A Year in Sydney Australia: A Safe Journey Adventure, #1

By Hugo Vaes

A Year in Sydney Australia is the adventurous journey of a young Dutch backpacker, Julia Meier. She gets involved in a wonderful and exciting adventure. She meets Robby Henson and a mysterious man, Konrad, a motel owner. Through her friendship with Robby se gets a job in the hostel Bondi Lodge as a kitchen hand and cook. A crime happens while she’s at work in Kirribilli, north Sydney. Konrad loses a mysterious box when three people, two men and a woman steal it from him. This is the moment, she learns slowly more who Konrad and Robby are. Her friends do their best to warn her. Only in the end she manages to get out of Australia but with less than she arrived a year ago. Story is based on a true event.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hugo Vaes
• Release date: Apr 11, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386903406

Book preview

Introduction

THIS IS THE STORY OF a young woman, Julia Meier, who travels to Australia for some adventure and travel experience. She meets new people in Sydney. Through these people she gets involved in a strange mysterious case, a burglary. She learns fast none are who they really are. Who can she trust?

The story is based on the author’s own travel experience and adventure when he went in the year 2000 to Australia.

Julian Meier is the pen name of Hugo Vaes. He is a traveller and a writer, who lived for 8 years in London and was born near The Hague in the Netherlands.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Table of Contents

Legal Notes

PROLOGUE

1 INTRODUCTION TO NEW MATES

2 FIRST SECRET MEETING

3 A NIGHTMARE IN HORNSBY NORTH SYDNEY

4 GOING TO AUSTRALIA

5 HOW ROBBY LOST HIS BUSINESS

6 FIRST ARRIVAL IN SYDNEY

7 A MOTEL OWNER NAMED KONRAD

8 THE FIRST COUPLE OF WEEKS IN SYDNEY AUSTRALIA

9 THE DAY SHE CUT OFF HER HAIR

10 SECOND SECRET MEETING

11 WORK OPPORTUNITIES

12 WORK AT TWO LOCATIONS

13 THE THIRD SECRET MEETING

14 KONRAD’S MAJOR PROBLEM

15 THE ORDINARY DAILY HOSTEL PROBLEMS

16 THE BURGLARY

17 A POLICE INVESTIGATION

18 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

19 KONRAD’S OWN INVESTIGATION

20 MEETING OTHER NEW FRIENDS

21 THE END OF HER FIRST SIX MONTHS IN AUSTRALIA

22 A NEW AND GOOD FRIEND JONATHAN

23 VISA RUN TO HONG KONG

24 ROBBY VERSUS WAVERLEY COUNCIL COURT CASE

25 BACK TO SYDNEY

26 CHEF ABSENCE AND REPLACEMENTS

27 FOURTH SECRET MEETING

28 HOUSE HUNTING

29 OLD POLICE CONTACTS

30 THE OLYMPIC SUMMER GAMES IN SYDNEY AUSTRALIA

31 DAY TRIP TO THE HUNTER VALLEY

32 NEW DISCOVERIES

33 MISSING AND STOLEN MONEY

34 THE END OF A LONG YEAR IN SYDNEY AUSTRALIA

35 ONE LAST ROUGH NIGHT IN BONDI

36 FIRST POLICE REPORT

37 A DRAMATIC HAIRCUT AND SHAVE

38 LAST FIGHT AND HUMILIATION

FINAL DEPARTURE FROM SYDNEY AUSTRALIA

EPILOGUE

About The Author Julian Meier

Other Books By Julian Meier

Legal Notes

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © Julian Meier 2018

PROLOGUE

IN A SMALL DARK APARTMENT somewhere in Sydney, a young Dutch girl was fighting for her life. She got into trouble all thanks to her Aussie boyfriend. He threatened her. He warned her he would beat her if she wouldn’t cooperate with him. She ignored him. She thought he wouldn’t beat a woman, but she didn’t know the guy at all.

Give me what I want from you and I shall let you go.

She shook her head. She knew precisely what he demanded from her. She couldn’t give it him. How could she go to her own country, if he took her most important items of her?

I can’t give you. You know I need my passport. I want to leave this country. I have enough of it. I have enough of you and this bloody shit country.

