by Eden Maguire
I had to think this one through before I understood what he was getting
at. Ha funny! Is Zak here?' 114
Bro, here comes the peace-broker,' he cal ed over his shoulder, ready to step out of my way then suddenly changing his mind. ' So it looks like you got free access to the Rohrs. I don't know what you did, but Mom has done a U-turn. She suddenly has you down as flavour of the month.'
'Is she stil here?' I asked. As usual, Brandon set my nerves on edge with his suspicious tone and the mocking curl of his lip.
'She already left.'
'What did they decide?'
'Zak stays here until Sunday then they al talk again about him moving back to the house.' He leaned against the door frame, muscles looking pumped under his white T-shirt. 'Congratulations, Darina. It looks like the kid is back walking the line.'
'What about Michael? Is he home?'
Brandon shook his head. 'He's playing golf. You know, I've been thinking maybe you were right about something - you don't need me to look after you any more. It seems you're al grown up now.'
'Why do I think that's not a compliment?' I asked warily. With Brandon there was always the chance of a below-the-belt blow to fol ow. 'Does this mean you want the car back?'
'Oh, Darina, that's so not cool.' He faked disappointment that I could be
so petty. 'The car comes with no strings. Al I'm saying is that it's been a year now, like we said, and I can't be your child-minder for ever.'
'No matter what you promised Phoenix?' I said without meaning to. The sly words just slipped out.
If he was hurt, Brandon didn't show it. 'Whoa, what happened to the diplomacy skil s? Yeah, whatever I said to my brother, I reckon I kept that promise and it's time for you to take care of yourself.'
'I total y agree,' I muttered. Don 't do me any favours. Don 't think that I need you in any way whatsoever!
With a satisfied grin, Brandon launched himself free of the doorpost and brushed past me. 'Don't pressurize the kid,' he warned with a nod over his shoulder towards the living room. 'Zak is stil on a short fuse, so don't pushl5
him OK?'
I gritted my teeth and let Brandon go. He was halfway down the corridor, heading for the escalator when he remembered something else.
'Russel Bishop was here,' he said casual y.
'To play golf with Michael.' Why should this mean anything to me?
'Yeah, Ralph Lauren-man. He had an interesting piece of news that he wanted to share.'
'Which was?'
'Early this morning, the cops went to Nathan Thorne's house and
arrested him for drugs. I thought you should know.'
I went inside and Zak made it plain that he wasn't excited to see me. He lay sprawled in the one brown chair in front of a smal TV screen, hardly bothering to turn his head when I said hi.
'I heard the news about Nathan,' I said, to grab Zak's attention away from the cartoon channel. Actual y, I was shocked that Sheriff Kors had acted, presumably on the information I'd provided. Come back, Brandon I
need you to look out for me after al ! was one of my first thoughts.
'You talked to the cops,' Zak muttered, eyes stil glued to the screen.
'Not me,' I lied.
'Yeah, you did.' The velour chair was on a swivel base and he turned it to face me. 'That's how come they arrested him.'
'So what if I did? Everyone knows Nathan Thorne is heading the same way as his brother.' Somehow saying this and bringing it out into the open eased the tension between us. 'I'm glad you were only on the edge of that scene at the trailer. Plus, it was cool I knew where to find you a couple of days back. Maybe now things wil work out for you.'
Zak did the Rohr shrug and brought Phoenix's image flooding into my head.
Keep talking, Darina, Phoenix said, as if he was right there, backing every word. Zak listens to you, even if he doesn 't admit it.
'Phoenix would be happy,' I told Zak. 'He would want you out of that trailer, back with your family.'
Another shrug. 'Mom and Dad are talking again,' he said. 'How aboi!t6 that?'
'I know. I'm shocked in a good way.' 'He says he can give her an al owance.' 'Is that what she wants?'
'To send me to col ege when I reach eighteen. He had a security job in Berlin. That's how come he saved the dough.'
'Cool. And is that what you want?'
'Engineering col ege would be good, I guess. Building roads and bridges. I need to go back to school first though. Mom's gonna talk to Valenti.'
'Al excel ent,' I said. 'Zak that's so cool.'
'It didn't happen yet,' he warned. 'The principal could tel Mom no.'
'But it's a plan.' Did you hear that, Phoenix? Your baby brother is getting a life!
'After school - what wil you do?' Zak asked me out of the blue.
'Col ege, I guess.' Not that I thought about my future. 'Honestly, I get through each day, that's al .'
He nodded. 'Almost a year,' he sighed.
'A year tomorrow.' I plunged deep into my own worst fear. And we stil don't know. I think if we knew ... a name, a clear picture ...'
'You want me to help you out?'
'Zak, yes! Whatever you know, you have to share.'
'OK. I was in the car with Phoenix. He stopped for gas.' Slowly he ran through events, pausing as if his memory jolted and skidded over certain details. 'It was Friday night, the pumps were busy, Phoenix was running late. A guy on a Harley pushed into the line ahead of him. Phoenix didn't like that. He swore at the guy and we switched lines, pul ed up at the next pump alongside Nathan. Phoenix asked Nathan if he could step ahead of him in the new line.'
