Charlie was back, hobbling around. I did an hour’s work on the Purbrick construction, then stepped out of sight, switched on the tiny mobile and punched one-two.
It rang three or four times.
‘Yes.’
‘Dave?’
‘Yes.’
‘Recognise the voice?’
‘Yes.’
‘Use names on this thing?’
‘Yes.’
‘I found Canetti. Dead. Shot in a water tank on a property belonging to Gary near Warrnambool.’
‘Oh shit,’ said Dave.
‘Two others dead there too, two blokes in a grey Camry.’
‘Jesus. Not Gary?’
‘No.’
‘Look for ID?’
‘I’m averse to sticking my hand into the jackets of people who’ve been dead for a fair while. What about you?’
‘Point taken. Get the registration?’
I read it off my palm.
‘Possibly hired talent,’ he said. ‘From far away. Didn’t think Gary had it in him.’
‘Gary? All of them?’
‘With help maybe. Don’t know who. You shouldn’t have gone without someone watching your tail. Very risky. Keep an eye out?’
‘What do you think?’
‘Dealing with pros here, Jack. You haven’t been putting the mobile on.’
‘Busy.’
‘Had something to tell you. Dean hired a car on April 3. Firm in South Melbourne. Phoned for it. It never came back. Turned up yesterday. April 5, some bloke had it parked for him at the Hyatt. Same day it got nicked from the carpark. Yesterday, the cops find the shell, stripped, in a shed out in Brooklyn.’
Pause.
‘Anyway, the bloke who parked it never came back. I showed the car parkers some faces yesterday. Probably our friend. There’s also the trip mileage. Bit more than the round-trip down to where he parked in the sea.’
Canetti had hired the car. Two days later, Gary had dumped it in Melbourne.
‘This is getting urgent,’ said Dave. ‘The worry is the other side gets nervous about you now, decides to do something.’
‘What about the casualties out there in the sticks?’
‘Don’t expect to see it on the news. Gary. Work on Gary. And put the mobile on.’
I put the phone away. But not quickly enough.
Charlie came around from behind the pillar, wiping his hands on several metres of paper-thin, fragrant plane shavings.
‘So,’ he said. ‘Mr Important Lawyer, got a new walkie-talkie. Smaller even. Should be getting on with a simple piece of work, three days late. No. He hides behind the pillar for a talk on the little phone.’
‘Legal business,’ I said. ‘An important client.’
He looked at me sadly. ‘Hah,’ he said. ‘Horse business, that’s what I think.’ Muttering, he limped off.
I wished it was horse business.