The Life Swap, page 15
‘Yes, deliver to my place,’ he said as he finished.
‘We’re going to your place?’ Luna asked in fresh surprise.
‘It’s easier,’ Craig said. ‘They know my place well.’
There was little point in arguing. For Luna, this day had already brought one surprise after another, and she couldn’t deny she was curious to see where Craig lived these days.
Right now, though, all she wanted was to close her eyes and try to relax – to try to forget about Maria Balan and the stony-faced detectives and their endless, nit-picking questions. Luna had answered them honestly, giving details to the very best of her ability, but it had been unbelievably stressful.
Fortunately, Craig must have picked up on her need for peace. He didn’t pester her with further conversation, but drove smoothly and competently in silence. Perhaps he even turned his phone off. It certainly didn’t ring.
Craig’s new home was yet another surprise. Luna had known that he no longer lived in the suburban weatherboard where he and Adele had raised Tess. And given his expensive wardrobe, plus the impressive car and his business-focused lifestyle, she’d expected the new place to be flash and luxurious, but she hadn’t been ready for anything quite so palatial.
On arriving in Craig’s penthouse, Luna’s first impression was of acres of marble flooring and glass – opulence she might normally have found unsettling, given her own deliberately simple lifestyle. Tonight, however, with her nerves so frayed and the rain still pouring on the terrace beyond the glass, Luna was mostly grateful for the comfort Craig’s home offered – although cautiously so.
‘How beautiful,’ she remembered to say.
The penthouse’s interior was certainly very elegant. And very white – there seemed to be loads of white everywhere – sofas, cushions, rugs, walls. Luna wondered who’d been in charge of the decorating.
She tried to imagine Adele living in this space and she was sure her friend would have needed to add colour – colourful cushions, at the very least, and plenty of pot plants. Her grand piano, of course. And her guitars.
Just thinking about Adele, Luna was slugged by a deep sense of loss and a gaping emptiness that was impossible to fill. Without her dear friend’s presence, this house felt beautiful but sterile.
She wondered if this was how it felt for Craig as well.
In a burst of sympathy, Luna found herself saying, ‘Craig, I really appreciate this. I know that you – I mean – I know that I —’
But then, having rushed in without really planning this important speech, she floundered. This was not the right moment to try to bridge a gap of more than twenty frost-filled years.
Perhaps miraculously, Craig seemed to understand. ‘Would you like a drink?’ he asked. He was standing at a marble-topped bar, which seemed to be part of an impressive cellar, including a wine fridge. ‘As you can see,’ he said, gesturing to racks of bottles, ‘there’s a good range of wine to choose from.’
Luna smiled cautiously. ‘Actually, if it’s not too much trouble, I might need something a little stiffer this evening.’
‘Of course,’ Craig replied in perfect host mode. ‘Scotch? Brandy?’
‘Perhaps brandy?’ Did she sound like a little old lady? I could do with a touch of brandy, dear, just to settle my nerves.
Craig handed her a hefty shot in a beautiful balloon glass that was quite possibly Waterford crystal. Luna carried it with extra care to the sitting area where two sofas were positioned on either side of an elegant coffee table. As she set her glass down, Craig took a seat on the sofa opposite, armed with a large wine glass of red.
He raised his glass in a silent salute.
‘Cheers,’ Luna responded, although she didn’t feel very cheerful. They took their first sips and her brandy was rich and smooth with a hint of orange and spice. She supposed it was hideously expensive, but she wouldn’t let herself worry about that this evening. For now, she was simply grateful for the comfort it offered.
‘So, can I ask how things stand?’
Craig’s voice snapped Luna out of her almost meditative moment and she knew the time had come. She couldn’t avoid filling him in. But at least he wasn’t looking quite so stern. In fact, he seemed almost relaxed now, sitting with an arm along the back of the sofa and an ankle propped casually on the opposite knee.
And he listened without interruption while Luna told him about Maria and the necklace and the commission she was offered at the Burralea markets.