The punch came unexpected. He hit her hard in her face. It hurt like hell. She lost her balance and went down. He tried to stop her fall. He grabbed her hard by her long blonde hair. He hit her again a few times in her face. It used to be a very pretty face. Now, she looked awful. She tried to defend herself, but not much luck. The next blow she received in her face was harder, meaner. This time, she fell hard on the floor. He let her long blonde hair slip through his fingers. She could hear him laughing. It was the last thing, she could remember of that dreadful night.

Get up, bitch. Give me what I want, and I shall let you go.

She didn’t respond. She kept on laying on the floor and didn’t move a single limp. He kicked her a few times with his strong feet. He kicked her in the stomach and hit one time her breasts. He was still laughing. He had his moment of fun. They had fights before, but she never got beaten by him. This was an exception. Something must have snapped inside his head. There was no clear reason to beat up his love.

Suddenly, he stopped. He looked down and checked if she was still alive. He was a bit concerned. He hoped he didn’t kill her. He was a bit too rough. Normally, he would shout but the use of violence was an exception. He didn’t like to fight or to beat up someone else. He felt suddenly very guilty for his bad behaviour. What would he do if she was dead? The police would start an investigation. The apartment was signed on his name. She paid for the place, but he was the one, who owned the place. She was only a young, Dutch backpacker with a working holiday visa. Her visa was about to expire. She wanted to leave him, but he didn’t want to lose her. He liked her. She was young, funny and claimed she had money. That was a lie. He spotted her lie faster than she got spot his many lies. He was a born liar.

She wanted to cry. She couldn’t open her mouth. He broke her jaw. The pain in her body was tremendous. She suffered a splitting head ache from the sudden drop on the old oak wooden floor. Some of her ribs were damaged as he kicked her hard in her chest. He stood with all his weight on her lower legs. He broke her ankles, so she couldn’t walk away from him. She was in so much agony that it was wise to lay still on the filthy wooden floor till he would leave her alone. She wondered, what would he do?

He looked down and feared the most. She looked more dead than alive. He couldn’t risk a murder. He would lose so much. Still, there was chance to walk away with it. He still had a few powerful friends, who wouldn’t mind helping him. He needed their help, so he could disappear. It was the only solution for the big mess what he caused alone in the dark small flat somewhere in northern Sydney.

1 INTRODUCTION TO NEW MATES

JULIA! JULIA! WHERE are you? Could you please come to reception?

A young woman with very short hair heard her name. She was busy with cleaning up a very filthy kitchen. It hadn’t been cleaned properly for at least a couple of years. The filth was everywhere. it was gross. The usual cleaner had a night off. He worked only five days a week. He did a very lousy job. He should care a bit more in his work. He couldn’t care.

The normal chef was already on his way back to his family in the western part of the city of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. He worked six days a week and was glad he got a new cleaner in his team.

The dining room of the hostel looked like a hell. There was trash everywhere. The usual students and backpackers were very slack. There were a few bins in the room and they were filled till the top with rubbish. The mess around the serving counter was unbelievable bad. The food was already gone. So were all the clean plates and cutlery. What was left, were all the stacks of filthy plates, mugs and an enormous amount of trash.

Julia! Julia! Come to reception!

She ignored the guy who shouted her name over the system. She wanted to finish her job. She worked fast. She was organised. She filled all the bins with rubbish. She collected all the filled bins and dumped them in the trash containers in the back downstairs of the courtyard. She wiped all the tables clean, hoovered the floor and made sure the dining room was ready again for use. She tackled the battle with a large stack of dirty plates, mugs and cutlery. Within an hour, everything was spotless again. She inspected the kitchen and made some mental notes. There were still some spots that needed more attention. She checked the time on her watch. It was late in the evening. She started her job at two in the afternoon. She was still at work.

Julia! Julia! Could you please move your ass to reception? I have someone here, who wants to meet you?

