Coasting Chapter 6

Friday

Friday morning dawned bright and sunny a stiff breeze whipped up a good surf and Paul hired a board and joined the small crowd on the point at Alexander Headland. He had driven up the coast to Maroochydore had found a nice little motel that took cash, he didn’t want to leave a credit card trail that ‘Blind Billy’ could follow, the cash that Dawson gave him was handy in more ways than one. At about ten he reluctantly left the water and returned the board and walked up the beach to Mooloolaba, found a public phone and called Mahesh; an insurance call to smooth any ruffled feathers that Dave may have rubbed the wrong way; everything was sweet.

*

Gavin picked Dave at eight and they crawled through the morning traffic all the way into Brisbane.

“Did you hear about that woman who was found outside Harvey Norman’s last night with bite marks all over her body.” Gav asked Dave.

“No.” said Dave with what sounded like genuine concern.

“Kelvinator!” Gav said and burst out laughing at his own joke as he always did. Dave wasn’t in the mood there was a lot on his plate, this weekend was going to be big, and he wanted it to be successful. They got to Elway’s in Queen Street just after nine and had two pianos loaded by ten. The first drop was in Bribie Island, a nice little spot facing across the channel towards Brisbane, the second was on a small property out on the Samford highway on the hills behind Brisbane, they were finished and back in Surfer’s at just after two. Dave dropped Gavin off and told him he’d have the truck back to him by Monday morning. Gav didn’t seem bothered if he ever saw the truck again as he turned into his block of units. Dave returned to his flat and started to pack.

*

Fridays were a busy day for Charlie he drove up to Brisbane, he dropped Lynne his wife at the Queen Street Mall and then caught up with his various managers in the conference room that he had set up on the second floor of his pub, the Wheelbarrow, that was nestled on the corner of Anne and Brunswick Street in Fortitude Valley. He told a couple of his lads about the bit of business that he was going to be doing with Cooper on the Saturday afternoon and explained what he wanted from them and he had their undivided attention as he explained his requirements. The various managers brought their books and their recepts and bags of cash, it was usually a busy morning that ran into the early afternoon, but on this particular Friday it ran later than normal, the lads had had a good week and the cash took longer than usual to count, it was after three when he wound up too late to take it to the bank; bugger it I’ll do it on Monday he thought. Lynne arrived, they had a late lunch and he put the holdall full of money in the back of the Bentley and headed back up the coast to Noosa.

*

Russell’s day had been spent seeking out various favours from family and dubious friends, he trusted no one any more. Who had taken those photos? Those bloody phone camera’s were everywhere you can’t trust anyone; it was everybody’s fault except his own. The title to the property wasn’t difficult to find after all he did own it, it was one of many properties that he owned, and raising the two mill wouldn’t be too difficult either, but it infuriated him that Charlie had found him so easy a mark, he though of a number of ways to get back at him but the fear of being exposed for what he was, prevented him from doing anything.

“Cop it sweet Russell, just cop it sweet.” He told himself as he put the ransom together.

*

Saturday

It poured rain all day; this was the last thing that Paul and Dave wanted.

“If it rains tomorrow Dave, we could be fucked.” Paul said explaining the obvious. Dave nodded his agreement; he had driven up to the Sunshine Coast the night before but couldn’t find Paul anywhere, his brother didn’t have a mobile and Dave had to wait until Paul called him which he finally did and they arranged to meet at the Alex Surf Club and as they had breakfast overlooking the Ocean, the dark menacing sky matched their mood. There were so many things hanging on so many situations that they didn’t control, and they both knew it; by now Dawson was probably scouring through the pubs and clubs on the Gold Coast looking for Paul and he wouldn’t be best pleased, this little bit of business had to happen tomorrow; with the cash from the Bentley and the ten grand that Paul had their little nest egg would be about twenty five, thirty grand, enough to get to Bali and live there like kings for a few months, what happen after that didn’t bare thinking about; live for the moment.

*

Russell Cooper left his house in Southport at midday, he had thought of a few ways to trip up Charlie Jennings, not today though, today he would cop it on the chin, but he was already working on a means to get even, it would snow again, he thought to himself and he drove through the rain up the M1 to Brisbane, at Kangaroo Point he turned on to the Story Bridge and a couple of minutes later he was looking for a place to park and ironically he parked in the vacant block that he owned; but not for much longer. The rain had eased slightly and he walked up to the Wheelbarrow under an umbrella, it was ten past one when he phoned Charlie and the pair met in the Public Bar a minute or so later.

“Come with me Russell, Charlie offered and Russell followed Charlie up a flight of stairs to an empty office. Russell put the bag on the desk as Charlie went around and stood behind the desk.

“Would you like a drink Russell?” Charlie asked.

“Don’t milk it Charlie; just count it and I’ll be on my way.”

Charlie pulled the lease from the bag, and opened it, “I’ll give this to my brief,” Charlie said.

“It’s the genuine article; d’you think I want to do this twice?” Russell asked.
And there was a pile of money in the bag, Charlie pulled out three random bundles of fifty dollar and one hundred dollar bills, there were no make weights, no blanks no bombs, nothing except two million dollars in used notes.

“Well Russell I must say it’s been a pleasure doing business with you.” Charlie said offering his hand.

Russell scoffed, “I don’t think so Charlie. So if that’s it, I’ll be on my way” He got up and left the office and was watched by half a dozen sets of eyes all the way back to his car; a few minutes later one of Charlie’s minders came in.

“He’s gone.” He told Charlie. Charlie picked up one of the bundles of fifties that he had inspected and tossed it to the minder.

“Spread that among the boys,” Charlie offered generously, “and you can keep me company while I take this down to my car.”

Charlie opened the boot and saw the other bag of money that he put there yesterday.

“Fuck I forgot about that; must go to the bank on Monday.” He said more to himself than the minder, but the minder agreed.

*

It rained all day on the inappropriately name Sunshine Coast, and Dave and Paul spent the entire day at the Alex surf club playing Keno, drinking and watching the horse racing, they left a little after seven and walked back in the rain to where Paul was staying Paul payed for a room for his brother and they were out for the count before eight o’clock..