My Brother's Keeper - By Donna Malane Page 0,60

with tattoos. ‘But this has left more of a mark on me than any ink could.’

I remained unmoved by the Bible, but Manny’s use of it as an emotional anchor was real enough. ‘Why do you want to see Sunny?’

He struggled with some inner argument before deciding, ‘I can’t tell you that.’

His eyes darted around the room and returned to touch down on Wolf. Possibly he was looking for an escape route that didn’t involve passing my dog. Wolf kept his unblinking stare fixed on Manny. His milky blind eye appeared all-seeing.

I relented. ‘If there’s something you want me to give Sunny, something of Karen’s, I can do that for you.’ This was a big offer on my part. The Bible he was clutching was most likely what he intended to offer and I wasn’t keen on being the gift-bearer of it.

‘It’s nothing like that,’ he said, frowning at the floorboards. His whole body was stiff with tension. ‘Karen already organised all that. With us preparing to go away and everything.’

He stalled. ‘Karen had come into quite a bit of money recently,’ I prompted. ‘When her mother died.’ I posed it as a statement, unsure how much he knew.

Manny threw me a quick glance. ‘She kept that pretty quiet, especially while she was still inside. It can be dangerous if word gets out that you’ve got money stashed away.’

‘Is it possible word did get out? And that’s what got her killed?’

He thought about the question for a long time, turning the Bible over and over in his hands like worry beads. ‘We were giving up everything we had anyway. It’s one of the rules of the commune. If it was her money they were after, well, that would be a …’ he struggled to rein in his emotion. ‘Well, that would be a crying shame now, wouldn’t it.’ He stopped, his voice thick. Out of respect, I looked away. Untethered from my gaze, he continued. ‘Karen didn’t need anything. Except God, of course,’ he added matter-of-factly. ‘Prison teaches you that. As for me, well, I’ve never had much anyway. Giving it up is not as big a deal as you’d think.’

‘You’re still going to the commune?’

‘Aye. As soon as I’ve sorted things for Sunny.’ His jaw clenched in determination. Whatever Karen had feared for Sunny, she’d passed on that concern to Manny. I leaned forward, trying to catch his eye again. ‘Do you think Sunny’s in danger, Manny?’

He looked at me directly. ‘Aye.’

‘Then tell me what it is. I’ll help. I won’t drag you into it.’

He closed his eyes and shook his head. ‘I gave my word.’

He had retreated from me. Lips moving in silent prayer, he stroked the leather with his thumb, smoothing out the corners. There was a fine filigree of gold tracing the edges. His unconscious stroking gesture was an old learned one. At sometime in his life Manny had calmed animals. I let my frustration with him go.

‘Well, I’m sorry, Manny. I can’t help you.’

There was no way I was going to let him Bible-bash Sunny, particularly now with her father arrested for her mother’s murder. She was vulnerable, a prime candidate to get sucked into anything on offer. ‘I keep my clients’ information confidential. That’s the deal. Karen knew that when she hired me.’

We had reached an impasse. I stood, an indication there was nothing more we could say.

Neck bent, Manny frowned at the floor for a long time, breathing heavily through his teeth. He ran his hand repeatedly over the pliable leather as if he was kneading shiny pasta dough.

‘I’m the only one who can give it to her,’ he repeated.

If I had been wavering, his sudden intensity convinced me. Wolf felt the tension build and rose to his full height, letting out a high-pitched whine of displeasure. Manny’s chair screeched painfully as he pushed it back. Wolf moved rapidly. Pushing in front of me, he pressed protectively against my legs, a low rumble of discontent vibrating against my damaged knee. Manny wasn’t the eye-popping, muscle-bulging gym type but he had an intensity that hummed with strength. I looped my finger lightly through Wolf’s collar. I would release him if Manny made even the slightest move towards me.

As quickly as he’d coiled, Manny relaxed. ‘Fair enough,’ he said. ‘I wouldn’t have expected less. You shouldn’t be putting someone you don’t know in touch with that little girl.’ He reached his hand across the table to me and when I eventually took it, he squeezed