Raff growled low in the man’s ear. He squeezed the collar on his shirt, his chokehold tight. ‘I said, what the fuck do you think you’re doing?’
‘I heard you,’ the man rasped, his hand a steely grip over Raff’s on his collar. ‘Allow me to introduce myself. Quietly.’
The man’s unruffled response was a surprise. Raff gave him a hard shake anyway and didn’t loosen his grip. He kept his voice down. ‘Go ahead.’
‘Bendigo Barrett, Private Investigator.’ The man could breathe, but it would have been difficult.
It took a few moments, then Raff pulled him into a better light. There it was, a streak of white hair. That’s what Evie had described when they were on the boat. Raff pushed him off, waited until Barrett had caught his breath.
Eyeing him, Barrett took his time before speaking. ‘If you have no business with me,’ he said between his teeth, ‘I need to get on with my work.’
‘My business is there,’ Raff rasped, stabbing a finger at Evie’s house. ‘And you’re the second bloke I’ve found spying on it.’
Barrett still had a finger inside his collar. ‘And you’re not?’
Raff was taken aback. ‘No. And whose bloody business—’
‘Get down,’ Barrett ordered, ducking to the ground. ‘Look there.’
Raff dropped by his side and followed Barrett’s finger which was pointed at Evie’s house. Someone was stealing around the place, a man, and when he reached up to bang on one of the windows, Raff took to his feet.
Barrett grabbed him by the arm, hauled him down, his hands now in Raff’s shirt collar. ‘Whoever you are,’ he snarled in guttural whisper, ‘I’m here to see that that man is clearly identified as intent on trouble. So unless you’re a police officer, I suggest you get the hell out of my way.’
Fury exploded and Raff grappled with the steely grip. Not too many had ever bested him, but Barrett was determined, and strong as an ox. ‘Let me at him, you bastard. He’s a bloody peeping tom, and worse—’
Barrett shook him hard, his face close. ‘If it’s who I think it is, he goes before a magistrate tomorrow accusing a young woman of breach of contract—’
‘Cooper,’ Raff spat. ‘And she’s Evie Emerson.’
Abruptly, Barrett let him go, shoved him away. ‘Who are you?’
The fight went out of him. ‘Rafferty Dolan.’
‘Ah, Dolan. You were with her in Cobram.’ Barrett watched the man still on the move around the house, taking his time, heading for the front veranda.
‘I gotta get down there.’
‘You go nowhere, not now, and not until this is over.’ Barrett grabbed Raff’s shirt again. ‘If anyone goes, it’ll be me. If he sees you, he’ll accuse you of God knows what. You’ve encountered him before, am I right?’ At Raff’s nod, he went on. ‘So he knows you. I have to identify him, for Miss Emerson’s sake. I have to clearly see his face, confront him. Take him to the police station. You understand me? No one else interferes.’
‘But—’
‘Listen, Dolan. I’ve been tasked with this, it’s on record, and Mr Campbell, her lawyer, can verify that to a magistrate. If someone else gets to him, roughs him up, he’ll blame Miss Emerson for it. That’s how he works—he’ll put all the blame back onto her, make out he’s the innocent party, that she had a bloke with her, therefore she must be a liar and a trollop, that you beat him up on her say so.’ He eyed Raff. ‘All right?’
Raff gritted his teeth. ‘I still don’t like it.’
‘You don’t have to like it, but believe me,’ Barrett said, ‘it’ll damage her further and harm her defence.’ He jerked his head.
‘Now out of my way. And if you care for her, don’t you fuck it up. Don’t bloody go near that house, you hear me?’ He pushed past Raff. For a man not much shy of Raff’s own build, he moved fluidly, easily.
I care for her, all right. So I’m not going to be a damned spectator, mate. Raff loped after Barrett, keeping his eye on the form sneaking around Evie’s house. He could see Cooper rattling the windows. The bastard’s terrorising her.
Barrett was nowhere to be seen. Cooper was creeping across the veranda frontage. The idiot; anyone passing by would be able to see him.
Where’s Barrett, for Chrissakes?
Then the front door popped open and with the light from the hallway behind her, Evie charged outside waving what looked to be the fire poker. One thump across Cooper’s chest, then as he turned, trying to scoot away, she swung again and landed another thump on the man’s back. He stumbled, found his footing and took off, scrambling over the low fence.
Barrett rounded the corner of the house from the back and sped after him.
Raff watched Evie let out a mighty yell—frustration, fear—into the silent night, her fists clenched around the poker. She stamped her feet and stomped back inside, slamming the door shut. In the still of night, Raff heard the key turn in the lock. He wanted to go to her.
Don’t bloody go near that house.
Stranded by indecision, he waited, heart in his throat. Heeding the detective’s warning was all right for a time, but he wouldn’t last for much longer.
Thank Christ. Barrett was jogging back towards him. ‘And?’ Raff asked when he came alongside, puffing.
‘I didn’t get a good enough look, couldn’t grab him. Maybe Miss Emerson saw him clearly.’ He looked at his boots a moment. ‘She handles a poker well,’ he said, hands on his knees, and gave a quiet laugh. ‘He should have a couple of tell-tale bruises come tomorrow.’
‘I should let her know—’
‘No,’ Barrett said sharply. ‘I followed him to a house, so I have an address to report. A woman opened the door to him, and I believe it was his mother. So that’s good enough for now.’ He took a breath, still puffing. ‘But if he comes back spying, and he could, trust me, it’ll be worse for Miss Emerson if you’re here.’
‘I could grab him. We could haul him off—’
‘Look, Dolan,’ Barrett shook his head, impatient. ‘I’ve had run-ins before with men like this bloke. They’re nasty cowards, and they’re cunning. They get around the law, wriggle out of what’s due to them, so I’m all about getting the job done right.’ He took a ragged breath. ‘You will play right into his game if he sees you here. I’m telling you, he’ll make it part of the case that another man was hanging around her. Go back to your lodgings.’
Raff waited a few moments. ‘I’ll stay here.’
‘Right where I can see you, then.’
‘Two sets of eyes are better than one,’ Raff said.
Barrett gave him a look, saw straight through him. ‘I get it, I do. You’ll be close to her here if anything does happen.’
Raff nodded again, eyeing Evie’s house. But not close enough.