Sharp Edge Read online

  If it was possible, Garth got paler. ‘I think it’s too late for that.’

  My heart gave a painful thump. ‘Why?’

  ‘I think someone’s been watching my house. I keep seeing the same car cruising past.’

  I had to clamp down hard on my reaction so he didn’t see it. This could just be paranoia on Garth’s part. ‘I can put some surveillance on your house if you like.’

  His expression brightened. ‘Would you? That would … put my mind at rest.’

  ‘I’ll have to get someone else to do it though. If Viaspa is watching you and they see me, it could escalate things.’

  ‘Fine. I trust your instincts,’ he said.

  ‘You do?’ Well it really was a day of firsts.

  He reached out and touched my hand and his aura warmed and brightened, splashing heat on me. ‘We might be very different kinds of people, but I know you’re smart, Tara. And loyal.’

  Garth hadn’t complimented me in years, and it sat as a lump in my throat.

  Then it got awkward, so he let go of my hand and I eased back in my chair.

  ‘I’ll get someone to watch your place today for a few days. Ring me if anything changes,’ I said.

  ‘How much will it cost me?’

  I rolled my eyes. ‘Yeah, right.’

  He smiled, his aura glowed, and suddenly the paunch and the thinning hair faded to insignificance. He still had something when his eyes crinkled like that.

  ‘You should smile more often,’ I added. ‘Now tell your friend to consider getting out. Take it from someone who knows. Viaspa is just another way to say poison.’

  He took my hand again momentarily and squeezed. Then he let go and stood up. ‘I’ll tell her.’

  He waved at Sable on his way out and she stopped her glass-polishing long enough to wave back. When he’d gone, she ducked out from behind the bar and came over, scooping my glass out from under me.

  ‘You two getting back together?’ she asked. Her aura practically sizzled.

  I stared at her. Sable had always been nosy.

  ‘Garth and I are friends,’ I said.

  ‘Pretty damn friendly for friends.’

  That was enough for me. I was getting the impulse to growl, so I stood and slung my bag over my shoulder. ‘Tell Crack I said hello.’

  She shrugged. ‘Sure.’

  ‘Later, Sable.’ I said and left without a backwards glance.

  3

  I sat in my car, cooling my irritation with Sable and making calls.

  First was to Cass. Despite being from the wrong side of the tracks, and having a freaky love for all things goth, she’d hit it off with my snobby mother who’d helped get her a part time deli job and had been spending time teaching her to read. So much so, that she’d been accepted into a TAFE Office Management course. She told me that this was so she could run my office. You know, when we finally got premises, after I finally earned some regular money, and pigs had flown the Pacific in high heels.

  I’d tried to explain the reality of all this to Cass, but she wouldn’t hear it. According to her, she was working for me as soon as she knew how to do it.

  I was more concerned that she got a proper job and her own place to live. Especially seeing as my love life was about to pick up.

  She didn’t pick up, so I left her a message. ‘Call me when you can.’

  I ended the call and my phone rang. Tozzi’s name flashed in the caller ID. I let it go to messagebank. My stomach flip-flopped as I waited for him to leave a message. He wanted to meet up, and I wasn’t ready for it.

  I mean, I’d been fantasising about Nick Tozzi since the day I met him. He was an imposing figure at seven feet: an ex-athlete just holding his own against good food and a diminishing exercise regime. Good looking for sure, in a kind of man’s man way. Strong but irregular features softened once in a while by a sexy grin. Direct, charming, and such a boy still at the age of thirty-six-ish. He could be arrogant though, and sometimes his overabundance of confidence annoyed the crap out of me. But his aura was like warm caramel topping on my ice-cream. I literally melted every time he got close.

  I’d learned to keep all that under control because he was married. Our relationship, though complicated, was pretty much business. Then just two weeks ago, he’d told me he was leaving his cokehead wife.

  For me.

  Me!

  Just the thought of being responsible for someone’s marriage break up gave me stomach cramps bad enough to make me sit on the loo all day. I mean … I wanted Nick Tozzi … but not like this.

  So, I’d been dodging talking to him by working the end of the Slim Sledge music tour around the south west of the state. That was done now; Slim Sledge had gone home, and I had no pressing reason to NOT talk to Nick.

