BACK ON THE COAST, Mike takes the elevator up to the seventh floor and makes his way down a carpeted hall to Colleen’s apartment above the Silver Fish. He knocks gently on the door and there she is in a blood-red dress. Colleen notices him noticing and says, ‘What do you think?’
‘I love it.’
‘That’s the right answer.’
Mike has a brown Samsonite suitcase with him and places it on the bench of the kitchenette. ‘This might be a bit forward, but do you have somewhere I can crash tonight?’
‘I’m sure I can think of something.’
Colleen draws the blinds, enclosing the space in a muted afternoon glow. ‘Is that what you wanted to ask me?’
‘No, uh …’
Colleen sits on a large footstool. She slips her shoes off. ‘Don’t be shy.’
‘When you were taking photos the other night, what’s the play there?’
‘You never know when you’ll need someone’s attention.’
Mike looks at her legs.
‘It got your attention, didn’t it?’ she adds.
‘That’s what I thought.’
‘What are you looking for?’
‘Two and a half million dollars,’ he says. ‘It’s an investment, not a—’
‘Shakedown.’
‘That’s right.’
‘Honey, it never is.’ Colleen gently runs her hands over the soft skin of her inner thighs. ‘You want me to work my magic, Mike? I know a few things, a few … magic tricks. I’m ready when you are.’
‘That’s why I’m here. I followed those cops from the other night to the wrong party, and I’ve stumbled into something a bit bigger than what I was after.’ Mike lays the rest on her: Sorensen’s estate, Sorensen’s underground cinema and the vault. ‘I have no idea how it all fits together, and it didn’t get me any answers. In the meantime, the minister has given me the go-ahead to buy into the park, but I need capital. He wants to keep his hands clean.’
‘So a piece is for sale?’
‘To the right bidder. It’s a big piece, too.’
‘How big?’ Colleen slips her earrings off and places them on the coffee table.
‘Buddy Winters is selling his stake, out from under his own father.’
She smiles at that.
Mike continues. ‘But to close the deal, I need to skirt around the Queensland Police, and I need a gigantic pile of money. And I’m going to need a serious backer who can protect me.’
‘And you think that’s little old me?’
‘I keep hearing that. If we can get that money, I can get us the keys to the kingdom.’
‘What’s my end?’ Colleen’s eyes stay on him, but she slowly hikes her skirt up.
Mike watches her white panties creep out of the rising hem. He can see the texture of her red bush pressing against the fabric.
‘Everything. We’d be in control,’ he says.
‘I think I’m falling in love.’