CHAPTER TWELVE
Jason’s easy going quiet little world had been shattered by his sudden surge towards stardom. Zup and friends now were assisting with security around the dressing room due to the ever-growing popularity of the band’s gigs. The past weekend’s gigs were to be the last in the city until they recorded, leaving a few country shows over the next couple of weeks and then into the studio. The band was now using every original tune they had rehearsed to find out the more popular ones, but this was hard to pick as the crowds responded well to whatever they played. The band worked hard every moment they could, piecing together their original repertoire that now held songs by Brad and Vic. Steven Brooks had received a rough demo tape from them and now couldn’t wait to get the band recorded.
Monday, as Malinda and Tammy touched down in Adelaide, the band was hard at it in the rehearsal room after the hectic weekend. Malinda and Jason had agreed it was best if he keeps rehearsing the band and she would see him that evening at home. Miller drove Malinda to the house in a hired white Ford and had noticed a new red Holden follow him all the way from the airport and studied its female driver as it went slowly past when he was dropping off Malinda and Tammy.
Miller helped Malinda inside with her cases then parked well out of sight on the crest of the rise in the road, his car well hidden in the thick bush along the side of the road. The red Holden made its way back past the house, stopping briefly outside before continuing on towards Miller. Just before it reached the rise Miller roared across the road blocking its path. The red Holden quickly reversed into a gap in the side of the road as Miller climbed out, running towards it. He was unable to catch it as its rear wheels snaked their way down the road. He retreated to his car and gave chase but returned to his vantage point after a few kilometres, fearing the woman was a decoy. The next car he was to see was Jason’s, pulling into the drive in the late afternoon.
Jason was excited as he knew Tammy was in the house as well. Malinda met Jason at the door with a big hug and as Jason looked over her shoulder he saw a perfect clone of Malinda standing in the hallway. The little girl’s black hair flowed down over her shoulders as far as her behind. He kissed Malinda.
“I never missed anyone so much as I’ve missed you,” said Jason.
“I love you so much Jason.”
“Is this my new daughter?” He asked kneeling in front of Tammy and taking her in his arms. Tammy reacted shyly as Jason held her between himself and Malinda. “Never did anyone receive so much for so little,” he whispered.
Malinda watched as Jason held Tammy for the first time; she would never forgive herself for what she knew and had done.
Tammy looked up and spoke. “You’re supposed to be my real dad but you got mixed up, mum told me.”
Jason and Malinda laughed aloud. “Sorry I’m late but I’ll make up for it.”
Tammy warmed to Jason as the evening grew old and finally fell asleep in his arms, allowing him to put her to bed with teddy in tow. Malinda discussed life’s progress in Sydney and Jason told tales of the rise and rise of “Full On”.
“You know you said you didn’t want Miller back watching over me,” said Malinda.
“Who the hell is Miller?” asked Jason.
“Oh, Lance Miller, that’s The Large Figure’s real name. I found out in Sydney. I agree with my dad that he should stay around a few days. Sly Morgan is really angry, from what I’ve heard and Miller is one of the only people he’s scared of.”
“I’m really freaked out at this; I would be really devastated if anything happened to you.” Jason felt anger within himself yet again and was not enjoying it.
“It will all settle down in a few days, you’ll see and then we’ll be fine.”
“Okay but I feel a bit weak, him having to watch over you while I’m here.”
“Don’t you ever compare yourself with people like Miller and Morgan Jason; you don’t have their savage nature. We need Miller to take on Morgan because that’s all Morgan understands. Exposing you to Morgan would be like throwing you to man eating sharks with your hands tied behind your back.”
Jason nodded his head but was feeling no fear. “Okay, but I can’t wait for all this to settle down,” he paused for a few seconds. “Why have we got three telephones and two fax machines all on different numbers? I don’t know which number to use for people to contact me.”
“I need them to run my business from home so I can be with you. Use the one that’s in the kitchen, that’s the one for our home number.”