  Before I could summon the courage to listen to his message, a text beeped through from Bok.

  Dog Beach in thirty minutes. Summit meeting.

  I’ll b there, I replied.

  Tossing my phone onto the car seat, I sent my HT Monaro, Mona, into a spinning reverse and roared off down the coast road.

  It only took me fifteen minutes to reach Dog Beach. I sat on my bonnet looking down on the wind-chopped waves and thinking summer was close. The sea had lost some of its stone-cold blue tones and was softening to more inviting greens. I was a summer person: loved the feel of warm air, the sweat on my skin and the taste of salt and sun screen lotion on my lips after a morning beach swim. I loved how the Fremantle Doctor blew up every afternoon without fail and weakened the sting of the sun.

  I had a sudden deep, raw urge to be seventeen again and know nothing of John Viaspa, hit men, and dirty racing team owners. I didn’t want any complications in my life other than wondering which bikini to buy, which streets to jog, and whether or not I could afford a six pack of beer or a decent bottle of wine on a Friday night.

  My impossible daydream was broken by the sound of a car pulling up next to me and a door clunking open. A moment later, two enormous paws planted on my shoulders and a gigantic tongue slavered saliva across my cheeks.

  ‘Fridge!’ I hugged the great furry beast then pushed him away before he pancaked me against my bonnet.

  ‘Down Fridgey,’ said a familiarly sweet and plummy voice. Even when Smitts was at her most relaxed, she couldn’t hide her rounded Euccy Grove vowels. She snapped a dog lead onto Fridge’s collar and pointed sternly at him. ‘Sit.’

  The beast-dog lolled his tongue and grinned happily. The beach was Fridge’s favourite place in the world.

  I grinned at my BFF and gave her a hug as well.

  She hugged me back.

  We hadn’t seen much of each other in a couple of weeks, on account of the broken nose episode. I was giving Henny time to cool off and she was being the attentive wife in an attempt to wear down his fury.

  ‘How are things?’ I asked.

  ‘Usual,’ she said.

  ‘Nose?’

  She pulled a face. ‘Better than he’s letting on.’

  I gave a large sigh. ‘He’s going to hang on to this forever, isn’t he?’

  ‘Not forever. For a while though.’

  ‘Even though I was defending your honour.’

  Smitty bit her lip. ‘I haven’t apologised to you, T. I was a bit crazy … you know … thinking of him with her.’

  ‘Yup you were. But in both our defences, it looked bad. He should have told me about the surprise.’

  ‘He should have!’ Smitts agreed.

  We looked at each other and burst out laughing. Then Smitts bit her lip. ‘I must not see the funny side of this,’ she lectured herself.

  At that, I began laughing so hard, I bent double to catch my breath. Fridge, excited by my mirth, galloped off around the car a couple of times hauling Smitty with him.

  Bok pulled up in his old Beemer while we were in disarray.

  ‘What’s so funny?’ he said suspiciously, grabbing Fridge’s lead and making the dog sit.

  Smitt’s caught her bre
ath and pointed. ‘Beach.’

  We traipsed down the path through the dunes and as soon as we hit sand, Smitts set the beast free. He went bounding to the water, jumping and snapping at waves.

  We watched for a bit before Bok spoke. He was dressed in board shorts and a tight t-shirt which showed off his lithe build. His long dark hair was pulled tight in a ponytail. If he wasn’t Bok, best and most irritating friend, I would totally jump him.

  ‘Has she told you?’ he said to Smitty.

  Smitts shaded her eyes from the glare to keep watching Fridge who was now wrestling seaweed. ‘Told me what?’

  Bok glared at me.

  ‘OK. Nick Tozzi’s left Antonia. He says he’s done it because he wants to be with me...’

  She turned on me, hands dropping to her hips. ‘How long have you known that?’

  A satisfied smile curled around Bok’s lips. He loved a drama.

  ‘Errr … since I got back from Brisbane.’

  She punched me in the arm. ‘Since when do you hold out on me?’

  ‘Since your husband exiled me.’

  ‘Uhuh. Well … excuse accepted. But that’s great news.’

