The Big Run-Off (Holden Burke #1)

Three

I made it down to Sutherland Head just after six and stopped at the corner across the street from the shipping yard. I was running late, thinking of Jake, and trying to hustle as best I could. The building for Quinto Energies was beyond the fence, in the corner: small office building, three stories, box-shaped, flat-roofed, glass doors all round the ground floor. Specked figures of people were moving out the front door like a line of soldier ants. I rustled through my glove box and set up the mini-cam on my dash, looking out the windshield and toward the face of the building. I locked the car and went around the other corner, down the waterfront and toward the location of the restaurant.

While I did, I looked up the number for the office on my phone and placed a call.

'Quinto Energies, proud to be sustaining the south-east Pacific and now Queensland with clean and pure petrol, how may I help you?'

It was a female voice, pleasant but short, as if I'd cut her off from making it home. It was past six, so I may well have.

'This is Howard Barter,' I said in as speedy a voice as I could manage, 'Commission of Australian Energy—I'm calling in regards to a protocol tour of your Sutherland Head office that was kicked up to me from your regional manager not too long ago.'

'Oh—I don't think I was made aware of that. Who was it you were in contact with, Mr...I'm sorry—'

'It's just a standard energy inspection—you know, tick the boxes kind of thing, all for the red tape...Do you think I could speak to your higher-up over there tonight, or whoever might be available?'

'Well, Mr Pearson...but I'm afraid he's gone for the day. We're just about to close up, you see—'

'Is there anyone working overnight? I'll have to get this done as soon as possible.'

There was a pause. Her voice dropped. 'No, I'm afraid we're not permitted to stay in the office after hours. I'm sure I could—'

'Well, I'll have to get to the bottom of this. Make sure the head office is expecting a call from me tomorrow, will you ma'am?'

'I suppose so, Mr...—it was Mr Parker, wasn't it?—'

I hung her up, then checked the time: twenty past now. I skipped my feet faster along the waterfront, drawing new sweat around the pinch of my necktie.

The place was a fish and chips shop with a red and white-checked floor, lifesavers, nautical windows, and the smell of the ocean right outside the door to cap the whole feeling off, like we were all about to break-off and set sail into the murky brown waters of the Sutherland bay. There weren't many people at the tables. One was looking up at me toward the back wall.

I went and say across from him. 'I'm sorry,' I said.

'Work, Holden? Right now?'

'I'm trying. Doing my best, I promise. I've got a job, but didn't want to cancel on you again.'

He sighed and lowered his eyes, fingering his hand around the droplets of condensation from his empty Coke glass. 'I tried to share you with the country, already,' he said, 'way back when you were in the League. I don't think I can share you with criminals and deadbeats now.'

'I didn't care about the country, or anyone else. That's over with now. And the deadbeats I'm trying to balance. Trying. I have to work, Jake.'

'But why this, Holden?'

'Because I can, I guess.'

'You can do anything. I can do anything. Except for live with you, I guess.'

I let out a slow breath. Neither of us were looking at each other. I didn't like the ugliness that was hanging between us; a heavy feeling had barged in and infected what was supposed to be a casual get-together.