CHAPTER 5

 

Next day Robyn went back to the gym to try for another meeting with Colwyn. She sidled in as before and was doing a few warm-up stretches when she noticed the swarthy man watching her. She gave him a bright smile before sitting down to do some leg lifts. Her heart beat faster as he came over to her, a doubtful look on his face.

‘Hi there,’ she said, before he could ask any awkward questions. ‘I saw you here yesterday, didn’t I? Oh yes, you were with that nice Mr. Symons. Is he here today, do you know?’ She leaned towards him. ‘He’s rather dishy, isn’t he? I’d quite like to get to know him a little better.’

Harry leered knowingly. ‘I’ll bet you would. He’s not here right now, but he may be down later, you could luck out. Can you tell me which apartment you’re in, miss…?’

‘I’m staying with my cousin,’ she invented hurriedly. ‘She’s in, um, now what flat was it? Oh I’m just hopeless with numbers, they go straight out of my head. That’s why I’m over here, really. Daddy said I should come and see where all our money is invested so that I appreciate it when I get my inheritance. He knows that figures don’t mean a thing to me.’ She paused in the embroidery of her story to see if it was working. Harry appeared to be following with interest.

‘I can call her and find out the number, if you need to know right this minute?’ She prayed he wouldn’t call her bluff.

‘Nah, don’t worry about it. I’m sure we’ll meet again if you’re living here.’

She tried not to recoil as he angled his greasy head towards her and tapped his pock-marked nose.

‘I’ll tell Mr. Symons you were asking about him. Maybe he’ll take you out on his boat one day.’

She tried to look impressed. ‘Gosh, that would be super! I‘ve missed the yachting ever so much since I’ve been away. Daddy was going to take me to Cowes this summer, but I had to come here instead. Oh well!’ She got up from the machine and walked bouncily away with a cheery little wave. ‘Bye bye! Be sure to give Mr Symons my message, won’t you?’

She could feel Harry watching her all the way out of the room. Hopefully he would pass on to Colwyn that a rich girl was keen to see him, and the trap would have been well baited.

When she got back to Mike’s place, he greeted her with a small package.

‘Here, I know you hate these, but it’s going to be very useful for you.’

Robyn blinked in surprise and unwrapped it cautiously.

‘Oh, a bloody cell-phone! You’re right, I hate it. How’s that thing going to be useful?’

‘If you want Colwyn to get in touch to ask you out, how’s he going to do it? If he rings here, chances are that I’ll answer the phone, and that’ll give him the wrong idea. If you have a cell-phone, you can be anywhere when he rings. He won’t know whether you’re in the same building or across town somewhere. Don’t you think that will give you a strategic advantage?’

‘Yeah, I suppose so,’ she said grudgingly. ‘Is it going to cost much?’

‘Don’t worry about it - got it covered,’ he said enigmatically. ‘This is your new number, now what name are you going to use?’

‘What, you mean like a call sign? “Come in Rubber Duck, there’s a convoy going down” kind of thing?’

‘No, I mean what are you going to tell Colwyn your name is? Using Robyn Taylor is a bit risky if he’s likely to recognise it.’

‘Oh come on, it’s a common enough name, and besides I’m being English, not Kiwi. There are thousands of Taylors in both countries, anyway.’ She had a sudden thought. ‘I know, I’ll be Robbi, shall I? With a little heart-shape dot over the i. That would fit the cutesy bimbo character to a T.’

‘Can you live with that? Robbi Taylor?’

She grimaced. ‘Frankly, no. How about using my mother’s maiden name? I should be able to remember that all right. I can be Robyn Heverill - is that better?’

‘Yes, that could work. You haven’t got any initials on any of your things have you? Cases, clothing, pens?’

‘No, pretty sure I haven’t.’

‘Fine, I’ll print you a few cards then, so you can give them out when you want to pass on your phone number to people. “Robyn Heverill” it is.

