G'Day USA Read Free

She lives there? How do you know?’
    ‘ I was fucking around on the interwebs today and ran across a live podcast with her and that Kevin Pollak guy. She was talking about her movie coming out, how her life has improved over the past year or so and she mentioned she’d moved out of Sweeney’s guesthouse to this part of town.’
    ‘ She was living with Sweeney? What a dog.’
    ‘ Yeah.’ Kent slid his board into its case and strapped it to the roof rack. ‘I don’t think they got along well, what with him killing her room-mate and ending up in jail over it.’
    ‘ Where the fuck do you get this stuff, man?’ Charlie tossed his wetsuit into the back of the old Honda Accord and tied his board along side Kent’s. ‘I completely lost track of these guys. So Sweeney’s in jail? Not surprised, actually. Karma catches you eventually.’
    ‘ How do you mean?’
    ‘ You know I was AD for him on Beast . He treated me like shit.’
    ‘ He treated everyone like shit.’ Kent limped to the driver’s side of the car. ‘But yeah, he reserved the special shit for you.’
    ‘ Lucky me.’ Charlie hopped in the passenger’s side. ‘So how long is Sweeney in for?’
    ‘ Oh, he’s out.’
    ‘ You just said he went to jail.’
    ‘ He was sprung today. Some technicality with the evidence.’
    ‘ You’re losing me.’
    ‘ Ellie’s friend was killed and the cops thought it was a suicide. He was some comic. Not bad, I hear. Ellie didn’t think it could have been suicide and found enough evidence to get Sweeney locked up. Now it appears the evidence was questionable and his lawyers persuaded the judge to toss the case.’
    ‘ I should probably pay more attention to the news. So where’s Sweeney now?’
    ‘ Fucked if I know. Probably back at his place in the Valley.’
    ‘ So you know where he lives too. You’re a regular Google Maps.’
    A smile slowly spread across Kent’s face. ‘Fuckin’ brilliant idea, mate. We should go visit him. Like a bit of a reunion.’
    ‘ He was an ass. Why in the hell would I want to go visit him?’
    ‘ See his place. Say hi. Rub his face in the fact he’s now got absolutely no career left.’
    ‘ Neither do I.’
    ‘ Well, you’ve done well for yourself with the cellular stuff.’
    ‘ I just work there. It’s not like it’s my company. I could have been a good director.’
    ‘ Well, there’s a vacancy. He’s not in the business anymore. Can you imagine anyone hiring him now?’
    ‘ They let him go.’
    ‘ Everyone knows it was a technicality. He did it. There’s audio tape floating around of him doing it.’
    Charlie looked out the window at the passing hills as they drove up the Santa Monica Freeway. ‘Huh. Maybe I should get back in the saddle. Though, to be honest, I’m not really keen on seeing him again.’
    ‘ Oh, come on. We’ll pick up some pizza on the way. His cupboard is probably empty. And some beer. Come and gloat with me. It’ll be fun.’
     
    B art Sweeney climbed out of the taxi, pulling the small bag of possessions with him. He tossed a fifty on the front seat. ‘Keep the change.’
    ‘ The fare’s $72.50, Mac. You still owe me.’
    ‘ Get it from the state. I don’t have it.’
    ‘ I’m not leaving until you pay the remaining fare.’
    Bart leaned down and looked in the window. ‘Look, you know where you just picked me up. I’ve been behind bars for the last fourteen months. I don’t have it. You can sit out there for the next year if you want, because it’ll probably be that long before I get work again.’
    ‘ Asshole.’ The cabbie slammed the car into drive and left with a scream of rubber.
    ‘ Likewise, my friend.’ Bart fished through the bag of belongings for the house keys. He walked in the front door to a stale, dusty smell of emptiness. Unlived in for over a year. ‘Son of a bitch.’ He strode across the room to the phone in the kitchen. Picked it up and held it to his head. ‘Dial tone. At least he got that