She was happy to see me go. As she ushered me out I wondered how she spent her time. I didn’t see any books where books might have been. Getting herself tricked out must have taken time but not all day. I had a sense that her life was as empty as her house. I had to hope my manner didn’t cause her to bother Frank, but I suspected they had an arrangement. I had a number of people to see and this early in the piece there was no particular priority: the order of approach was dictated by geography and availability. Gregory Heysen’s solicitor, Michael Simmonds, had an office in Canterbury while Rex Wain, one of the cops, since retired, who’d worked with Frank, was in Marrickville. A toss-up. I called Simmonds on my mobile. He was in court. I got an appointment for mid-afternoon. Rex Wain I’d run into a few times in the course of business. I had a vague, unfavourable recollection of him as one of the bully boys of whom there were so many back then. Frank hadn’t kept in touch but had asked around and got his number.
