The Man in the Water

by David Burton

  Millie shifted in her seat. ‘Do you think that thing that Peter said last night was right? That Tyson had an accident at work and Simms is trying to cover it up?’

  Shaun cleared his throat and looked down at the boots again. ‘Um, yeah, probably. But I don’t know.’

  ‘It sounds right,’ she said. ‘Have they told you much about how he turned up this morning?’

  ‘No, the police wouldn’t tell us anything.’

  ‘They found him in that rusted bathtub near the skate park. They say he drowned.’

  Shaun imagined the bathtub: empty and dry. He couldn’t remember the last time there’d been water in it. Then again, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d looked at it properly. ‘How would he drown in that?’ he said.

  ‘They’re saying he killed himself.’

  He almost laughed. ‘After his body has been missing for a week?’

  ‘I know,’ she said. ‘It doesn’t make any sense.’

  He tried to wrap his brain round the image. Tyson, dead, at the lake, then missing for a week. Then he turns up in a bathtub at the skate park.

  ‘The thing is,’ she said, ‘he’s just magically turned up a few hours after Peter’s bashed the hell out of Simms.’

  ‘But Simms was in hospital,’ Shaun added.

  ‘How do you know that?’

  ‘I saw him. I was there just a few hours ago. He’s been there overnight. They mustn’t have wanted him to go home, maybe for his own protection.’

  ‘So, Simms can’t have had anything to do with it?’

  Shaun wasn’t ready to clear his name just yet. ‘Unless he dropped Tyson off at the tub before Peter bashed Simms.’

  She frowned. ‘That would’ve been – what – like, seven o’clock? Surely someone would have seen.’

  Shaun tried to picture the scene in his head. She was right. It would have been almost impossible for Simms to drop off the body at that time of night. The bathtub was right near the skate park, across the road from the plaza. There was the pub there too. Someone would have seen him. Which meant whoever had the body dropped it off after Peter had bashed Simms, once the area was properly quiet.

  So Simms couldn’t have been involved.

  Millie rubbed her eyes. ‘Jesus Christ,’ she said. ‘What happened to him? They’re saying he killed himself, but it doesn’t make sense. He wouldn’t. And why would they hide him for a week? Wouldn’t the – you know,’ she stumbled trying to get the word out, ‘the body have to be preserved?’ Her face twisted at the thought.

  Shaun sat down next to her. ‘Was there anyone who wanted to hurt Tyson?’

  ‘Not that I can think of. I mean, Peter’s pissed off a lot of people over the years, being the union guy. But he’s also got a lot of respect. Tyson tried to stay out of all that. Just did what Peter told him.’

  Shaun thought back to the lake again. Then he had an idea. ‘Did, ah, did Tyson drink Guinness? You know, the beer?’

  Millie recoiled. ‘Nup. He hated it. Couldn’t stand the smell. Why?’

  ‘There was an empty can at the lake. Probably nothing.’

  They were thinking the same thing.

  ‘You know who does drink it, don’t you?’ she said. ‘Peter.’

  But how could Peter be involved in his son’s death? Why would he do that? Besides, Tyson’s body hadn’t shown any signs of a struggle. There wasn’t a head wound. And it looked like Tyson had taken his boots off himself.

  ‘Are you sure,’ he said, his voice going quiet, ‘are you sure Tyson didn’t, you know …’

  Millie bit her lip. ‘No,’ she said. ‘No, he wouldn’t. He wouldn’t leave me here by myself. Not after …’ her voice stopped abruptly and she looked at the ground. Then, ‘We’d just bought this place. He was going to move in. Plus, I’m pregnant.’

  Shaun sank back deeper into the futon. ‘Wow,’ he said.

  ‘Yeah.’

  ‘Does anyone else know?’

  ‘No.’

  He didn’t know what to say. Outside, all traces of sunlight had disappeared from the sky and now the room was even darker. Millie was just an outline in the blackness.

  ‘Congratulations,’ he said eventually.

  ‘Thanks.’

  Shaun walked home in the dark, his head spinning from the day. His body was heavy with exhaustion, but he felt slightly better than a few hours ago. At least now Millie believed him, but their conversation had brought up more questions than answers.