She sighed. Again, he shouted her name over the system. She gave the kitchen one more inspection and donned her cleaning apron. She pulled up her old jeans, straightened her t-shirt and put the strips of her bra back underneath her t-shirt. She ran her hand through her short bristles of her dark blonde hair. It was cut extremely short. She looked like a boy because of masculine hairstyle; a buzz cut. She checked her look in the small mirror in the side kitchen. They had to accept her look. She couldn’t look sexy for this mysterious guy.

Inside the reception area of the hostel, two men were chatting with each other. At the desk was Robby Henson. He was an Aussie, who worked most of the time in the evening at the desk. Opposite of him stood a man, who ran his own business in Surrey Hills. He had a successful motel and ran his business for a couple of years. They knew each other for quite some time. It was Robby, who helped his old friend with a smart scheme what made them both wealthy. Robby was the one, who lost a fortune through his own stupidity. He made some big mistakes and lost a lot. After a year of suffering, he was on his way back to a new success. He found a new friend, who was willing to help him. He hoped he could get his old place back, although it would be a mission impossible.

Julia, thank the Lord for showing your gorgeous ass at the reception.

He saw her first. She carried a tray with three mugs. They all contained a mug with coffee. The man who stood in front of the wooden reception desk opened the door for her and helped her with the tray. She thanked the man and gave her friend a cup of coffee.

What took you so long?

Have you any idea how filthy that kitchen actually is? She challenged her friend. He did her job not so long ago. He knew exactly what she was talking about. Is it me or is this place very lucky that they never received an unexpected visit from the authorities to inspect this hostel? What would the managers do if they close it if no one pays any attention to all the serious problems what this place has?

Robby was all smiles. He liked her attitude. She knew her shit. She did the job now for a few weeks and he heard her every time. Before she started with the job, it was Robby, who complained constant about the state of the building. It was a big mess inside, although it looked friendly and very inviting from the outside.

Julia, that’s not your concern. He gave her a warm smile. You should mention it to your manager, when he shows his face again. He is in charge of the kitchen and he is responsible for the state of the kitchen. It showed how much interest these managers have for this hostel. It would never have happened, if I could take over this shit-hole. I ran my hostel so much better. It was the best in town.

From all the staff members of this hostel, the Bondi Lodge, Robby knew his wits. Before he started with his job as evening receptionist he used to be a part-time kitchen hand. Julia was at that time still a free backpacker. She had no intentions in doing some work, although she loved it. She wanted to work and travel in Australia, but she didn’t have the right visa in her passport. The lovely Australian embassy in The Hague gave her the wrong visa while she applied for a working holiday visa. Without that visa she was not allowed to work or to study in the country. She only had a double six months’ visa and was only allowed to travel through the big empty country, what she knew as Down Under.

She took over his position, when on a particular Sunday the day receptionist made a runner while he was on duty. He left his work with no reason and never showed up afterwards. Robby took over as no one in the building paid any attention to a ringing phone. From that moment, Robby started as a receptionist and showed the managers he was the right person for the job. None of the present but free staff members, who lived in the hostel, took care of the unmanned reception. They lacked their duties and their tasks. Robby proved to be a jewel. He had years of experience and was in his elements as soon as he got settled in his new position. He got what he wanted, but his dreams were bigger than reality.

Robby, why did you call me over the system, while you know I still have work to do?

Robby pointed to the man, who found a seat on the two men coach opposite the wooden desk of the reception. Next of the coach were two small coffee tables. Both of the tables had a big plant. One of the tables even had a little letter box. On the wooden desk of the reception were a lot of small notes on the corner, close to the entrance of the reception desk. They were messages from missed phone calls to the many overseas students, who stayed in the hostel.

The man on the coach smoked a cigarette, while behind him was a clear sticker that said, ‘no smoking’. He ignored the sticker and continued smoking his Benson & Hedges cigarette. He was dressed in a dark leather jacket. Underneath he wore a dark shirt, dark pants and dark shoes. He looked smart. She would believe he was the owner of a business. He was dressed for the job. She couldn’t say that of her friend at reception. Robby wore a polo shirt, some old faded jeans and sneakers on his feet. His long blonde hair was tight back in a ponytail. The man in dark had short hair and looked very masculine.

