Peter Corris - Man In The Shadows

‘Tim’s Gym, aerobics. C’mon Jen, obstructions check.’

Lewis nodded as the women ran past him. ‘Satisfied?’

‘What’s an obstructions check?’

‘Oh, they make sure there’s no logs or debris in the water. Your client’ll be safe here, Mr Hardy.’

‘I’ll tell him… her.’

That earned me a suspicious look from Lewis and a polite version of the bum’s rush.

I drove up the Peninsula and checked the Whale Beach address just to be thorough. The house was on a cliff overlooking the sea. Great view, but it had been occupied for seven months by a body-surfing accountant who worked from home. The previous occupiers’ names were Quinn and Buck. A few letters for them had arrived and the accountant had no forwarding address. I drove to Manly wondering who Buck might be.

Tim’s Gym was a few streets back from the ocean beach on the south side of The Corso. It was on a hill and from where I parked I could see down across the buildings to the water. The sun was high now and the people were clustering in the shade of beach umbrellas and the trees. All except the joggers who moved in a thin, bobbing trickle along the path that led around to Shelly Beach. What with the joggers and the gym, with its big mural of dancers, weight-lifters and rope-skippers, I experienced an oppressive sense of good health all about me. I would’ve liked a swim; I’d have liked a drink even more.

Manly has retained more of the flavour of old Australia, where if you asked questions about people you were a sticky-beak but not necessarily an enemy and if you had anything to hide you were a crook. That still didn’t make it a pushover. I asked for Tim and was shown to an office where a woman with red hair, a white dress and perfect teeth was operating a desktop computer.

‘I’m Sally Teale,’ she said. ‘There’s no Tim. What can I do for you?’

I pulled out the photograph of Shelley Quinn and showed it to her. ‘D’you know this woman?’

‘I might. Who wants to know?’

‘My name’s Hardy. I’m a private investigator.’ I showed her my licence. ‘I know it sounds silly but I’ve been hired to locate her and invite her to a Christmas party.’

She laughed; the teeth appeared to be perfect all the way back. ‘That’s not very macho, is it?’

I laughed too. ‘No, not very.’

‘Hired by who?’

‘Her ex-husband.’

‘Well, well. Shelley said he was a touch on the sedentary side. I suppose it’s all right but I don’t know how Peter’ll take to it.’

‘Peter?’

‘Peter Buck. Her bloke.’

I shrugged. ‘No business of mine. If you’ll give me her address I’ll go around and give this to her.’ I produced the envelope. ‘Or I might just leave it in the letter box.’

I waited for the objection but none came. She hit some keys on the computer which whirred. She looked at the screen of the monitor, nodded and read: ‘Flat 3, 42A Darley Road. Not far for you to go-’

‘When did you last see her, Ms Teale?’

‘Yesterday. She’s getting back into shape after having the baby. Lovely little kid.’

Down the hill, around a few turns, and brakes on outside a cream brick block of flats numbered 42A. Easy money. I had my swimmers in the back of the car; maybe I could be on a wave within the hour. I located Flat 3 at the side of the building and went up the short flight of steps. This put me on a concrete porch with a waist high iron rail around it outside a plain door with an electric bell. I pressed the bell and heard movement inside. The door opened and the woman whose photograph was in my pocket stood there.

‘Yes?’

‘Mrs Quinn? Your former husband… ‘

‘The name’s Buck.’ A man appeared from behind her; he was stocky and dark in shorts and a blue singlet. A man of action; he stepped around the woman, moved forward and threw a punch. Having to move sideways first threw him off line a little, otherwise the punch would’ve been hard to avoid. But I had time to go back, take it on the shoulder and grab his arm.

‘Steady, you! What’re you doing?’ He jerked free, set himself and punched again. This time he landed under the ear and inspired the standard Hardy counter-I hit him with a light left to the nose and tried to shove him back against something hard. The woman screamed which seemed to give him extra strength. He rushed me back and I felt the rail bite into my spine. I turned to reduce the impact and kicked at his knee as he came on. He wobbled and I put both hands on his right shoulder and bore down. The knee I’d kicked hit the concrete hard and he yelled and crumpled up.

The woman bent down to him and then a baby wailed inside the flat. She rushed in and I moved to follow. The dark man pulled himself up on the railing.

‘Get out!’ he yelled.

‘Easy, mate,’ I said. ‘You’ve got some wrong ideas.’

I went into the passageway and Shelley Quinn or Buck came out carrying and soothing a baby. ‘Who are you?’

‘My name’s Hardy. I was hired by your husband to… ‘

‘That bastard! I’ll kill you!’ The man hobbled forward.

‘You didn’t do so good the first time. Don’t push your luck. Let’s go inside and talk. I don’t understand this.’

I stood aside and let him pass me; he held on to the door and edged along the wall. As I closed the door I saw a green car pull up outside the flats. I had a sudden alarmed feeling that I’d seen it before.

We went through to the kitchen. Shelley made coffee and we stumbled through the introductions and explanations. The child was Henry Quinn’s but neither Shelley nor Peter Buck wanted anything to do with the father. Shelley snorted when I showed her the invitation.

‘He’s an animal,’ she said. ‘I wouldn’t go to a party there without a suit of armour.’

‘He… beat her up,’ Peter Buck said hesitantly. ‘She wouldn’t let me go around and square him.’ He had work-hardened hands and muscles but was extraordinarily gentle when handling the child. He was part Maori and he sang when he could and lectured when he couldn’t. The chemistry between Buck and Shelley was strong and the child, dark-eyed and olive-skinned, could have been their own. It was clear that that was how they regarded him.

Shelley explained that she’d met and married Quinn as a piece of youthful folly. She’d begun divorce proceedings within a year and had moved to Whale Beach. Quinn broke in and raped her.

‘He wants Tommy,’ Shelley said quietly. ‘That’s why you’re here. It has to be.’

It dawned on me then. The green car and the feeling I’d had all along that Quinn’s story was shonky. I’d approached it all too lightly and hadn’t once looked to see if anyone was taking an interest in me. ‘Can you see the back and the front of the block from this flat?’

Peter Buck nodded. He rubbed his knee and glowered at me. ‘Why?’

‘Would you mind taking a look? I think I’ve led Quinn straight to you.’

He hobbled away and when he came back his face was grim. ‘There’s cars back and front. Blokes in ‘em. They’re watching.’

Shelley caught her breath and hugged the baby who protested. She smoothed the soft, dark hair. ‘What can we do?’

I phoned Quinn and could hear the satisfaction in his voice. ‘Thought I’d be hearing from you. My men’re outside those scumbag flats.’

‘I know. What’s the game, Quinn?’

‘I’m offering twenty grand for the kid.’

‘I think Mr Buck here would put it down your throat with his fist.’

‘Buck? Who’s he?’

‘He’s with Shelley.’

‘Sounds like a nigger.’

‘He’s a Maori.’

‘Shit! I’m gonna have to keep real close tabs on Shelley now you’ve found her for me and I don’t think she’s gonna like it. I’m gettin’ that kid, Hardy, if it takes me a year. I never had a kid.’