No One Can Hear You

by Nikki Crutchley

  ‘Come on, this way,’ Faith said, tottering up a concrete path away from the picnic tables and paths into the bush. The path eventually petered out and they reached an electric fence, its low hum breaking the silence around them.

  Zoe couldn’t work out the look on Faith’s face. Was she confused? Scared?

  ‘It’s not here,’ Faith said.

  ‘What isn’t?’

  ‘The house. Where they kept me. It should be up there at the top of the hill.’

  They both looked up; there was green farmland as far as they could see. ‘Fuck!’ Faith said. ‘I was sure we were going to find something.’

  ‘We should’ve known it wasn’t going to be that easy.’ Faith had gone quiet and was staring at the ground. ‘Come on, we should get out of here.’

  They walked back to the car in silence. Faith had frown lines marring her pale face. ‘Sorry, Faith,’ Zoe said, unsure if she was apologising for what had happened to her or for them not finding anything.

  ‘Don’t be sorry,’ she said walking in front. ‘Let’s just fucking find something on these guys.’

  Chapter 31

  They pulled into Lillian’s driveway a couple of hours later, having stopped for pizza and beer at the Italian restaurant at Lake Waitapu, and stared at the old garage. The three windows down the left-hand side had all been smashed, leaving gaping holes. They walked down the side of the house, dodging shards of glass. Around the back of the house every single window had been smashed. The flowerbeds below, filled with glass, blinked in the fading light.

  ‘Shit,’ Zoe whispered, running a hand through her hair, feeling nauseous. She disappeared inside. A few minutes later she reappeared: ‘Everything’s still there. Not that there’s much to take.’

  ‘It’s a warning,’ Faith said, lighting a cigarette. ‘They know. They know we’re looking. Shit, why did I even open my mouth? I’ve been quiet all these years, then I see you and hear about a couple of bloody women going missing and I spill my guts. We need to back off, Zoe. Just leave it.’

  ‘It’s not your fault. They probably don’t even realise you have anything to do with it. It’s my snooping.’ Zoe thought of Garth and Tai — they were easily capable of pulling a stunt like this. ‘I’m going to call the police.’

  ‘But what about Max?’

  ‘Let’s just hope he’s the only bad apple there.’

  ‘Even if he’s not, he’s still the one in charge. He’ll find out about this, that you called.’

  ‘Well, I can’t stand by and let someone get away with this, can I?’ Zoe waved her hand at the broken glass, and pulled out her mobile, praying not to get Max Vincent.

  Fifteen minutes later a policewoman turned up and Zoe and Faith both breathed a sigh of relief. Constable Emma Barnes looked to be in her mid-twenties, but could’ve easily been mistaken for a teenager if she wasn’t in uniform. She wouldn’t have been more than five foot. Her tanned face was covered in freckles and her brown hair was cropped short.

  ‘You look too young to be a cop,’ Faith said, eyeing her up and down.

  ‘Faith!’ Zoe said, frowning.

  ‘That’s OK,’ Emma smiled. ‘I’m a probationary constable. Just starting out,’ she said proudly.

  Emma walked around the house while Zoe explained what had happened.

  ‘Was there anything taken?’

  ‘No, nothing I can see.’

  ‘Is there anyone you know of who you think would do this? Enemies, maybe?’

  Faith, standing to Emma’s side, shook her head almost imperceptibly and mouthed ‘No.’

  It was then that Richard Bailey came to Zoe’s mind. Did he want this house badly enough? Was he going to scare her into selling? Maybe Garth and Tai had nothing to do with it.

  Emma asked a few more questions and told Zoe that the window sills around the back of the house would be dusted for fingerprints. ‘There’s not a huge amount we can do right now until we get the results back. It’s obviously not a burglary. Now you’re sure there’s no one who would do this to you?’

  ‘No.’ Zoe was annoyed at herself for not speaking up, embarrassed that there were two possibilities for the culprit. She’d been in Crawton for only a couple of weeks. How did she manage to make enemies so fast?

