Fenced-In Felix

by Cheyenne Blue

  “I’ll make it.” Moni disappeared to the kitchen.

  The officers stood while I sat behind my desk. It gave me a sense of security. This was my house, my office, my horses. I hadn’t done anything wrong—at least, I didn’t think I had—and the familiar chair gave me comfort. Josie sat next to me, and Sue chose to stand over by the window. Her demeanour was one of casual nonchalance, but I knew my friend and her legal reputation well. She was listening intently and was ready to pounce if need be.

  The questions were all fairly standard. A verification of personal details. Josie gave her address as the Commercial, and a quick calculation on her date of birth told me she was thirty-one. So she was older than she looked.

  “Previous addresses?” Lopez looked at me first.

  “None. I’ve always lived here.”

  He wrote something in his notebook and glanced at Josie.

  She smiled slightly. “How far back do I have to go?”

  “Three years should do it.”

  “I’ll try and remember.”

  She was still listing addresses and approximate dates when Moni arrived back with a jug of coffee, mugs and a stack of sandwiches. “Only cheese and pickle,” she said.

  My stomach gurgled. Josie and I hadn’t stopped to eat in our haste to return to Jayboro. Josie must have agreed, as she paused in her recital to grab a sandwich before continuing. Her previous addresses included a lot of pubs, some fruit farms, and a couple of private houses where she’d apparently been a nanny or a house sitter. The addresses were in South Australia, New South Wales, and Queensland. Josie had lived in more places than I’d visited in a lifetime.

  Sadness swelled. Someone like her would never be happy living in one place, with one person. That sort of restlessness was totally alien to my experience. The confirmation that Josie and I had no future was listed right there in that multitude of addresses covering half of Australia.

  With a start, I realised that Tarrant was addressing a question to me. “What is your relationship to Josephine?” he asked.

  I hesitated. What indeed? How could I answer a question when I wasn’t sure myself? Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sue frown, and I knew I couldn’t hesitate any longer.

  “We’re friends,” I said. Sue’s frown grew more pronounced. “With benefits,” I added. Sue’s face was expressionless once more. I dared not look at Josie.

  Tarrant swung around to Josie. “Would you agree with that?”

  “Sure,” Josie said. “What else could we be, when I’ll be moving on soon?”

  The little crease was back between Sue’s eyes, and Moni set her mug down carefully, as if afraid it might spill. Neither would look at me.

  “I must ask you both not to go anywhere at the present time,” Tarrant said. “We will almost certainly need to talk to you again. Josephine, will you be at your address in Worrindi?”

  Josie nodded. “There or here.”

  Lopez looked down at his notebook as if the words with benefits were written in flaming script. “Right. Do you have a passport?”

  When Josie nodded, he said, “You’ll need to surrender that for the time being.”

  “It’s in Worrindi.”

  “You can surrender it to the local police there.”

  “What about Felix?” Sue asked.

  “I don’t have a passport,” I said. “I won’t be going anywhere.”

  After that, the questions were about Flame and our trip to Victoria.

  Eventually, they took their leave. “We will need you both to give statements.” Lopez, who’d softened during the interview, was back to being an officious dick. “If you remember anything else, or if you find you need to change what you have already said—” his eyes rested on Josie “—then you must call us immediately.” He handed cards to myself, Josie, and Sue. “Josephine must surrender her passport within twenty-four hours. Her details will be passed on to border security, effective immediately.”

  They left, and the four of us watched the dust trail as they departed.

  “That was unpleasant.” The tension that had held me rigid left my body.

  “Actually, it wasn’t that bad.” Sue came over to perch on the edge of my desk. “I’ve heard a lot harder lines of questioning for a lot less of an offence. That Lopez was an idiot, but considering the potential seriousness of the offence, they were decent.”

  “Offence?” Josie’s voice was expressionless. She could have been asking what was for lunch.

  “Horse stealing. Blackmail. I don’t know exactly. Lopez asked if I knew whether either of you had money problems. I gave him my best blank stare—” Sue demonstrated “—and told him he’d have to ask you both. As he didn’t, you can assume they will be checking.”

  “He’ll find nothing on me,” I said, “except a loan for the cabins and a small amount in the bank.”

