Free Between the Devlin and the Deep Blue Seas by Robert G. Barrett Page B

Hey, while you’re there, do me a favour, Billy? Don’t mention anything about the place to anybody. About me working there and that. Not even to Price.’
    â€˜Sure, mate. No worries.’
    Billy understood. He and Les were very close nowand there were certain things they said and did that were strictly between them and nobody else. Nobody. Though Billy did think it a little curious that Les didn’t want Price to know, particularly as it was Price who had talked him into buying the old block of flats in the first place.
    â€˜Have you seen Price lately?’ asked Les. ‘I rang a couple of times but all I got was the answering service. And I’ve been out during the day.’
    â€˜That’s what I’m ringing you about,’ said Billy. ‘He’s opened up the club again.’
    â€˜What!!’
    Billy laughed. ‘He hasn’t actually opened it. He’s just up there playing cards at night with a bit of a team. You know the blokes I mean. They talk shit, drink piss and play five hundred all night for a hundred bucks a point.’
    â€˜Jesus! He can’t help himself, can he?’
    â€˜You’re not wrong. A fair bit of money changes hands and they’re all half pissed so he’s got me up there just to keep an eye on things. You don’t need two of us. But I thought I’d ring you and tell you what’s going on and see if you want to do it night about? It’s money for old rope and I’m out of the place by one, one-thirty.’
    Norton smiled and shook his head; there was no doubting Billy’s honesty. ‘No, don’t worry about it, mate. You do it on your own. Get yourself a few extra bucks. But if ever you want a night off or need a hand, give us a yell.’
    â€˜Righto, mate. As a bean.’
    They yarned for a while about different things; what they’d both been up to and that. Les reiterated that Billy wasn’t to say anything about Blue Seas to anyone then he hung up saying they’d have to get together over the weekend sometime for a good training session.
    After he’d hung up, Norton stared at the phone for a moment. While I’m here, he thought. I may as well ring Whittle. Leave a message that I’m stuck with those flats and to get his finger out with my tax return. Heagain expected the answering service but was surprised to hear the polite, measured voice of his accountant.
    â€˜Hello, Des. It’s Les Norton.’
    â€˜Oh, hello, Les. How are you?’
    â€˜All right. How’s my tax return going?’
    â€˜Very good. I’ve almost got it completed. I think I should be able to get you back almost two thousand dollars.’
    â€˜Just enough to cover how much I’m in the red over that stinking block of flats.’
    â€˜Well, I imagine that is one way of looking at it, Les.’
    â€˜I pissed that caretaker off. I’m looking after the place myself now.’
    â€˜That’s very good, Les.’
    â€˜Hey, did you know the fuckin’joint’s not even insured?’
    â€˜I beg your pardon, Les?’
    Norton quickly explained how he’d gone through the documents and found the bogus insurance policy. ‘So that arsehole of a fuckin’ lawyer’s got a bodgie insurance rort going as well.’
    By the tone in his accountant’s voice Norton could almost sense him shaking his head in despair as he replied. ‘No, Les,’ said Whittle, slowly and methodically. ‘It’s not like that at all. The property is fully insured until March next year. For a hundred and fifty thousand, I think.’
    â€˜Oh!’
    â€˜If you had just taken the blood — if you had just examined the document a little more closely, you’d have found it’s not ERIN.
A
Insurance Company. It’s ERINA. They’re an insurance company on the Central Coast. I do quite a lot of business for my clients with them. They’re a very scrupulous