I’m alive and kicking.’

He chuckled. ‘I can think of more fun ways to achieve the same thing. You said they appeared inside? Can you see any vehicles?’

‘Maybe.’ She walked around the building until she had a better view of the street and parking lot. ‘There’s one truck at the loading bay. Looks like a freezer van. It’s running.’ She couldn’t hear it but she could see the continuous thin cloud of exhaust. ‘But the loading bay is closed.’ She walked deeper into the car park until she could read the number plate off the truck for him.

Adjusting time backwards a little more, she found Shelley turning in from the side alley, driving Chloe’s Jaguar XKR — the wrong way through the exit. Braking abruptly behind the building, Shelley twiddled her thumbs at the wheel while her two balaclava-clad passengers scrambled out and raided the trunk of the XKR for a bundle of harnesses and ropes that Mira had glimpsed earlier while trailing Chloe with Ben. Mira wondered if that meant the gear had been in her trunk all the years in between the robbery and Chloe’s death, even though it didn’t seem likely.