After a few moments work on the computer, he handed her a page of cards with her new name and phone number, and a small picture of her in the corner of each one.

‘Wow! How did you do that? I haven’t had any photos taken since I had my hair cut!’

‘Just scanned it from your passport photo,’ he said modestly. ‘Did a bit of retouching to fix the hair, added a smidgeon of make-up, nothing too difficult.’

She peered closely at the picture.

‘Not bad! I could almost believe it myself. Can I get an enlargement of this some time?’

He pressed a few buttons, and the printer whirred again. A sheet of paper emerged with the new sophisticated Robyn Heverill printed across it. Robyn grabbed it happily.

‘Cool! I’ll be able to send this to…’ She stopped suddenly. ‘Oh. I forgot for a minute.’ Her face was bleak. ‘I’ve got no parents left to send it to. You know, being orphaned sucks, even when you’re grown up. Oh well, maybe it’ll give Pete a laugh. Thanks anyway, Mike.’

 

The next time she went to the gym, she peeped round the door first to see if Colwyn was there. She didn’t want another close encounter with Harry if she could possibly help it. Something about him gave her the creeps.

Colwyn was standing quite close to the door, lifting dumbbells in front of the mirror. She walked past him, squeezing his upper arm as she went.

‘I say, that’s coming along very nicely!’ she purred. ‘Keep it up.’

She positioned herself on a thigh machine nearby and began to work, keeping him in view in the mirror. This acting lark wasn’t too hard, once you got over being self-conscious. If you could keep pretending you were someone else, it seemed to be quite easy.

She caught his eye in the mirror and smiled, then squeezed her legs together while holding his gaze. He looked away, but his eyes slid slowly back again. Robyn pretended not to notice, and continued the flexing and squeezing routine with her thigh muscles, spreading her legs wide apart then slowly bringing them together. From the corner of her eye she saw him mop his face with a towel.

After a few minutes, she got up and moved away. No point in making it too easy for him. Some guys preferred to give chase, and she suspected Colwyn would be one of the predatory types.

She ignored him for the next half hour, then headed for the changing room. He caught her just as her hand was on the door handle.

‘If we’re going to go on meeting like this, I need to know your name.’ He paused, giving her a meaningful look. ‘It’ll give me something to call out in my sleep.’

At such close quarters, the full power of his charm was impressive. Despite herself, Robyn felt her heart flutter. She smiled back at him with very little effort.

‘My name’s Robyn. I’m over here from England, staying in the city with my cousin. I’m finding that Toronto has a lot of unexpected attractions.’

He laughed, showing off perfect teeth.

‘It’s a very great pleasure to meet you, Robyn. My name is Colwyn Symons, and I’m a businessman from Australia. My hobbies are fine wines, beautiful women, and making a great deal of money.’

‘It’s nice to find a man who knows how to lay down a good full-bodied red,’ she said, trying her best to be sultry. It seemed to work, as his blue eyes sparkled.

‘Can I take to you dinner and indulge in two of my favourite activities?’ he asked. ‘That is, if you’re free tonight?’

‘Well,’ she wavered. ‘I suppose I could cancel my plans.’ She smiled inwardly. Missing a re-run of C.S.I on TV wouldn’t be too great a disappointment. ‘Yes, all right, why not.’

She reached into her gym bag to extract a card. ‘Here’s my number. Just let me know when and where to meet you.’

‘Can’t we meet here and go together?’

Just in time she remembered she was supposed to be an occupant in the building.

‘Sorry, I have a few errands to run before then, and I’m not sure how long I’ll be. I’d prefer it if you called.’

‘Your wish is my command, Robyn. I look forward to tonight with all the anticipation of a new season’s Beaujolais.’

They parted with a light touch of hands, and Robyn escaped into the changing room. She leaned on the other side of the door and blew out a long breath. The intensity of the exchange had surprised her, despite her prior knowledge of Colwyn’s ability as a salesman.

‘No wonder Dad was convinced,’ she murmured. ‘That guy could sell condoms in a nunnery.’

