Sharp Turn - Marianne Delacourt [43]
I waited for the image to come through. It wasn’t nice, unless you went for pictures of a hooded man hanging from a rope. I felt a bit sick as I called him back.
‘You should go to the police. They might be able to track who sent it,’ I said.
‘No.’
‘Well, let it be on the record that I am advising you to do so,’ I said. ‘I should have some impressions for you soon. Can you see me this evening?’
‘When?’ he asked.
I was accompanying Smitty to her meeting with Rampant Kindy Mum this afternoon, but I could catch up with Bolo afterwards.
‘How about 5 pm in the car park at Cottesloe Beach?’ I said. ‘I drive a Monaro.’
‘The one with flames?’
‘You’ve seen it?’
‘Heard about it.’
‘Great,’ I said. ‘Well, see you there.’
I hung up and sat for a moment. Death threat? My pulse accelerated. Something that serious and he didn’t want to go to the cops. Now why would that be?
‘Who was that?’ asked a sleepy voice from the foldout bed.
‘Bolo.’
‘Didn’t sound good.’
‘It isn’t,’ I said grimly. ‘Someone’s threatening him. Sent him a nasty picture. I’m going to the gym, Cass. Back in an hour. We’ll head off then – grab some breakfast on the way.’
‘No need,’ said Cass sleepily. ‘Your mum sent down eggs and bacon. I’ll cook while you’re at the gym.’
My mother had sent down food? It’d been hard enough believing the vampire lady had taken to Cass. Now, this! My mother allowed me to raid her fridge with a slightly disapproving frown. But providing food for me . . . that hadn’t happened since school lunches stopped when I was sixteen.
Within ten minutes I was at the gym. Craigo was fiddling with the cappuccino machine as I strolled past the counter. There were already a few people there on the walking machines.
He looked up. ‘Tara, you just coming home from a night out?’
‘No. Why?’ Did I look that tragic? Actually, I felt pretty bad.
‘You don’t do this, remember? Sweat in the morning.’
Craigo and I had had many a conversation about the merits and demerits of early morning exercise. I swore it endangered my biorhythms.
‘I’ve got a job,’ I said mournfully. ‘It’s the only time I can get here.’
‘Poor darling. I’ll have a hot chocolate ready to go.’
‘Make it two,’ I said, thinking of Cass.
I did a walk and slow jog warm-up for about twenty minutes on the running machine and mulled over a heap of things. Audrey’s murder and Bolo’s death threat should have been at the forefront of my mind, but the truth was, a third thing was crowding in. I couldn’t stop thinking about Edouardo and wondering if he was cheating on me.
By the time I moved onto the weights machines, I’d decided he was.
More people arrived in the gym as I moved onto the rowing machine, and when I looked up towards the end of my set, I found myself staring straight at Nice Guy’s legs.
He was looking a bit rough himself, standing in the aisle as if not knowing where to start. He saw me and flashed a grin. I noticed his aura for the first time. It was a colour I’d never really seen before: a grey-green. Grey usually meant something dark or unhappy was going on in the person’s life. Tozzi had a darkish spot, which I imagined had something to do with his cokehead wife, Antonia. But generally people with green auras were calm and rejuvenating to be around.
I took another look at Nice Guy. ‘You want this one?’ I asked. ‘I owe you.’
‘I’m right, thanks.’
He folded his arms and spread his shapely legs, watching me. I finished my set a little more flushed than normal due to his scrutiny. It wasn’t often an attractive guy watched me work out. And he was attractive: legs, arse and torso toned without being overdone; not a spare ounce on him.
I wiped my face with my towel and reached for my water bottle, all under Nice Guy’s calm gaze.
‘All yours,’ I said cheerfully. ‘Gotta run.’
He shot out a hand to help me up. ‘Josh,’ he said.
I took it. ‘Tara.’
His touch was like plunging my hand into cool water. His aura darkened momentarily then settled back into a beautiful green.
‘See you again,’ I added and got the hell out of there.