The older man squinted through the fading light and trail of smoke, his gaze assessing
Jack. He was used to people staring at him, trying to figure out where they’d seen him before.
When recognition hit, the old man’s eyebrows disappeared inside his cap. “You’re Jack Henderson!” he stated happily.
Jack smiled—the polite smile reserved for times like this. “Yes, I am.”
“I was sorry to see you retire so early. You were great for the team.”
“Thank you.”
The man took the cigarette from his mouth and spat a gob of spit into the weed-infested garden. “They should never have let Stevens and Coleman on the team. Don’t know what the coaches were thinking letting them play. They can’t pass a ball for shit. The Stars were lucky they didn’t lose the premiership last season.”
Jack agreed. He didn’t know what the coaches and management had been thinking either, but he didn’t have time to get into it. This man seemed like the type who could stand around all day talking about footy. Normally Jack didn’t mind, he loved the game and understood people’s passion, but he had more important things to do. He needed to find Claire.
Pointing to the front door before the man brought up more footy talk, Jack asked, “Do you know the woman who lives here?”
“She’s my next-door neighbor,” he answered.
“Do you have any idea what time she gets home?”
Claire’s neighbor scratched the side of his head. “My missus said she saw her leaving this morning with a carload of luggage. Claire told her she was going on a holiday and would be gone a while. My missus didn’t believe her. She reckons she had to take off because she wasn’t paying the rent.” He lifted his cap and ran his hand through his hair. “I’ll miss having her around. She was real good to look at.” He laughed and slapped the cap he was holding on the side of his leg.
Jack let out a frustrated breath and handed him a business card. “Call me if she happens to come back.”
The man’s eyes lit up like he’d given him a winning lottery ticket.
“Sure thing, Jack.”
“Thanks for your help.” Jack waved goodbye and jogged down the cracked veranda steps before the old man could start talking about footy again.
With angry strides he reached the car, swung open the Landcruiser’s door with force, then climbed in the driver’s seat and pulled out on the street. Jack hoped his car would be ready in a couple of days. He had paid extra to have it done as quickly as possible. God help the bitch if she laid one dirty finger on it again.
Chapter Nine
“What do you want, Belinda?” Lauren shivered as if a freezing July wind blew through her body.The same as always, she thought—money. Over the years Belinda had attached herself to Lauren like a leech and was sucking her dry.
“I thought my lil’ sis would be excited to hear from me since it’s been so long.” Sarcasm packed like a punch in Belinda’s voice.
“How much do you need this time?” Lauren’s relationship with Belinda had always been hostile. She didn’t remember a single time when they laughed and had fun like sisters usually did. Never had they played with dolls, done each other’s hair, or told each other their deepest secrets.
With a harsh snigger through the phone, Belinda said, “I don’t know why you’re still keeping your dirty little secret? But I’m not goin’ to complain.”
No, Belinda wouldn’t complain, because Lauren was her own personal cash cow. All she had to do was wave Graham in front of her face and Lauren handed over the money. Belinda believed Lauren didn’t want the affair made public because she was protecting him. In her sick, twisted mind she thought Lauren still idolized Graham because of his power and money. If she knew Lauren was only trying to protect herself, she’d run to the media with the story about the affair just to make Lauren’s life absolutely miserable.
Graham now covered major events around the globe and had become one of the highest paid journalists, not only in Australia, but also around the world.
If the media ever found out about the affair, Lauren’s life and privacy would become a circus. She didn’t need her painful past plastered all over the evening news. She’d worked too damn hard to get her life on track for the tabloids to rip it apart.
After telling Belinda about the baby, Lauren had let the name of the father slip out. She’d felt the need to defend herself because Belinda was accusing her of spreading her legs for anyone desperate enough to have her and she claimed Lauren wouldn’t know who the father was. There was no way she could convince Belinda that Graham had been the only man she’d ever slept with. Belinda laughed and didn’t believe it, saying someone like him wouldn’t touch her with a ten-foot pole.
Lauren immediately regretted blurting it out and told Belinda she’d made it up just so she’d drop it. It was then Belinda knew Lauren was telling the truth. They both knew Lauren was a bad liar.
Belinda talked about selling the spicy details to a magazine. Not that she knew them, but she could make something up and they’d pay a fortune for them.
The only way to get Belinda to keep quiet about the affair was to give her all the jewelry Graham had showered her with. That had been the easy part; Lauren couldn’t bear to look at them let alone put any of that cold metal and diamonds next to her skin. They’d only serve as a reminder of everything Graham had pretended to be. Belinda, on the other hand, had hit the jackpot.
Lauren met Graham during a night out at Dicey’s Pub after spilling a drink on him. Once recovered from the embarrassment and being star-struck, they ended up talking for hours. Later, back at the hotel he was staying at, they fell into bed with more urgent things to do than talk.