 

Mike was pleased with her progress, but advised caution when she told him of the encounter, pointing out that her inexperience might make her vulnerable.

‘How many times has a man tried to sweep you off your feet, Robyn?’

‘Well, never. But I’m not stupid, for God’s sake! I can see through his slimy patter. “Tell me your name so I can call it out in my sleep?” Oh please! That’s the oldest line in the book! He may be good, but he has no idea what I know about him, does he? I’m hardly likely to fall for a guy that I’ve already got pegged as an utter bastard, am I? Give me a bit of credit.’

She was feeling edgy tonight. Something about Mike was different, unsettling. She was suddenly uncertain of him. Perhaps it was the way he looked. His hair was slicked back, he was wearing glasses, and even his eyes seemed to have changed colour.

‘What have you been doing today, Mike? You look like a whole different person.’

He smiled suddenly, transforming his face to one she recognised.

‘Chasing up some people our Colwyn has been talking to. I followed him into a restaurant a few days ago, and now I’m tracking down his contacts. I didn’t want them to recognise me so I changed my hair and used tinted contact lenses.’

‘You make a good chameleon, but it’s bloody unsettling. Just when I think I know you, you turn into someone else!’

He shrugged. ‘It’s a useful skill. Anyway, it helps me deal with people like Colwyn Symons.’

‘Not half as memorably as I can deal to him,’ she grinned. ‘He’s got no chance, no matter how seductive he thinks he is!’

‘I’m sure you’re right, sorry I doubted you.’ He sighed. ‘Of course you can handle it. It’s just that I’ve seen people taken in by charmers like him before, and it didn’t always end happily ever after, you know?’

She sensed that he was reluctant to explain further.

‘I’ll be careful, Mike, honestly . No quiet intimate restaurants or dim booths.’ She clicked her fingers as inspiration struck. ‘I know, I’ll get him to take me to the restaurant up the CN Tower. We’ll sit in the window and you can watch us with your binoculars from down here!’

‘It’s a revolving restaurant, I’d have to run around the base every hour to keep up with you!’ She was reassured by the amusement in his eyes. ‘Good idea for a place to go, though. Plenty of people about, and very public. He’d have no chance of any shady moves there.’

‘So when he calls, it’s dinner up the tower at what, 7pm? Nice and early so I can be home to report back to you and relieve you of any risk of a sleepless night. Good enough?’

‘Fine and dandy. Er, good on yer, mate. Is that right?’

‘You beauty! Now give me a hand to choose what I’m going to wear. Is that blue sequinned thing going to be right, d’you think?’

‘Hm, let’s hold that in reserve for now. The white jersey dress will do, it’s appealing but still fairly innocent. What make-up have you got with you?’

‘None - oh except maybe an old lipstick in the bottom of a bag somewhere. I never use the stuff.’

She grinned at his surprise.

‘Well sheep aren’t terribly impressed by that sort of thing you know, and there weren’t many nightclubs within a day’s drive of the farm. I just never got the hang of it all. My boyfriend Geoff was a card-carrying greenie with homespun jerseys and leather sandals, he never cared for cosmetics because they test so many of them on animals. So the short answer to your question is still “none”.’

‘No problem, we’ll use mine.’

He pulled out a black attaché case and opened it to reveal an array of tubes, powders, sticks and bits of hair that had Robyn gaping.

‘Tools of the trade,’ he explained briefly as he moistened a sponge. ‘Now, let’s do a bit of face-painting, shall we?’

He smoothed on some foundation after using a green concealer stick to reduce the worst effects of sunburn on her nose and chin. She complained that her face felt gluggy.

He selected a cream eye-shadow and created new depth to her green eyes. She complained that she looked like a panda.

He deftly shaped her brows with an eyebrow pencil, and lightly outlined her eyes before applying mascara. She blinked with every stroke. Finally he applied a little subtle blusher, and stood back to assess his work. ‘Not bad, despite the fight you put up. How does that look?’

