Deadly Start

by Clark Phillipa Nefri

  “Oh, for goodness sake.” Rosie’s voice was calm and clear, and heads turned in her direction. “Has this meeting been called to blame one family for being in the right business at this time of year? Do you blame alarm companies as well when there’s a break in?”

  Veronica, who’d been staring at Rosie, stepped forward. “It makes sense. The Christmas tree from the roundabout simply cannot be replaced on short notice, except by Darcy Forest.”

  “Where is he anyway? Shouldn’t he be here to stand up for himself?” another voice from somewhere in the crowd. People muttered amongst themselves. Kevin and Jonas exchanged a nod.

  This was getting out of hand. Was Rosie the only voice of reason? Esther and Doug—wearing chef’s whites—stepped through the crowd to the front. Doug spoke quietly to Jonas, who moved off his crate.

  Doug took his place. “Look, I’m meant to be making you lot delicious pizzas and pastas, not running out here to talk some sense.” He paused as a couple of people laughed. “But when our shop window was smashed the other night, we struggled to come up with enough money to replace the tree. And you’ve got to have one, particularly in a shop.”

  “So why not just get another artificial one?” Kevin asked. “Replace what you had?”

  “Actually, we planned to. We’d got the last one from Veronica.”

  The crowd looked at her and she nodded. “I put them in when I saw how busy people were. Better to buy local, I say.”

  “And we would have, but your prices had gone up. Like, a lot up. Darcy’s are much cheaper, and we got a potted one to plant afterwards. Keep the tradition going, eh, Rosie?” Doug winked at Rosie and she smiled.

  “Well, I am quite offended you’d say such a thing!” Veronica was bright red. “I’m only a single mother who needs to provide for my children alone and pay my staff. There are overheads you know.”

  “Nah, don’t be offended.” Doug patted her shoulder as he stepped off the crate. “Everyone’s trying to make a living. But we just couldn’t justify paying double Darcy’s price. Sorry. But he isn’t guilty of anything.”

  Veronica stomped off around the other side of the fountain. Charlotte waited for someone to follow her, or call her back, but everyone was watching Jonas who’d returned to the crate.

  “So, Doug has declared the Forests aren’t behind the thefts. If I didn’t appreciate his cooking so much, I’d have to ask him how he knows.” Jonas waited for laughter, but none came. The crowd began to thin. “If anyone knows anything, or has any theories, speak with Sid. You can do so anonymously.”

  “Until he tracks you down.” Rosie spoke under her breath.

  “Rosie?”

  “Nothing. I might go.” She spun the wheelchair around and with Charlotte at her side, headed toward the bookshop. Jonas’ voice followed them until they reached the road.

  Charlotte gazed back. Only a handful of people remained. Kevin, Jonas and Veronica were in a huddle. “Shall I get some pitchforks?”

  “I think it’s all bluff, Charlie. Those two men like the sound of their own voices but it is unprofessional for a councillor to speak out against rate-paying residents and business owners. Thank goodness for Doug.”

  “Did you know Veronica sells trees?”

  “Can’t say I did. Really have only spoken to her once or twice.”

  “Do you mind if I walk with you for a bit? Need to work off my dinner.”

  “Can you keep up?” Rosie grinned and took off at speed.

  “Hey! You got a head start!”

  Chapter Nineteen

  On the way to her street, Rosie filled Charlotte in on the structure of local council. Although most people, and even some maps, included Kingfisher Falls in the Macedon Ranges, it was its own tiny shire, bordered by Macedon Ranges shire on two sides. Its council resisted regular attempts to change its status, but Rosie believed it was inevitable.

  “With the current lot of councillors, the mayor, and Sid, what hope is there of staying autonomous?” Rosie pulled up at the corner. “And now they want to chase the Forests out, I can’t see anything but mayhem and sadness ahead.”

  “Mayhem and Mellow. That’s who you should worry about, not the silly antics of grown adults who should know better. Rosie, I’ve seen people like this before and as you say, there’s a lot of bluff. Shall I walk to the house with you?”

