章 5: Chapter 5: She had not won a fan

Elisabeth surprised him. 'You're right. But,' she said as he breathed with the realisation that she had just been pushing a few points to their limits. 'But I'd like to know absolutely all there is to know, about them all: backgrounds, friends, education, if they've ever been in trouble. Russell and Greg Waite's daily existence at Redland Downs and how chummy they were. Whether Lisa Moody is what she seems to be. We're going to fill in the gaps for Russell. It might help him to remember.'

'Maybe he doesn't want to. Maybe he's better off not knowing. How many times have you gone to bed wishing you wouldn't remember when you woke?'

Elisabeth's chill fixed him. 'We're not romping through the Elysian Fields here. I think Russell might prefer his memories.' His unconcealed flare of anger should have withered her but she continued as though it was nothing. 'And I also want to know everything about the three Stavros sons.'

That defeated him. 'What have they got to do with it?'

'Probably nothing. I just want a complete picture. I want to know why they act as they do and why they've said what they've said.'

'Maybe because it's the truth.'

Elisabeth dipped her head. 'Maybe, but I don't like surprises. I like to know.'

'You don't want much. There's only two weeks left.'

'Get as much help as you need,' Elisabeth said, opening her wallet and withdrawing enough to cover the meal. She stood, and said, 'I'm counting on you.'

She had not won a fan.

Not that she gave it any thought as she retraced her steps to the office where she acknowledged the greetings of other late stayers, people who were strangers still. Closeted, she stared at the pile of papers.

Much, much later, when it became a chore to breathe in air that had become hot and hard because the air conditioning was not set to function after hours, she lifted her mind from the words and opened the blinds to stare out at the night. Heavy-headed from reading she glanced at her watch. Past midnight. Reluctantly she turned back to her desk and drew a deliberate breath deep into her lungs. She needed sleep.

Locking her office she took the exit to the outside world. Alone she walked down from the two-storied building's side entrance and out on to London Circuit.

The air was still with no hint of coolness except for false draughts as cars blared by. In among the shops there were some restaurants open still with youngsters mooching about. Canberra's percentage of homeless youth was high.

At home she showered to clear her head, made herself a large weak tea and sat on a stool at the kitchen bar sipping it. When she went to bed it was to lie on her back and stare at the shadows. Around five she woke to a lightening sky and resumed staring at the ceiling.

At six thirty the alarm radio intruded. The shower, long dry from the previous night's usage, received a sustained drubbing of barely warm water as Elisabeth held first her face then the back of her neck to its sharp heavy spray. This was followed by a prolonged unfocused viewing of the face in the mirror, and a mechanical all-over moisturising of damp skin. Still damp she took her cosmetics into the living area, letting the morning's illusory coolness waft around her body. Breakfast was a large glass of water and an orange. After cleaning her teeth she dressed in semi-fitting, sleeveless white linen. First in to the office she got the coffee brewing and was engrossed by the time Robert arrived. He swung on her door jamb and said 'Good morning.' He was smiling. It was a new day. Elisabeth looked up, pencil gripped, mind elsewhere.

He came in. 'Hard night?'

'Not you by the look of it.'

The smile slid from his face. 'We're all allowed time out. In fact,' he said with a caustic twang, 'it's supposed to do you good.' She continued to look up at him, expression indecipherable. After a moment, without another word, she bent her head back to the documents methodically stacked around her desk. He felt forgotten, knew himself forgotten, was annoyed and left, brushing past Judy, who shrugged her shoulders to the question of 'What's that all about?' from one of the other solicitors, Ryan Coleman, who returned to his work as Judy flicked a glance into Elisabeth's office where there was a view to the corner of a desk only.

Oblivious, Elisabeth read on, flipping between statements and testimony, cross-checking for any missed inconsistencies. Telephones rang, voices spoke; she was unaware of Judy coming to her door, hesitating, going away, returning with a mug of coffee. It was only when Judy cleared her throat that she realised she had company. Startled, Judy slopped the drink. 'Sorry,' she said, 'sorry,' and shoved the mug on a corner of the desk to race out and grab some paper towels from the kitchen.

'Sorry,' she said again, returning. Picking the mug up she placed the towels on the desk. The liquid seeped slowly into the tissue as she wiped the mug dry.

'It's all right. And thank you. But I don't expect you to run around after me.'

Judy bent over the desk checking surrounding papers and files for sogginess. Satisfied she'd caught it all she stepped back, folding and refolding the sodden towels to contain any drips. 'You looked busy so I thought I'd make you one.'

'Thank you,' Elisabeth said again, already returning to her work.

Before losing the hardwon attention Judy said, 'But I also wanted to tell you that Joe Gaudry rang; he wants you to call him.'

'When?'

An excess of blood flooded colour into Judy's face and spread with speed down her throat and chest. 'About twenty minutes ago. I'm sorry, I didn't want to disturb you.'

For the second time in three days it occurred to Elisabeth that she was going to have to make an effort to let these people get to know her. 'I don't mind being interrupted. Okay?' She hoped her voice conveyed enough sincerity and that it would suffice. Other things filled her mind.

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章 6: Chapter 6: A redhead gets a compliment

She received a nod and a self-conscious 'Okay.' Shiny-faced, Judy asked, 'Do you have his number?' and took side steps to the door as Elisabeth said yes. He answered before the second ring. 'Gaudry.'

'It's Elisabeth Sharman. You have something?'