  He stood looking at the miserable, broken letterbox. His mum had boarded up the smashed bedroom window.

  Inside, he heard her voice. ‘No,’ she was saying, ‘he’s just lost his son. And I don’t know what’s going on with Shaun, but I understand how he would be—’

  Shaun entered the house. His mother was speaking to Sergeant Baker.

  ‘Ah,’ Baker said, her face spreading into a smile, ‘just who I wanted to see.’

  His mother’s face relaxed with relief.

  ‘There you are,’ she said.

  ‘Sorry,’ Shaun muttered.

  ‘We were just about to send out a search party,’ Baker said. ‘I’ve been trying to talk your mother into pressing charges against Peter Grant.’

  His mum held up her hands. ‘No, honestly. He’s been through so much. In grief you go a little—’

  But Baker interrupted. ‘It’s not an excuse. You can’t go around town beating up people you don’t like. Coming up with crazy theories about things. We’re the law in this town. We take care of justice.’ She turned to Shaun. ‘Do you hear me, mate?’

  He couldn’t bring himself to look at her.

  ‘It’s our job, okay? Not yours. I don’t want to be talking to you again. You scared your mother out of her mind, running away tonight. Okay?’

  He nodded.

  She turned back to his mum. ‘Sure you don’t want to press charges?’

  ‘Positive. We don’t want to cause trouble.’

  Baker shook her head. ‘Blokes like Grant think they run the place. He’s the one causing trouble. These union blokes are just as buggered as the mines themselves.’

  ‘Yeah. You’re probably right.’

  ‘Meanwhile,’ Baker was on a roll, ‘no-one cares about the farmers struggling in the bloody drought. My family’s been here since before the mines and they’re in serious trouble. But we don’t go around smashing letterboxes.’

  ‘Look, I know Peter’s tough, but he’s just lost his son. Things are tense.’

  Baker smiled. ‘You’re an understanding woman. Your heart’s in the right place.’ She made for the door. ‘Give us a call if anything else happens, all right?’

  With Baker gone, it was just the two of them again. His mum hugged him. For once, Shaun let her.

  ‘Do you want tea?’ she said, flicking the kettle on. ‘Have you had dinner? Where have you been?’

  ‘Out. Sorry. Just thinking.’

  ‘You need to stop thinking.’

  ‘Great,’ he said. ‘Thanks, Mum. I’ll take that on board. Stop thinking.’

  ‘You know exactly what I mean. You need to stop thinking about Tyson.’ She was pulling food out of the fridge. Cold chicken. Lettuce. A tomato. Bread. His stomach rumbled. ‘Like Sergeant Baker said, all that stuff’s their business. Okay?’

  ‘If it’s their business they should’ve believed me in the first place, Mum.’

  ‘Yes, okay. I understand. And I’m not saying I don’t believe you, sweetie, honestly, but—’

  Shaun let out a heavy, frustrated sigh.

  ‘But you don’t know what you saw, either. Do you? You can’t stand there and look me in the eye and tell me this has nothing to do with your father.’

  ‘It doesn’t,’ he said, his voice flat and angry.

  She put a sandwich on the table in front of
him. Her voice changed. ‘I’m trying really hard, okay?’ she said.

  He wanted that sandwich, but to reach for it now felt like he was giving her a point in whatever their stupid battle was.

  ‘I’m trying really hard to understand and to listen,’ she continued. ‘But you have to try too. You have to listen to me. And when things get scary you can’t just run away for hours until it’s night-time. You can’t leave me like that, I’ve already been—’

  The kettle gave out a sharp metallic ting.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ Shaun said quietly. ‘I won’t run away again.’

  She swallowed and nodded and went to make the tea. Shaun attacked the sandwich.

  ‘Another one?’ she said after he’d wiped out the first.

  ‘Thanks, Mum,’ he mumbled.

  It was kind of a truce.

  ‘There’s something else I wanted to discuss with you,’ she said. ‘I got an email today from Mr Tenner about debating. They want to put you on a plane to Brisbane next week.’