  ‘Tell her the rest…’ Bok insisted.

  ‘I hooked up with Ed while I was in Brisbane. Agreed to go out with him… Be an item.’

  ‘Oh dear fuck,’ Smitts said succinctly.

  I shrugged. ‘Yeah.’

  The three of us watched Fridge’s antics for a while.

  ‘So who do you want?’ asked Smitts, eventually.

  ‘How does both of them sound?’

  ‘Greedy,’ said Bok.

  ‘I have the solution!’ said Smitts.

  I turned to her gratefully. ‘What?’

  ‘Stall them while you work it out! Give yourself time.’

  I thought about it for a split second. I liked the sound of it. ‘OK. How?’

  ‘Tell Nick he has to go it alone for a bit. You can’t have him leaping from her bed to yours. He needs to show he’s ready for the change. Stand on his own two feet.’

  Light began to dawn at the end of my love-mess tunnel. ‘Course he does.’

  ‘What about Ed?’ I asked her.

  ‘Bonk him like crazy until he finds you’re far too much to handle and goes for someone his own age.’

  My eyes popped. ‘You think that will work.’

  ‘Men like to think they want to do the nasty anytime, anywhere, but the truth is they don’t. Three weeks of asking for more and he’ll be backing off, looking for a less experienced lover. In the meantime, you get to sample the delights.’

  Bok shook his head helplessly and tapped Smitty on the forehead. ‘How do those thoughts wind up in that head?’

  ‘Jeez, Bok, I’m married not dead.’

  I didn’t hear Bok’s retort because my phone rang, and I moved away to answer it.

  ‘’Lo.’

  ‘Tara!’

  ‘Garth?’

  ‘Can you come to my office? I’ve got a … problem.’

  ‘Now?’

  ‘Now!’ He sounded shaky.

  ‘Sure thing, but what’s—’

  He hung up before I could finish. That couldn’t be good.

  ‘I have to go, guys, something’s come up,’ I called out to Smits and Bok. I slipped my phone in my pocket and retrieved a Chupa Chup. Peeling the plastic, I stuck it in my mouth as they walked over to join me.

  ‘Gotta go back and see Garth,’ I explained as I sucked on the lollipop.

  Smitty’s eyes widened. ‘T!’

  It took me a moment to work out what she meant. By then it was too late. Fridge was galloping full tilt at me, spraying Bok and Smitty in shaken-off seawater.

  Bam! I went down like a brick wall in a demolition.

  Fridge pounced right on top of me and gobbed everywhere in his frantic search for the lollipop. I gave it up as soon as I could get my hand free and it disappeared into his cavernous mouth, stick and all.

  By the time Bok and Smitts pulled him off me, I was coated in saliva and sand, with a great liberal dose of it caking my hair.

  Gross!

  My friends pulled me up.

  ‘Th-th-at d-d-og!’ I spluttered.

  ‘You should know better,’ said Bok pitilessly.

  I tried in vain to dust the sticky sand from my clothes. ‘I-s the summit adjourned?’

  Bok and Smitty looked at each other.

  ‘Play for time with Tozzi. Scare Ed off with excessive jiggy-jig,’ summarised Bok.

  ‘A plan,’ agreed Smitts.

  ‘You’re both ridiculous, and I love you. Now I gotta go. Stuff’s happening. Please DON’T let Fridge follow me.’

  They nodded and each put a hand each on Fridge’s collar.

  I took my cue and bolted.

  4

  Wilmot and Associates was on the railway line close to the Richview Centre, but affording Garth slightly cheaper rent on account of the noise. The office sat between a real estate company and a small antique shop. They were all closed now though, as we headed into the back end of the day.

  I pulled up right in front and jumped out, patting down my gobbed-on hair.

  Garth was standing in the doorway with his back to me. I saw the wreckage through the window. Filing cabinets overturned, desktop computer trashed, cups and saucers and a coffee jar shattered on the floor.

  ‘Shit,’ I said as I walked in behind him.

  He turned to me his face ashen.

  ‘You OK?’ I asked.

  He nodded. ‘What have I got myself into, Tara? I’m an accountant. Things like this don’t happen to me.’