'No, I just wanted to let you know where I'm at.' His tone was polite but flat. 'As you know, there are three Stavros kids. Sons. Christopher's the oldest, 28. He's in the family business and helped his father run the place. Married with two children, a boy, 6, and a girl, 3. The second son, Antonio, is 25 and a constable on the local force, single. The youngest, Remo, is 20 and studying law and economics at the ANU. Mrs Stavros was pretty well always at the store and Remo helped out during breaks and weekends.'

'Who told you?'

'The chemist next door. The newsagent confirmed. I've also checked for records. They're all clean. Something that could be interesting is that the newsagent thinks they could be having cash flow problems. Says stock on the shelves is a bit thin. Anyway,' he dismissed it, 'I'm waiting on information about Waite and Moody.'

'Thank you.' Elisabeth hesitated. 'I'm seeing Dr Liu at eight tomorrow morning. I had Russell's records sent to him. I'm going to ask him to examine Russell and see if he'll agree to be called as an expert witness.'

'And if he doesn't?'

'I think he will.'

'You sound confident.'

Elisabeth said, 'I expect him to confirm what we know. The value comes in having him say it. And I'm hoping he'll agree to say it to a jury.'

'Best of luck.'

There was a clunk and the dial tone sounded in Elisabeth's ear. She replaced the receiver and looked at her watch. It was twelve thirty and it felt like she had been there all day. From her bottom drawer she took a tube of hand cream, squeezed a roll on to the back of her hand, replaced the lid and then the tube into the drawer. With her foot she closed the drawer while massaging the cream into her hands and wrists. Collecting her jacket, hat and bag, she walked out to see Judy was herself on the way out. 'Is there somewhere I can get a sandwich?'

They walked out together and as they stepped into the heat Elisabeth put on her hat and sunglasses.

'I should do the same,' Judy said, looking at the hat. 'But I feel silly.'

'With skin like mine,' Elisabeth said, 'it's wear a hat or suffer the consequences. My mother made me cover up and I used to hate it. I'm grateful now.'

'You can tell,' Judy said. 'Most redheads are covered in freckles. But your skin is ...' They stopped to wait for the pedestrian crossing signal to flash Walk. 'Yours is like ...' she lacked the confidence to compliment successfully. 'Sorry,' she said, 'I didn't mean to get personal.'

Elisabeth motioned that the lights had changed. 'If it was going to be a compliment, go ahead. Are you doing anything in particular? Would you like to join me?'

Judy was flattered. 'Are you sure? I was just going to look around the shops.'

They were walking through the paved open-air central shopping district. People were everywhere, walking, stationary in front of store windows, at ease on tree-shaded benches and voluble at outside caf tables sheltered by a combination of striped and patterned umbrellas and the spreading branches of leafy trees. Many of the tables were occupied but there were some vacancies and they took possession of one under a tree. Birds flitted from branch to ground to branch again. Elisabeth glanced up. 'An umbrella might be safer.' They moved and sat down. Elisabeth relaxed back in the plastic chair, tucking her hat and bag on a spare seat and rumpling up her flattened hair until it looked like ruffled duck down. Judy studied the menu and, with peripheral vision, Elisabeth. A waiter appeared and took their orders. When he left Elisabeth looked at her watch, sighed and closed her eyes. 'Judy, Lister and Petrie, what are they like?' The question was inoffensively asked. She wanted no more than the girl was willing to give.

Judy shrugged. 'Colin Petrie can get up your nose. The Director's pretty nice; he's good at getting what he wants out of people. He isn't a snob like some who think that just because they have law degrees they're better than the rest.'

Elisabeth opened her eyes. 'Oh. Who are they?'

Judy looked at her hands. 'It's only my opinion.'

Elisabeth didn't press. 'What's Lister's background? Do you know?'

Judy hitched herself more comfortably into her seat. 'Not a lot. I'm fairly new myself. I know he's a widower. His wife died of breast cancer a few years ago. He has a daughter at college.'

'And Petrie?' Elisabeth encouraged after a short silence. 'Apart from getting up people's noses.'

Their sandwiches and drinks arrived. Elisabeth paid the bill and when Judy protested said, 'I invited you.' Judy thanked her and drew a long drink through her straw while Elisabeth started on her sandwich.

'Liz Fraser,' Judy began, peering under the top layer to examine exactly what was there, 'Stephen's secretary, says he wants to return to private practice once his appointment's up next March.'

'Lister?'

Judy nodded.

'And Petrie?' Elisabeth sipped her lime mineral water.

'He's all right really, I suppose.' She took a bite and chewed. After swallowing she said, 'We've all got faults.'

'Yes.' Elisabeth said and fell into her own thoughts, gazing away without focus behind dark lenses. Judy was loathe to speak, even though she thought that the reason for the invitation. This new solicitor had a power of concentration that fell like a shield to cut inward communication. And even though she had in effect told Judy to wade in regardless, it was something the still maturing girl could not do. With an extra ten years' insight she might have speculated whether Elisabeth herself knew how effective a deterrent the concentration was.

An experienced sparrow closed in with short hops to forage around their feet and Elisabeth spoke again. 'What about Robert? Why didn't he take the case? How old is he? What's his story?'

A smile lit Judy's face. 'Murph? He's 32. He's only been practising for a few years. He's been with the office for two. Before that he was with a private firm but they weren't letting him get into the things he wanted to do. It shows how much Stephen thought of him to take him on because we usually like people who don't need further training.'

'And has he proved himself?'

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