St Kilda Blues (Charlie Berlin #3)(93)
The doctor handed him a dozen pills in a small plastic container.
‘You can have a rest in here until you feel ready to go home, if you like. Take two of these and you’ll sleep like a baby, probably the best thing for you.’
Berlin took the offered pills to be polite.
When the doctor was gone Rebecca produced a comb and ran it through his hair. Scheiner had been waiting when the girl came in, she told him, and he and Gudrun had been whisked away to a private room almost immediately. That was the last she had seen of either of them.
Bob Roberts showed up ten minutes later. He pulled the cubicle curtain aside and the smile on his face faded when he saw Berlin sitting on the metal-framed hospital bed next to Rebecca.
‘Jesus, Charlie, they told me you were okay out the front but you look like a hatful of dog’s arseholes.’
‘Thanks, Bob, but I don’t even feel that good.’
Roberts leaned in. ‘He break your cheekbone under that cut? We might have matching scars.’
Rebecca slid off the bed, trying not to jar it. ‘Most likely nothing more than a bad bruise, but we might get it X-rayed later on. I’m going to see if I can rustle up a cup of tea for Charlie. You want something?’
Roberts shook his head. ‘I’m good. People are saying you saved Charlie’s life, something about a flashgun.’
‘She makes a habit of it, Bob. That’s why I like having her around.’ Rebecca gave him a hug and he made an effort to hide the pain but failed.
‘Sorry, guess I’ll have to handle you with kid gloves for a while. But I draw the line at breakfast in bed. I’ll be back as quick as I can.’
Roberts found a chair and pulled it next to the bed. ‘You did it, Charlie, you found her and you found her alive.’
‘We should have found her sooner, we missed things. Derek said Egan wanted to be just like him, remember? He must have seen Egan at dances with a camera and flash, chatting up the girls, looking for the shy ones or the lonely, trusting ones like Gudrun.’
‘You can’t blame yourself for that, Charlie.’
Who should I blame then? Berlin asked himself, remembering Gerhardt Scheiner’s comment on Monday morning. Good God, was that really only four days ago?
‘I guess after they fingerprint Egan’s body they might get some evidence proving he stopped by Derek’s flat with those photographs of the missing girls and that bottle of rotgut.’
Berlin shook his head. ‘He was too careful for that, but it doesn’t matter now, does it?’
‘I suppose not. But the girl is safe and you’re safe and looking like a bit of a hero.’ He paused. ‘Apart from the clothes, that is.’ He looked at Berlin’s football jumper and slowly shook his head. ‘Bloody St Kilda, really? That is desperate, mate.’
‘Remember our chat in the car on Monday morning on Honeysuckle Drive, Bob? About who would get the credit if it all panned out? This was your show, wasn’t it?’
‘Right now, Charlie, things are a wee bit complicated. People in high places are a bit nervous it seems. Newspaper editorials about the premier might have to be rewritten and the word is some of the crime inquiry initial recommendations will be softened a bit. Everyone loves a winner but in my case it might be a while before we see how things shake out. I’ve made some phone calls but people are a little slow in getting back to me. At the moment I think I might be a bit light on for friends.’
‘You think you’ll be okay? You can still count on me.’
Roberts smiled his twisted smile and gave a wink. ‘That’s good to hear. In case you didn’t know it you’re about the only bloke in this whole bloody fiasco who is looking good; daggy pants, worn slippers and that awful St Kilda footy jumper notwithstanding.’
Rebecca came back in with tea in a heavy cup labelled with the hospital crest. There were a couple of aspirin tablets on the saucer. Berlin cradled the cup in both hands, letting it warm him before he swallowed the tablets and sipped the tea. It was good tea, strong and milky, with more sugar than he usually liked but tonight it was just fine.
Roberts offered Rebecca the chair but she sat on the bed beside Berlin.
‘I walked back from the canteen through casualty and it looks like half the coppers in town are out there. It’s probably an excellent night for committing a major crime and getting away with it. There are a lot of police bigwigs and reporters as well, and there’s a rumour that the premier is on his way in along with Rupert Arnold. Sounds like he’ll be making some sort of statement,’
Berlin finished off the tea and put the cup and saucer on the metal cabinet beside the bed. ‘I had them bring your car over, Rebecca, from the studio. Why don’t you let Bob run you home? We can get a divvy van to pick him up there and drop him off in Carlton.’
Roberts stood up. ‘I’m good with that, if Rebecca doesn’t criticise my driving.’
Rebecca shook her head. ‘I’ll just wait here with you, Charlie, I don’t mind.’
He took her hand. ‘It’ll just be bullshit from here on in, especially with Bolte and the police commissioner showing up. You’ve had a hell of a night with the girl and everything and you don’t need to waste your time on it. You should go home and try to get some sleep.’
He held up the container of sleeping pills. ‘You can have these if you like.’