“The phones in your office started ringing this morning before I went to rehearsal, but they stop before I can get to them.”
“You’ll have to get used to that Jason, the entire world Malvanna operation has my new numbers and that’s just people leaving messages on an answering machine so I can get back to them.”
“We have an answering service! Great! I’ve never been able to afford one.”
Malinda had not mentioned anything about the financial side of her divorce to Jason, so he was unaware of her increased wealth. She hoped that in time he would get accustomed to having money and wanted it to look as if they were doing well through the success of his band.
Jason continued, “I’m making big money from the band and I want you to look around to see if you can find a station wagon you like, then I’ll get it for you. The Ferrari can stay in the garage so it doesn’t get damaged and ruined.”
Malinda hesitated a few seconds before answering. “How much do I spend on this station wagon Jason?”
“I should have about five thousand dollars after the shows next weekend. Should be able to get something decent for that.”
“That’s all you want to spend?”
“That’s all I’ve got.”
Malinda said no more as she contemplated the gravity of what Jason had just said. He was going to use all he had to buy her and Tammy something to get around in that was safer than his present car, so she could park hers away to protect it. Nobody had ever given her everything before, they had usually taken. She sat in silence and disgust of her past and was taken from her trance by Jason gently lifting her into his arms and carrying her to the bedroom. As Jason made love to her he was conscious of a new problem, not waking his newly-acquired daughter in the next room.
Friday. The band had rehearsed hard all week and was resting that day for Jason and Brad to rest their tired voices ready for the two weekend gigs. Jason slept in while Malinda took Tammy to school. Tammy pulled faces at Miller every time they passed. He always laughed and waved back.
Miller had noticed the presence of a woman driving different hire cars all week and changing the colour and style of her hair with wigs. Her facial features were the same and she always wore glasses. He had never been in a position to challenge her as she picked her times to be conspicuous after her first experience.
Malinda had noticed a brilliant red Toyota station wagon for sale outside a house on the route to the school. A sign saying For Sale, five thousand dollars was on the windscreen. On the way back she parked the Ferrari behind it and went into the house to investigate. Miller quickly reversed his white Ford out of sight up a house driveway. The deviation away from Malinda’s normal schedule caught the woman tailing her by surprise and Miller pounced as she drove past, stopping her a hundred metres past where Malinda had parked running her off the road and into a clearing by a bus stop. This particular road was perfect timing for Miller as it was very quiet and had only a few dwellings with none in the vicinity. He climbed from his car slowly holding his gun at the woman as he went. She put her hands on the dashboard and he confronted her at the window, holding the gun to her head as he took the keys from the ignition.
“Only Morgan would send a nice young lady to do some of his dirty work, is that true?” Miller said in his standard growl.
“The guy who I’m dealing with works for Morgan, that’s all I know. They want to know Miss McDonald’s movements.”
Miller holstered his gun. “Make sure Morgan gets
this message. Tell him it’s from Miller. Start looking over your shoulder, Morgan, because I’m coming to get you. You got that?”
The woman stared at the steering wheel, avoiding Miller’s gaze. “How can I forget?”
Miller handed her the car keys, “I don’t want to see you ever again, not here, not anywhere. Have a nice day.” Miller held his holstered gun as she quickly reversed onto the road and disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Malinda passed and waved as he climbed back into his car. He immediately rang Malinda’s father on his mobile.
A pleasant female voice answered. “McDonald international can I help you?”
“Mr McDonald please,” said Miller.
“I’m sorry he’s in a meeting.”
“Tell him it’s Miller and it’s very urgent.”
“Ah Mr Miller, you’re on his interruption list. Please hold the line.” The receptionist told Malinda’s father of the call, who apologised to his audience and found an empty office to take the call.
“McDonald speaking.”
“Miller sir. We have a problem with Morgan, he’s being very nosy over here.”
“Take care of him! You won’t encounter any problems, I’ll see to that, but leave no trace. I’ll have your fee transferred to your account.”