  Rosie laughed, finally releasing some of the negative energy the evening produced in them both. “Do you know how long I’ve done this for, young lady? Back and forth, no matter what the season or the weather. Although if its wet or snowing I do take the car.”

  “Snowing?”

  “At least once a winter, sometimes more. Now, off with you unless you need me to hold your hand.”

  With a wave, Rosie wheeled off along the footpath. Charlotte backed against a tree, out of sight, just to be sure Rosie was safely home before leaving. As much as she might encourage Rosie to not worry, Charlotte was. This town was a hotbed of corruption. Tonight alone, she’d observed more than one attempt to direct attention away from the people responsible for law and order and keeping the community both informed and feeling safe.

  She saw Rosie turn into her driveway. Back on the main road, she noticed many of the houses had their curtains drawn shut. Last night, she’d seen into brightly decorated lounge rooms as she’d passed. How sad. The crime was taking its toll.

  Was this some attempt to disrupt the town or were the Forest family being set up. And if so, why?

  Glenys lived next door to them. But she was hardly hooning around in a ute. Charlotte needed to ask Rosie if Glenys had any sons or other young male relatives or friends. A ‘Darro’, for example.

  The roundabout was ahead, and several cars were parked around its perimeter. Charlotte slowed, taking a wide berth but interested in what was going on. Darcy stood in the middle with a tape measure. To one side was Terrance, with Jonas behind him, on the phone and waving an arm about.

  Sid was on a corner, arms crossed and legs apart, glaring at the roundabout. Charlotte found a dark spot between shops and waited. She was making a habit of skulking around in dark places. Possibly not the best thing to do when the town police officer was looking for any opportunity to make her life difficult.

  Darcy finished measuring and waited as Jonas completed his phone call, making some notes on a pad. Did he know some of the townsfolk, including the man near him, thought he and his lovely family responsible for the tree thefts? If he did, how could he be so calm? Charlotte was angry on his behalf.

  Off the phone, Jonas listened to whatever Darcy said. He shook his head. Now Terrance joined in, a bit more subtle with his response but still not exactly friendly. At no point was the conversation heated, but Charlotte read the signs. They wanted him to drop his price. She wanted to stride onto the roundabout and take over negotiations.

  Behave. This isn’t your fight.

  But in some ways, it was. Charlotte’s sense of right and wrong had got her in trouble from the first year of school. She’d jump in and stand up and protect until she was exhausted and beaten down and sad. It never stopped her though. Sometimes people needed a champion.

  As voices rose, snippets made it to Charlotte.

  “Too expensive.” From Jonas.

  “Be community minded.” Terrance.

  “Family to feed.” Darcy. “New baby almost here.”

  “Not our problem.” Jonas.

  Charlotte’s fingers had closed into tight balls and she forced them open again before the tension pushed her into action.

  Darcy closed his notepad and shook his head.

  Jonas stormed off, straight to Sid. They turned away from the roundabout in agitated conversation, but it was too far for Charlotte to hear. Darcy’s shoulders had slumped. Her heart went out to him. What a difficult situation, when you need to sell but can’t afford to take a big hit on the price.

  She narrowed her eyes as she looked back at the corner. Sid and Jonas had turned around again to look at Da
rcy. They still muttered to each other, but their body language gave away some agreement. Then, Sid patted Jonas’ shoulder.

  Darcy straightened when Jonas returned to the roundabout. This time, Jonas held out his hand to shake and after a hesitant moment, Darcy took it.

  Sid was gone. Charlotte had no idea where he went but he’d virtually melted into the dark. No sign of his car. Jonas and Terrance climbed into their respective cars and drove off in different directions, leaving Darcy to do another measure. Charlotte emerged from her spot.

  “Hi, Darcy.” She crossed the road and he looked up with surprise that turned into a smile.

  “Didn’t see you there. How’s the tree?”

  “Enjoying a bit of shade and lots of sun and water. I think it might just grow up.”

