just trying to demonstrate that we have shared experiences, common ground on which to talk. I know where you’re coming from.’
‘You haven’t the slightest idea,’ Lauren said.
Kristi stared at her for a moment. ‘I’m not encouraging you to talk for my benefit, you know.’
‘I know,’ Lauren said. ‘You’re doing it for my spleen.’ She turned away from the hurt in her sister’s eyes, sorry she’d ever mentioned the stabbing. ‘Look, I just want to go to bed.’
‘Then go.’ Kristi got up, slammed the lid on the tabouli container and shoved it into her knapsack, then yelled up the stairs, ‘Are you ready?’
‘I want to stay home!’ Felise shouted back.
‘We’ve been over this already,’ Kristi said, ‘and if you’re not down here with your things, ready to go, by the time I count to three, you won’t be allowed to play with Max for the rest of the week.’
There was an exasperated sigh and a blonde ropey-haired naked plastic doll flew down the stairs.
‘You remember what happens to toys that get thrown?’ Kristi grabbed it and flung it into the bin.
‘I didn’t like her anyway!’ Felise stamped down the stairs, the old bowls bag full of pencils, paper, dolls and books that she took to Kristi’s jobs thumping down each step behind her. She stopped on the last one to shout, ‘And I hate you, Mummy!’
‘Like I haven’t heard that before.’ Kristi turned her back. ‘Say goodbye to Aunty Lolly.’
Felise came over and pecked Lauren on the cheek, her pinched little face red with anger. Lauren got in a brief hug before Felise stormed away and down the stairs to the ground floor. Kristi followed without a backward glance, and Lauren stayed at the table, listening for the turning of the lock and the starting of Kristi’s car, before pushing herself to her feet and heading tiredly for the shower.
Her skin red and tingling, her heart sore, Lauren fell into bed with the tablet kicking in. She pulled the covers up in a daze, praying she would be able to disappear into sleep, away from her thoughts.
At 10am Kuiper asked if they wanted to go home but both Ella and Murray said no. With fresh coats of deodorant they headed for James Kennedy’s workplace.
The Quiksmart courier depot was in a busy street just off Parramatta Road in Leichhardt. Inside the front office, a woman in her fifties sat behind a high counter. Her eyes were red and she typed with her head bent over the computer keyboard. Through a glass-panelled door behind her Ella could see five people with phone headsets at computers. They were all talking and typing.
Murray showed the woman his badge. ‘We’re here to see Daniel Peres.’
She dabbed at her eyes with a damp-looking tissue. ‘I’ll call him.’ She lifted the phone and spoke into it in a low voice. A couple of people in the closed room behind her looked their way. Ella stared back at them. She had no doubt they knew who she and Murray were. Two suits turn up at your workplace the morning after one of your colleagues is killed, it doesn’t take much brain power to figure it out. Both the watchers turned back to their screens but one also angled his chair a little as if to hide his face. Ella narrowed her eyes.
The woman stood up and opened a door at the side of the office. Stairs led upwards. ‘Mr Peres is waiting for you.’
Daniel Peres’s office was walled with glass and overlooked the activity in the huge warehouse area below. His desk stood near the opposite wall. As they entered the room he lumbered from behind it, his hand out in front like it was leading him. ‘How do you do,’ he said. ‘Daniel Peres.’
Murray did the name thing for them both.
Peres indicated chairs. They sat, and Ella crossed her legs and placed her palm on the arm of the chair, hoping the fabric would absorb Peres’s sweat from her skin.
‘Have you caught the offender yet?’ Peres said.
‘These things can take considerable time,’ Murray said.
Peres nodded.
‘You haven’t the slightest idea,’ Lauren said.
Kristi stared at her for a moment. ‘I’m not encouraging you to talk for my benefit, you know.’
‘I know,’ Lauren said. ‘You’re doing it for my spleen.’ She turned away from the hurt in her sister’s eyes, sorry she’d ever mentioned the stabbing. ‘Look, I just want to go to bed.’
‘Then go.’ Kristi got up, slammed the lid on the tabouli container and shoved it into her knapsack, then yelled up the stairs, ‘Are you ready?’
‘I want to stay home!’ Felise shouted back.
‘We’ve been over this already,’ Kristi said, ‘and if you’re not down here with your things, ready to go, by the time I count to three, you won’t be allowed to play with Max for the rest of the week.’
There was an exasperated sigh and a blonde ropey-haired naked plastic doll flew down the stairs.
‘You remember what happens to toys that get thrown?’ Kristi grabbed it and flung it into the bin.
‘I didn’t like her anyway!’ Felise stamped down the stairs, the old bowls bag full of pencils, paper, dolls and books that she took to Kristi’s jobs thumping down each step behind her. She stopped on the last one to shout, ‘And I hate you, Mummy!’
‘Like I haven’t heard that before.’ Kristi turned her back. ‘Say goodbye to Aunty Lolly.’
Felise came over and pecked Lauren on the cheek, her pinched little face red with anger. Lauren got in a brief hug before Felise stormed away and down the stairs to the ground floor. Kristi followed without a backward glance, and Lauren stayed at the table, listening for the turning of the lock and the starting of Kristi’s car, before pushing herself to her feet and heading tiredly for the shower.
Her skin red and tingling, her heart sore, Lauren fell into bed with the tablet kicking in. She pulled the covers up in a daze, praying she would be able to disappear into sleep, away from her thoughts.
At 10am Kuiper asked if they wanted to go home but both Ella and Murray said no. With fresh coats of deodorant they headed for James Kennedy’s workplace.
The Quiksmart courier depot was in a busy street just off Parramatta Road in Leichhardt. Inside the front office, a woman in her fifties sat behind a high counter. Her eyes were red and she typed with her head bent over the computer keyboard. Through a glass-panelled door behind her Ella could see five people with phone headsets at computers. They were all talking and typing.
Murray showed the woman his badge. ‘We’re here to see Daniel Peres.’
She dabbed at her eyes with a damp-looking tissue. ‘I’ll call him.’ She lifted the phone and spoke into it in a low voice. A couple of people in the closed room behind her looked their way. Ella stared back at them. She had no doubt they knew who she and Murray were. Two suits turn up at your workplace the morning after one of your colleagues is killed, it doesn’t take much brain power to figure it out. Both the watchers turned back to their screens but one also angled his chair a little as if to hide his face. Ella narrowed her eyes.
The woman stood up and opened a door at the side of the office. Stairs led upwards. ‘Mr Peres is waiting for you.’
Daniel Peres’s office was walled with glass and overlooked the activity in the huge warehouse area below. His desk stood near the opposite wall. As they entered the room he lumbered from behind it, his hand out in front like it was leading him. ‘How do you do,’ he said. ‘Daniel Peres.’
Murray did the name thing for them both.
Peres indicated chairs. They sat, and Ella crossed her legs and placed her palm on the arm of the chair, hoping the fabric would absorb Peres’s sweat from her skin.
‘Have you caught the offender yet?’ Peres said.
‘These things can take considerable time,’ Murray said.
Peres nodded.
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