  ‘You’ve been broken into before, Garth. It could just be—’

  ‘Not like this! This is personal.’

  I put a hand on his arm. He was trembling. That stabbing sensation I got when I thought of John Viaspa returned. ‘Have you called the cops?’

  ‘They’re on their way. Will you wait with me?’

  The local cops and I weren’t exactly bosom buddies, but I couldn’t leave Garth when he was so shaken.

  ‘Sure,’ I said.

  He gave me an unexpected hug. ‘This is bullcrap.’

  ‘We’ll sort it out, Garth. One thing at a time. Have you spoken to your friend in the boutique?’

  He nodded. ‘I’m meeting her after the cops have finished. At The Dog. Can you come? Convince her to get out.’

  I wet my lips. I didn’t want more trouble with Viaspa. I’d only managed to stay ahead of the hitman he put on me because Wal and Nick Tozzi did a commando raid on the place I’d been held hostage. The hitman had gone to jail and the heat was on Viaspa, so his interest in me had cooled. My recent trip to Brisbane had brought me in contact with him again. Any more was likely to get me that set of concrete boots.

  But it was Garth … my ex-fiancé. How do you say no to an ex who’s practically blubbing in your arms? ‘OK. But you have to do everything my way, Garth. Promise?’

  He looked me dead in the eye. ‘I promise.’

  ‘Right, well tell the cops you have no idea who could have done this. Let them do their thing.’

  ‘You sure?’

  ‘If you don’t want both of us dead, I’m sure. I’ll tell you when the time is right to share with the blue brigade. Now steady up.’

  He took some deep breaths while I picked my way through the mess.

  ‘Garth Wilmot?’

  We both looked up. Two uniformed coppers stood in the doorway. I knew them both.

  ‘Sharp?’ said the smaller of the two.

  ‘Hello Constable Bligh and Constable Barnes.’

  ‘What are you doing here? What’s wrong with your hair?’ Bligh asked, staring at Fridge’s gobbed-on spots.

  ‘Moral support. Mr Wilmot is a close friend.’

  Bligh kept a very erect stance which was partly about her stiff personality and partly the fact that she was a fitness junkie. One look at her and you could see that there was a tonne of muscle on that small frame. Bligh committed
a hundred percent to everything she did.

  In comparison, her partner, Bill Barnes, was a roly-poly kind of cop who always had a smile on his face and a Macca’s carton in hand. I liked Bill, but I respected Bligh.

  ‘We’ve come to take a statement. Mr Wilmot, could you step outside with Constable Barnes?’

  Garth looked at me and walked slowly past them to the pavement.

  Bligh came over to me. ‘Sharp?’

  ‘True story,’ I said. ‘He’s my ex-fiancé and current accountant. He called me to say his business had been ransacked. I came over to lend moral support.’

  ‘And that would be because…’

  ‘It’s called friendship, Constable.’

  ‘Don’t get cute,’ she growled. ‘This got something to do with John Viaspa?’

  ‘Whoa!’ I said holding up a hand. ‘You’re jumping to conclusions. I don’t know anything about this or him.’ Never say the devil’s name aloud.

  She sucked in a breath and held it, giving me a searching look. ‘You better not be lying to me, Sharp. You owe me the truth, remember. We’ll dust this place…’

  ‘Go for it,’ I said confident that there’d be no evidence left to collect. Viaspa was mean and dangerous but not stupid.

  ‘If not Viaspa then who would want to turn your accountant over?’

  I shrugged. ‘Check his client list. Or maybe it was kids.’

  She looked around at the mess. ‘Does this look like kids to you? It’s got MESSAGE written all over it to me.’

  ‘You’re the expert, Constable Bligh.’

  She stopped short of baring her teeth. I didn’t want her rattling my cage because I’d stonewalled her, so I gave a bit. ‘Look, honestly I don’t know. Garth is as straight and honest as they come.’

  ‘You have no clue who might have done this?’

  ‘Garth and I only catch up now than. The “ex” thing is for a reason. He drives me nuts.’

  ‘So you’re not his confidante?’

  ‘Far from it?’

  She took out her notebook and made some notes in it. ‘Well step outside and wait ’til we’ve photographed and dusted. Then you can help him clean up.’