  “Sorry you paid for it.”

  “Are you kidding? I’m a sucker for turning broken into whole.” Charlotte said. “Are you replacing the tree here?”

  Utter relief crossed his face and he nodded. “After a bit of negotiation, yes. I understand the council isn’t made of money, but nor am I. For a job this big I must hire someone to help fell the tree, help with transport, and then erect it safely here.”

  “Where they trying to get a big discount?”

  “Apparently I should have donated it. And then they offered quarter what my cost will be.”

  “But they changed their minds?”

  “Still not full price, but I’ll make a little bit.” Darcy tossed the tape measure and notepad into his car. “Much as it pains us to hear about the break-ins recently, I’m mighty thankful people have chosen to replace their trees with one of ours.”

  Charlotte smiled. “I imagine children aren’t the cheapest people to live with.”

  He laughed; his face happier than she’d seen all night. “We get there. Just hoping to make enough to cover the outstanding rates on the farm, and then enough for some new wood turning tools. Trained as a carpenter and figured I might start making furniture from some of the trees we sell.”

  “Nothing like locally made furniture. I’d buy it. Maybe people could return their used trees for recycling?”

  Darcy’s eyes lit up. “Never thought of that. I could keep a bit aside from each sale and give them something when they come back.”

  “Or add a little extra and keep that.”

  “Are you a business manager? I could use someone, for sure.”

  “Nope. But I have a head full of ideas which are generally quite useless, so don’t expect the next gem to be valuable. Goodnight.” Charlotte grinned and stepped off the roundabout.

  “Night.”

  Darcy tooted as he passed her a couple of minutes later and she waved. There was no way Darcy was involved in any wrongdoing. He had plans. They were hard working, good people with good values.

  Only one thing made her wonder. He’d mentioned council rates. Outstanding ones. If the Christmas Tree farm was under threat of repossession, it might be enough to drive a person to make bad decisions. Sometimes the risk might seem worth it.

  Chapter Twenty

  The view from the lookout at dawn was worth the climb. After a night of restless sleep, Charlotte decided to burn off the excess energy by retracing her steps from the other night. It was just light enough to avoid needing a flashlight when she’d followed the path from the main road, and the higher she got, the brighter the sky.

  Around her, the air was alive with birdsong, competing against the cascade of the falls. It was a bit unnerving to discover how close she’d been at times to slippery edges and possibly falling by wandering around in the dark. Even though the lookout had a sturdy rail, it didn’t fully surround the area and a person might lose sight of the edge and tumble over.

  And it was a long way down. Charlotte peered over the side. There was an almost sheer drop to the river of at least a hundred metres.

  Rosie had mentioned people falling. Charlotte grimaced. Had anyone survived? Perhaps the railing wasn’t there when it happened.

  Enough of this doom and gloom. It was going to be a glorious day from the appearance of the rapidly lightening sky with its drifts of golden and pink cloud.

  Charlotte took the steps down to the bottom of the falls, conscious of some slippery parts that weren’t maintained. The ramp that Rosie mentioned was a mess, full of potholes and overgrown in many places. No wheelchair or pram could safely navigate it. Surely council was responsible for this? Or maybe it was Parks and Wildlife. Easy enough to check later and make a complaint to the right place.

  The falls disappeared from view as the steps wound through old forest. Massive ferns and a canopy of ghost gums cooled the air. Charlotte stood still for a moment as a large bird crossed ahead. Its huge red bill and head shield made for a ferocious first impression, but the glossy black top half of the body and brilliant blue bottom belonged to the quite benign Swamp Hen, which Charlotte had seen around the edge of town before. It wandered back to the undergrowth and Charlotte continued.

  The path suddenly took a sharp turn and the canopy disappeared. Charlotte stepped onto lush grass at the edge of the large pool at the bottom of the waterfall. The water was clear to the bottom and flowed away slowly to become part of the river. She squatted and trailed her fingers in water that was surprisingly cold. The sheer beauty of the landscape tip-toed into her heart. This really was a place she could love and call home

  Almost every customer wanted to talk about the meeting last night and what they dubbed the ‘Christmas Tree Thief’ affair. Some people were outraged that the Forest family were being targeted, but others shared their concerns.

