Probate on Lily’s estate went through smoothly. Tony sold her house and my share was close enough to three hundred thousand. I got another sixty thousand from Lily’s share portfolio. I gave a chunk of the money to Megan to help her buy a flat. I spent some on fixing up the Glebe house-the roof, the stairs, the windows. I got new carpets and new bathroom and kitchen fittings. The trees were trimmed, the bricks in the courtyard were re-laid and bits that badly needed it got painted. Plenty of money left over.
I stayed with Frank and Hilde while the work was being done and the strange thing was, when I got back to the house, I didn’t like it. Some kind of connection with it had been broken. I junked a lot of the furniture, shoved the rest in storage, put the house up for lease and Frank and Hilde had me back again inside a week.
‘So what’re you going to do?’ Hilde said.
‘Ever heard of Tony Truscott?’
‘No-oh, well I know the surname…’
‘Lily’s younger brother. He’s fighting an elimination bout for a shot at the world welterweight title in Nevada next month. He’s dedicating the fight to Lily. I’m going over there to support him.’
Frank said, ‘Rubbing shoulders with Russ and Jeff and Mike.’
‘That’s right. Ringside.’
‘What then?’ Hilde said.
‘Travel a bit, I suppose. Europe, the States. I would’ve liked to have seen New Orleans when it was operating. Might have to settle for Memphis-Graceland, the Sun studios.’
Hilde persisted. ‘After that?’
I hadn’t looked any further ahead. There were friends scattered around the globe and in Australia. People to catch up with. A few enemies, but no unfinished business.
‘Who knows?’ I said.