‘But now it seems more than likely that Maria was using a false name,’ she said. ‘So far, the only person called Maria Balan that the police have been able to find is a twenty-year-old brunette, and she’s also a professional ballet dancer.’
Luna lifted her shoulders in a helpless shrug. ‘The Maria I met might have been wearing a wig, of course, but she was certainly well past twenty and I’m pretty sure she was too tall to be a ballerina.’
‘I guess it’s still early in the investigation,’ suggested Craig. ‘The cops haven’t had long to search.’
‘That’s true, worse luck.’ Luna felt sick when she thought about how long she might have to wait before her name was cleared. ‘They’re also checking all the nursing homes in Cairns, trying to track down an elderly woman who would fit with Maria’s story.’
‘Perhaps you might know more by tomorrow?’
‘I can only hope.’
‘But as things stand, it sounds as if this Maria woman might have been a total con?’
A small sigh escaped Luna as she nodded. ‘It’s beginning to look that way. With me as the naïve bunny who fell for her scam.’
Wincing at this thought, she closed her eyes again. She’d found it hard enough to admit her stupidity to the police, but it was even worse having to make this confession to a man who barely tolerated her.
And yet now, alone with Craig in his lounge room, Luna couldn’t suppress memories of a time long ago, when her relationship with him had been so very different. In all these years, however, neither of them had ever spoken about those few short weeks.
Instead, their time together had remained an unacknowledged source of tension that had simmered between them for far too long.
‘You know who could probably help you, don’t you?’ Craig asked suddenly.
Luna frowned at him. ‘Do I?’
‘Max McKenna, of course.’
‘Oh.’ She took a swift but very necessary gulp of her brandy.
Craig was watching her with puzzled amusement. ‘You can’t have forgotten him.’
‘No, I haven’t forgotten him.’ Of course, she hadn’t forgotten Max McKenna. He’d haunted her dreams more frequently than she liked to admit. ‘But I haven’t had anything to do with him in years. I don’t even know where he lives these days.’
‘He’s back in Brisbane now, but he spent quite a bit of time in the Northern Territory. Mostly in Darwin, working for the Australian Federal Police.’
Wham. ‘But now he’s here?’
‘Sure. He’s working solo these days, mostly as a security adviser to businesses.’
‘I – I see.’
‘And he’s divorced,’ Craig added, with a particular emphasis that suggested that this might be a point worth noting.
All Luna could manage in response was a rather feeble squeak.
‘What’s the matter?’ Craig was looking extremely curious. ‘I thought Max might be able to help you, but from the way you’re acting, I’m thinking he might be bad news?’
‘I’m sorry.’ Luna reached again for her brandy glass and took yet another hefty gulp, relishing the warmth as it slid down. Then she let out her breath, willing herself to relax. ‘It’s been a huge afternoon,’ she said. ‘Full of surprises. And hearing about Max – I – I guess I just wasn’t ready for more unexpected news.’
The front doorbell rang just at that moment and Craig jumped quickly to his feet. ‘That’ll be our dinner.’
Already, he was heading for the door and, for Luna, the interruption couldn’t have been better timed.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
After a restless night, Tess slept late the next morning. She only had time to quickly wash the dishes she’d left overnight and then grab a quick shower before Adam arrived. Her hair was still damp and she’d just finished feeding the hens and collecting the eggs.
At least she could grab a coffee and breakfast at the Lilly Pilly café, and with any luck, the garage mechanic might sort out the ute’s problem quite quickly. If not, she would put in an extra day at The Thrifty Reader. She was strangely uplifted by the knowledge that she would be welcome there.
‘You’ll have to take some of these eggs,’ she told Adam, waving the basket filled with five offerings.
He smiled. Gosh. Would she ever get used to that smile? ‘Maybe next time,’ he said. ‘I’ll be out all day today. After I drop you in town I’m heading down to Port Douglas.’
‘Wow. I’m liking the sound of this job of yours.’
‘It has its perks.’
