The Gilded Madonna Garrick Jones (ebook reader online .txt) 📖

omitted him on purpose. There’s Craig, his mate Harley, and of course Harry. For some reason the ‘regular’ guys think that every man, no matter his age, his shape, his personality, is fair game and that we queer men want to sleep with every bloke we run across. It doesn’t work like that, as well you know.”

“Maybe someone should start a private club somewhere. A place where men like us could spend a bit of time and just be, I don’t know, like any other bloke in the country with his mates, but feel free to talk about private things we can’t discuss with our married friends or those who have girlfriends.”

“Maybe one day. There used to be a pub like that in Alexandria, but it was more of a pickup place.” Luka raised an eyebrow. “Used to be. Closed ages ago.”

“Well, I’ve made a dozen new friends here today since I arrived, and there’s plenty more guys I haven’t said hello to yet.”

“There’ll be more dropping by during the afternoon.”

“You look exhausted, Clyde.”

“I’ve only had a few hours’ sleep.”

“Why? Harry keep you up?”

I laughed. “Wishful thinking. Not last night. You remember I told you to keep away from public toilets at night?”

“Yes, and I told you they’re not my thing.”

“Well, I like you, Luka, and I don’t want to see you get caught up in anything dangerous. Just make sure, no matter how interesting or attractive the man might be, never follow someone into a cubicle.”

“I know you don’t believe in my special ability, Clyde. We’ve already established that. But trust me, with it comes a sixth-sense for danger. This might come as a surprise to you, but I don’t always find company on the nights when the urge comes upon me. I get a feeling whether someone’s going to turn up or not. Sometimes I go prowling and then after about ten minutes, I know nothing’s going to come of it, so I go home.”

“Well, maybe after today you might get to meet a few new people through the blokes you’ve met here and you won’t have to go ‘prowling’, as you called it … stranger things have happened.”

“Clyde …”

“Yes, mate?”

“On Christmas Eve, when I ‘disappeared’ for a while, and after you’d carried me up to my bed, you didn’t ask what I’d seen.”

“I know.”

“Well, I don’t know if you understand how it works. It’s not like I get a vision, like a few minutes of a scene from a movie rolling by in my mind. It’s flashes of images, of feelings, sometimes words or even names.”

“Why are you telling me this, Luka?”

“Because if the day ever comes that you feel you want to know, I’ve written down what I saw on a few sheets of paper and sealed them in an envelope, which I gave to Harry when I arrived. Open it only if and when you trust that I’m not faking what I see or feel.”

“Luka—”

“All I can tell you is that it has something to do with that bloke over there in the corner. The one who can’t keep his eyes off you, even though he pretends not to. I don’t know who he is, but he’s involved somehow.”

“Which bloke do you mean?”

“The tall, dark-haired man standing with his back to us, holding a half-full bottle of white wine.”

I had to admit a small shiver ran through my body when I realised he was talking about my best and oldest friend, Billy Tancredi, who I hadn’t seen arrive.

*****

Harry shook my shoulder. “It’s two o’clock,” he said. “You asked me to wake you.”

I’d fallen asleep with my head on his knee, lying on my back. There seemed to be an impromptu game of water polo going on in the pool.

“I told your boss I’d call him at two. I’ll just nip up to Craig’s office and ask to use the phone.”

“Want company?”

I wound one hand around the back of his neck and pulled his face down to mine. “I want more of this,” I whispered and then kissed him.

“Careful, I’m not wearing swimmers. No one is. Craig made an announcement while you were asleep.”

“Is this some sort of strange party game? Close your eyes, retrieve a pair from the pile, and then go home with the owner?”

He laughed. “Billy said to find him when you wake up.”

“Righto, will do.”

I made my way up the stairs to Craig’s office, which was on a level cut into the sandstone cliff behind the pool, and phoned the lockup. Jeff Ball told me that not only had Howard arrived from Bowral but also that he’d heard Terrence Dioli had been delivered safely to Holsworthy and seemed very acquiescent. I told him I’d call in with Harry a little after four to see how things were progressing.

I’d only just hung up the phone when a shadow appeared in the doorway.

“Hello, Philip! I didn’t expect you here? Where’s Vince?”

Philip Mason was naked. It rather surprised me, because he had a reputation for being very shy around strangers.

“Orders of the day,” he said, blushing lightly. “I was told I couldn’t come in unless I stripped down.”

“Nice to see you … in the flesh.”

He laughed loudly. “Sorry to disturb you, Clyde. But Vince called me at home and told me to come here. He dictated something in Italian and I took it down letter by letter. He said to apologise for his Italian—he’s not used to writing, only speaking—but it’s something you should know immediately, and you should come up to the station straight away.”

“Why couldn’t he just tell you, or phone me? He knows we would be here; you were both invited.”

“He says you’re not supposed to know, and he didn’t want to get me involved, and he couldn’t speak over the police telephone.”

The switchboard was monitored. Sam and I had always been careful about communicating personal stuff when either of us was on duty and the other one was at home.

“And?”

“And, he said to tell you it’s supposed to be una sorpresa—whatever