12. On the run

The cold hit her as soon as she opened the door, and, not for the first time, Ann wondered why she had moved to Canberra. Life as an assistant at Manly Books in Sydney had been close to perfect. An even climate, beaches, the harbour, the excitement of the big city. Even in midwinter, a [...]

2. Heartbake

The door of Ounce Books opened and a woman emerged with an armload of books. One look at her and you could tell that a life of books, cats and chocolate was a comfortable one. She was smiling, and her t-shirt had a bust of Mark Twain on the front.
“Nice set of buns right there.”
“Nice all over,” Harley agreed. “She gives out free books. Can you credit that? Runs a bookshop and hands them out for nothing!”

1. On the level

“That’s the new ASIO building going up,” the driver said, seeing Quint’s blank face. “Australian Secret Intelligence Organisation. The spy mob. Going to be a huge building. Five stories high.”
“Five stories?” Quint tried to imagine an office block stretching along Constitution Avenue, rising above the oak trees.
“Of course, those five stories will be underground. Security, you see. Just a grassy knoll on top.”