Leo Budge woke early with a thumping headache. He didn’t want to be awake and stumbled with a sticky eye into his apartment bathroom. He grabbed a glass of water and swallowed three pain killer tablets. He looked at his pale face in the mirror thinking how odd he looked with his right eye bloodshot and his left, prosthetic eye, pristine. He went back to bed. There was no time for relief as his phone started its annoying buzz tone as soon as he hit the pillow. Leo reached out with a clumsy hand and grabbed the phone. He didn’t recognise the number. He ignored it and the call went to message bank. He resumed his sleeping position. His slumbering momentum had been interrupted and he groaned in annoyance and sat up. Last night Leo and Andre had celebrated the start of a potentially rewarding career for Leo as a private investigator. He was making a career change late at 45 but he considered his life experience would be of great value in his new field. Andre was still asleep curled up on the couch. Leo dressed and made himself a double shot black coffee. He contemplated having some toast and thought better of it. Too much red wine always gave him a headache but he still kept doing it to himself. At least he didn’t drink alone last night. Although Andre was a Burmese cat Leo counted him as a person. Leo picked up his phone and listened to his only message. A previous colleague, Kevin Wilke from the menswear business where he used to work requested an appointment. Leo smiled – a new client.
Leo responded to the knock on his apartment door and opened it. Kevin Wilke’s substantial body filled the doorway. Kevin was on his way home from work and was in his work outfit of dark trousers pink business shirt and tie. The shirt gaped between the buttons across his middle showing his white singlet. He had a big personality to match his body and a wide grin split his pudgy face.
“Budgy, how are you going mate?” Kevin asked.
Leo hated being called Budgy. It reminded him of unpleasant years at school. “Hi Kev, I’m well thanks. Come on through,” he replied, showing him in towards the office, recently converted from the second bedroom.
“I could hardly believe it when I was googling Private Detectives and your name came up - Leo H Budge private investigator – very impressive. What’s the H stand for Budgie?” Kev asked smiling profusely.
“Harley - my Dad was a motorbike enthusiast.” Leo disliked Kevin’s intrusive style and wanted to get to the point of his visit “What can I do for you today Kev?” Leo asked as he sat at his IKEA desk and Kevin sat opposite. Kevin’s demeanour suddenly deteriorated from ‘happy go lucky’ to deadly serious. He explained that he was suspicious that his wife, Marion, was having an affair. She was in her thirties - younger than Kev and was working from home as an artist. They had been married for five years with the relationship growing cold in the last twelve months. Kevin had found that while at work he was unable to contact his wife at times during the week. The excuses for her whereabouts were varied and unconvincing. He’d recently discovered she’d purchased some new sexy lingerie but he only ever saw her in the floppy beige items. She had also begun going to the gym twice a week. Kev showed Leo a photo of Marion and requested Leo investigate to determine if she was, or was not, being unfaithful. Leo sat for a moment examining the photo of the young, attractive looking Marion. He could see why Kevin would be concerned. Leo looked at Kevin and felt a pang of guilt for thinking that Marion could be forgiven for looking elsewhere. He gave Kevin a rundown on his fees and agreed to proceed with the case. Leo would start surveillance tomorrow at Kevin’s suburban house.
It was 9 am and Leo had parked two houses down and across the street from Kevin’s house. He sat slumped down in the driver’s seat of his yellow Suzuki Swift trying to look inconspicuous. The Nikon D850 with telephoto lens nestled into Leo’s groin was ready to be put into action at the sign of any movement. Three hours later he was starting to get cramps in the back of his legs from the inaction. Leo knew from his Certificate 3 online Investigative Services training course that surveillance work could be unexciting. He was considering leaving and trying again tomorrow when an Uber, silver grey late model Toyota sedan cruised by and pulled up at Kevin’s house. Leo sat up and his camera fell onto the floor at his feet. He cursed, hurriedly retrieved it and had it up to his face taking multiple photos of Marion coming from the house and getting in the car. The Toyota drove away with Leo following. He tried to stay a sensible distance behind to ensure his yellow Suzuki wasn’t noticeable. The twenty-minute drive ended at a Paddington cafe and Marion got out and went inside. It was a busy area and Leo had to park down a side street opposite the cafe. He climbed into the back seat of his Suzuki and focussed his Nikon through the back window. He could see Marion sitting in the cafe with a man who looked about her age, having a conversation. Leo took a number of pictures of them in the cafe and also caught them in an embrace on the footpath before they left in an Uber. Leo was convinced he had conclusive evidence.
