‘You’ve started your novel?’
‘Yes. I mean, I’m not very far on – only eighty pages or so – but . . .’ Star stood up and began to clear the plates away. ‘I’ve made sherry trifle for pudding. You look as though you need feeding up.’
‘Listen, mate, this is a woman who’s eaten a whole ’roo in one sitting,’ I joked. ‘And what about your family? Have you heard from your mum since she left for the States?’
‘Oh yes,’ Star said as she brought the trifle over. ‘But now I want to hear about your adventures. Especially with Ace. How did you meet him? What was he like?’
So I told her, and as I did, I remembered how kind he’d been to me. And felt sad all over again that he thought I’d betrayed him.
‘Are you going to see him in prison?’ she asked me.
‘He’d probably get me thrown out,’ I said as I scraped the last of the trifle out of the bowl. ‘I suppose I could try.’
‘The question is, did he do it?’
‘I think he did, yeah.’
‘Even if he did, as Mouse said, it’s doubtful that he would have done it alone. Why aren’t others at the bank coming forward?’
‘’Cos they don’t want to spend the next ten years banged up?’ I rolled my eyes at her. ‘He did mention something about somebody called Linda knowing the truth, whoever “Linda” is.’
‘Don’t you think you owe it to him to find out? Perhaps he’d forgive you if you tried to help him.’
‘I dunno, ’cos when I think about it, it was like Ace had just accepted the situation, given up.’
‘If I were you, I’d put in a call to the bank and ask to speak to Linda.’
‘Maybe, but there might be more than one of them.’
‘So, it wasn’t love or anything?’ Star continued to probe.
‘No, though I really, really liked him. He was thoughtful, you know? He was the one who sent off for the biography about Kitty Mercer – that’s the person who Pa had said in his letter that I should investigate. Ace read the book to me after I told him I was dyslexic.’
‘Really? Wow, that doesn’t sound like the Ace we’ve all been reading about in the papers. They’ve made him sound like an absolute jerk: a hard-drinking womaniser who only cared about making more millions.’
‘He wasn’t like that at all. Not when I knew him, at least. He only had one glass of champagne the whole time I was staying with him.’ I smiled as I remembered that night.
‘So that’s Ace. Now what about your birth family? Did you find them?’
‘Yeah, I did, though most of them are dead. My mother for certain – and my father, well, who knows where he is.’
‘I’m sorry, Cee.’ Star reached out her hand to grasp mine. ‘It’s like that with my biological father too.’
‘It’s fine, though, because the person I did find is fantastic. He’s my grandfather. He’s an artist – and a pretty famous one at that.’
‘Oh Cee, I’m so happy for you!’
‘Thanks. It feels good to find someone who shares the same blood, doesn’t it?’
‘Yes. Go on then, tell me all about how you found him, and who you are.’
So I did. Star’s eyes were out on stalks as I brought her up to the present day.
‘So, you’ve got Japanese, Aboriginal, German, Scottish and English blood in you.’ She counted the nationalities off on her fingers.
‘Yup. No wonder I’ve always been confused,’ I grinned.
‘I think it sounds exotic, especially compared to me, who turns out to be English through and through. So weird, isn’t it, how your granny, Sarah, and my mum came from the East End of London? And here we are, living only a few miles along the river from where they were born.’
‘Yeah, I suppose it is.’
‘Did you bring any photos back of your paintings?’
‘I forgot, but I think Chrissie took a shot of the first one I did with my camera. I’ll get the roll developed.’
‘Who’s Chrissie?’
‘A friend I made in Oz.’ I couldn’t tell her about Chrissie yet; I had no idea how to put it into words. ‘Actually, Sia, I think I’m gonna have to crash. It’s, like, midday in Oz and I didn’t sleep much on the plane.’
‘Of course. You go up and I’ll follow you when I’ve put the dishwasher on.’
‘Thanks,’ I said, relieved to have escaped further conversation. Comforted by the domestic sounds of Star cleaning up below me, I slid into bed, pulling the soft duvet over me.
‘It’s so great to have you back, Cee,’ Star said when she came into the bedroom. She undressed and climbed into the bed next to mine, then switched off the light.
‘Yeah, it feels great. Better than I thought it would,’ I said sleepily. ‘I just want to say sorry again if I’ve been, like, difficult over the years. I haven’t meant to be. It’s all there inside me, but it just comes out wrong sometimes, but I am learning, I really am.’
‘Shush, Cee, there’s no need to apologise. I know who you are inside, remember? Sleep tight.’
*
The next morning, I woke at the same time as Star, which usually never happened. I pottered around the apartment, trying to sort out what bits I would take to Australia with me, while Star stood out on the terrace, wrapped up in her dressing gown and talking on the phone. When she finally came in to make breakfast, she had a pleased look on her face, and I guessed she’d been speaking to Mouse. To make me feel better, a message from Chrissie pinged onto my phone.
Hi Cee! Hope ur flight was good. Interview at gallery was scary. Will hear back tomorrow, fingers crossed! Miss u!
‘So, have you decided what you’re going to do now you’re back?’ Star asked me over breakfast. The eggs Benedict was so good, it almost made me want to change my mind and stay.
‘Well, I was going to talk to you about that, Sia. I’m thinking of selling this apartment.’
‘Really, why? I thought you loved it here.’ Star frowned.
‘I did . . . I mean, I do, but I’m moving to Australia.’
‘Oh my God! Are you really? Oh Cee . . .’ Star’s eyes filled with tears. ‘It’s so far away.’
‘Only a day away on a plane,’ I joked, trying to cover my shock that she seemed genuinely upset. Only a few weeks ago, I was sure she’d have been glad to see the back of me.
‘But what about the spiders there? You were always terrified of them.’
‘I still am, but I suppose I can handle it. And the weird thing is, I didn’t actually see a single one while I was there. Look, Star, it’s . . . where I belong. I mean, more than anywhere else, anyway. And Francis – my grandfather – isn’t getting any younger. He’s been lonely since his wife died, and I want to spend as much time with him as I can.’
Star nodded slowly, wiping away tears with the sleeve of her jumper. ‘I understand, Cee.’
‘There’s also something about being there that inspires me to paint. Maybe it’s the Aboriginal part of me, but when I was out Bush, it was like I just knew what to do without really thinking about it.’