She was silent for a moment, staring at her reflection.

‘Wow. I never knew I could look like that. I guess there is some point to all that muck after all.’ She broke into a grin. ‘That looks awesome! I could be on the cover of Vogue! Best I ever hoped for before was the Farmers’ Gazette. Thanks, Mike - I’m really impressed.’

When Colwyn called, Robyn arranged to meet him at the base of the tower for 7pm as planned. She felt like a million dollars in her new dress and make-up, hair beautifully groomed, ready to be seen in the best places.

Waiting at the base of the tower was perhaps a mistake though, as the area was crowded with teenagers jostling in line for the amusement arcade games and rides there. Her elegance stood out in sharp contrast to their ripped denims and faded black shirts, and she found herself the target of some unwanted attention.

‘What is this, Life-styles of the Rich and Famous?’ a tall black youth called out, providing his friends with the opportunity to applaud his wit with jeers and catcalls.

‘Hey lady, wanna take a ride with us?’

‘Whoo-ee, hubba hubba!’

She attempted to quell them with a glare, but they just laughed and made more comments. As the noise level rose, Robyn put two fingers in her mouth and blew a piercing whistle that momentarily silenced them.

‘That’s enough, you spotty little tossers! What a sorry collection of shit-for-brains snot-nosed layabouts - just bugger off and play with yourselves, you wankers, and get the hell out of my face!’

She saw Colwyn step through the door and quickly changed her tone.

‘And if I catch you being so naughty again, you’ll have your bottoms smacked, all of you. Now go away!’

She moved quickly to intercept Colwyn and steered him to the elevator to make her escape.

‘Was there a problem?’ he asked, as the doors slid closed.

‘Oh no, just a bit of high spirits, really. Such young scamps! I say, you look terribly debonair tonight - oh!’

The elevator had just whisked them up several floors and they were now travelling up the outside of the slender concrete tower.

The city was spread before them, a glowing panorama in the warm evening sunlight, changing perspective as the elevator took them skywards. In seconds they were above the tallest skyscrapers and still climbing. Below, tiny cars crawled along the expressways, while miniature trains slid along tracks that gleamed like snail trails past the base of the tower.

Robyn gazed out of the window, entranced, until she realised that Colwyn was not beside her. She turned to see him lounging against the inner wall of the elevator, watching her.

‘I’m just enjoying the view from here,’ he said. ‘You look beautiful this evening.’

Robyn was glad he’d been able to keep the note of surprise out of his voice. Considering the only times they’d met before had been in the gym when she’d been unadorned and sporty, she felt she’d scrubbed up rather well for tonight’s occasion. She was interested to see that he was wearing a dashing white Panama hat with his immaculate white suit, and wondered what she would see when he entered the restaurant and had to remove it.

She felt her sinuses flinch at his cologne, which was sweet and rather strong in such an enclosed space.

‘Thank you, Mr. Symons. The city is rather lovely, isn’t it? Have you been here long?’

‘First, please call me Colwyn! We’re not so formal where I come from.’ He smiled engagingly. ‘I’ve been here about five years, although I do a lot of travelling on business so it always seems new and fresh to me every time I come back.’

‘Really? And where else have you travelled to besides Canada?’

She listened to his accent with growing disbelief, noting that it was a mix of New Zealand and Australian but tending towards North American. How very odd, considering that the TV interview she’d seen had given his background as pure middle-class New Zealand, growing up in Wellington and with a career based solely in that city. It appeared that Mr Symons was attempting to seem more cosmopolitan than he was.

The elevator door opened with a subdued ping, and Colwyn escorted her into the sparkling interior of the most glamorous restaurant she had ever seen. The head waiter took them to a table by the window where she allowed herself to be seated, with a crisp linen napkin laid across her lap. As Colwyn settled himself she couldn’t help looking down to see if she could see Mike’s place amid the tree-lined streets.