Tess wasted no time in depositing the eggs, collecting her shoulder bag and locking the cottage. Then she was in Adam’s car, heading up the track and out onto the road.
‘Phew, the ute’s still there,’ she said, as they rounded a corner and she saw the vehicle looking somewhat forlorn on the side of the road.
Adam pulled over a short distance in front of the ute. They both got out and while Adam collected tow ropes from the back of his SUV and began to connect them, Tess made a quick check of her phone.
She found a voice message from her father.
‘Hi, Tess. I collected Luna from the police station last night and she looked pretty rattled, so I took her back to my place for dinner. Seems she might have been scammed by some jewellery thief con artist, but I guess she won’t be off the hook until that’s confirmed. Anyway, she seemed a lot calmer by the time I dropped her home. I’ll keep in touch with her. Cheers, love. Catch you later.’
Tears welled in Tess’s eyes as she listened to this, but she wasn’t sure if her reaction was because she was worried about Luna, or touched that her dad had looked after her godmother so well.
There was no message from Luna, but Tess rang her number anyhow. She was too far away to give practical help, but she had to try to offer some kind of support.
‘Hello, Tess.’ Luna’s voice sounded different – washed out, with only a fraction of her usual energy.
‘I just found a message from Dad,’ Tess said. ‘He told me what’s happened with the jewellery and the police and everything. I’m so sorry, Luna, you poor thing. It’s —’ Tess stopped herself before she became too dramatic. She didn’t want to make things worse for Luna. ‘How are you?’ she asked.
‘I’ve been better. This has all been such a shock.’
‘I can imagine.’ Tess was remembering how she’d felt just seeing a policeman on her doorstep, let alone being landed with suspicion and carted off for an interrogation.
‘I feel so stupid,’ Luna said. ‘I put so much effort into that damn jewellery and now – it’s all a horrible mess – and I might have to hand the money back, and it will have been a huge waste of time.’
Tess heard a sound that might have been a sob. ‘Luna, I’m so sorry.’
‘No, I’m sorry, Tess.’ Her voice was definitely teary now. ‘I shouldn’t be saddling you with this, but I tried to put on a brave front for your father last night. He’s been very kind.’
‘I’m glad to hear that.’
‘But now . . .’ Luna began, then she seemed to choke up.
And Tess felt her own eyes welling. Here she was worrying over a spot of car trouble, but mostly she was having a lovely time in Luna’s cottage, gardening and cooking and making new friends, while poor Luna must be wishing she’d never left home.
‘Is there anything I can do?’ Tess asked. ‘If you want to come back here, please don’t hesitate to say so.’
‘Oh, that’s sweet of you, darling, but I can’t go anywhere till this mess is sorted.’
‘Well, sing out – please – if there’s anything at all.’
‘I will, Tess. Thank you.’
As Tess disconnected, Adam was back, looking worried. ‘Bad news?’
Her throat was still tight, so she played her father’s message for him.
‘Poor Luna,’ he said when it finished. ‘She could have done without that kind of worry.’
‘I know. It’s awful.’
‘But it’s great that your dad has her back.’
Close to tears, Tess could only nod.
‘I’m sure things will work out for Luna.’
‘Yes, I know.’ Embarrassed, she swiped at her face. ‘I’m not really that upset. It’s just – I don’t know – Luna did this swap to help me out and now . . .’
But was it really that? Or was it the change in her dad, the hint of genuine concern in his voice? Or was it also the Adam thing? Surely not?
‘Sorry,’ she said, giving herself a shake, and then she slipped the phone into her pocket and forced herself to focus on the two vehicles, now connected by Adam’s tow ropes. ‘You’ve got a big day ahead of you, so let’s get this show on the road.’
After giving her a searching once-over, Adam nodded. ‘Okay.’ As he walked with her to the ute, he asked, ‘Have you ever been towed before?’
‘No.’
‘It’s a bit different from normal driving, but I’m sure you’ll get the hang of it. You need to make sure the gears are in neutral, so the wheels can turn. And even though the engine’s not firing, you should still leave the ignition on.’
