Elisabeth swung her head once, keeping it down. 'It was some time,' she continued, 'before anyone realised they were on the wrong road. Waite said it was nearly midnight before he woke and realised they were heading back to Melbourne. When he pointed this out Russell said he hadn't noticed but that they'd gone too far to turn around. He said they could keep going and take the coast road from Melbourne up to Sydney. At this stage Waite climbed into the front passenger seat leaving Moody sleeping in the back. He tried to engage Russell in conversation but Russell didn't respond and he stopped trying. Being night blind Waite couldn't take over so when Russell wanted a rest they booked into a motel in Albury.
'Once they'd emptied the car of their gear Waite put the television on. He and Moody said they'd sit up for a bit and began to drink the beer they had brought in from the car. Russell was in the bathroom when a news bulletin reported a fatal stabbing in Canberra. The fact that it took place at a suburban supermarket and a video of the scene were being flashed as Russell emerged. Lisa told Russell the news, excited about it happening where they had been. Waite, not suspicious at this time, asked Russell to show him the Bowie knife he kept in his boot. It wasn't there and Waite demanded that Russell tell him what had happened. Russell didn't say anything.' Elisabeth's voice had gone husky and she had trouble clearing it. Robert asked if she wanted some water.
'No, I'm fine. Moody began to cry and Waite became angry. He pushed Russell, who stumbled back against the bed and fell onto Moody who screamed and tried to get away. Waite then grabbed Russell and they started to struggle. At some point Russell got his hands on one of the rifles by their packs. The fight got really nasty as Waite tried to wrest it away from Russell. He succeeded and then commenced to pummel Russell with the butt end. There was a lot of noise and Moody continued to scream. Other guests called the manager who called the police. Meanwhile, according to Waite, Russell was fighting like a maniac. However, Waite finally succeeded in subduing him. When the police arrived and broke in they found Waite still laying into him with his boots, despite the fact that it was obvious to all that Russell was beyond retaliating. It took two police to pull Waite away and initially they thought Russell dead. Waite was taken into custody and Russell was found to be alive. He was taken to hospital and airlifted later to Sydney. The charges against Waite were dropped - I'd have thought they'd have been reduced, not dropped - Russell's injuries amounted to five badly damaged ribs, both lungs punctured, a multi-fractured skull, haemorrhaging internally, a face split from chin to crown, arm and hand injuries.' She shook her head and gazed unfocused in his direction. 'Why so vicious?'
'Thought he was going to end up with a bullet in him.'
She blinked and let him share her puzzlement. 'Not once Russell was unconscious.'
'Lizzie,' he said quietly, his elbows dropping to his knees. 'They were scared. Do you know how you'd react in a situation like that? I hope I never have to find out what I'd do.'
She didn't answer. Instead she said, 'Elisabeth. Not Liz, Lizzie, or anything else.'
'Sorry.' He sat back, politeness blanketing his face again.
'Have I missed anything?'
'The stabbing.'
'I was getting to that.'
He stood. 'Want a coffee?'
'No. Thank you.'
Robert spent more time than was necessary before returning. When he was reseated Elisabeth said, as though without a break, 'Mrs Stavros' evidence is that a young man came into the shop while she was mopping the floor. He wandered around the aisles for several minutes and then came to the counter where her husband was totalling up for the day. The register at which he was working was open. She said that the young man did not arouse her suspicions. He put the groceries on the counter, took his wallet from his shirt pocket, withdrew some notes and laid them on the counter too. During this he was also experiencing difficulty opening a packet of potato chips. She saw him bend and take a large knife with a curved blade from his boot. This startled her but she relaxed when she saw him using it to open the chips. She isn't sure what happened next because she went back to washing the floor. What regained her attention was her husband's voice, sounding both angry and frightened.'