May I please introduce you to my friend Konrad. He’s the owner of a motel in Surrey Hills. He used to have a backpackers’ hostel in Clovelly, but he sold it, when he got his Australian Citizenship and passport. He’s like you from Europe.

Konrad looked at Julia. He paid a lot of attention to her clothes and her short hair. There wasn’t much left of what used to be long gorgeous dark blonde hair. It was cut short in a simple buzz cut, what looked suitable for her position as a cleaner in this hostel. She had a nice, friendly, warm face. Her smile was the best he saw in years. She was very natural. She looked very simply but he wondered why his friend liked her so much. What did she have, what the others lacked?

Hi, nice to meet you, sir. I’m Julia. Sorry for my behaviour.

She was polite. He inspected her hand. She offered it very gently. He took her hand and gave her a little kiss. She blushed a bit.

Good evening, Miss Julia. Nice to meet you. I’ Konrad. As your friend mentioned before, I own a motel further in town.

They looked at each other. They tried to read each other’s mind. Julia was all smiles. She looked warm and bubbly. She was the kind of girl he would love to have in his motel. She would be a perfect receptionist. She was clearly someone he could trust. He couldn’t say that for the moment with his present receptionist. The guy was a drunk and made too many mistakes during his work.

Where you from? Your English looks perfect. I guess you must be from of the northern countries in Europe.

I’m from the Netherlands, Konrad. She said and looked at her friend Robby. He liked Dutch women. And I would say, you are either from Austria or Germany. I could be mistaken but I actually think you are from Poland. You look a bit Polish to me.

She pointed to his face. He showed a smile and nodded. She was the first, who spotted his true identity. She kept it to herself. It didn’t matter, what his original nationality was. He was now officially an Australian and did his best to act like an Aussie. Only he missed out on the Aussie slang. He still didn’t have it. Even Robby didn’t sound like a native Australian, while he was born and raised inside this country.

So, you’re Robby’s new girlfriend?

No, we’re only friends. I am not his girlfriend. She made quickly clear to both. I share a room with him, but I have no love affair with him.

She took a seat next of Konrad. They both looked at her, when she ran her hand through the short bristles on top of her head. It looked so short, but it had been much shorter before. She didn’t look feminine with her present look and didn’t care. She wanted to look different. After all, she was still a single independent traveller/ backpacker. She chooses to look a bit like a tomboy, so she could enjoy her freedom.

What did you bring yourself over to Australia? When did you arrive in the country? What will be your next destination after Sydney? Have you seen much yet of the country?

She shook her head. She thought of her arrival. That was only a few months ago. She wasn’t that long yet in Australia and she hadn’t seen much yet. Maybe soon she would be able to leave Bondi and see a bit more of the country. Her plan was to see as much as possible before she would go Asia, her next destination on her long and planned journey.

Not much if you would like to know. She looked in the direction of her friend, Robby. I haven’t seen much of the country. I still hope I can have a chance before my visa expires.

Julia took a sip of her coffee. It tasted creamy and sweet. The men were pleased with their hot drink.

You know, my big plan is still to see as much as I can of this amazing country. I spent a day already in the Blue Mountains. I booked that trip last year December. It was during my first week since my arrival early December 1999. I spent most of the times in the city, but that was a daytrip I had to do. From the Christmas period I moved from a nice hotel to Bondi. I celebrated Christmas Day on the beach with a couple of other backpackers. The hostel organised a perfect Christmas meal. On New Year’s Eve, you know the day of the new Millennium started, I was in the city and celebrated this special event with thousands of others at Circular Quay and the big park. I saw the best firework show in my life. It was so amazing.

Yes, that was a good show. We can be proud to have the best fireworks in the world. Konrad had to admit. Have you seen more of this country?

Julia shook her head. She kept on looking at Robby. He said nothing. He kept his mouth shut. It was a wise decision of him.

No, I wish. I tried to go to Melbourne. I was about to go, when Robby was so kind to ask me for some favours. He hoped I could stay a bit longer in Bondi. As you can see. I am still here. She looked suddenly a bit unhappy. I hope one day I can leave Bondi and continue with my journey through this country before I move to Asia.

