Read Online Matthew Flinders' Cat by Bryce Courtenay - Free Book Online Page B

replied. He was dressed the way Marion had described, though she hadn’t mentioned his red woollen tartan shirt with the short sleeves rolled country-style well above his biceps. The Akubra he wore had seen all the drought and rain there’d been over the past twenty years and Billy could see where the stirrup iron had worn a mark on the side of the Cuban boot closest to him.
    ‘Yeah, that’s right, the Williams mob, real big in them parts of the Darling River. I had an auntie was a Williams. Bloody good woman.’ Casper laughed, ‘Real cranky, had a backhand send you across the fuckin’ room, no worries, mate!’
    ‘Nice to meet you, Trevor. Long way from home.
    Stockman, are you?’ Billy asked, knowing that Casper had probably invented his tribal connections to the bloke from the bush.
    ‘Yeah, mostly, done a fair bit of fencin’, some railway fettlin’, worked in the mines up Broken Hill way . . .’ His voice trailed off.
    ‘What brings you to Sydney?’ Billy now asked.
    ‘He’s had a spot of bother, needs your help,’ Casper cut in, not letting Williams explain.
    Billy nodded, it was more of the same. He hoped it was something straightforward he could deal with quickly.
    ‘Yeah, mate, legal,’ Casper continued. ‘I told him about you being a big-time lawyer, you know, how you got Sam Snatch off five times, lotsa others, like that hood in the Cross, the bloke who worked for Abe Saffron that topped that stripper with a cleaver and fed her through one o’ them restaurant meat mincers to hide the evidence!’ Casper laughed. ‘No fuckin’ body, yiz got him off extra quick.’
    ‘The law doesn’t always get it right, it was a technicality,’ Billy replied.
    ‘Yeah, well, never you mind, you got the bastard off, didn’t ya?’ Casper turned to Williams, ‘If Billy O’Shannessy took the case, you knew the bloke was fuckin’ guilty, no risk!’ Casper roared with laughter, ‘That right, ain’t it, Billy?’ He leaned back slightly and, grinning, pointed at Billy’s chest, ‘But yiz always got them off, didn’t ya? Every time.’
    ‘Steady on, Casper, I lost a good few over the years.’ Casper Friendly ignored Billy’s protest, ‘You lookin’ at the best in the biz, mate. They don’t come no better.’
    Williams glanced at Casper and then at Billy, but remained silent. Like many blokes from the bush, he seemed naturally taciturn and talked only when it was absolutely necessary.
    Billy grew suddenly concerned. Casper was half-cut but his elaborate build-up and the mention of one of the more squalid cases in his legal career didn’t suggest this was routine business. ‘Did you say you had a legal problem? Broken Hill would be a whole lot nearer to Wilcannia than Sydney, I dare say there are good lawyers available there.’
    ‘Nah, fuckin’ trouble’s down here, mate.’ Casper turned to Williams. ‘That’s right, hey, Trevor?’
    ‘Yeah, me daughter.’
    At that point Marion came into the beer garden. Billy remembered Snatch had asked her to stay interested in the blackfella. ‘Watch your language, Casper, or Mr Snatchall will be out,’ she warned.
    ‘Language! What I fuckin’ say?’ Casper looked mystified. ‘All I said was Billy here is an ace fuckin’ barrister.’
    Despite herself Marion laughed, then smiled winningly at Williams, ‘Sorry I didn’t introduce myself to you before, busy time. Shirley, who usually serves out here, was late coming in. Welcome to the Flag Hotel, from out of town, are you?’
    Williams, taken by surprise, didn’t know how to respond. Averting his eyes, he said, ‘Yeah, miss, Wilcannia.’
    ‘That’s nice,’ Marion said, not listening, or perhaps not knowing where Wilcannia was. ‘Hope we’ll see more of you, Mr ...?’
    ‘Williams, miss.’ The black man had still not looked up.
    ‘You must visit me at Marion’s Bar, Mr Williams. People from out of town are always welcome.’
    Billy knew that Marion would no more welcome a type like