Chapter Eight

‘Gee,’ Mike said sarcastically, cracking open an icy Corona and passing it to Dan. ‘You’re a real popular guy.’

Dan took a draught of his beer and relaxed in his deck chair. They were sitting on the Crowley’s deck, surveying the back lawn bordered by Molly’s flower gardens, the vege garden in the far corner beside the shed and a cluster of citrus trees along the back fence.

‘I know. Everywhere I go, I make new friends. I’m like a Moonie.’

Mike gave him a quizzical look.

‘The dudes that hang out at the airport looking like Hare Krishna’s, trying to get people to join them?’

‘Exactly. A stranger is just a friend you haven’t met yet, you know.’

Mike grinned and popped the cap off his own bottle.

‘Rrriiight,’ he drawled. ‘I did three of the civvies on the list today, and none of them had anything good to say about you. You mustn’t get many Christmas cards.’

‘Huh. Which ones were they?’

‘Ahh, Millen the cheater who got beaten up by his wife’s new boyfriend, Pearce the thief who has been out of work since she lost her job at the supermarket, and Ip, that fake Chinese doctor who lost his house.’ Mike took a long swallow of Mexican beer. ‘Na, none of them liked you much at all.’

‘I’ve got another prison appointment tomorrow, but all the others currently serving time have declined to see me.’ He hiked his shoulders. ‘Some people are so picky.’

‘I’ve got another four to see tomorrow,’ Mike said, ‘I rang the rest but didn’t get anywhere with them.’

‘Why didn’t you just cold call them? Nobody wants to go out of their way to help you unless they have no choice.’

‘I told them all I was investigating you and your suitability for a license,’ Mike grinned. ‘Most of them were happy to talk about that.’

Molly stepped out onto the deck with a plate of meat in one hand and a fruity fizzy drink in the other.

‘Is the barbie hot yet?’ she asked, and Dan got up, taking the plate from her.

‘Sure is, baby doll. Ready, willing and able.’ He gave her a peck on the cheek. ‘Just like me.’

She rolled her eyes and sat down in his chair, watching as he placed the pork chops and sausages on the grill with a satisfying hiss. Glancing at Mike, she noticed he was sitting still with his head cocked to the side.

‘What’s up with you?’ she asked, and he held his finger to his lips to shush her. She waited for a moment before he spoke again.

‘I thought I-’ he started to explain, then they all heard it.

A rustle from near the shed, followed by a distinctive sound of movement.

‘Stay here,’ Dan snapped to Molly, leaping off the deck with Mike hot on his heels. They dashed across the back lawn, seeing someone in jeans and a green sweater roll over the top of the back fence into the neighbour’s property.

Dan hit the fence at pace, placing one foot half way up, grabbing the top and hauling himself over in one smooth movement. He dropped into the neighbour’s garden, seeing fresh footprints in the dirt and the prowler disappearing down the side of the house towards the road that ran parallel to theirs.

He gave chase, hearing Mike shout behind him, ‘I’ll go right!’

Mike darted down the right hand side of the house, dodging a cat and jumping a side fence into the front yard. Looking around, he couldn’t see Dan or the prowler anywhere.

He jogged to the footpath, glancing both ways. Nothing except a car parked 100 metres up the road.

Meanwhile, Dan had followed the prowler to the roadside and cut hard left into the next property. He could see the prowler-he was pretty sure now it was a guy-running down the drive towards the second house on the subdivided property.

He continued the chase, losing sight of his quarry as the guy rounded the end of the second house. Dan barrelled around the corner at speed, straight into a wooden garden stake being swung horizontally. It impacted straight across his beltline and knocked the wind out of him, stopping him dead in his tracks. He didn’t even see the second blow coming on the backswing, just felt it slam across his back as he folded forward at the waist.

Pain shot up his ribcage and he felt his head go dizzy as he pitched forward, landing on his knees and shoulder, gasping like a stranded fish. He tried to stay in that position but the next blow was a boot to the kidney which made him drop and roll in agony, bringing his knees up to protect his torso.

The prowler stepped forward and leaned over him. Even with his swimming vision, Dan recognised Ben, the young guy they’d stung in the honey trap last week.

Ben’s face was contorted with rage, dry flecks of spit flying from his lips as he snarled at Dan.

‘You’re not good enough! You’re nothing!’

His fist smashed down and felt like a wrecking ball as it drove into Dan’s face, splitting his lip and snapping his head sideways. He straightened up and readied himself to deliver another kick when Mike came into his sight, sprinting down the driveway towards him.

Mike was a big guy and moving fast, knees and fists pumping as he raced towards Ben.

Ben turned tail and dashed to the back fence, up and over the fibrolite with ease, disappearing into the next property.

Mike raced past Dan in a flash, lining up a section of the fence that was cracked and had no supporting beam across it. Bringing his forearms up before him and barely breaking stride, he smashed straight through the fence and kept going across the next lawn.

Ben got to the road and cut right, heading straight for his rental car parked further up the road. He had a decent lead and made it to the car as Mike burst out onto the road.

Revving the engine, he shot forward, lining up Mike who was in the road facing him. The engine was redlining and the tyres smoking as he bore down on the blonde private eye.

It looked like Mike was going to try and jump on the bonnet, but at the last second, with the bumper just a couple of metres away, he threw himself desperately sideways onto the verge. Ben swerved and hit the kerb with a jolt, bouncing up onto the grass but missing Mike, who rolled straight across the footpath out of harm’s way.

Dirt and grass sprayed up from the wheels as Ben gunned the engine, cut back onto the road, and accelerated away.

Mike lay there and watched him go, repeating the number plate over and over to himself.