“I was going to,” Tarryn mumbled. “But shit happened, and I seem to have got drunk with Will and Garrett.”
“Understandable.” Phyll’s voice held a hum of…surely not approval?
She sorted through the jumbled thoughts in her aching head. “You’re not furious I didn’t call you the minute I learned?”
Phyll’s snort echoed down the line. “I’m glad you gave it some thought. Protecting the woman you love is important.”
“What?” Tarryn picked up her phone and looked at the screen. The caller sounded like Phyll, and the screen said it was Phyll. But when had her aunt been this easy-going?Neverwas the answer. “I thought you’d be up in arms and out for blood. Instead, you’re positively gooey.”
“Love is love.” Phyll’s smugness came clearly over the line.
“Who said anything about love?”
“I did.”
“Great. Who are you in love with?” She was too hungover for this surreal conversation. She just wanted to pee and find the coffee machine.
“Robbo,” Phyll said. “And when you’re in love, you want everyone else to be. So ofcourseyou hesitated about dobbing in Allie and her sister. Good on you, Tarryn. There’s hope for you yet.”
“Robbo?” Maybe she’d fallen into some alternate dimension, one where her grumpy perfectionist aunt was mellow and chill.
“He farms chooks on the Coringlah Road.”
“Right.” Tarryn had no idea who Phyll was talking about, but right now, it didn’t matter. “Phyll, you just woke me up, and I’m busting to pee.”
“Go,” Phyll said. “And when you’ve peed and got rid of your hangover, think about calling Allie.”
Tarryn ended the call and made a dive for the loo. Phyll was in love and ordering her to call Allie. Could the day get any stranger?
Chapter 26
Allie sat at her tinytable in what the rental agent had euphemistically described as “the breakfast nook.” She had no idea what to do with her day. Oh, there were heaps of things she should be doing—like making sure Sophie was okay, job hunting, getting groceries, and getting rid of the dust that had accumulated in her three weeks away. Instead, she sat there, staring at a mug of instant black coffee and idly thinking about painting the walls.
Sophie had Bree to look after her. Indeed, Bree had been extremely attentive last night, and it was as if she and Sophie were back at the early stage of their relationship, when they’d been so very in love. After Sophie had gone back to bed, Bree had taken Allie aside and said she realised Allie had no real reason to like her. Sincerity shone from her eyes as she said she was one hundred per cent committed to Sophie and hoped they now had a future. Allie had smiled and said she hoped Bree knew any past dislike was purely because of how much she’d hurt her sister. They’d parted amicably.
Her sister might now have her happy ending, but there would be no such ending for her.
* * *
Allie was unloading the banners and equipment she’d taken to Quandong into Sophie’s shed when her mobile rang. She snatched it up, heart pounding. How long would it be before she didn’t get light-headed with anticipation it would be Tarryn? The screen said Leila. Her shoulders slumped. What had she expected? She likely would never hear from Tarryn again, despite how well the conversation with Phyll had gone. At least Sophie had already received her full fee for the festival.
“I have to be quick.” Leila sounded jubilant. “You’re going to like this. In a nutshell, the shit has hit the fan at Kirkland and splattered up the walls, covering various people in it from bald heads to polished shoes. Another two companies got audited for their BAS returns by the tax office and had to pay back taxes and a stinking great fine. Your old boss, Craig, is fired. Well…the official line is he ‘has left to seek new opportunities,’ but that’s Kirkland-speak for fired. The word on the street is the tax office is payingveryclose attention to large companies who use us to do their returns.”
“Really?” Allie leaned against the wooden shed wall, her mind racing. “I never in a million years thought that would happen. Partners come only from the old boys’ network, and they never leave.” She thought she’d feel vindicated if this ever happened, the good guys winning out. But there was nothing. No anger, no glee that justice was done. Just a big, flat nothing.
“I know, right? They’re worse than mothers-in-law for sticking around. But Craig’s gone. His two most senior accountants are also history. Basically, there are a whole heap of clients floating around with no senior person to look after them. All of us drones have been given extra files to work on and strict instructions that any returns have to be checked off by a partner.”
“I thought you were going to tell me you had a new job lined up.”
“I bloody wish,” Leila said. “I’m looking. We’ve been told we’re expected to, ‘do what’s necessary to service our clients.’ I feel like a battery hen.”
“Are you able to just leave and hunt for a job? It might show your ethics in leaving once this was known.”
“No—we can’t afford it with our mortgage. But I have an interview next week with Markovic. I’ll have to take a sickie to go. Keep your fingers crossed for me.”
“I will. I hope you get it.”
“Now, the other thing”—Leila lowered her voice—“is I heard very quietly from my friend in HR they might approach you to see if you’ll come back. After all, you worked on many of these accounts, and it’s now known you had nothing to do with the fraud.”