  “It does have some fact behind it.” One woman looked over her shoulder as she loudly whispered. “That farm has never recovered from the scandal. Apples don’t fall far from trees, mark my words!”

  “I’ll mark your words as utter rubbish.” Rosie had muttered the minute the customer left. “With a cherry on top.”

  Charlotte giggled.

  Rosie stared at her so solemnly that Charlotte stopped. “Sorry.”

  “This is not a laughing matter.”

  “No. But you are so sweet and always polite to the nth degree so…”

  “If you knew what I think sometimes, you’d be whipping out those psychoanalyst tools and measuring me for a straitjacket.”

  “Nah. Nothing going on with you that needs as much as a sedative. By scandal, did she mean the divorce?” Charlotte tidied rows of Christmas cards on a spinning stand. “How long ago was it?”

  “Ten years or so. Darcy had just left home to do an apprenticeship in Geelong.”

  “Carpentry. He told me last night.”

  “Okay, you need to explain.”

  “I will but finish first.” Charlotte shuffled some overstocked cards into empty slots.

  “Well, it was all very sudden. Darcy’s father came to see me, all upset. Wanted to return a book he’d bought for his wife’s birthday a couple of days earlier. I gave him a refund and he told me to keep the money. He just didn’t want the book because she’d packed up, on her birthday mind you, and told him she was leaving with Octavia’s husband. Don’t think he ever saw her again.”

  “Wow. How heartbreaking.”

  “He was shattered. Let the farm go. Once it was the destination place to buy trees and was a thriving little wholesale nursery. There’s greenhouses up there and he sold seedlings and young trees to the garden centres.”

  “Like the one owned by Veronica?”

  “Yes.” Rosie wheeled across to Charlotte. “After a year or so, he’d closed the nursery side of it and every Christmas sold less and less. He wasn’t well liked by then with his temper, so people went elsewhere.”

  “Darcy mentioned he has to pay off land rates.”

  “Did he now? Guess his father left him more than just an under-performing business.” Rosie handed Charlotte some money. “Get us some coffees? Then you can tell me why you suddenly know so much about Darcy Forest.”

  When Rosie went for a
short lunch break later, Charlotte opened a local region book she’d seen earlier to read up on the Swamp Hen she’d seen on her walk earlier and was pleased she’d identified it correctly. She rather liked birds and might have to buy some binoculars and take bird watching a bit more seriously.

  “Interested in our natural wonders, dear?”

  Charlotte jumped. She’d not heard Glenys enter the shop and was a bit shocked to find her standing only a few feet away, leaning on a walking stick.

  “Glenys. Apologies, I didn’t hear you come in.”

  Glenys tilted her head to one side with a slight smile. “You had your head buried in that book. Do you know, I took some of the photographs in it?”

  “You did? Oh, please show me.”

  For a few minutes, Glenys went through the book showing off her skills, which were excellent. She explained she’d been a wedding photographer for a long time but longed to be known as a wildlife expert.

  “I’m so impressed, Glenys. What an interesting life you’ve led.” Finally, Charlotte was able to close the book and slide it back on the shelf. “Is there something in particular you’re looking for today?”

  “Not as such.” Glenys hobbled to the counter and Charlotte went to the opposite side.

  “Are you alright? I’ve not seen you with a walking stick before.”

  “Oh, it’s an old injury that plays up now and then when I overdo things. The thing is, I said some unkind words about the Forest family the other day and wanted to let you and dear Rosie know I was simply out of sorts. In a bit of pain and wasn’t being very nice.”

  “We really didn’t notice.” Charlotte lied.

  “You are too nice. Which is why Rosie has you here. You know all the right things to say which is why the other ladies are surprised you’re working in a shop.” She leaned toward Charlotte with a conspiring wink. “They think you have a past.”