Following the call from Leo, Kevin called at Leo’s apartment after finishing work. Leo was reporting back on the day’s findings on Marion’s movements. Leo had downloaded all his photos to his laptop and was flicking through them, showing Kevin as they sat in Leo’s office.
“Then she got out of the Uber and went in to meet - this bloke,” Leo said as he flicked onto the next picture showing a close up of a blond youngish man in a grey suit.
“Wait,” Kev said. “Can you do a close-up?”
Leo magnified the image.
“That’s her brother Gary,” Kev said as he looked up at Leo. “She catches up with him sometimes. You’d better keep investigating mate. You’ve only been at it one day.”
Leo thought it was too good to be true to get a result that quickly. Kevin headed off home and Leo resigned himself to doing more hours with surveillance.
Three days of watching Kev’s house with nothing suspicious to report and Leo was glad it was Friday - he’d have the weekend off. He was planning to see his girlfriend Lucy. As an over forty-year-old woman, she liked being referred to as his girlfriend. Possible dinner venues were running through his mind when the Uber pulled up. “Here we go again.” Leo thought. This time the trip took longer and finished at a city apartment block. There were both residential and office space in the building and Leo couldn’t be sure where Marion was visiting. He decided to risk a ticket and park in a nearby loading zone. Marion was disappearing through the double glass front door as Leo hustled across the street in pursuit. He made it to the lifts in time to shove his hand between the doors and prevent them from closing. He stepped into the lift with Marion and one other older grey-haired man in a suit. Leo hoped his attire of pink polo shirt, checked shorts, purple tint reflective sunglasses and also the Nikon hanging around his neck gave him the appearance of a tourist and not a private detective. Marion and Leo both exited the lift on level three. Marion walked briskly down the hallway and through double doors. There was a large sign beside the doors and Leo stood motionless in front of it.
Leo had left a phone message for Kevin to call into his apartment again that evening. He was in his office adding details to his investigation report when Kevin arrived.
“I’ll explain my activity today and show the relevant photos as we go Kev.”
“Sure,” Kevin replied as he sat down and the chair disappeared.
“Marion took an Uber into the city at 1.10pm. I followed and she arrived at this building at 1.45pm.” Leo pointed at the building showing on the laptop.
Kevin stared at the image. “The building’s not familiar.”
“I then shadowed her into the building and up in the lift to the third floor. She went through doors into a part of the building with this sign outside.” Leo flicked onto the photo of the sign.
Kevin leaned forward. “School of fine art,” he blurted. “She’s at bloody art classes.” He said with a tone of relief.
“There’s more to come,” Leo said. “I investigated further and went through those doors to see what class Marion was doing. Inside there were a number of people sitting with easels and paints, around a small raised platform. Marion was not among the artists. She was posing naked on the platform with a scrap of cloth around her waist and holding a clay pot.”
Kevin’s jaw dropped and his chins vibrated. “What, those bloody arty types. They think a naked body is nothing to be ashamed of. Were there men there?”
“Yeah, a few – I had to back out like I’d come in by mistake. I definitely couldn’t take any pictures. I went back down to my car and sat there waiting for her to come back out. Thinking perhaps she would be accompanied by one of the men art students. But no – she was alone when she came down. She jumped in an Uber and left.” Leo said.
“Okay, Budgy, you have found nothing except that Marion is an exhibitionist. She doesn’t have a secret lover.”
“Well Kev, I followed Marion when she drove away from the building and was not surprised when the Uber pulled into the Riverside Motel. I may only have one good eye but I don’t miss much. I noticed that every time Marion goes somewhere it’s in an Uber and it’s the same driver. Marion’s does have a lover – it’s the Uber driver.