  ‘With Will and Megan. I know. Like that’s going to happen now.’

  ‘Why do you say that?’

  ‘Mum, they all hate me. I lied about Tyson.’

  ‘Have they said anything to you?’

  ‘No. Not since they found out.’

  ‘Give them time, you never know.’ She handed him another sandwich. ‘Anyway, Mr Tenner wants to have a meeting tomorrow morning to figure out the arrangements, make sure everyone is on board.’

  Shaun looked up. ‘We’re not going, are we?’

  ‘It’s worth thinking about. See how the others feel. I think some time away from this place would do you all good. You could take a break from everything’s that happened.’

  ‘You mean I’d stop investigating it.’

  ‘Investigating?’ She grinned. ‘Detective Shaun.’

  He felt the familiar surge of anger. ‘Whatever,’ he grumbled, then picked up his plate and went to his room.

  ‘Tomorrow,’ his mum called out, ‘at the school. I’ve already called work. Set your alarm.’

  Shaun walked to school with his head down, his shoulders pulling earthward. His mum trotted in front of him, a trace of anxiety in her step.

  Trust her to insist that everything should carry on as normal. Walking through the school gate, he almost wanted to laugh. A debating trip. Like any other normal school student. You could always trust an adult to pretend everything was normal when everything was completely screwed up.

  When his mother gave his name at the front desk, the receptionist inhaled loudly.

  ‘Yes. Mr Hagger wanted to see you.’

  ‘Oh,’ his mother said, trying not to sound panicked. ‘I thought it was just Mr Tenner.’

  Great. Now the principal wanted to chat too. The receptionist was already on the phone calling through to him.

  There was a familiar voice behind them. Shaun turned to see Will getting a lecture from his own mum.

  ‘Your marks need to improve,’ she was saying, ‘you’re in Year 10 and—’

  She stopped short when she saw Shaun and his mum. ‘Linda!’ she cried, spreading her arms.

  The two mothers hugged and swapped greetings. Will and Shaun exchanged a brief glance.

  Shaun couldn’t remember ever feeling awkward around Will, even when they first met years ago. But now his hands were restless and there was a clumsy feeling in his chest. Was he supposed to say something?

  ‘You’re here about debating too?’

  Will nodded without looking up.

  ‘Mr Hagger wants to be involved,’ Shaun said.

  That got the attention of Will’s mother. ‘Really?’ she said. ‘You boys. How do you manage to get yourselves into such trouble?’

  How much had Will told her? If she knew about Shaun’s lie she wasn’t showing any signs of judging him.

  Mr Hagger, his shoulders like a football player and glasses perched on his nose, arrived and shook hands with the boys and their mothers. Tenner was behind him, smiling and greeting them. Mr Hagger’s office was airless and it made Shaun’s skin feel hot.

  ‘Okay, Mr Tenner,’ Mr Hagger looked at their teacher, ‘what’s the latest?’

  ‘I’ve spoken to Megan and her mother. Megan would still like to participate in the debate, and Elaine feels that Brisbane would be a good break for her. They have some family down there that she can stay with. She won’t be attending school, but we can email back and forth as we prepare.’

  Will’s mum nodded, looking concerned. ‘Of course,’ she said. ‘Poor girl.’

  Mr Hagger shifted in his seat, his bulky frame casting a shadow over much of the room. ‘Now, Shaun,’ he leant across his desk, ‘I drove past your house this morning and I understand there was an incident.’

  Shaun didn’t dare to look up, but his mum cut in. ‘Yes. We certainly have no problem with the Grants. And I can understand Peter’s frustration, given the circumstances. I know Shaun’s very sorry for not minding his own business. We went to a doctor yesterday and I’m finding a psychologist for him as soon as I can.’

  Shaun’s face flushed red. The office walls moved closer.

  Mr Hagger nodded. ‘Okay.’

  ‘Tyson’s funeral is on the weekend,’ Tenner said. ‘Elaine would like Megan to be chaperoned to Brisbane separately. She will attend the debate, but she’ll probably stay with her family for the rest of the time.’