  “What about you?” Sue tilted her head in Josie’s direction.

  “A little money in the bank. My wages, saved up from the pub, plus the payments from Flame’s owner. Or the person I thought was her owner,” she amended. “I was saving up to move on, of course.” She didn’t look at me as she said it. “One bad mark from a few years back when I had a credit card that I didn’t pay. No more credit cards for me. But nothing else.”

  There was a silence. I studied the timber grain on my desk. Really, the pattern was mesmerizing. It stopped me thinking about Josie’s words, but I heard Moni say quietly, “Were you, Josie? Were you really thinking about moving on? I thought you liked it here?”

  Josie’s reply was bright and brittle. “Victoria was pleasant. I haven’t spent too much time there lately. I might see what work I can find.”

  I looked up and caught the glances that Sue and Moni exchanged. They seemed surprised at Josie’s words. But why would that be? It seemed that her earlier talk about wanting to settle down in one place, maybe in Worrindi as she liked it so much, had been part of the yarn she spun to me, just as she’d said she did to potential employers. Josie, it seemed, had a restless heart. And mine was bound to Jayboro.

  CHAPTER 24

  It was too late for Sue and Moni to get back to Mungabilly Creek by dark, so they stayed another night.

  “What about you, Josie?” Sue asked. “When are they expecting you back at the pub?”

  “I’m not sure.” Josie picked up her coffee mug, turned it around, and set it back down again. “I should call them.”

  I stood and gestured to the phone. “Go ahead. Of course you can stay if you don’t have to be back tonight.” I didn’t want to think too hard about what would happen if she stayed over.

  I left the office to give her privacy, and Sue and Moni followed me to the kitchen.

  “I don’t believe her,” Moni said, as soon as we were out of earshot of the office.

  I opened the fridge. “Beer?”

  “Yes, please.” Sue perched on a stool. “I agree with Moni. I don’t believe her either.”

  I handed both of them a beer, took a third for myself, and left another on the counter for Josie. “What, about Flame?”

  Sue frowned. “Flame? No, I’m positive Josie is being dead straight about the horse. I’m talking about the important things here.” She leant forwards, put her hand on mine where it rested on the counter. “I’m talking about you and Josie. Your relationship.”

  “You heard me. We’re friends with benefits.”

  “So you say.” Moni moved to sit next to Sue. With both of them drilling into me, it felt more confrontational than the police had earlier. “But did you see Josie’s face when you said that? She’s got a very expressive face, but when you said ‘friends’, it shut right down.”

  “What else can we be?” It was my turn to keep my face blank, although with two pairs of eyes analysing my every twitch, it was hard. “You heard her. She’s lived in more places in the last three years than I will ever live in the next three lifetimes. She’s looking to move on.”

  “Is she?” Sue sat back and fold
ed her arms. “Seems to me she only said that after you’d described her as a friend with benefits.”

  “How was I supposed to describe her? I saw your expression when I called her a friend.”

  “Yeah. Because if you call her a friend and the police find out you’re lovers, they will think you’re being evasive, even if you don’t mean to be.”

  “You could have called her your girlfriend.” Moni’s smile was more sympathetic. “After all, isn’t she? You spend a lot of time together. I got the impression you’re fond of her, Felix.”

  I picked at the label on my beer, scoring it with a fingernail. “There’s no future in that. She’ll be moving on.”

  “I think you’re missing the point.” Sue took a swig of her beer before continuing. “Josie only talked about moving on when you demoted her from ‘girlfriend’ to ‘friend with benefits’. Before that, her talk had been about how much she loved it here. I think she was salvaging her pride.”

  Moni nodded. “And if so, and if you want her to stay, you need to ask her.”

  Behind their heads, I saw Josie appear in the doorway. “Hi, did you get through to the pub?” I asked.

  Sue and Moni straightened from their inquisitorial positions and turned too. “Beer?” Sue picked up the fourth bottle and held it out.

  Josie accepted it and twisted the top off. “Thanks. Yes, I got through, and no, I don’t have to be back tonight. Is it okay if I stay?”