Elisabeth took a breath and resumed, in a monotone. 'She looked up to see the young man brandishing the knife and leaning over the counter taking the money from the cash register. She saw her husband try to close it. The young man snatched his hand away as if hurt - I didn't see any evidence of this in the medical reports - he walked calmly around the counter, lifted the knife, and stabbed her husband. Then he seemed to panic. - Why, if he'd been so cool moments before and had meant to do it? - He began yelling at her husband, who was lying on the floor. She isn't sure what he was saying because her English isn't good. Then he seemed to notice her. Before she could run away he grabbed the groceries and ran out of the shop. She heard a car start up and speed away. She went to her husband who was still on the floor. Hysterical when she couldn't rouse him she rang her eldest son Christopher who says he couldn't make any sense of what she was saying except that something was wrong at the shop. He drove around immediately and called the police when he saw what had happened.' She stopped reading. 'Russell left the money,' she said, now with her back to Robert, overlooking the internal quadrangle through open blinds. 'After killing a man for it, he left it.'
'He panicked. He hadn't meant to hurt anyone.'
'Which would make it unintentional. The prosecution has to prove intent. Waite and Moody say that when he returned to the car he was a bit uptight. A bit uptight. And when questioned about speeding away, both said no, they hadn't thought that they sped.'
'Kids and adults'll never agree on what constitutes speeding.'
Elisabeth swivelled around. With back straight and palms flat on the desk she said, 'Mrs Stavros said Russell was taking the money from the till. The police say it was neatly stacked and appeared untouched. What about the money he took from his wallet and put on the counter?'
'Maybe Stavros put it in the register and Russell made a grab before Stavros could take out any change.'
'All right,' Elisabeth said. 'What about blood? There's no mention of blood by any of them.'
'Except the police.'
'To say the only blood they found was Russell's, after the beating. Why wasn't there any on him from Stavros?'
Robert was lounging. 'He left the knife in the body.'
Still with her palms on the desk Elisabeth said, 'And why didn't he take the knife? We've been told he treasured it. He refused to let others use it. And it would be evidence against him. Why leave it?'
Robert straightened out of his chair. 'You're grasping at straws. He panicked. He'd just killed a man. The last thing he's doing is thinking.'
Elisabeth also stood. 'He was thinking enough to take the food and drinks. And he was only a bit uptight.'
'And he meant to go back to Melbourne too I suppose.' Robert wheeled from her, to be confronted at shoulder height by Colin Petrie.
'Conflict?'
Elisabeth wanted no interference. 'No.'
Petrie held eye contact and appeared to consider before nodding curtly and turning on his heel. Elisabeth looked at her watch. 'We'll have to leave it there. I've got to go home and pack a bag. We'll continue when I get back tomorrow.'
Robert eyed the carpet while she spoke, and left without comment.
She kept her breath steady and regular. The ground blurred by and the engine pitch rose to unapproachable notes as the aircraft hurtled down the runway to lift off. Thrown back against her seat as it suddenly angled steeply Elisabeth turned away from the window and closed her eyes.
Unless conditions were rough she didn't mind, overwhelmingly, actually being up there, a small gleaming object for inspection from below. It was the getting there and the getting down that caused the adrenalin to race.
As the plane reached its flight level and equilibrium was restored there was movement in the cabin and opening her eyes she saw hostesses begin the routine of offering refreshments. They had to be quick to finish in the twenty minute flight to Sydney.
Whenever she flew Elisabeth watched the hostesses. If they were ever to exhibit the least hint of agitation she would know it was time to panic, but they were relaxed and she endeavoured to copy them. It was a journey she hadn't thought to repeat so soon, less than a week since flying in.
She bent to take her notebook from the bag under the forward seat but on reflection left it and sat back. What she wanted to raise with the doctor tomorrow was stencilled to the insides of her eyelids. So she fitted herself against the seat, seat belt unloosened, and followed the plane's progress towards night in a cloudless sky.
Robert was already uncomfortable with her methods; she was going to have to allay his concerns somehow. At any other time she would have been glad to have someone intelligent and quick witted briefing her.
Landing tested her capacity for thrills as they overshot the runway and had to bank steeply up and around. Gripping the hand rests Elisabeth sought and found a hostess buckled up calmly on the opposite side. She fought to emulate, knowing they were trained to go down smiling but managing to ignore the fact when her need for comfort was greater. 'A practice run, ladies and gentlemen,' a male voice said over the intercom. There was a little forced laughter. Elisabeth's hands continued white against the material.
The next attempt was decisive. Straight in and down, the plane bounded in long strides along the tarmac. Three times compound touched concrete and on the third maintained contact screeching frantically to a slow lumber and a small spurt as it right-angled towards the terminal. Elisabeth slumped with relief with an involuntary 'Jesus'.