  ‘So, that’s one third of a team,’ Mr Hagger said. ‘Now, we’ve paid for these flights already, because when Mr Tenner first asked both of you boys if you wanted to be involved, you said you were keen. And I know Scotts wants to see the money put to good use. It’s a good thing, really, to send you both down. You’ll represent the school well. It’s a great opportunity for you, Will.’

  ‘Why me, especially?’

  ‘Well,’ Mr Hagger began slowly, ‘Will, your marks haven’t been fantastic. And you know how expensive those flights are. It’d be a shame to see them go to waste.’

  Will’s mum was anxious. ‘I know that he’s been unenthusiastic in the past. But I’d really like him to do it. His marks are not what they should be for English, and I feel like debating’s good for him.’

  Tenner nodded. ‘I don’t understand why you’re reluctant, Will. You’re very good at it. With a bit of work, you could be a real winner.’

  Will didn’t look up. His mum elbowed him.

  ‘Thanks, Mr Tenner,’ he muttered.

  ‘He’ll be there,’ she said. ‘Don’t worry.’

  ‘I’d like to see them both involved,’ said Shaun’s mum. ‘A trip away from everything sounds good.’

  Mr Hagger stood up. ‘That’s settled then.’

  Tenner smiled. ‘I’ll get things organised. We should meet at lunch to discuss the topic.’

  The bell rang, and they were ushered back out of the office. Tenner whistled as he headed for the staffroom. Shaun couldn’t help but think Tenner was the one who had really wanted the trip to Brisbane. Scotts was probably paying for his flights too.

  ‘Behave,’ whispered Shaun’s mum, before hugging him goodbye and heading off with Will’s mum.

  Shaun and Will were suddenly by themselves outside the office. Shaun was about to apologise when Will started speaking.

  ‘So, I’ve thought about it,’ he said, ‘and I know you can’t have been lying about everything, despite what everyone’s saying. I was right there when you found the boots.’

  Shaun looked up. ‘You believe me?’

  ‘Um, yeah.’ Will was confused. ‘Yeah, I believe you. Why wouldn’t I?’

  He started walking and Shaun followed.

  ‘I don’t know. My own mum doesn’t.’

  ‘Well, yeah. But I don’t think you need therapy. I just think you’re a dickhead for lying.’

  Shaun gri
nned. ‘That’s fair.’

  ‘You know you don’t have to lie for me to … I don’t know …’ Will said. ‘I would’ve believed you without the lie.’

  They arrived at the Nigel Tree and Shaun dropped his bag. ‘Thanks,’ he said.

  ‘Besides,’ Will said, ‘I saw the boots. You can’t just show your mum the boots?’

  ‘Haven’t got them anymore.’

  ‘What? Why not?’

  Shaun let out the long story about Millie, including her pregnancy and the details she’d told him about how they found Tyson’s body. Will focused on every word.

  When he was done, Will ran his tongue around his mouth. ‘Right. Okay. That’s epic. That’s nice of you to think about giving the boots to Millie, but also a bit dumb. That was the only thing you had to prove you found Tyson.’

  Shaun hadn’t thought of that. ‘I guess, but no-one believes me anyway. Except for you. And Millie. I think she does.’

  ‘Simms is still the suspect,’ Will said. ‘I’m sure of it. It still doesn’t make sense that he’d return his car early and catch a plane on the day you found Tyson.’

  ‘He was in the hospital when the body was dumped.’

  ‘As far as we know. We assume he couldn’t have dropped off the body before Peter was after him because he would’ve been seen, but the whole story’s weird. We should investigate the bathtub.’

  Will headed for the school gates.

  ‘Wait!’ Shaun shouted after him. ‘If we skip school now they’ll call our mums immediately. Tenner’s expecting us at lunch and Mr Hagger’s seen us.’

  Will groaned. ‘This is so dumb. Like school or debating could be more important than a murder. I was so ready to bail on debating and then Tenner sent Mum that stupid email.’

  ‘We can go after school,’ said Shaun.

  ‘By the way,’ Will said, ‘everyone thinks you lied because you’re psycho. And there’s rumours that aliens abducted Tyson. And that you kissed Megan. And now she’s pregnant.’