“This one’s on the house sir.”
“As you wish, good day.”
Back in Sydney, Morgan received his information and message badly, beating the bearer of the news in a fit of rage. He frantically packed a bag and left for the airport, taking two bodyguards with him. He winged out of Sydney airport in his private jet bound for his villa in Colombia.
Miller contacted his brother asking him to watch Morgan straight away. Miller’s brother rang him back in an hour with the news of Morgan’s dash overseas, whereabouts unknown. Miller informed Malinda’s father of the circumstances, who asked Miller to stick with Malinda for a few more days while he tried to find Morgan’s whereabouts and would give him further instructions then.
Meanwhile, Malinda took Jason down to the red Toyota station wagon. The vehicle belonged to an elderly couple’s daughter who had gone overseas. She had not used it for some time and although it was twelve years old it had low mileage and was in very good condition. Malinda loved it, so Jason paid half the money and said they would pick it up next Monday when he got the rest of the cash. They picked Tammy up from school. Tammy was locked into a fierce face pulling war with Miller, Miller always losing, being unable to control his laughter, always giving up trying to keep a straight face. Jason and Malinda drove on, unaware of the face pulling war behind them, discussing the weekend’s schedule as they went. Jason would be away until Sunday morning doing a couple of gigs in nearby country towns and Malinda would be busy at home catching up on work in her office.
Jason was getting closer to his father. While Malinda was away he had stayed at his father’s place a couple of nights and they had talked into the early hours of the morning. Jason’s mother had really been the only upbringing he had, his father always too busy, except on rare occasions. Jason’s father was very pleased with the way his plan was working out and had rung Steven Brooks himself to see how things were going. Steven had warned him that his plan may backfire as his son was very good and would be in big demand when his album was released. Jason’s father wanted the album stalled, but conceded it must go ahead so Jason could make some money out of it, or he would be in the same situation as he was now. When the album was released in a month’s time, the band would have to do at least an Australian tour and perhaps an American tour, as this was where the money was. This would take at least three months. Jason’s father thought this was okay as long as it took no longer; he was keen to have his son by his side.
Vic and Brad picked Jason up late that afternoon. They headed for the first country gig for the band, a hundred kilometres away on the Murray River. Vic explained how he was investing his earnings from the band in the stock market. Brad said he didn’t know what had happened to the money he had been paid but he was broke. Brad hung around after shows and partied up, whereas Jason and Vic would take the money and run. Brad was lying in the back of Vic’s van with Jason in the passenger seat when Brad suddenly sat up.
He leant across the seat between Jason and Vic. “Jason I remember where I saw Malinda before! When I got out of the can a couple of years back, before I got back into a band in Sydney, the guy I was staying with needed a hand to pick up a deal. I was broke and needed the money, so I drove for him. Malinda was with the guy he scored from man. I’ll never forget the car either, a perfect white fifty seven Cadillac. She got out and walked around. I’m sure it was her.”
Jason shook his head but took the information on board. “No not Malinda. You must have seen someone like her.”
Brad disagreed. “I don’t think there’s two Malinda's man, she certainly stands out.”
“A fifty seven Cadillac would be worth a fortune; I’d be frightened to drive it in case it got dirty,” said Vic.
Jason had passed the comment off, as he found nothing inside to stir suspicion. “I’m like that with Malinda’s Ferrari. I’m buying her a Toyota on Monday and the Ferrari can go in the garage.”
“She must be rolling in it man?” asked Brad.
Jason frowned at Brad. The enigma of his father and the little rich boy syndrome bit at his gut. “Her parents got it for her, they are very rich.”
They arrived at Friday night’s gig, passing a hundred metres of Harley Davidson's parked outside the hotel. This particular gig catered for that market and the band expected a lively evening with Zup wanting to play harmonica amongst his friends.
