“What do you mean, Kezia’s in Sydney?” demanded Nicky. She was sitting in her car outside a rundown boarding house in Te Aro, talking to Jane by phone.
“She called this morning. She said she was sorry for not telling anyone she was going and wanted me to let everyone know and to hold the fort here.”
“What would we do without you, Jane?”
“I have no idea. I’m a convenience to your family. Good old Jane will take care of the office. Good old Jane will look after Petal. Next, you’ll be asking me to go to the house, collect the mail and water the garden. I thought you’d have known, where she was, being her sister. But she didn’t tell Ben until last night.”
“She may have left a message. I haven’t been home, been so busy with work. Speaking of the house, I don’t suppose you could pop in on your way home and make sure everything’s okay?”
“Absolutely not. Kevin was horrified when I told him, the family had disappeared without a by your leave. He said to tell you I’m paid to be a receptionist. Nothing else. He says I should to put boundaries in place. He thinks you take me for granted. Leaving me here to makes excuses to the clients as well as looking after the family pooch.”
“Family pooch? That’s a bit off. You love Petal.”
“Kevin’s words, not mine. Of course, I love Petal. We’ve been through so much together, haven’t we, darling?” Nicky heard kissing sounds. “It’s the principle, Kevin says.”
“I’ll come and get her. She can be a police dog for a few days. She can charm the crims into submission.”
“She’s doing nothing of the sort. Petal and I have done our dash with crims.”
“If you say so. Did Kezia say when she was coming home?”
“None of them have. Except it won’t be when they were supposed to. I can’t tell you how difficult it is here. The clients are climbing the walls about their tax returns. And if I get one more call from that Jimmy Abrahams, I’m going to totally lose it. He’s the worst. Insists I tell him where everyone is. I can’t hold him off much longer.”
“Give him my number if he hassles you again. Kevin’s right — there are boundaries, and that little twerp is clearly overstepping his. You’re a real gem, Jane. See what I did there? Gem and Jane. Never mind. Gotta go. Give Petal a big kiss. Thank you. You’re a life saver.”
Nicky didn’t wait for the reply. The occupants of the boarding house were leaving and, she needed to talk to as many as possible. She got out of the car and looked hopefully at a young couple on the steps, but there must have been something about her that reeked of the law. In less than a minute, those who’d been standing on the steps casually passing the time of day had spotted her and scattered to the four winds, escaping down alleyways and side streets. The only person left was a rather, sorry-looking woman holding a sign made from the ripped side of a cardboard box. It read: No Money for Food, Please Help.
“I can’t stand around talking to you, dear,” she said when Nicky identified herself. “I’ll lose my spot on the Quay if I do.”
“Spot?” asked Nicky.
“Under the ATM on the corner of Woodward Lane. Best begging spot in Wellington. I’ve got it for two hours today before I have to move on. I can, make fifty bucks in a morning. On a good day.”
“Can I give you a lift?”
The woman thought for a few seconds then nodded. When she got in the car, she said, “Drop me a block away. I don’t want anyone to see us together, okay?”
Nicky pulled out into the stream of traffic. “How long have you been living back there?”
“Few months.”
“Ever come across Sharon Jones?”
“Course, everyone knew Shazza.”
“Tell me about her.”
“Bit of a show-off. Told us she was going to be a grandmother. Big deal. I got thirteen grandkids. I don’t see them, but it’s not for want of asking.”
Nicky stopped at the traffic lights and shooed away the spotty youth who rushed forward to wash her windscreen.
“She was looking forward to it?”
“Yeah, said she was going to provide for her granddaughter, give her the things she hadn’t given her daughter. We all thought she was dealing again. Bert said she’d be back in prison before the kid was born. She wasn’t, though. Dealing. She got pissed one night and told me she had to meet someone and give him a message — for money. Made me swear not to say a word. Problem was, when she saw him, he did something. She was worried after that. I was her insurance policy, she said. Said she met him at the zoo, and he stuck something in her arm. Said she’d been so mad that later she’d kicked this snooty bitch’s bike to bits. Laughed about that. We both did.”
“When did this happen?”
“A week? No more than that. Said she thought the snooty bitch was following her.”
“And the man?”
“Told me all about him. She’d seen him around town before she went in the last time. Half an ear. Mean bloke.”
Nicky could barely contain herself. Grateful for the obligatory reduced speed limit in town, she slowed the car even further.
“Sorry, I didn’t get your name.”
“That’s because I didn’t say it.”
“What you’ve told me is important. You know how Sharon died, don’t you?”
“Course. Death by police. Poor bloody fool.”
“It wasn’t her fault.”
“Course not. It was the police’s fault. Shot her in cold blood. They’ll get off. You lot always do. No one ever wins against the biggest gang in the country. You bastards own the law. Your sort makes the rules and it’s up to us to do as we’re told, or else.”
“She didn’t deserve to die. Not like that. No one does,” said Nicky, pulling into the curb. “You could help me get justice for her if you wanted to.”
“Yeah, sure. I believe you. Not.” She looked around to make sure there was no one she recognised. “I’ll pass. Thanks for the ride.”
She heaved herself out of the car and slammed the door before walking off.
Nicky grabbed the flabby little sign she’d left behind. “You’ll need this,” she said, catching her up.
“Thanks.” The woman studied her for a moment. “Gotta go. That bastard Jonno will move onto the spot if I’m not there.” She turned, then turned back. “My name’s Tiffany. You know where to find me.”
Nicky walked slowly back to her car. Too slowly. A parking warden was putting a ticket under the windscreen wiper.