The head waiter took Colwyn’s jacket, and hovered, waiting for the hat. Robyn looked out of the corner of her eye and tried not to be caught watching. Colwyn carefully took off the Panama and handed it over, revealing an immaculate head of blond hair. Robyn tried not to gasp. The little bugger had bought a wig! She hoped it had cost him a fortune, and resolved to order the most expensive thing on the menu to dent his finances even further.

‘You were about to tell me about your travels, Colwyn,’ she said sweetly. ‘Have you been to England at all?’

‘Not as often as I would like. Which part are you from, Robyn?’

‘Oh, the South-East generally, around the Reading and Newbury area. A lovely part of the country, don’t you think?’ Let’s hear you make up something about that, she thought, considering you probably don’t know a thing about the place.

‘My visits have been further north than that - Manchester and Birmingham mostly. But I do want to visit the south one of these days. Do you have family there?’

Here we go, she thought. He’s sounding me out about this rich father Harry told him about. Better give the man what he wants, eh?

‘Yes, Daddy bought us a house right beside Newbury racecourse, so he can watch his horses run. He’s frightfully keen you know. Mummy gets a bit bored with it sometimes and goes up to London to do some shopping instead. Daddy says that she hands over his prize money to Harrods faster than he wins it!’

She couldn’t believe that he was listening so eagerly to her tale that the waiter had to cough to get their attention.

‘Excuse me Sir, Madam, are you ready to order?’

Colwyn looked at her enquiringly. She nodded, casting a quick eye down the menu.

‘Garlic and herb bread, fresh asparagus spears, the sole in white wine, and hm, let’s see - you don’t have any lamb on the menu, do you? Oh well, I’ll have the fillet steak then – rare, please.’

Colwyn indicated his choices, and selected a wine from the impressive red tasselled list that the maitre d’ had handed him, with much overblown consultation about vintage, ageing, brix levels and fermentation. Iced water was brought and settled amid the pristine linen and gleaming silverware.

‘So, Robyn, what brings you to Toronto?’ asked Colwyn, leaning forward and gazing directly into her eyes.

Robyn sat back in the tapestry-covered chair and prepared to play him like a fish.

‘Oh, it was Daddy’s idea, really. He thinks I should find out about some silly old inheritance that I’m going to get in a few months time. An elderly uncle, quite gaga in the end, thought his bequests should wait until our twenty-fifth birthdays. My sister was frightfully cheesed off ‘cause she’s got to wait years longer than me.’

She was quite proud of this supportive detail, but realised that she had better limit herself to things she could easily remember. This invention of fiction was all rather new and she could very well slip up if she wasn’t careful.

‘Surely you’re younger than twenty four?’ he said smoothly. ‘With that perfect skin you don’t look a day over eighteen.’

‘Well I do try to look after myself,’ she said modestly. ‘That’s why I spend time in the gym whenever I can.’

‘And that certainly is working well for you. How lucky that you came to stay in my building,’ he smiled. ‘Not only beautiful, but coming into some money as well. It must have been Fate.’

‘Why is that, Colwyn?’ She looked at him coyly. ‘You’re not planning to marry me and get your hands on my fortune, are you?’

He laughed, a shade uneasily she thought.

‘Robyn! I’m an investment advisor, I can help you build your fortune. I certainly didn’t intend any ulterior motive… no matter how tempting that might be.’

He opened his blue eyes wide and fired charm down both barrels.

Robyn managed a simper.

‘An investment advisor? Well that might be handy. Perhaps you could help me make some quick profits while I’m here! Daddy thinks I’m hopeless with figures - can you picture his face if I go back to England with heaps more money than Uncle Josh left me? Oh that would be fun! Can you do that sort of thing, Colwyn?’

He was practically salivating, she could tell. She began to understand how he’d managed to convince people to give him their money - people heard and believed what they wanted to hear. She was surprised that such a ruse seemed to be working on him though, given his experience in the field of greed and deception. She was delighted to use his own techniques against him.