It was a big night and Tom and the roadies let the place clear before loading up. Brad had got tangled up with a few of Zup’s friends and couldn’t resist the passing marijuana joints, ending up very stoned. Jason and Vic got paid by the management and wanted to head off to the next town to stay in a motel and sleep in that morning, so they retrieved Brad and set off. Brad lay in the back of the van with Jason driving and Vic in the passenger seat. It had got cold and Brad was only wearing a light shirt and had left his bag in the truck with Tom along with the rest of his clothes. Vic found him a pair of overalls that he kept in the van, in case he broke down. Brad struggled into them. A few more kilometres down the road and Brad needed to go to the toilet, so Jason pulled up in a clearing alongside the road. Brad staggered into the scrub while Jason and Vic waited with the motor running.
“Brad is really stoned,” said Vic.
“Pretty hard to stay away from it if you’re that way inclined amongst last night’s crowd. We’ll have a talk with him tomorrow,” replied Jason.
Vic smiled. “Those guys really know how to party up. They really appreciate the music. Makes me want to play all night.”
Brad climbed back in the back of the van and Jason continued on. Vic started sniffing a couple of minutes later and Jason found himself sniffing the same smell.
Vic looked towards Brad. “That smells like shit.”
“Yeah, you’re right and it’s getting worse,” said Jason.
Vic woke Brad who had dozed off. “Hey Brad! Something smells like shit in here.”
Brad sat up. “What’s happening man?”
Vic switched on the interior light and noticed a brown stain around Brad’s neck. “You got shit all over you Brad. Pull over Jason.”
Jason pulled over and Jason and Vic walked clear of the smell. Brad climbed from the van and stood in the headlights to find he had dropped the overalls down to go to the toilet and deposited the contents of his bowels in the overalls, then put them back on, spreading it over his back and around his neck. Jason and Vic yelled abuse and cracked jokes from a safe nasal distance while Brad cleaned up with some water and rags Vic had in the van. When Brad was clean, Jason and Vic donated some after shave from their kit bags and they all continued on, Brad shivering in the back of the van after throwing away the contaminated overalls and Vic and Jason breaking out into spasmo
dic laughter.
Vic wiped the laughter tears from his eyes. “Hey Brad, you wouldn’t want this to get around. You better lay off the drugs.”
Brad looked dejected. “Yeah, right, must be the drugs; I haven’t shit on myself since I last had a joint.”
Saturday night’s show was interesting; a football club in the middle of nowhere, the crowd ranged from teenagers to pensioners and Tom received many complaints, some saying it was too loud, some saying they wanted it louder. Young people waited outside to get in as the club rooms held only about seven hundred and the oval was a mass of separate little parties around parked cars as youngsters made the most of what they could hear from outside, until the older people left, giving them room inside. A local radio personality was the DJ. He had spent a lot of time promoting the show on air and thanked Jason when he paid him for a great show. He expressed concern at how hard it had been to deal with Steven Brooks, thinking that the cover charge on the door was too high at fifteen dollars, but he had no complaints and everyone had made a good profit. Eleven hundred was the final count of payers through the door and the band received thirteen out of each fifteen paid at the door for that particular show. Jason was paid fourteen thousand three hundred dollars, his best ever for a gig. Ramrod received forty percent under the contract, leaving the band eight thousand five hundred dollars, two thousand five hundred each after they had given Zup a few bucks for playing.
Jason had been worried about the out of town gigs not being so successful, but the publicity the band was receiving was very wide, leaving the band with enough money to keep them going until they finished the two weeks recording and started playing live again. Before Zup left the band asked him to play harmonica on the album but Zup declined explaining he would like to, but the public exposure may affect other things he was doing, but he would like to play whenever the band was in town. The band had been discussing who to use on the album on harmonica and saxophone. They thought Zup would jump at the opportunity. Jason would ring Steven on Monday with some ideas.