Konrad liked her. She gave honest answers. He looked only once in the direction of Robby. He knew his old mate better than anyone else. He knew he could persuade others. He manipulated young girls, so they would stay longer than they actually wanted.

Right. You should go and see more of this country. I guess you would like to travel like the rest, don’t you? He looked her straight into her pretty blue eyes. She had a lovely face, a bit pale but very gentle, warm and soft. I hope I don’t insult you, but I was wondering. Are you a backpacker and are you like them who loved to stay in all these shitty places?

She stared back in his eyes. He had a nasty, cold stare. It wasn’t the friendliest stare she ever experienced. She nodded and showed a big smile on her lovely face. She noticed the facial expression of her new friend. It was clear, he wasn’t very happy to hear her honest answer. He couldn’t believe it that she was like so many other young people a shitty backpacker. So, she must be poor and for those reasons she chose to live in hostels like this place, the Bondi Lodge. He wondered if she would have stayed in his old hostel, when he started his business in Australia. Would she have loved it or would she have disliked him?

Tell me, Julia. Are you one of those shitty backpackers?

No, Konrad. She is not a shitty backpacker and she is certainly not cheap shit. Robby snapped back from his position. He had enough of the insults from his old friend. He couldn’t stand it how he insulted his new friend. It was a very weak and sudden attack on this poor girl. Don’t call her cheap shit, Konrad. She has more class than the ones you tried to refer to. She is not like them.

Oh, it’s ok, Robby, She stood up and defended herself. Yes, Konrad. You are right. I am a backpacker and I arrived in Australia with a big heavy backpack. You were right to call me a backpacker. No, I am not cheap shit and I am not poor, if that is what you think I should be.

She looked at both men. You should know, I am a single independent young woman, who is well financed. I worked very hard for my money and so did many of these young backpackers before they made the long flight to Australia. Most of them are here on a working holiday visa and I can bet you, they will work very hard for their money, so they can travel further. My plans are to stay only temporary in Sydney before I make a move to another city. After Australia, I hope to travel to Southeast Asia before I fly back home to my own county.

Konrad was not really convinced with her answer. He kept on staring. At least, he stopped with all the nasty insults. He would see and meet her hopefully soon again. They would have plenty of time to know each other a bit better.

Robby, it was good to see you again. It had been a while ago. I hope we can see each other more often in this little shit hole and hope to enjoy more of your time. Good night to both of you.

Goodnight, Konrad. Robby mumbled back. I hope we can see each other soon again. You should know, mate. I am around most of the time in the evening. At least I will be working every Sunday and Monday evening plus several other days in the week.

Konrad nodded only. He looked around and walked outside the hostel. Julia and Robby saw him leaving so sudden. She returned back to her work in the kitchen. Robby continued his work at the reception.

Two hours later, she reappeared in the lobby with two hot mugs of coffee. She gave Robby a coffee. She took a seat alone on the sofa. She took her time to drink her hot cup of coffee. She stared at the man opposite of her. She knew hardly a thing about him. She thought she could trust him. They shared a space together upstairs on the corner right. He was always very kind. Still, she knew nothing about his past.

Robby, what was that all about? She looked her friend in his eyes. Why was he so rude to me, when I told him I was like many other of our guests a backpacker? Why doesn’t he like them? What have they done wrong to him? How do you look at backpackers? What’s your opinion?

He took a cigarette from a pack on the wooden desk of the reception. He was so kind to offer Julia one. He knew she was a social worker. She smoked only occasionally but only when someone else would offer her a cigarette. When she flew to Australia, she bought on the airport in Amsterdam a big pack of cigarettes together with a big bottle of The Glenlivet Scotch whisky. She wanted to share it with others. After all, she was a very social person, who didn’t mind sharing a lot with others.

Julia. I know him for a very long time. You should know, we were once both hostel owners. He didn’t like the clientele and couldn’t stand all these young backpackers. I was very good with them. I had once the best hostel in the city. It was my pride and joy. I will tell you one day my real story, love. You will be shocked how I lost it. Nowadays I earn my bread and butter with this job. It’s not the best job. I lost so much, and I wonder if I will ever get it all back. I tell you, Julia. You will love to hear my story and you would wish you were here a few years ago when I was still a successful hostel owner.