  ‘Could just be kids. Seems a weird thing to do. I can give you the name of the local guy in town to get the glass fixed. You may not want to stay here tonight, though.’

  ‘Yeah, you’re right.’ She certainly wouldn’t feel safe and was wondering who she should fear more, Richard Bailey or Tai and Garth, when she heard her name being called.

  Pam and Jeff crossed the front lawn. ‘Zoe, what’s happened?’ Pam asked, worry etched on her face, taking in the police car and garage.

  Zoe explained what happened. ‘It’s nothing, really. You don’t need to worry.’

  ‘Hardly,’ Jeff said, frowning. ‘Who would’ve done this?’

  ‘No idea.’ Zoe was unwilling to involve Jeff and Pam with her problems, then instantly thought how wonderful it would be to unburden on someone like Jeff, who always knew what to do.

  ‘You didn’t happen to see anything, did you?’ Emma Barnes approached the group, notebook in hand, her youthful face intense.

  ‘No. We’ve been out for dinner. And I can’t say we noticed anything when we left. Pam?’

  Pam shook her head. ‘It’s such a quiet street. I would’ve heard something. It must’ve been done while we were out.’

  ‘I’ll chat with the neighbours, see if they saw or heard anything,’ Emma said.

  ‘Zoe, you can’t sleep here tonight,’ Pam said. ‘Come over to my place.’

  ‘It’s OK,’ Faith said, inserting herself in the conversation. ‘She can stay at mine.’

  Pam glanced in Faith’s direction, taking in the cigarette that hung from her chipped nails, the knee-high boots and red miniskirt. Her lips pursed slightly.

  Zoe, noticing the look, said, ‘Pam, you remember Faith, don’t you? From high school?’

  ‘Oh, yes. How are you, dear?’ Pam was incapable of saying anything rude to anyone no matter what she thought of them. She turned to Zoe. ‘If there’s anything we can do, love, just let us know.’

  ‘I will, Pam. Thank you.’

  Jeff and Pam said goodnight and Emma closed up her notebook. ‘We’ll get the fingerprints done tonight, and I or one of my colleagues will be in contact with you in the next day or so with more info or if we have any more questions.’

  ‘Sure, thanks Constable.’

  ‘My pleasure.’

  ‘Come on,’ said Faith. ‘Come back to my motel room. Not fancy, but it’s got a couple of single beds. And you’ll be safe.’

  Zoe packed a bag and left the fingerprinting person to it. Glad to be getting out of the house and afraid about what was going on, she followed Faith in her car to the motel. She parked behind the motel so the car wasn’t visible from the street and followed Faith up the rickety stairs.

  Faith’s unit was tidy and simple. There were two single beds, a TV and a small fridge with a jug and mugs and glasses on top. A door in the corner led to the bathroom. The walls were a dirty beige, the only ornament an old print above one of the beds of a country setting featuring cows and sheep with rolling hills and a background of purple grey clouds. The cloying smell of perfume, nicotine and marijuana made Zoe clear her throat.

  ‘Take a seat,’ Faith said, waving at the bed. ‘Drink?’

  ‘God, yes. Whatever you have is fine.’ Zoe winced as the ancient springs let off a series of strained noises under her weight.

  Faith pulled a six-pack out of the fridge and deposited it on the bedside table between them. ‘Cheers,’ she said and took a long swallow.

  Zoe did the same. ‘She seemed nice. The policewoman. Don’t you think?’ Zoe asked.

  ‘I guess.’
<
br />   ‘Maybe she’s different. Maybe we could ask her, or tell her—’

  ‘What did she say she was? A probationary constable? She’s a baby. She won’t be able to do anything for us.’

  ‘She might.’

  ‘Or she might be in on a cover-up with Max. It might not just be smashed windows next time. We have to keep this between us for now.’ Faith got off the bed and rummaged around in her suitcase. She sat back down with a small zip lock bag and cigarette papers. In the space of sixty seconds she deposited the weed into the paper, expertly rolled and sealed the joint and lit it up. The room filled with the sweet aroma of marijuana. She passed the joint over to Zoe.

