frustration. Heâd avoided old friends for this reason, unsure what it meant.
Heâd monitored himself for 12 months. In the end heâd searched for a hideout. Somewhere he could begin life again on a quiet, personal level. Swallowâs Fall had offered the ideal.
He pushed through the swing door of Kookaburraâs and looked around, unclenching his hands which had curled into fists with his thoughts. Quiet. Two or three hotel residents at the bar, the reception desk unattended. No Lily, but Charlotte smiled at him from inside the restaurant. She waved, so Nick walked through.
âHowâd it go with Mrs Tam?â Charlotte asked as she folded white cotton serviettes into fancy conical shapes and stuck them into champagne flutes. She nodded down at her task. âWeâve got an afternoon champagne tea party for a group of tourists. Business is good.â
âGreat to hear.â He motioned for her to stand aside as she moved to pick up the heavy-looking silver tray filled with the champagne flutes. âLet me.â He picked it up and followed her to one of the larger tables by the front windows which had been set with cutlery, tea plates and vases full of autumn branches and greenery.
âThanks,â she said as she began emptying the tray and placing the flutes in alignment alongside the place settings. âSo howâd it go?
âGood,â Nick answered. âIâve asked if I can do something for the Support to Survive program. I suggested internet connection at the library. Iâve got an old PC they can have.â
Charlotte paused. âThank you, Nick. Thatâs brilliant.â
Nick looked down at a vase of yellow, russet and green leaves. âAnd Iâve been given my task,â he said, studying the silver vase. âIâm sure you know what itâs all about, since Junior Morelly is asking the same thing of me.â
âTheyâre in need of your muscles.â
Nick glanced up. âSo it seems.â He tilted his head. âQuite a lot of heavy lifting needed suddenly.â
âLooks that way.â
She wasnât going to give, so Nick pushed it a step further. âFunny how Lilyâs involved too.â
âCoincidence,â Charlotte said in an off-hand manner totally unlike her usual up-front self.
âYeah, well.â Nick looked over his shoulder. The restaurant was empty, reception still unattended and the few people in the bar far away enough for his liking.
He took a step towards the table. âThereâs something Iâd like to ask you.â
âSure.â Charlotte emptied the tray of its last two glasses.
âItâs a touchy subject and none of my business.â
âGo for it,â Charlotte said, picking up the tray. âIf itâs personal and confidential, I wonât talk about it.â
âFair enough.â Nick gathered his thoughts. âLily,â he said. âWhat happened to her husband?â
Charlotteâs eyes widened and her mouth tilted in consideration. She didnât take her eyes off Nick and Nick felt the scrutiny like an open wound on his skin but he didnât expound on why he was asking. He waited for the answer, knowing Charlotte would give it because Charlotte had just sussed out that Nick liked Lily, and by the sly little smile sliding across her face, Charlotte appeared to be happy about this.
âHe was a bad deal,â she told him, her expression serious. âShe doesnât talk about him, neither do the children. I think theyâre happy to forget him.â
âWas he a hitter?â Nickâs belly summersaulted at the thought.
âI believe he hit Lily, at least once. I donât know about the children. Donât think so.â
Cowardly bastard .
âHeâs a gambler,â Charlotte said. âSpent all their money at the track. Horses, dogs â anything that raced, legal or not. I think Lily must