Chapter 35

‘For God’s sake, Lainie! I have been more than patient with you. Answer me!’ the policeman bellowed. I cowered against the wall. I had no more chance of saying what he wanted to hear than I had of laying an egg. Why couldn’t I just melt away with the rain outside, flow down the street and underground, away from this dreadful place? There was nothing I could say that would appease this man’s relentless questions.

Frustration clouded the sergeant’s eyes as he towered over me. ‘You tell me bits and pieces about places you’ve supposedly been on your travels that couldn’t possibly exist in Australia, and yet I know for a fact that you don’t have a passport. Why are you lying to me?’

Lying? I desperately wanted to lie, but every time I did he caught me out. Years ago I would have managed it smoothly. Apparently now, I no longer had the knack. Deceit was obviously a habit you had to keep practising or it grew weak and useless like muscles on a couch potato. I wondered if he was going to hit me. His patience was wearing very thin and there was absolutely nothing I could do about it. Getting hurt would be agony for Bane. I had to think of something.

‘Please can we keep driving? It’s not that late, we could make it to Nalong tonight. Maybe I could show you something that could answer your questions.’ I had no idea if that was true, but I needed him to take me home.