  Zoe hesitated. She hadn’t smoked weed since uni. The idea of being a teacher and being involved in any kind of drug-taking didn’t sit well with her. She’d always stuck to booze instead, as if that was so much better. New Zealand’s accepted drug.

  Faith noted her hesitation. ‘Oh, Miss School Teacher doesn’t do nasty things like this. Too good for a bit of dak, eh?’

  Zoe bristled at Faith’s tone and took the joint from her. She inhaled deeply, holding the smoke in her lungs before breathing out.

  ‘Good, eh?’

  Zoe smiled. ‘Have you got anyone, Faith? Boyfriend?’

  ‘Nah. Can’t be bothered with that.’

  ‘With what?’

  ‘Just … I don’t get the whole dating, getting-to-know-each-other thing. There’s no point. I’ll take a one-night stand any day.’

  ‘Don’t you ever want something more?’

  Zoe passed the joint back to Faith who inhaled deeply and, after expelling a puff of pungent smoke, laughed and coughed. ‘What? Me? When was I ever gonna be the person who had more, Zoe? And what do you mean by more? Kids and marriage?’

  ‘God, no.’

  ‘What? No kids and marriage and happily ever after with the dreamy Dan Hepi?’

  Zoe regretted filling Faith in about her date with Dan but smiled anyway. ‘Kids, no. Never been on the cards for me.’

  ‘Because Lillian fucked you up?’

  ‘I guess.’

  ‘You’ve got to be shown how to love before you can love. Holy shit, I don’t know where that pearl of wisdom came from!’ Suddenly serious, Faith said, ‘You’d be a good mum, Zo.’

  ‘I don’t think so. Marriage is a possibility, but it’s just never happened.’

  Faith took another puff, rested the remnants of the joint in an ashtray on the coffee table and took another sip of beer. ‘Probably because you don’t let anyone get close enough.’

  ‘Oh, now that you’re loaded you’re the professional psychologist, are you?’

  ‘Fuck off. It’s obvious, Zo. Not that I can talk.’

  ‘A fine pair we make.’ Zoe leaned her head back on the wooden headboard, staring at the ceiling marked with fly shit and water damage.

  ‘I've missed you, Zo. I didn’t realise it, but I’ve missed you. I don’t think I’ve ever been so close to anyone else ever. I know I wasn’t in Crawton for long, but you and Alex were the only two people who accepted me, you didn’t care about my past …’ Faith left the sentence hanging as she licked her fingers and stubbed out the joint.

  ‘We’re going to find out who did this, Faith, I promise.’

  ‘Yeah, OK.’ Faith’s tone showed she’d been promised many things in her life that had never come to fruition.

  Chapter 32

  On Friday night Aroha danced around her room to Drake belting out of the stereo in the lounge, rejecting outfit after outfit, a pile amassing on her unmade bed. It was going to be a great night. Her dad was on the Wellington shift which involved making deliveries and pickups along the route from Hamilton to Wellington and back again. He’d be away for at least three nights. No drunken outbursts, no being ordered around like a slave. Freedom.

  She slipped on a black miniskirt and white singlet. She pouted at the mirror and applied her new lipstick. He was taking her on a date tonight. He didn’t say but probably in Auckland somewhere. It was a long drive, but it meant that they wouldn’t bump into anyone they knew. Her stomach flipped with excitement; she loved nights like this. She tossed up whether she should tell him. Then decided no. Not tonight. She didn’t want to ruin the evening. She silenced the persistent voice in her head — it was stuck on repeat about the baby and how a decision had to be made — by turning the music up and sculling a glass of her dad’s Jim Beam. She filled the bottle up with a bit of water from the tap so he couldn’t tell it was missing. He’d never noticed, by the time he moved on to the whisky he was always half-cut anyway after getting through a dozen beers. Over the music she heard the honk of a horn. She’d told him her dad was away and he could come to the door, but he’d refused, saying it was too risky. She flicked off the stereo, grabbed her keys and bag and skipped out the door.