  “Of course. I was hoping you would.” And I was. I didn’t quite believe Sue and Moni’s assessment. To me, the patterns of a lifetime wouldn’t be dropped that easily. But whatever the future brought for us, right now, I wanted her to stay.

  “Are you working tomorrow?” Sue asked. “If it’s not until later, maybe the four of us could go for an early morning ride—if that’s okay with you, Felix? As long as Moni and I leave by lunchtime, we’ll be right.”

  “I’d like that. Three days without being on horseback seems like a lifetime.”

  “Three days of being on horseback seems like a lifetime to my thighs,” groaned Moni. “I want to ride Budgie tomorrow. He’s the most comfortable.”

  “I’ll rub your thighs for you. Later.” Sue picked up Moni’s hand and pressed a kiss to it. “Even though I know you’re joking. Your thighs are fine.”

  “Thank you, lover. Yours aren’t bad either.”

  Again, the warmth was palpable between my two friends.

  Sue stirred herself. “If you want, I’m happy to cook tonight, Felix. I was in the Isa a few days back, and I’ve got some chicken schnitzels and salad. There’s also a jar of Mrs T’s homemade tomato sauce that she said to give to you as well as the cake she made. If you want, I can use all of that to make chicken parmie and salad, with the cake for dessert, if that’s not too dull.”

  “Sounds fabulous, if you really don’t mind.”

  “Not at all.” She started rummaging in the fridge, pulling out ingredients. “You just keep the cook supplied with beer.”

  “Or red wine.” Moni winked. “I think there’s one more bottle left that we brought with us.”

  Josie had been silent throughout the exchange. As the others started making a mess in my kitchen, I went over to her. “Everything all right with Madge and Chris? When do you have to be back?”

  “Yeah. I spoke to Madge. I have to be back by tomorrow arvo.”

  “Good-oh. So you’ll be able to come riding with us.”

  She mustered a smile. “That sounds fantastic.” She raised her voice so the others could hear. “If Moni’s riding Budgie, then I’ll ride Jetta.”

  “I’d ride her, but my feet would sweep the dirt.” Sue turned. “How about avocado on top of the parmies as well as cheese and tomato?”

  “Sounds great,” I said. “Sue, you want to fight me over Patch and Ben?”

  “What about Josie riding Flame?” Moni tilted her head. “The poor lady’s restless as anything cooped up in the barn. She would like to get out. And Flame is Josie’s horse.”

  “She’s not.” Josie set her beer down. “But I’d like her to be.”

  “She’s as much yours as anyone’s,” I said. “But it would have to be a very gentle ride. Flame can’t go fast.”

  “Sounds good to me and my thighs,” said Moni.

  Josie’s eyes sparkled, the first happy expression I’d seen in them in the last few hours. “I would love to ride her.” She turned to me. “As long as you don’t think it would harm her?”

  “I don’t think so. Not if we just walk, maybe a short trot. No more than that, though.”

  “I’ll be as gentle and as slow as the continental drift.”

  I was looking forward to seeing Josie ride Flame. And Moni was right. Flame, it seemed, was nobody’s horse. What would happen to her if Josie moved on? When Josie moved on, I amended. Flame was useless for most purposes. What would happen to a horse like her?

  There was a crash, and I was jerked back to the present. Moni’s beer had gone flying. Moni grabbed a cloth and dropped to her knees to wipe it up.

  “Sorry, Felix. I’m such a klutz at times.”

  “No worries. The floorboards have had far worse.”

  “You wouldn’t think this woman is the neatest stitcher-upper of people this side of the Barcoo, would you, Josie? Not when she’s dropping beer bottles.” Sue stood at the stove where she pan-fried the schnitzels.

  “I’m a neat doctor, just clumsy with bottles.”

  “Don’t worry about it.” Indeed, the beer hadn’t soaked into the polished boards.

  “Dinner won’t be long.” Sue turned from the stove. “This is just about ready for the oven. We’ll be eating in twenty minutes, in case anyone wants a shower first.”

  The dinner conversation didn’t mention the police visit. It seemed we had all said what we needed to about Flame, and now it was a case of wait-and-see. See what the police came back with. See if they wanted to interview us further, take the statements they had mentioned. See if they charged Josie with anything. See if they took Flame away.