‘Do you really think you can do something clever with my money if I give it to you?’

‘Absolutely! I’ll be very happy to give you all the financial advice you’ll need, Robyn - it will be a pleasure. When did you say the inheritance is due?’ He leaned forward casually and poured a glass of water.

‘On my birthday, September the tenth. My cousin’s going to give me a super party, but she won’t tell me where yet. I’ll be sure to invite you though.’

He laughed. ‘Robyn! As if I’d let you forget! Now, for a treat that’s a little sooner on the calendar, I’m already planning to take you for a tour of Lake Ontario in my boat. Whenever you say the word we can cast off and head out on the water together.’

‘Ooh, that sounds like fun! I’d love to see your boat. Does it sail fast? I do adore the look of speeding yachts as the wind almost pushes them over!’

His face fell slightly.

‘Actually it’s a motorboat. A 38 foot launch with twin Volvo Penta engines for lots of power, and it’s great for water-skiing if you like that sort of thing too?’

‘Golly, how super. I can’t wait to see it.’ She wondered briefly if she was overdoing it, but he seemed to believe her enthusiasm.

‘I spend most of my free time on board when the weather’s right. And if I’m not boating here, I go out of town to a rather delightful cottage in the Kawartha Lakes area, about an hour north of here. It’s totally secluded and the perfect place to get away from it all. I paddle a canoe on the lake there and do a spot of fishing. Wonderfully relaxing.’

The wine arrived then, and Colwyn made a great show of tasting it and allowing it to be poured. Privately Robyn thought she’d tasted better from the Marlborough vineyards back home and was frustrated that she couldn’t say so.

Colwyn lifted his glass to her and proposed a toast. ‘Here’s to the good life.’

‘Yes indeed!’ She took a large gulp. Enjoy it while you can, you devious little snake. It may not last much longer.

 

‘How did you say goodnight to him?’ asked Mike with interest, as they discussed the date later back at his apartment. ‘I was wondering how you were going to get away from him at the end of the evening.’

‘Well, when I got in the elevator with him in the apartment building, I just jumped out at the second floor before he had a chance to react. I called out goodnight as the doors closed, and he just smiled rather weakly and waved goodbye.’

She paced across the floor scrubbing her face with her hands, trying to ease the tension that the night had built up. ‘Oh God, I hope I haven’t blown it. It was going really well until I spilled some sauce, and then I rubbed my eyes and smeared my make-up. He rather seemed to lose interest after that.’

Mike looked at her and laughed.

‘Hardly surprising! You’re really not used to dressing up and wearing make-up, are you? Look at yourself now, Miss Panda-eyes!’

She glanced at the mascara on her hands then peered into a wall mirror.

‘Aw, man! I give up!’

She headed for the bathroom, muttering dark curses against Revlon, Max Factor and all their kind. Hopefully Colwyn’s eagerness to get his hands on her money would overcome any residual distaste at her less-than-perfect appearance.

She knew she’d succeeded when he called her next day to repeat his invitation to go out on his boat.

To take full advantage of the outing, she prepared carefully. She packed a sports bag with the usual items for a day on the water - hat, towel, sun-screen lotion, insect repellent, swimsuit, and a sweat-shirt in case of cool breezes. Then in a side pocket she tucked her water pistol filled with bleach, a couple of items from the drug-store, and two bottles of fruit juice.

Colwyn had asked her to meet him in the lobby at 10am, so she left Mike’s place in good time to look as if she’d just come downstairs a little early. She had taken pains with her appearance, dressing in what she considered overpriced fashion-plate casual clothing, with a jaunty sun-visor to keep her hair tidy and just enough make-up to complete her air of sophistication. Mike had selected an expensive pair of sunglasses for her despite her protests that a two dollar pair looked exactly the same, assuring her that Colwyn would spot the difference immediately.

She settled herself on a chair by the door and prepared to greet Colwyn with as much warmth and charm as she could muster.

