The Soulmate(44)

I also braced for my anger, my sadness. Asha was the product of my husband’s affair. Her very existence should have been a painful reminder, a slap in the face. Somehow, though, the opposite was true. Asha was a living breathing embodiment of the magic of Gabe. The beauty that came from the ugliness. She was the pay-off for all the pain. If I could have turned back the clock and undone things from our past, I might have – but never at the cost of Asha’s existence.





41


AMANDA

AFTER



It’s funny to watch Max let himself into the Portsea house. Usually, there’s a cleaning service that prepares the house for us. When we are planning a visit, I call the service to let them know. They arrive, open the curtains, fill the fridges with groceries, put the towels out and change the sheets on the bed. They put on the heater or air conditioner. They might even light a fire. Thus, this is Max’s expectation when he arrives there.

It is fun to watch him fumble for the light switches and then look around, perplexed by the cold dark space. Later, when he tries to warm up with a cup of tea, he’ll be surprised to find there is no milk in the fridge. He knows that someone has to put it there, and when he really thinks about it he’ll understand that, of course, no one has rung the service, but it will take a while for him to connect the dots. He is someone who has always had domestic things done for him.

He’s just set down his bag when his phone starts to ring. He retrieves it from his pocket, frowns at the screen. I can tell by his body language that he doesn’t recognise the number. Finally, he accepts the call, putting it on speaker.

‘Max Cameron.’

‘Mr Cameron? My name is Detective Sergeant Conroy and I –’

‘Detective,’ Max says, his shoulders relaxing. ‘Is this about my wife?’

A pause. ‘Not exactly. It’s a related matter. Your wife’s death has prompted another inquiry that I am hoping you can help us with.’

‘All right.’ Max’s voice is as cool as ever, but I can sense his wariness.

‘Our inquiry relates to a business relationship between NewZ and A.S. Holdings. According to our records, A.S. Holdings provided funds to NewZ for an acquisition.’

Max is quiet now. He knows better than to confirm or deny this. After several moments, he pulls out a dining chair and sits.

‘Mr Cameron, some information about this investor has come to light and we’d like to discuss it with you. We’d appreciate it if you could come in to the station for an interview.’

‘I’m out of town for a few days,’ Max says. ‘Is it urgent?’

For a moment, both men hang on the line.

‘Any time in the next week would be all right, I expect,’ Detective Conroy says.

‘Right then. I’ll have my lawyer call you and set something up,’ Max says. After a few seconds he adds, ‘So this is a financial investigation?’

‘Our inquiry is related to a financial investigation,’ the policeman replies.

‘And which department are you from?’

The detective pauses, perhaps for dramatic effect. ‘Homicide.’





42


AMANDA

BEFORE



After the men broke into the house, Max stayed home for the rest of the day. That night, we lay on the bed, facing each other. I could see Max’s face in the light that travelled in from the hallway. I wondered if we’d ever sleep in full darkness again. I understood the flawed logic of this, given that the men had visited the house in broad daylight, but in my experience fear was rarely logical.

Our security system had been reinstalled and two security guards patrolled the grounds. We were safe – at least that’s what Max seemed desperate for me to believe. I wondered if he believed it himself.

‘Who were those guys, Max? After what happened, I think you owe me that.’

I expected him to fob me off, but perhaps because of the authority in my voice he didn’t.

‘They work for a man called Arthur Spriggs. Arthur is a business associate of mine. I met him through an acquaintance when I was looking for investors. Suffice to say, Arthur’s business endeavours weren’t entirely above board, which was why he was so motivated to find legal ways to invest his money.’

‘To clean it, you mean? Money laundering?’

Max nodded. ‘It was ill-advised, and I knew that. But at the time I was desperate. Stupidly, I thought the relationship would end when I had enough money to pay him back. But Arthur had found the partnership fruitful and he wanted it to continue.’

I remembered the phone call I’d overheard, Max trying to return money. He’d seemed so confident.

‘So those men today . . .’

‘Were Arthur’s way of showing me that I couldn’t just call off our arrangement when it suited me.’ He exhaled loudly.

‘So what are you going to do?’

He put a hand on my cheek and looked at me. ‘I’m going to take care of it.’



There was a hardness to Max after that. It wasn’t always evident. In public, he appeared to be the same likeable man he always was. He championed his charity. His business grew and thrived. But there was something harsh and implacable about him. He wasn’t going to be hurt again.