She only nodded, when he told her parts of his story. She thought back of her long flight from her own country, The Netherlands all the way to the other part of the world here in Sydney, Australia. She thought of the crazy idea, what she had for years in her mind. For a very long time she wanted to travel to Australia. She had seen parts of her own continent, Europe. That was still too close to her home. Twice, she travelled by train through Europe like many other young backpackers. It was a test case for her. For many years, she wanted to make this once in a lifetime crazy long journey full of adventure. She wanted to tell others her own story how much she loved to travel around this beautiful planet, Earth.

Australia was always a big journey for many young students and other young people. She knew her friends back home were jealous. She was the one who saved up enough money to make the long big trip. Before she started her long and crazy journey, she heard some interesting stories from her dear aunty and sister. They both had been there before. They told her many interesting stories. They intrigued Julia so much that she would make one day in her life such an amazing long journey to the east herself. The trip to Australia was only the first step of a bigger journey what laid ahead of her.

2 FIRST SECRET MEETING

IN A SMALL AND DARK place, two people were sharing a drink and a meal. They knew each other for a couple of years. Both, they were on the brink of a change in their lives. The meeting was special. The food was less important, the booze went fast. Their small table was filled with several empty wine bottles, while he ordered another one.

I can’t stay any longer in that awful place. He looked in her dark eyes. She read the signs. I can’t work for that monster any longer. He doesn’t recognise me as a normal human being. For him, I am a simple slave and he things he can do whatever he wants with me. If I refuse, he can throw me out and then I will be in serious trouble.

Can’t you fight him? What do you want to do? You know, you cannot stay at my place. That will be one of the first locations he will check as soon as you would disappear.

He sighed out loud. He took a big gulp of his wine and nearly choked. He put the glass down. She shook her head, when he refilled both glasses. He drunk more than her. He was an alcoholic. One day, the booze would kill him if he didn’t stop drinking. She drank occasionally. She controlled her bad habits, but even she couldn’t live without her booze and her dope. She needed the stuff to calm her nerves. Without the drugs, she would be a nerve rag.

I have to leave that place. I can’t stay much longer. I don’t feel safe if I have to live much longer under the smoke of this monster.

Where can you go? Do you know a safe place?

He nodded. He had it all planned before he asked her for this special meeting. No one else knew about their secret meeting. They had to keep it secret. Too many people wanted to know too much from them. People had the nasty habit of talking. They would talk. They were afraid if he would discover they had a special meeting. It would jeopardise their big plans.

How’s that hostel of yours? Is it still open and running?

Yeah, I am still open, but I don’t know how much longer I will keep it open. The place is a complete dump. It’s falling apart. I can’t do any maintenance. I used a few contractors, but these assholes didn’t repair a single thing. They only thing they did, was presenting me a nice bill of a few grand. As if I am a wealthy woman. Those assholes.

What would you like to do with that place?

Sell it. The sooner, the better. I don’t receive new guests. The ones, who stay in my place, pay only the bare minimum and I should be happy to have a few money stripped young backpackers, who don’t care much about the place. The only thing they do, is drinking booze and smoking lots of pot. They are returning guests and they all hope my ex will take over, so they can have more parties and more fun.

She looked at her plate. She toyed a bit with her fork. She tried to eat a bit, but she wasn’t hungry. She looked at his place. He was nearly done with his food. He drank more, but he was smart enough to eat also.

They looked around in the small, dark restaurant. The place was busy. The place was run by an Italian family. The staff were all foreigners, who came to Australia on a working holiday visa. All of them worked very hard and earned their unfair wages and tips. The place reminded her of the good old days when she ran her own hostel together with her husband. He was a good man. He did a lot for all these poor backpackers. He knew plenty of businesses in Bondi and surrounding areas. He supplied many of the chefs of good staff. In return he received free meals or discounts. It all changed when he suddenly disappeared. He went away for a few months and returned as a broken man, who lost everything he ever owned.

How much do you think he has saved with that clever scheme? Do you really think he is the only one who knows about it?

He showed a thin smile on his face. He looked at a young waitress. He ordered another bottle of wine and paid attention to his table partner.