He bounded out of the elevator at one minute to ten, looked at her searchingly as he crossed the foyer, and took both her hands in his as he pulled her to her feet.

‘Robyn! You look fabulous! Are you all set for a day on the lake?’ His touch was cool and dry, his hands softer than hers.

‘Oh yes, rather! Jolly boating weather, what?’ She was aware that she was overdoing the English accent and tried to tone it down a bit. ‘I’m so looking forward to seeing your boat. Is it very far away?’

‘No, just down at the marina. Are you all right to walk? It’s only about five minutes away.’

She smiled winsomely into his blue eyes and picked up her bag.

‘Ready when you are, Captain. Lead the way!’

Once on board she stowed her bag carefully in the cabin and made her way to the cockpit. She almost made the mistake of helping Colwyn to cast off but suddenly remembered that she wasn’t Robyn Taylor from the Marlborough Sounds where boating was a way of life, she was Robyn Heverill who adored boats but wasn’t very practical. As she settled onto one of the padded squab seats in the cockpit, she couldn’t help glancing back towards the dock where she had fallen headlong into the lake only a few days ago. Then she’d been powerless and enraged. Now she felt firmly in control.

The throaty roar of the engines prevented conversation, so she simply smiled at Colwyn now and again while enjoying their speed across the water. He cut between two sailing boats, curving sharply to send up a wall of water first one side then the other, leaving them rocking violently in his wake. She whooped and gave him a thumbs-up, carefully hiding her contempt for his bad seamanship.

Once near Centre Island, he throttled back the motors and let the boat ease forward at a snail’s pace.

‘Would you like a drink, Robyn?’

‘Ooh yes please. Do you happen to have any fruit juice?’ she asked, casually.

‘Of course. I’ll be right back.’

She watched carefully as he went to the fridge and got out two bottles. Next time, she wanted to fetch the drinks herself.

They sat in the cockpit together, sipping their juice and gently rocking in the slight chop on the lake. Above them a light veil of cloud softened the full heat of the sun, and a gentle breeze tempered the day’s humidity. Robyn caught a whiff of his pungent cologne now and again, but mixed with the scent of engine fumes and lake water it was almost pleasant.

‘Have you had the Angel Lady long, Colwyn?’ she said idly, just making conversation.

‘A few months. My last boat was stolen, unfortunately.’ He smiled complacently. ‘Just as well I’ve got a really good insurance policy.’

Aha, thought Robyn. That’ll be why Mike got on to you.

‘Did the police ever find it?’ she asked innocently.

‘Sadly, no,’ he said, with convincing regret. ‘Just one of those things, I guess. Still, it meant that I could buy this little beauty, and she’s a whole lot better than the one I lost.’

‘Yes, she’s terrific. Gosh it’s hot in the sun, isn’t it?’ She fanned herself with her hand. ‘Would you like another drink, Colwyn? I’ll get them.’

‘Thank you Robyn, that would be lovely.’

She went below, and rapidly retrieved one of her drugstore purchases from her bag. Shielded by the fridge door, she poured a small sachet of powder into a bottle of juice and shook it well. Taking another bottle for herself, she stepped back into the cockpit and handed Colwyn the uncapped juice.

‘Lovely and cold,’ she said appreciatively, and took a long swallow of her drink.

Colwyn did the same. Robyn met his eyes and smiled warmly, knowing that in about an hour the urbane Colwyn Symons would be feeling extremely uncomfortable.

They moved on along the chain of islands, watching swimmers and jet-skiers enjoying the water and safe sandy beaches. They buzzed along narrow waterways between islands, past extensive yacht marinas and inhabited areas where colourful houses were laid out along short, straight streets. At one point, Robyn was astonished to see a plane apparently coming in to land right behind them, until Colwyn showed her the harbour chart with the Island airport marked on it.

About then, a strange look crossed his face.

‘Robyn, could you take the wheel for a moment, please? I just need to go below.’

