Buying Thyme (19 page)

“We don’t know exactly. Forensics are in the middle of conducting a post-mortem on the body… I mean Sally.”

“You know Sally wasn’t her real name.” I more state rather than ask, trying not to think of my friend, laying on a cold, sterile autopsy table.

“Yes. I know that.” The detective answers in a low voice.

“You know in the years that I knew her, I never knew her real name. Some friend huh?” Tears continue to roll down my face.

“Her name was Felicity. And what I
do
know is that whoever attacked her, had to work hard. She put up one heck of a fight. There are defensive marks all over her body.” I hardly notice the rest of what the detective is saying to me. 

All I can think about is her beautiful name. Felicity.
 What happened to you Felicity? I never knew the reasons why she got into the sex industry. It was never really something we spoke about… our past life... as we would call it. Our families, our childhood, our reasons for entering the game… none of it is ever something you discuss with other working girls. All I knew about Sally… or Felicity… was that she didn’t keep in contact with her family anymore. I never knew why. Now she is dead and I will never know why. I try and process that fact that I will never have another conversation with her again.

“We do have a few questions we need to ask you Miss, if you don’t mind? You
were
the last person to hear from her. We’re just trying to piece together her last movements.” The detective asks, interrupting my morbid thoughts.

“Yeah. Fine. What do you need to know?”
 

I contemplate all of the information over in my mind, trying to differentiate between what I should divulge and what I should keep to myself. I have a feeling that if I ever want to know what happened to Sally, then I should try and find out what she knew about Tench. And I don’t think I can achieve that if the cops are hanging around. I think about the message Sally left me. If I delete that message, can the cops still trace it? Shit Tench still has my phone! I need to get that back straightaway. The detective gets his black leather-covered notebook from his inside jacket pocket. He removes the pen from the page inside the book that hold all his notes thus far.

“So, I believe… Sally… left you a message on your mobile for you to call her? What did she say exactly?” With pen in hand, the Detective looks up at me and pauses at the end of the question.

“Exactly that… ‘It’s Sally. Call me as soon as you get this message.’ Which I did… and her phone was turned off. It hasn’t been back on since, and I’ve called about ten times.” As I speak, the detective scribes my words into his notebook.

“What time was that? Was there anything else out of the ordinary about Sally?”

“What… like she was a hooker?” The detective looks up in shock. He looks me in the eye but does not show any emotion in his stare. It’s like a Mexican stand off between us for a few seconds, until I speak again,

“I see how you must see this whole situation… A dead hooker is found in the harbour. So what? There is a multitude of different people who could possibly do this. Well guess what? There isn’t. Because without women like us… this city would be fucked! We hold this city together you know… so when someone does this to one of us… they are playing with fire!” I think back to Sally’s message and pray that my little monologue performance is convincing enough for the detective to leave me alone now.

“Yes. Of course. I don’t lay any judgment Miss. That's not my job. I’m sure you need time to digest what has happened. Here is my card. Call me if you remember anything else at all.”
 

The detective holds out a white business card between his fingers and I take it slowly from his hands and stare blankly at it. I wish I could tell him everything. I wish I could tell the detective about my message from Sally, about Tench, and of my horrifying dream. But I feel that if I was ever to have any chance of finding out about it all, then I need to find out by myself. I owe the girl I knew as ‘Sally’ that much.

CHAPTER
17

Not a single
word is spoken between Toni and I
on the return trip back to Tench’s mansion. Toni only looking back at me and smiling sympathetically each time I sniff back another tear. I’m beginning to get fed up with all of this sympathy already. Tench must be waiting for my return, hurrying over to the Range Rover when we pull up into the car space at his mansion. He opens the back door and offers his hand to help me out.

“Oh Miranda. Come here. What’s happened? Tell me what’s happened?” He pulls me into his arms.
 

I cry into him. I wish he didn’t see me like this and I can't help but feel that he may have had something to do with Sally’s death, but despite all of that, I still enjoy the feel of his embrace.

“My friend died… killed… murdered.” Saying it out aloud now just makes it all so much more real.

I begin to feel that nauseous feeling wash over me again.

“A friend? From the Agency?” Tench’s question sounds loaded with innuendo.

“Yes a girl from the Agency. She was my closest friend in this city Joe.” I try and justify my friendship, and subsequent sorrow.