I am not sure. I guess he must have saved somewhere between a quarter to half a million bucks. It could be more, but I doubt it if it is less. You know, he keeps it all to himself. He doesn’t talk about it with his wife or with his guests. All I can see, he makes his money on a very sneaky way.

He’s careful. I can’t say that about my ex. He was too open. His guests could see what he did with the money he stole from them. He wasted it on stupid vintage toys. I was glad when I sold his flat and all those damn toys.

That’s the problem with my boss. His only toys are his guns. I have no access to them, but it would be nice to see him without them.

How would you stop him? She looked him closely in his face. He said nothing. His mind was spinning. He looked back up.

We need to take that box and report him to the authorities. I would like to know how he would react when he has to deal with the police?

She nodded. She liked his plan. It was risky, but it would be a nice way to hurt his employer. He was a good friend of her ex. Together they set up this smart money scheme. It made them both rich. Her ex lost it all, while the other was still saving more. It was time to stop him from skimming his own guests. None of them had any idea what he did to them. It wasn’t very easy to prove that they were skimmed. Robby knew well how to hide it from his wife and the authorities. His mate must be even smarter.

Yeah, I think it should work. Where does he keep all that money? Does he have a special safe deposit box at the bank or does he keep it in a special locked box in the office of his motel or wherever?

It was till last week in the office. I caught him a few times. I know he saved up a couple of grand, but I guess it must be much more.  I am not surprised if he saved up close to half a million bucks. It could be even more, it could also be less.

So, it’s no longer in the office? Do you have any idea where he might keep it?

He nodded. He knew his employer very well. He lived 24 hours a day in the damn motel and spent enough time with the monster. He never treated him fair and was always rude to him. He did his best to stay sober. The ruder his employer became the more he started to drink. He took even now and then drugs. He couldn’t use it inside the motel. There was a no drugs policy in the place. He would be out on the street, if he would smoke a single joint inside his room. His employer made it clear to him. No one was allowed to take drugs. Alcohol was fine as long as people cleared up their own mess. Drugs were clearly a big taboo.

The only place I know where he could keep it, will be his house.

The both knew his house. She had been there many times, when she was still together with her husband. She knew where he lived. She lived in his neighbourhood. Her hostel was not far away from his place. He passed it often but ignored the place now her ex was no longer living and working there.

We shall need help to get access to that fortress. I know he has a top of the range alarm system and we can’t have it triggered, while we try to steal his money.

See what you can do. You might need to talk to his wife or better. Talk with the sister. She doesn’t like him. I hear from his wife she wants to go back to Korea. She had enough of this country and in particular of him.

They finished their wine. She got up and went to the ladies’. He asked a waitress for their bill. He checked his wallet and paid cash for the six bottles and two meals. She showed up again and apologised.

Sorry, about that. I needed to pee.

Nah, it’s ok. You drank a lot and you needed to empty your bladder. No worries. Are you still agree with my plan?

Yes, I am. We need to come with an organized plan. We need a day when we can execute our plan and we shall need help. First, you need to leave him and plan it carefully. You can’t do it from the motel. You need to use a new place where you can live safe and far away from this monster. We can’t execute your idea if you get caught by the authorities. See first if you can find a safe haven somewhere in the country.

I have a few places where I can go. He doesn’t know. Even if he does know where I am, he cannot pay a visit. It is well protected and far away from his business and his house. I shall be safe there. I will stay there till we execute our plan. I will let you know, when I have a plan.

They got up and left the small restaurant. On the pavement, they said goodbye. He took a bus towards the city where he had to change for another bus, that would bring him back to the motel. She walked slowly back to the hostel. She thought it all over. She wanted to hurt this man, who was too close to her ex. She couldn’t stand it what they both did to their own guests. They were dishonourable man and didn’t deserve a lot of money that was made through a sophisticated money scheme. She should report him to the authorities. She should have, but she didn’t. She wanted to have a share in the money, what he dishonestly earned over the backs of his own guests. Like her ex, he behaved like a prick and it was about time he would go down. The future would tell.

