Death of a Hero by B.M. Allsopp

Author:B.M. Allsopp
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-10-31T00:00:00+00:00

12

Horseman stopped his weights session in time to meet Bindi at the end of her circuit training class at six o’clock.

‘Hey Joe, how’s it going?’ Flushed from exercise, her face looked almost cheerful again.

‘Pretty busy today, Bindi.’

‘Does that mean you didn’t take my advice then?’ Her tone was playful.

Horseman shrugged. ‘Not exactly. I did approach the police because I owe it to Seru. Got time for a chat about it?’

‘I’m meeting a friend in town so I can’t stop for long. Let’s get chai here.’

They went out to the insect-screened gym verandah. Bindi secured a couple of plastic chairs while Horseman ordered at the counter. Until this year he’d never heard of chai, never known that the handful of Indian families in Levuka drank a different kind of tea.

‘I hate these mouldy chairs,’ Bindi said when he returned with two giant mugs of chai. ‘If mould can grow on glossy white plastic, what hope do mere creatures of flesh and blood have? We must host masses of it.’

‘Maybe the chai’s an antidote. Drink up!’ Horseman said. While Bindi sipped, he related the gist of his meeting with DI Navala.

As Horseman spoke, her brows drew together in a frown. ‘I did warn you not to poke your nose into police matters,’ she said in a low voice.

‘You understand why I need to—I know you do.’ Horseman now swigged his cooling chai. ‘There’s so much I don’t know. I don’t even know how you met Seru.’

‘Loa and I met along with all the other first-year Med students at Orientation. Loa was shy and homesick, just like many of us. She and I teamed up pretty soon. Seru was in second year and just like he is now—was, I mean. He stood out from the crowd in all ways. Loa picked him long before he noticed her, even though she’s so beautiful—those huge eyes and fair skin! It surprised me how determined she was to get him. She kept on turning up to rugby games, even took up kayaking because he was into it—and she was patient. Over the long summer break, she returned to Tonga and Seru found he missed her. Men! They started dating at the beginning of second year. The rest, as they say…’

‘So, the course of true love was smooth after all? Until now, of course?’

Bindi smiled. ‘It seemed to be—no dramatic bust-ups anyway. I suppose I mainly know about all this from Loa’s point of view. Seru never once confided in me about her. I wouldn’t expect him to, either.’

‘Had anything changed between them recently, do you think?’

‘Funny you should ask that. I have noticed a bit of a change in Loa this year. Hard to put my finger on it, though. She doesn’t talk about him so much any more. When I’ve asked her about him lately, she might just say he’s okay, but nothing more. Actually, she’s been quite tight-lipped now I think about it.’

‘When did that start, do you remember?’

‘Hmm, probably since she moved to the Prof’s flat at the beginning of first semester.

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