30. Levi
Levi and Alexis dropped Theo and Sarah off at a Belongil Beach restaurant in Byron Bay before heading to Nimbin. The drive down had been smooth, once they’d gotten out of the city traffic… although ‘city traffic’ was a bit of a misnomer. The road from Brisbane to the Gold Coast was pretty much all city now, with the traffic to prove it. It was another hour to Nimbin from the restaurant, and Levi was glad to have the time alone with Alexis. He reached across the console and took her hand in his. He didn’t think he’d ever done that before… held a woman’s hand while he drove. He liked it. A lot.
‘We can change the music, if you like,’ she said. ‘You’re probably sick of K-pop.’
Alexis had played DJ on the way down. Her and Sarah had sung along at the top of their lungs at times, and it should have been annoying, but it wasn’t. Theo had looked a little put out, but that only made the experience even more satisfying for Levi. It was petty, but Levi liked seeing Theo uncomfortable. It didn’t happen often, so he relished it when he got to witness it.
‘I actually don’t mind it,’ he said. ‘Chloe, the niece you met, loves K-pop. She introduced me to it, and I have some of it on my running playlist.’
‘What are some of your faves?’ Alexis asked, turning in her seat to face him, keeping his hand in hers.
‘“MIC Drop”, from BTS,’ he replied immediately.
‘That goes without saying,’ she replied with a nod.
‘“HARD” and “JUICE” by SHINee,’ he added, and she hummed her agreement.
‘And, this one might be a bit obscure, but there’s a song called “Love Paranoia” by Luna.’
‘Oh, I know it,’ she said. ‘It’s from that K-drama, right?’
Levi nodded. ‘They’re not a real band. They were just created for the drama, but I really like the songs they did.’
Alexis tilted her head as she looked at him. ‘You are a bit of an enigma,’ she said.
He raised his eyebrows in question. ‘I am? I always thought I was pretty straightforward.’
Alexis bit the corner of her lip as she examined him carefully. ‘I thought that at first too, but the more I get to know you, the more I see behind the mask you wear.’
‘I don’t wear a mask,’ he said, shifting uncomfortably. ‘What you see is what you get.’
She shook her head slowly. ‘I think you see more than you let on, and you edit yourself when you speak.’
‘I’ll admit to being cautious when I speak,’ he said slowly. ‘But I don’t like subterfuge. I don’t like playing games with people. Sure, I want to keep the peace, but not at the expense of compromising my own beliefs.’
‘Are you sure about that?’ Alexis asked.
Levi frowned. ‘What do you mean?’
‘I mean this thing with your brother and the clinic. From what I know of you, the fraud must be eating away at you.’
He gripped the steering wheel tighter, his knuckles turning white. ‘You think I should expose my family?’
Alexis sighed and pulled her hand from his as she turned to look out the passenger window. The sunny day was turning dark, matching the mood in the car. ‘I think they are taking advantage of you,’ she said softly. ‘And I don’t like seeing that.’
Levi gritted his teeth and stared at the road ahead. She was right. It was eating away at him but… but what kind of son would he be if he exposed their corruption? He barely got his parents’ approval now when he did everything he could for them. If the truth about the clinic got out, he doubted his parents would ever forgive him.
‘Thank you for your concern,’ he said. ‘But it’s my problem to deal with.’
She turned back to him, her eyes narrowed. ‘What about me?’
‘What about you?’
‘You’re helping me with my family drama. Can’t you accept my help with yours?’
‘I am,’ he replied, shooting her a quick glance. ‘You’re giving me legal advice. That’s a huge help to me.’
She didn’t reply, turning back to look at the scenery out the passenger window. Dark clouds blotted out the sun. Levi knew he’d made a mistake, but what could he do? He wanted to sort out the issue with his client without impacting the family. Was that such a bad thing? He was lying to himself; he knew that too. Maybe it was time he started to think about a life away from the family business. Realistically, he couldn’t keep working there knowing what he knew. Alexis was correct. He hated it, and he wanted nothing to do with it. But first thing’s first. Today was about Alexis. Levi’s issues could wait.
He reached out to take her hand again, and after a slight hesitation, she let him.
‘Is this it?’Alexis asked, looking out the windscreen at the shop.
‘Not what you were expecting?’ Levi asked.
Alexis shook her head. ‘I thought it would be more like…’ She glanced at the other brightly coloured herb and crystal shops that dotted the main street.
‘I did some research,’ he said. ‘Tamra isn’t a doctor, but she is a pharmacist, and she specialises in alternative medicine. She’s written a few high-profile research papers and was a respected voice in the debate over medicinal cannabis.’
Alexis widened her eyes. ‘I thought she would be…’
‘A hippie?’
Alexis looked around to see if anyone heard them. ‘I don’t think you can say that word anymore,’ she hissed.
