Pay Dirt by Garry Disher Read Free Book Online

station locker.

    Then came the whispers; that hed
corrupted junior officers, made deals with underworld figures, assaulted
witnesses. He faced them all down. Then he was charged: conspiracy to murder,
conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, attempted bribery. They didnt
have a shred of evidence, their witnesses suddenly got cold feet or went on
holiday, and Letterman had walked, but eighteen months ago the police tribunal
had sustained five out of eight misconduct charges against him and he was given
the boot.

    Hed cleaned out his desk and gone
home. That evening the phone had rung. It was the Outfit. You scratched our
back in the past, they said, so we scratched yours, dropped a few quiet words
in a few ears. So how about it? Want to continue doing what youre good at?

    As he drove through Moorabbin
Letterman pictured again the hate on the faces of the cops whod tried to put
him away. He fished a Quick-eze out of his pocket and chewed on it. His belly
rumbled and the pain eased. What he most liked about this job, apart from being
his own boss, was there were no more logbooks, no more manuals, no more working
by the book.

    St Kilda Junction was coming up.
Letterman crossed into the left lane, ready to turn into Barkly Street and his
motel. Change his suit, clean the shit off his shoes, then back on the streets.

    Known associates. When everything
had blown up in Melbourne six weeks ago, three names surfaced: Wyatt, Hobba,
Pedersen. Hobba was dead. Wyatt was the reason for all this in the first place.
That left Pedersen.

    * * * *

    TWELVE

    A
woman is good cover, Wyatt. Think about it.

    Wyatt thought about it. Leah had a
sharp mind and she liked to use it. Hed noticed that five years ago, when shed
done some background work for two jobs hed pulled in Adelaide. And now she was
bombarding him with ideas for the Steel-gard hit. Most of them made sense. All
the same, he didnt want her to be involved at an active level.

    Ive got a stake in this, Wyatt.

    He stared at her face. Intelligence
and a kind of fury were animating it. Her eyes were alive. Her fists, clenched
on her dining room table as she leaned toward him, looked impatient and ready
for action.

    Then her eyes narrowed. You dont
think I can do it.

    Wyatt gestured irritably. He didnt
speak.

    What, then? she demanded.

    Wyatt wasnt going to tell her that
the job had become messier, costlier and more difficult than he liked. It had
started off as an uncomplicated snatch, but the federal police raid had changed
all that. He forced a smile. We need someone useful here on the outside.

    She ignored the smile. Ill be more
useful there with you than back here. I can drive, shop, take photos, whatever.

    Wyatt nodded slowly. They were
drinkinghis last drink before he started workand he could feel his resistance
slipping away. He watched Leah watching him. Her body was still but gave an
impression of being charged with energy.

    She was frowning faintly, and her
eyes were restless.

    I could keep watch, she continued.
Youll need someone on a radio to tell you when the van enters the short cut.

    Maybe.

    Think about it.

    Wyatt regarded her calmly. He didnt
speak.

    She went on. Tell me more about
this guy coming from Melbourne.

    He knows about locks. Hes also
good with radios. The van will be equipped with long-range VHF on a constant
band. Well need to jam it. With any luck the Steelgard base will think its a
signal weakness.

    But you dont know yet how youre
going to break through to the money.

    Theres always a way. Ill set up a
camp first.

    Youll brainstorm the job first,
Leah snapped.

    Wyatt rarely got angry with other
people. He didnt get close enough to them for that. Their problems and
opinions didnt interest him. The sort of people who angered him were the punks
hed sometimes worked with, whose grievances and ignorance put his life at
risk. But he felt angry now. He felt it rising in him.

    Something in his face betrayed it.
Leah blinked and jerked her