  I paused at that last and spiralled back to my earlier thoughts. Take her where? I’d miss Flame, gentle lady that she was. I’d miss her way of lipping at the buttons of my shirt and how she would walk companionably with me across the paddock when I got the other horses.

  The four of us went outside on the veranda to eat. The evening was hot, and the cicadas sang loudly enough to drown out the noise of the fan overhead.

  “I heard from Nora and Ger while you were away,” Sue said. “They send their love. Nora said to tell you she’s cooking crocodile tonight—Thai green curry crocodile.”

  Moni grinned. “Amazing what you can buy in London these days.”

  “The Melbourne Cup is coming up, and Young Seánie is still convinced that Fiery Lights will run,” said Sue. “You can bet on anything in London, no matter how outrageous, and he’s put fifty quid on Fiery Lights to come in the first three in the Melbourne Cup.”

  “What odds did he get?” Josie sliced into her parmie and loaded her fork. “This is great, Sue.”

  “Thanks. He got a thousand to one! I think the bookie saw him coming.”

  “Nora and Ger told him that it was all a joke and that there was no way the horse in the photo with Ger was Fiery Lights. Young Seánie just said he’d take the chance with his fifty quid.” Sue didn’t look too worried about that.

  “I wonder where the real Fiery Lights is.” My gaze was on my plate. “And I wonder if Pen knows anything more. We haven’t heard from her since we found out her Flame was gone.”

  “I was thinking that too.” The beads in Josie’s hair gleamed under the overhead light. “She shouldn’t be in any sort of trouble, but she may be looking out for the owner of the yard. She seemed quite protective of her.”

  “Yeah, I noticed that too.”

  “Are they lovers?” Sue asked.

  “I don’t think so. Pen mentioned a boyfriend in the past and I didn’t get any sort of queer vibe from her. I
think she’s just a friend. But if Casey is getting the heavy word from the police, that might explain why Pen is quiet.”

  Then the conversation spun away into a catch-up on outback life and the people we knew. Sue found the last bottle of red wine and poured four glasses. Moni said how the doctor she’d taken on as a part-timer was romancing with one of the station owners. “I don’t know what will happen if it turns serious. Bellarine Station is most of 150 kilometres from Mungabilly Creek. I’d hate to lose Ellen—she’s a great doctor, and the patients love her. Many of them love her more than they love me. She’s a great listener.”

  “So are you.” Sue reached over the dirty dishes to squeeze her hand. “But you cut through the bullshit better than Ellen does.”

  Moni squeezed back. “Maybe. But if she moves out there to be with Keith, it will be hard for her to keep working. I don’t think she’d want to stop doctoring, though. I don’t know what she’d do.”

  “Maybe she could stay in Mungabilly a couple of nights a week?” suggested Josie. “Surely someone would rent her a room on that basis.”

  “Yeah. That’s an option. Mrs T’s friend, Rosalie, might be up for that. She’s got a big old house all to herself.”

  “Funny that Rosalie never moved in with Mrs T.” I cupped my wine glass and peered into it. It was nearly empty. “Those two are such good friends and both live by themselves in large houses.”

  “They both like their own space too.” Sue grinned. “I suggested that to Mrs T once, and she nearly bit my head off. They seem to like living apart, but they see each other every day. That’s what works best for them. Rosalie’s a great help in the office. She’s taught herself to audio type, and now I use a Dictaphone like a real lawyer, and she types my file notes. Very handy on the off-chance someone else ever looks at my files. Now they’ll be able to read them.”

  Moni emptied the last of the bottle into our glasses. “’Fraid there’s no more, not unless you’ve got a bottle hidden away, Felix?”

  I shook my head. “Only beer. Sorry.”

  But after the rich red wine, none of us wanted more beer. We moved to sit in a row, our feet on the veranda railing. Outside, the moonlight painted the ground silver, and it was as bright as day. One of the horses snorted, and the sound carried in the clear night. Tess raised her head from where she was lying with Ripper, and the two of them bounded down the steps barking at some imagined night creature. She returned and put her head on my knee, staring up with soulful eyes, as I petted her. For Tess, at least, life was now set.