“That’s terrible. Let’s go inside. I’ll make you something to eat.” 

Tench walks towards the mansion with his arm still around me, leaving me no choice but to accompany him back into the confinement of the massive mansion once again.

“I’m not exactly hungry. Thanks Joe. I feel quite faint actually, and I really feel like I need to lie down to be honest. I know this is really bad timing. I’m sorry. Maybe I just need a shower then I’ll be ready for you again if you wanted?” 

The possibility of having to perform any form of sexual act with Tench right now only makes my stomach summersault continuously.

“Don’t be silly gorgeous. I have you for a whole month, and if I had it my way, I would have you forever… so you just do what you need to do for the rest of the day. You are welcome to use that spare room as yours if you need a space of your own. I’m working from home tonight, so just find me if you need me. Now… Do you want me to walk you up to your room? Did you need me to run you a bath? Would you like me to get Mrs Oktar to put all your clothes in the spare wardrobe?” 

Tench pulls me in tight and kisses my head, and lovingly strokes my hair. I try and decipher the barrage of questions. Did I just hear him say that he wants me forever? This may be just what I need to do, to get close to him and find out exactly what Sally wanted me to know about him. Why is Tench being so tender towards me again?

“I can run a bath thanks. A bath would be perfect. Thank you Joe. You are too kind to me when you don’t need to be…” I blatantly lie to stroke his ego. 

The mornings events still vivid in my mind, “I’ll use your bath if you don’t mind?” I watch Tench’s eyes light up with delight as I mention returning to his room. What is his obsession with me? Am I the only woman that hasn’t fallen at his feet? Or is it because he knows he can just own me if he wants?

The bath's hot
water feels like fire to my
freezing feet. I sit on the edge of the huge bath in the middle of Tench’s en-suite bathroom, and let my toes adjust to the temperature as the bath continues to fill. I sigh when I notice that the bath peculiarly looks like a cross-sectioned egg, and it’s exactly what I need right now, even if it takes half an hour to fill! I pour in some of my favourite bath oils that I had packed as usual for my work. There’s something calming and ‘zen’ like about bathrooms, that always seems to be the perfect antidote to any feelings of anxiety that I may be feeling. The tap delivers its continuous stream of steamy hot water. I close my eyes to focus on the sound of the running water. The smells permeating the air from the bath oils helps me relax and regroup for a moment. What a day it has been! When the water reaches the perfect level, I turn off the tap and sink down into the hot water. As I blissfully soak in the bath, I contemplate what direction I need to take next, to find out what Sally knew about Tench. I wish I could speak to my brother. He has experience with covert operations overseas, both with the army and as a mercenary. I could use his brain right now. But I can’t speak to him about this. He just won’t understand any of it. I need someone’s help, someone I can trust. Someone who knows everything there is to know about me. My crazy Charlie. He’s someone who knows everything about me. And he knew Sally too. He may know what to do next. I need to speak to him. But how? How am I going to get a message to him? Tom Smythe! If I can get down to Tom, then he can pass on a message to Charlie. Right… now I just need to convince Tench to let me run down to the outdoor gym at Bondi, to secretly see Tom. I remain in the bath, marinating myself in the fragrant water until my fingers resemble dried sultanas. I’m convinced enough to continue on my quest to seek the truth, despite the very obvious danger there is with Tench. Now that I am relaxed and have my head realigned once again, I feel a tremendous weight off my shoulders. What Tench took from me this morning no longer has a sting to it. I have greater concerns now. Tench wants me and I need to exploit that. Right now though, I just need to sleep. Tench’s bed seems inviting once again, but this time for my own needs.