‘Sure, no problem.’ She relieved him at the helm and watched him hurry into the cabin where the door to the ship’s toilet shut smartly behind him.

‘Gotcha!’ she murmured. ‘Thar she blows!’ It was a shame she hadn’t had the chance to get in there first and doctor the toilet tissue with itching powder, but that would keep for another occasion.

Colwyn emerged shakily about ten minutes later.

‘I’m terribly sorry about that. I think I must have picked up some sort of tummy bug.’ He shuddered. ‘Could you take us back in, do you think? Steer for that leading mark, and give me a shout when we’re close to it. I think I’ll just go and lie down - oh.’ He disappeared rapidly back into the toilet.

Robyn opened the throttle and headed back to the mainland, taking delight in bouncing over as many ship’s wakes as she could on the way so that Colwyn would get a good shake-up. She threw her head back and sang all the saltiest sea-shanties she knew.

It was a very good day.

When they reached the marina, she found the berth without difficulty and tied off the mooring lines. Then she used her new cell-phone to call a cab, and escorted Colwyn to it with great solicitude.

He sat back looking pale as they drove the short distance to his apartment building, and Robyn could see beads of sweat standing out on his forehead. She helped him to the elevator, smiling reassuringly at the doorman who was looking concerned.

‘Probably a bit of sunstroke!’ she called. ‘Nothing serious.’

Colwyn fumbled for his keys in front of the apartment door, unlocked it, and hurried into his own bathroom with a low groan.

Robyn looked around. At last, here she was in Colwyn’s apartment - her prime objective – with time to actually accomplish something!

It really was the most luxurious place she had ever seen. Huge tinted windows framed extensive views of the lake, while large art prints gave an air of opulence to the interior. A black leather sofa faced an enormous television, which was flanked by an expensive-looking entertainment centre with a matt black finish.

She explored further, past the bathroom where muffled explosive noises prompted a look of distaste, and towards the bedroom. Here, the room was done out in shades of cream, with heavy drapes matching the brocade bedspread. The carpet was thick underfoot, plain cream, with not a speck of fluff to be seen. A spacious walk-in wardrobe was faced with mirrored doors, while the dresser at the foot of the bed had another large mirror.

‘Fond of ourselves, are we?’ murmured Robyn. ‘Like to watch all the action?’ Her stomach turned at the idea, and she hurried on with the rest of her exploration.

Over by the window was a desk with a computer on it and several shelves of cased disks. Her eyes lit up. That was just what Mike needed. She briefly contemplated hiding a couple of the disks in her bag and taking them home, but rejected the idea straight away. She’d need to be certain that they were the right thing before risking blowing her cover that way. They’d keep till next time. Mike would be able to tell her what to look for then.

The toilet flushed.

Robyn hurried quietly into the living room and was waiting there with an appropriate expression of concern when Colwyn appeared.

‘Oh you poor thing, here - come and sit down. Can I get you anything? A hot water bottle? Some flat lemonade to sip? That’s good for upset tummies.’

He lowered himself carefully onto the leather couch and sat looking wan.

‘No, nothing, thanks.’

‘Should I call a doctor, do you think? Or would you like me to stay for a while and take care of you?’

‘No, that’s very kind of you, but I think I’ll just have a shower and go to bed for now. I’m sorry our day out was cut short like this…’ He broke off, looking strained as another spasm tweaked his intestines. ‘I’ll make it up to you another time. Thanks for all your help Robyn, you’ve been a tower of strength.’

He heaved himself up from the sofa and moved towards the bathroom. ‘Can you see yourself out? I’ll give you a call as soon as I can, OK?’

‘Sure Colwyn, no problem. Goodbye!’ she shouted to the closed door.

Before she left, she pulled out her bleach-filled water pistol and tiptoed into the bedroom, where she placed a couple of tiny dribbles on each of his suit trousers, right by the zipper. The rest of the liquid she squirted below the surface of two of his biggest, glossiest pot-plants.

Then with one last look round, she gathered up her bag and left the apartment.