3 A NIGHTMARE IN HORNSBY NORTH SYDNEY

ROBBY WAS OVER HIS head in love with this young blonde girl, who stayed for a long time in his hostel in Bondi. She was from the Netherlands. She travelled to Australia on a working holiday visa. She drew a lot of attention to Robby. He thought she was wealthy. She talked a lot about money. Some of her family members were wealthy, but she wasn’t so lucky. She was petite, had long blonde hair and blue eyes. She came from a small family. They were not so happy that she left them. They all hoped she would comeback as soon as possible. Some of her family had a premonition. One day, something would happen to their lovely girl.

Robby’s relationship with Suzie lasted quite a while. His wife knew about her. She was jealous. She knew he wouldn’t stay forever with that young blonde girl. There would come a moment they would break up. The relationship between Robby and his wife, Valery wasn’t going well either. As long as they would be together nothing would happen to the hostel. If one of them would leave, the hostel business would be over. The first cracks were already visible. The hostel didn’t look as great as it used to be. Robby wasted more time with Suzie than with his business. He was the one who did all the maintenance work. Val kept an eye on the accounts, but she couldn’t spot the secret little money scheme, what Robby installed to surplus his income. He discovered this simple scheme and tested it till he made some money. He changed it a bit and made more money. From that moment he knew he found a way to earn more than only with his simple business. If he would invest his money well, he could even make more.

He used his friendship with young Suzie till she ran out of money. Till then, their relationship looked solid. From the moment she told him she had no more money, he went berserk. The hell broke loose. No one could have stopped him. He demanded more from her, but poor Suzie wasn’t able to give him any form of support. She tried to explain her situation, but Robby wasn’t interested in her stories. He didn’t believe her anymore. As if he was always honest. She wanted to leave him and fly as soon as possible back to her family in the Netherlands. She hoped she would be safe from an unleashed monster.

Valery swore she would take her revenge if he would run away from her. Although their relationship was close to an end, none of them wanted to divorce. Valery discovered some things that weren’t right in the hostel. She would find the truth as soon as he would be gone to a long-planned sailing trip. She managed to take control over the business. There were suddenly a lot of complaints from guests, mostly young female backpackers. She wanted to sort out all these problems before she would sort out the mess and state of her husband.

Robby was a popular guy in Bondi. He did a lot of things and thought he could too many things. He was fond of young women. They came often to him in the evening, when he was alone. He arranged a lot of things for them. Then, suddenly, they started to complain about his behaviour. The series of complaints made it impossible for him to function as the main manager of his own hostel. Someone else had to take over his position. His wife Val waited long enough for the golden moment. She took over the hostel and started to change the business.

A horrible fight broke out in a small apartment in Hornsby. Robby and his girlfriend, Suzie had big disagreements about her financial status. She ran out of money. Robby used her as his private bank. He demanded more from her in return she gave little back.

The punch in the face happened sudden. She felt his fist hard in her face. He punched her almost to the ground. He could stop her by pulling her long blonde hair. He lifted her face up and gave her another hard blow in the face.

Give me what I want, and I shall let you go.

No, fuck you, asshole. I will give you nothing.

He punched her again. He held her head back by her long hair. This time he hit her hard near her eyes. As a result, she had to black eyes. She could hardly see through her eyes. Her skull was bursting of pain. He let her go and heard a loud bang. She dropped hard on the wooden oak floor. He kicked her hard in her stomach.

Get up, bitch. I want my money. Give it to me. Now!

She wanted to cry but she couldn’t. She laid helpless on the filthy wooden floor. Robby looked at her body. He noticed she wasn’t moving. He stopped with kicking her. He looked down. Was she still alive? He didn’t have the courage to check if she was alive or murdered by his hands. He couldn’t stay there in the apartment. He had to leave.

He looked around him. There were too many fingerprints in this place. It was rented with her money, but the place was in his name. He would be the prime suspect in a police investigation. He checked his hands. They were covered in blood. The face of Suzie was no longer pretty but ugly. He knocked some of her teeth out of her mouth, broke her nose and he had no idea how much damage he had caused to the rest of her body.

Robby had no intentions in hitting a woman. He didn’t like violence. He was normally a peaceful man. That evening, something