Levi nodded thoughtfully. ‘Okay, then… you thought she would be more alternate?’
Alexis shrugged. ‘I guess. When I found out she had a shop in Nimbin, I just assumed…’
The shop in question bucked the trend of the shops around it. There were no rainbow colours or psychedelic artwork. The sign had the logo and the name in tasteful, elegant script, and the front of the shop was white with beech-coloured timber. The windows were clean and displayed natural cosmetics. They were brands Levi knew had a good reputation. He had even been tempted to suggest them to a couple of his clients, but it went against clinic policy. They had agreements with certain companies, and he had to only recommend their products.
‘Should we go in?’ Levi asked.
Alexis wiped her hands on her shorts. ‘I’m nervous.’
Levi reached out and took her hand. ‘We don’t need to tell her who you are. We can just go in and suss her out.’
Alexis nodded and then took a deep breath. ‘Okay,’ she said on the exhale. ‘Let’s do this.’
Chimes sounded above the door when they walked into the shop. It was cool inside, and there was a pleasant scent that was vaguely medicinal but also a bit floral. His first thought was that it was the smell of marijuana, but his logical brain overruled. He recognised some of the perfume notes, and they weren’t illegal pharmacology.
Plants hung from the ceiling, and a wicker fan rotated slowly above them. The wooden shelves were neatly stocked with different products, and Levi wanted to spend some time looking them over, but he restrained himself. There would be time for that later… maybe.
‘Good morning,’ a woman said coming through a door at the back of the shop. ‘How may I—’ The woman froze when she saw Alexis. ‘Lily?’
Alexis gaped at her.
The woman shook her head and cleared her throat. ‘Sorry. I thought you were someone else for a moment.’ She plastered a professional smile on her face. ‘How may I help you?’
Alexis didn’t say anything and stood motionless, like a deer in headlights. The woman was definitely Tamra. She looked exactly like the photo on Facebook. Levi coughed and stepped forward.
‘Uh, we are interested in?—’
‘You knew my mother,’ Alexis blurted out.
Tamra paled.
‘My mother, Lily Hall, no she would have been Sorrento when you knew her. Lily Sorrento. You knew her.’
Tamra nodded slowly. ‘She was my best friend.’
‘Do you know where she is?’ Alexis asked, stepping past Levi, and reaching out for the woman’s hands. ‘I need to find her.’
‘I… I don’t know,’ Tamra said, letting Alexis grasp her hands. ‘We lost touch.’ Her eyes roamed over Alexis like she was trying to memorise her. ‘You’re Lily’s daughter? I can’t believe Lily had a daughter and never told me.’
‘I thought you were her best friend?’ Alexis said, starting to pull away.
Tamra gripped her wrists, keeping her close. ‘We were. From when we were little and all through school. But then she met?—’
‘My father,’ Alexis finished.
Tamra nodded. ‘I wasn’t exactly Jack’s biggest fan, and he hated me. After they got married…’ Tamra shrugged. ‘He wouldn’t let her see me anymore.’
‘And she just let that happen?’ Alexis asked.
‘Your father can be very… persuasive when he wants to be.’
‘So you haven’t heard from her?’ Levi asked.
Tamra shook her head again. ‘Not since a few months after the wedding.’ She frowned. ‘Is she missing? Did something happen to her?’
Alexis pulled away from Tamra and turned her back, walking away and standing at the front windows looking out. ‘She left. When I was a kid. I haven’t heard from her since.’
‘No,’ Tamra said. ‘No. Lily wouldn’t just leave like that. There’s no way she would walk away and leave you behind.’
Alexis sighed. ‘She left you, didn’t she? And as you said, my father can be very persuasive.’
Tamra looked at Levi, panic in her eyes. He frowned. What was she trying to tell him?
‘Thanks for your time,’ Alexis said, still not turning around. ‘But it looks like this is a dead end.’
‘Wait!’ Tamra said when Alexis started walking toward the door. ‘Wait. I… I might know someone who could help you.’
Alexis turned slowly. ‘Who?’
‘A mutual friend. I haven’t spoken to him for years, but he was in the same social circles as your mother and Jack. He might know something.’
The defeat on Alexis’ face lifted, and hope bloomed in her eyes. Levi’s breath caught as he watched her.
‘Can you give me his number?’
‘I don’t have it with me,’ Tamra said, patting herself down as if she could produce the number out of her pockets. ‘It’s in an old address book at home.’
Thunder rumbled in the distance, and Levi peeked out the window to see thick black rain clouds rolling in.
‘I’ll close up shop, and you can come home with me. It’s not too far from here.’
‘What about your customers?’ Levi asked.
‘With that storm coming, I doubt anyone will be on the streets this afternoon.’
‘Okay,’ Alexis said. ‘Let’s go.’