When I finally
wake it’s late in evening. I lie in Tench’s bed, staring at the ceiling for a while and pray that this day has all just been a bad dream. Unfortunately it’s not. My best friend is still dead. I’m still at Tench’s mansion and worst of all… I still have traces of him inside me. I feel like I’ve caught up on all the sleep that I was missing earlier and I feel brand new again. I decide it’s time to bring out my best seductress Miranda and get even closer to Tench than I already am. I need him to trust me. I roll out of bed and head to the bathroom to blow-dry my hair so that it falls full around my breasts. I spray my face with toner and give my lashes a quick coat of mascara, then throw on a grey long-sleeved jersey dress with a turtleneck. It’s nice and figure hugging so I don’t bother wearing a bra. Hopefully the wintery air will naturally force my nipples to push through the material a little. I pull on my favourite lace underwear and pop a condom down the side of them, for good measure. Tench is not going to do what he did to me this morning… ever! My feet are freezing on the marble floor, but I like the touch of no shoes… to show Tench how comfortable I am at his mansion. I walk with a skip across the main area of the mansion and make my way over to Tench’s office. When I get to the door, I find it locked. I thought he was working from home? As I make my way down stairs I notice the sun has disappeared over the Harbour Bridge. I didn’t check to see the time at all when I got up. It must be at least eight in the evening. The fire is on near the bar, but still no sign of Tench. There is light coming from the kitchen so I make my way back through to the other side of the mansion, to try and find Tench. Mrs Oktar is leaning against the centre bench with her back to me as she watches the nightly news on the small flat screen imbedded in the wall in front of her. I don’t want to startle her so I try and make my entrance as obvious as possible. I casually make my way over to the fridge, fully taking advantage of this whole ‘make myself at home’ thing that Tench insisted on. I don’t really know what I’m looking for, but figure it’s a nice way to let Mrs Oktar know I’m there.

“Good afternoon Miss Miranda. You’re looking perky again. Mr Tench told me about your terrible news. I am so sorry to hear about your friend.” She places down the potato she was peeling and wipes her hands on her apron before she makes the sign of the cross over her chest, “Are you after something to eat my dear?”

“Yeah I guess. I am actually after Joe. Do you know where he is?” I realise that I am really hungry now after emptying my stomach’s contents in the pot plant at the Agency earlier.

“Yes as a matter of fact I do. He’s just out in the garden in the fire-pit. He’s been waiting for you down there for a little while now. I’m just preparing the rest of your dinner and I’ll bring it out to you out there. Here… take another bottle of vino with you when you go.” She gives me a wink as she hands me the bottle that’s sitting on the kitchen bench. I turn the label around and notice it’s a Penfolds Grange Hermitage. The image of Tom Smythe standing at my front door instantly saturates my thoughts. Why can’t that be Tom waiting for me out beside the fire-pit?

I step out
into the garden through the
kitchen’s French doors.
Directly across from me, a glow rises up from a purpose built square that’s been cut into the ground. I didn’t notice the area last time I was here. It must get covered up in the summer. I see Tench’s head, level with the ground, and recognise that he’s sitting in a square-shaped lounge area that lines the sunken walls, encompassing a bricked fire-pit in the centre. At least twenty large cushions, all in different patterns of varying shades of yellow, adorn the cushioned seating area around the fire. Tench is sprawled across one side of the lounge, and still there is space for another two people next to him. The area is massive yet cosy at the same time. Tench is staring into the fire with a half drunk glass of red wine in his hand. He watches me intently as I walk down the steps opposite him. I smile and point the wine label towards him, to show I have come with more wine. I shouldn’t be happy right now, for more than one reason, but I can’t help feeling a whisper of excitement as I make my way over to him. The look in Tench’s eyes tells me that the Tench from last time is back. The Tench that was soft and sweet.

“Come and bring that sexy ass over here gorgeous.” He sits up and slaps the cushion next to him.

“I’ve come baring gifts.” I skip over the slated floor of the pit and hop up onto the lounge next to him and throw my legs up to warm them. I look up at him and give my best cheeky grin and bat my lashes seductively.

“You are a gift Miranda.
How do you feel now? Well rested?” Tench grabs the other glass on the circular bamboo-serving tray next to him, filling it with the remainder of the red wine from his decanter.

He turns back to me and hands me the glass.

“In honour of your friend.” He holds his glass out and I salute to my beautiful friend. 

I don’t take my eyes off Tench as I take a sip. The nerve of his suggestion makes my blood boil, especially given the possibility of him knowing something about it. But I remain focused and composed. I have so much at stake right now.

We spend the
evening sitting by the fire-pit
and eat the meal of Roast lamb that Mrs Oktar prepared us. A million things roll through my mind. Sally’s lifeless body seems to be the main reoccurring theme. Quietly, I plot away the next step towards getting out of the mansion and down to the Bondi outdoor gym to see Tom. I barely listen to what Tench has been saying.