The couple in front turned with amusement. The pilot, obviously just out from L plates said, 'Just testing a new landing technique, ladies and gentlemen. All part of the plan.' Some passengers tittered. Others, like Elisabeth, just wanted to get out and feel the fresh air.
Once on blessed ground with the briefcase and overnight bag she had kept as hand luggage she headed for the taxi rank and climbing into the next available requested delivery at the Argyle Apartments, Chalmers Street, Surry Hills.
Flat 45 on the third floor belonged to Honey Milton, a raven-haired temptress utterly undeserving of the name at first glance, and Elisabeth's closest friend.
'Good God! What have you done?'
'Made $50. Can I come in?'
Honey Milton backed away with the door. 'What d'you mean, $50?'
'I sold it.' Elisabeth said, walking past and into the living area to dump her bags onto a peacock blue doeskin couch that ran the length of one wall.
'Sold it?' Honey echoed, shutting the door and coming after her. 'How could you have?'
Expressing surprise Elisabeth said, 'Easily actually. The hairdresser gave me $50. I expect he sold it to the wigmaker for twice that, and the wigmaker will probably sell it back to me or someone very like me, totally bereft of the wherewithal themselves, for ten times that.'
Confused, Honey said, 'If you're going to buy it back, why have it cut off in the first ... Oh, right. Sarcasm doesn't suit you, I've told you before.'
Elisabeth joined her bags on the couch. Her friend detoured into her kitchen and inquired from over the white gloss breakfast bar divider, 'Coffee?' Elisabeth nodded.
Filling the jug and plugging it in Honey said, 'You look buggered.' She leaned her elbows on the counter. 'Is this ...' she indicated the air generally with her chin, 'because of Bastard Features? You look as though you're about to burst into tears.'
'I'm not surprised. We had a learner flying the plane.'
It made Honey laugh. 'Why don't you just drive?'
'Because flying is faster.'
While her friend saw to the coffee Elisabeth shifted her bags to the floor and removed her shoes. When Honey joined her to sprawl her long body over the loose cushions, feet towards Elisabeth, she sipped the hot drink staring idly beyond a small smoked glass dining table at the contents of a white lacquered bookcase filled with plates. Expensive ones. Oriental and Russian porcelain, American glass.
'I can't remember you,' Honey broke the silence, 'with short hair, ever.' She blew on her drink. 'It's always been down past your backside. The boys acted like idiots around you and the girls made up stories about how you were actually hideously deformed under all those clothes that you always used to wear. They used to say the most awful things.'
The corners of Elisabeth's mouth lifted. 'You didn't.'
'You were my best friend, but I was jealous.'
'You didn't tell stories.'
'No. I'd seen what was under those clothes.'
Elisabeth laughed out loud and hitched up her skirt. 'Yeah. White.'
Honey sat up to survey then lowered herself back to the cushions. 'I can't get over it. What possessed you? And to go so short.' She bolted upright. 'You've not decided to embrace celibacy, and the crew cut is the announcement?'
Elisabeth gave it serious consideration. 'I hadn't thought of it in quite those terms.'
'What?!'
Elisabeth patted the bare knee hard against her side. 'I'm kidding. One louse doesn't put you off the lot.'
'Thank heavens for that. That would've deleted a main topic of conversation. So why?'
Elisabeth subsided to the cushions also. 'A change.'
'Helluva change. Quitting your job. Leaving town. Cutting your hair. How is Canberra?'
'The worst thing is the heat. It's so dry. I'll be spending a fortune on moisturiser.'
'How's the job?'
Elisabeth didn't answer.
'Don't tell me things aren't going well already.'
Elisabeth glanced at her. 'No,' she said. 'No problems. It's only been three days. I don't know how it's going to work out, but I can't imagine that it won't.'
'Hmm. Any decent men?'
'I imagine they're all decent.'
Honey said, 'Shithead's got a lot to answer for,' then let the subject drop. 'Who's this person you're seeing tomorrow?'
'A doctor, about a case. What's been happening here? It's been ages.' They laughed together.
'Allan's home tomorrow I'm pleased to say. I don't mind him going away but I hate like crazy that he's not here.'
'How's it gone? The play I mean.'