They agreed to have one rehearsal on Wednesday doing the twenty tunes they may use on the album, this would rest Jason and Brad’s voices before recording next weekend. Jason and Vic were keen to return home but Brad was flanked by two young women and said he would return with Tom after they had packed up. As Vic swung his van around in the car park, the lights caught Brad walking towards the clubrooms, one arm around each lady.
“Look at that, that’s disgusting that is. Hasn’t he got any morals that guy?” said Jason.
Vic gave Jason an astonished look. “Am I hearing things, the pot calling the kettle black?” replied Vic.
Jason smiled looking at Vic. “You wouldn’t get me carrying on like that, being a married man with a daughter and all.”
Vic looked at Jason in astonished silence, his gaze causing him to run off the side of the road and swerve back on again. “I don’t believe I’m hearing this, you must be on something and whatever it is I’ll have a bag.”
Jason looked straight ahead with his arms folded. “Take me home to my wife and family please driver.”
“All this is too much for me, I need a rest,” Vic said as he started the two hour drive home. They spoke of the band’s unbelievable luck and both had reservations about if they would make it big or not. The feeling of being carried was still with them. Jason had an idea for a song and rummaged around in his bag finding a pen but nothing to write on. Vic drew Jason’s attention to a beer coaster in the glove compartment. Jason retrieved it and on the blank back of the coaster Jason wrote down some words to a song they worked out together as they drove.
Whip me, beat me, make me write bad cheques
Things aren’t improving, what will I do next
The rent’s not paid, I’m outside the law
I can’t greet my friends, knocking at the door
Playing down the tunnel, I can see the light
A gig, some cash, I can eat tonight
A stand for more money, a rise in my pay
I can’t understand how it worked out this way
Gigs three months a year, not every night
A steady wage packet, to relieve my plight
Things are improving, I know what comes next
Whip me, beat me, make me write bad cheques
Monday. Jason got Malinda her car, easily covering the rest of what was owed with his weekend takings. Wednesday’s band rehearsal went well, with no mistakes and they selected the twelve songs that had gone well at live gigs as the most likely they would use on the album from the twenty they had got together. Jason had been in contact with Steven, who was wanting harmonica and sax players. Steven had a session player who played both and worked exclusively with Ramrod and it was decided to try him.
The band would fly out on Friday afternoon and start recording Saturday morning, but until then they would rest and not rehearse to save Jason and Brad’s voices. Malinda was busy working from home and Jason spent all the time he could with Tammy, taking her to and from school and between that finding some time to spend with his father at home.
Jason and Malinda picked up Tammy at lunch time on Friday to see Jason off at the airport. Jason was not allowed to drive the red Toyota station wagon as it was Malinda’s favourite toy and she drove it proudly around everywhere. A small group of relatives and well wishers had gathered at the airport, including Zup, who spent most of his time with Miller. Jason gave Malinda and Tammy big hugs and the band walked out of the loading gate and boarded the plane. After the plane left the tarmac the small group slowly broke up, with Miller carrying Tammy to the car. Miller was to stay until Jason returned and then he would go. Malinda’s father had been able to find out nothing about Morgan other than he was now residing in Colombia until further notice. It could be months before he returned.
Miller was pleased with Malinda’s new inconspicuous car and said he could see Tammy’s horrible faces much better out the back window. Malinda felt that things were settling down nicely then as she prepared Tammy’s tea. That evening the phone rang; it was an office phone so Malinda answered it appropriately.
“Malvanna International, Malinda speaking.”
“Malinda, it’s Savanna, I must see you as soon as I can.”
“Savanna are you all right, you sound awful?”
“I’ll be in Adelaide on Sunday afternoon, five-thirty on a Qantas flight from Singapore. Please be there; Malinda, I don’t want to intrude on your new relationship but I have nowhere else to go.”
“Jason is in Sydney for two weeks recording an album. This will be great, we can really have some time together. What’s the matter?”
“I haven’t been well as you know and the tests I had done in Sydney have just caught up with me. I’m HIV positive, I have AIDS Malinda!”