“So you know how Sydney Fashion Week opens in a few days?” Tench interrupts my scheming thoughts.

“No, I don’t really take any notice of that kind of thing Joe, but okay?” I think how someone like Paris would be more suitable to this conversation than I right now. Tench smiles happily at me.

“And that’s what I like about you Miranda. So…     some of my clubs are hosting the after parties for the week, and I’ve been invited along to a few of the shows. I’d like to take you… if you wanted to go? We’ll be front row?” I mull over Tench’s offer.
 

This means he wants to be seen in public with me. It also means that I will no longer have anonymity in this city. Well if I want to get close to Tench, then best I just jump in deep.

“Yeah sure. That sounds like fun. I could do with something like that to take my mind off everything that’s happened.” Tench’s broad smile says exactly how pleased he is that I’ve agreed to go public with him.

“I knew you would come back around to me Miranda.” He says and pulls me to his lap and kisses me deeply.
 

Kissing Tench makes me feel sick to my stomach, but I must keep up this charade. I take the glass of wine from his hand and push him gently backwards so that he’s lying down on the long wall-hugging lounge. I rip my knitted dress up over my head and toss it on the other lounge next to us. Now standing in front of Tench with only my underwear on. The heat of the fire-pit is trapped enough in the sunken cut-out, so I’m thankfully not too cold. Tench’s cheeky smirk is almost as I remembered it from last time. I don’t bother unbuttoning his shirt, deciding to rip it apart instead. His eyes widen with amusement as the buttons fly in every direction. The fire’s light catches the dragon tattoo on his chest. It dances in the flickering light as his chest expands and contracts with his heavy breathing. I climb on top of him and lick around his nipples. They taste salty and harden under my tongue’s touch. I slide my body down his and unbutton his pants to pull them down. I can feel his hard erection under his cotton boxer shorts. I rub my entire body all over him, the friction warming us both up to boiling point. I lean back and run my hands all over the front of Tench, feeling his enticingly strong body. Freeing his erection from his boxers, I lick around the top of it. I look up at Tench as I roll my tongue around the end of his penis and see that he is smirking down at me. I lean up and rub my breast over it for added effect. The heat from his full penis warms my sensitive nipples and they stand to attention. Tench throws his head back and moans with delight. I quickly lean up the length of his torso and kiss his exposed neck. He lifts his head back up and drives his tongue into my mouth, tenderly rolling it around and around. He grabs the back of my hair roughly and forces our kiss to deepen.
Oh no you don’t Tench… settle down now!
I push my head back enough to release myself from his grip and make my way back down his hard torso towards his full manhood.
I’m in control now Tench.
I plunge my mouth over his erection and drive it deep into the back of my throat, the action causes me to gag a little. I bring my mouth back up his pulsing shaft and lower it again, with a little less force than last time. I feel his hips rise up to drive himself into my mouth as I move up and down his hardening erection. His thrust becomes faster and I can feel him swelling inside my mouth. I reach around the back of my underwear and grab the wrapped condom. I pull my mouth back off of his length and take a moment to remove the condom from the wrapper…
ok I can see where this is a killjoy
… but it’s my job. I remind myself. I smile sweetly at Tench before I roll the condom over his solid penis with my mouth. Tench takes me in his arms and I slide on over him. My mind escapes me while I enjoy the moment of a man being inside of me. Tench runs his hands all over me and I feel his pulsing deep inside me as he meets my rocking motion with his hips. The fire beside us casts dancing shadows across his face and obscures his features enough that I can just imagine it being someone else under me right now. But his body, his strong, hard body… is distinctly Tench. I will never get tired of that wonderful, broad chest. I close my eyes and run my hands all over his body. He grips my hands with just the right amount of strength, and I start to climb into a state of passion. I drop my left leg over the edge of the lounge to give myself better leverage, and really start to drive myself faster and faster with a flick of my hips. The cold air brushes past my nipples, finally sending me over the edge. I throw myself backwards and let out a moan as I feel my body explode with a burning pleasure. Only when I slow the rocking motion, do I notice that Tench too has reached his climax. I smile to myself, pleased with the fact that I can overcome such adversity of the day’s events, yet still perform when needed. I lean back into the lounge and sigh a sigh of self-satisfaction. I’ll do anything it takes Sally.