  *

  ‘Where are we going?’ she asked as he carried on towards the lake instead of turning towards Auckland.

  ‘Just need to check on something. Won’t be long.’

  ‘But I’m hungry.’ She tried not to whinge, he hated that, but this night was supposed to be just for them, not stupid work stuff.

  ‘It’ll take twenty minutes. Tops.’ He smiled over at her and she melted. He took one hand off the steering wheel and put it on her knee, slowly sliding it up her thigh.

  ‘Hey, watch the bloody road or we’ll end up in the lake,’ she laughed, smacking his hand away, her skin covered in goose bumps.

  They passed the main beach at the lake, quiet now. He turned onto Beach Road and Aroha took in the lakeside houses. As they got further on the houses disappeared and there was only a metre or two between the lake and the road. He indicated left and parked the car in front of a bar with a padlock.

  ‘Won’t be a sec.’ He jumped out of the car, unlocked the gate and they drove through. ‘Be an angel and hop out and lock it up for me.’

  Aroha rolled her eyes but got out and did as he asked. They took a gravel road through overgrown bush and came out into a clearing.

  ‘I never even knew about this place,’ Aroha said, looking up at the structure. It had a log-cabin look about it but was huge, with a set of wooden steps leading up to solid double doors. It was built on stilts, no doubt to see up and over the bush to view Lake Waitapu. There was another car parked, halfway into the bush, almost hidden. ‘Is someone else here?’

  ‘No,’ he said. ‘That’s always been here. Broken down some time ago, I think. Stay here for just a second, will you?’

  ‘What? It’s creepy out here. I’m coming with you.’ She put a hand on the door, but he reached over and put his hand over hers.

  ‘This is business, OK? I’ve asked you to stay put. Lock the doors if you’re scared.’ With that he got out of the car and bounded up the steep stairs.

  Chapter 33

  Megan could hear footsteps. She got off the mattress and grabbed her piece of wood. Her legs felt stiff with disuse. Jumping on the spot and then raising each leg up high, bending at the knee, she tried to get the blood pumping. He was at the door and she heard the familiar jingle of keys. She readied herself to the right of the door. Tai stepped in. The fact the lantern wasn’t on threw him off and she could feel him hesitate. She heard him fumbling and then his torch lit up the small room.

  ‘Fuck. Megan?’

  She stepped around the door and with all the strength she could summon hit him in the head with the board. It was a small space and she didn’t get as much projection as she wanted. But he fell to his knees, grasping his nose which was pouring claret blood onto the concrete floor. She climbed over him, dodging his hand, a searching tentacle blindly grasping for her. She looked straight ahead and right. She had no idea which way to go. She turned right and then left but came to a dead end, noticing all the rooms were numbered. A hotel?

  ‘Fuck!’

 
She turned back the way she’d come, yelling for help, banging on every door she passed. Where was everyone? She sprinted past the storage room door, pushing it shut. She heard a grunt and let out a manic laugh as the door connected with Tai’s head. She was a few metres away from double doors when they opened.

  ‘Help me, please help me,’ she said running to the man, relief making her legs buckle beneath her.

  ‘Are you OK?’ he asked.

  ‘He kidnapped me!’ She pointed back to the storage room door. ‘He’s been holding me. I need to get away!’ She fell into the stranger’s strong arms.

  ‘It’s OK, calm down,’ he said. He put an arm around her and led her towards the storage cupboard where she could see Tai had recovered and was walking towards them, his face dripping with blood from his nose and staining his T-shirt.

  ‘No, we need to get away!’ She pulled at the man’s shirt, then started pushing him away, towards the double doors, towards freedom. Then she stopped. ‘Do I know you?’

  ‘Yes, probably.’ He grabbed her arm, squeezing her thin wrist tight until it burned, and she cried out. ‘Back you go.’

  ‘No, please, no!’ She started pulling away, but he was too strong.

  They’d reached Tai who looked ashamedly at the other man. ‘She caught me by surprise.’