‘Okay.’
Adam waited as she settled in the driver’s seat and completed these instructions.
‘All set.’
‘The steering and brakes will feel different. When you turn the wheel, or hit the brake, you’ll need to make it a bit harder than you’re used to. We can have a little practice at braking before we go too far.’
He had such a reassuring calmness about him, Tess didn’t feel at all nervous.
‘Just remember to keep a little tension on the tow ropes,’ Adam said. ‘You might need to apply the brakes from time to time, so the rope doesn’t get too slack. Okay?’
She nodded.
‘We’ll take it slowly and I’ll give you a signal if I have to stop. Then you’ll need to brake, too, of course.’
‘Sure. Sounds good.’ But then, she couldn’t help asking, ‘How do you know all this?’
His smile took a wry tilt as he shrugged. ‘Army training comes in handy, I guess.’
‘Tess! God must have been listening to my prayers!’ Clover’s eyes shimmered with tears when Tess arrived with the news that she was available to help out in the store, even though this wasn’t her agreed rostered day.
‘Why have you been praying?’ Tess asked. ‘What’s happened?’
‘The most horrendous toothache.’ Clover moaned, clutching at the side of her face. ‘It’s kept me awake all night. Dr Fry can fit me in at ten o’clock, but I thought I’d have to close the store.’
‘Oh, you poor thing.’ Now that Tess looked more closely, she realised that the shimmer in Clover’s eyes was probably caused by pain rather than gratitude and she felt guilty that she’d lingered over her coffee and croissants at the café. ‘I’d be happy to look after the shop. I can stay for the whole day, actually.’
‘Bless you.’ Clover sank with relief into one of the old armchairs, closing her eyes as she continued to clutch at her face.
‘Can I make you a cuppa?’ Tess asked gently.
Clover shook her head, then winced as the movement caused her pain. ‘I’m just trying to think if there are any instructions I need to give you.’
‘Maybe a run-through on how to use your EFTPOS?’
‘Yes, of course.’ Clover rallied sufficiently to explain the delicate requirements of her particular machine, and once she was happy that Tess understood, she gathered up her handbag and bid her a weary farewell.
‘Good luck,’ Tess called after her.
And with that, Tess was left alone. She looked around at the tables and shelves of books, then took a deep, contented breath. She could feel her spirits lifting already, despite the morning’s worries. She set about tidying books, even dusting a little, and it wasn’t long before two women came into the store. Both were elderly with tinted silver hair – one mauve, the other pink.
‘We’re on holiday and we’re looking for something to read in the afternoons,’ the mauve-haired woman announced. ‘Do you have anything in the style of Agatha Christie?’
‘Absolutely.’ Tess took them to a table in the corner. ‘Cosy crimes are down this end and the darker stories further along. Do you like the TV show Vera? We have quite a few Ann Cleeves books here. Have a browse and let me know if you need any help. There’s plenty to choose from.’
The women beamed at her, clearly delighted, and Tess was almost skipping as she returned to the front desk. This was going to be fun.
For the next hour or so, the customers kept coming, probably more in a trickle than a flood, but Tess was busy enough to remain pleasantly distracted. Most of the customers used cash, but when the EFTPOS was required, Clover’s little machine worked without a hiccup, which felt, for Tess, like a victory.
At one point, while she was assisting a frazzled young mum with a grizzling baby to find books about interior decorating, she noticed a hardback book about shed houses. She couldn’t resist picking it up and having a quick flip through. It was gorgeous. She set it aside on one of the armchairs. It would make a perfect thank-you gift for Adam.
Closer to midday, a lull in customers conveniently coincided with Jeremy’s arrival. As usual, he came shuffling through the doorway, dressed in his ancient jeans and a well-worn khaki shirt with sleeves rolled back over skinny, sun-blotched arms.
He stalked around, as was his usual mode, inspecting new offerings, lingering over the history books and stopping to take a deliberate peek into the kitchenette.
‘Clover’s not here?’ he called to Tess, clearly puzzled.