'And Nathan was driving his Chevy, is that right?'
'I guess.' Zak frowned with the effort of trying to remember.
'Was anyone in the car with him? Were Taylor and Jacob there?'
'Yeah, but not with Nathan. They were hanging out with some other kids from Forest Lake. Nathan was with Robert Black and Vince Hal .
Thatwa 114 7 the day Hal sold Nathan the Chevy.'
'OK, so Nathan tel s Phoenix no way can he go ahead at the pump. Is there any chance that while they were having this conversation, either Black
or Hal were trying to reclaim a forgotten stash of cocaine in Nathan's car?
Is that what kicked off the fight in the first place?'
Instead of prodding his memory, my questions seemed to block Zak and his frown deepened. 'Who told you that?'
'Nobody. It's a police theory. If these guys were arguing over a hidden drugs stash, that could have caused things to turn violent. Is that what you saw?'
'If it happened, I didn't see it,' he admitted, stil looking blocked and confused.
I prompted again. 'And maybe Brandon noticed what was happening from across the forecourt - guys starting to fight over drugs, with Phoenix and you both too close for comfort ...'
'Back off!' Suddenly Zak stood up. 'I don't want to talk about it any more.
I drew a sharp breath, turned away then back again. 'Try, Zak,' I pleaded. 'You were there. Give me a name, a reason ...'
'No, you don't understand. I can't help you.' 'Why not? What don't I understand?'
'Sure, I was there until Nathan and Phoenix got into their argument, then Brandon came over.'
'And?'
'Brandon was yel ing at Hal and Black they were stil near the Chevy. I didn't hear what he said. Then he turned and yel ed for me to leave. He said exact words, "Get out of here, Zak go home, now!"'
'And?' I said quietly, feeling my head spin and my heart thud with
disappointment.
'I did - I ran away,' he admitted. The kid had been living with this guilt
for almost a year. 'I did what Brandon told me but I should've stayed.'
'Why?' I murmured.
'To help my brother,' he whispered back. 'If I'd been there, I could've stopped it happening. Phoenix would stil be alive.'
118
cIt's a big deal for Zak,' Zoey sa
id.
I'd gone from Michael's apartment to her house, knowing this was her
day for physical therapy so she wouldn't be in school. I was interested in finding out what Russel Bishop knew about Nathan's arrest and how come he was so close to the police action, but first I had to share with someone what Zak had shared with me, and it was Zoey I chose. I'd found her in her covered arena, long-reining one of her grey Arabian horses.
She sighed and shook her head. 'The kid's only thirteen years old, and he
believes he could have saved his brother.'
'I told him - what chance would you have had? It was chaos, everyone had knives. He stil said he should have been there for Phoenix.'
For a while we watched Merlin trot, ears pricked, neck arched, high-
stepping around the arena. 'How perfect is he?' Zoey murmured. 'You
know, this is the first time I've put myself in Zak's shoes. I always look at him and judge him moody kid, throwing his life away.'
'That's the hard part,' I admitted. 'Seeing it the way other people see it. But I always felt a connection with Zak, and maybe with Sharon and Brandon, even when they hated my guts.'
Zoey eased the pressure on Merlin and let him fal from trot into walk.
He snorted then wandered towards us, looking for a reward. 'How is it at
home?' she asked.
'With moving house? It's crappy. My whole life is tied up in black garbage bags.'
'And the anniversary tomorrow how are you doing?'
Six months ago, Zoey being kind to me would've brought on the desire to confess everything. I have to tel you a secret - I visit Foxton Ridge.
There's a barn and an old ranch house. I see Phoenix and the Beautiful Dead. Hunter would've been there with the warning wings. These days 19
with time running out fast, I was over the sharing urge and my whole focus was on solving Phoenix's death. 'I saw Kim Reiss,' I told her instead. 'It kind of works.'
'She's cool. I like her.'
'Me too.'
'Did she do the pebble thing?'
'Yeah. A black lava stone for anger.'
'I chose a piece of flint - sharp edges.' For a moment she flashed back into the emptiness and rage of losing Jonas.
'What did you do with it?'
Zoey smiled. 'I threw it out of the window. Kim said it was cool. How about you?'
'I put mine back. It's stil in the bowl.'
'Next time, throw it away - you'l feel better. Hey, and Phoenix would love it that you're taking care of Zak,' Zoey told me, stroking Merlin's nose.
I stayed and spent quality time with Zoey until her dad got back from golf. 'Michael Rohr tel s me you're on a mission to save Zak,' he said when he found me and Zoey working the other horse, Pepper, in the arena. 'You're
doing a good job, Darina.'
Wow! This was the first complimentary remark Russel Bishop had put my way ever! 'Thanks. But it's not me, it's everyone.'
'It helps that Michael is back in El erton,' Russel agreed, then led me in exactly the direction I wanted to go. And good that Sheriff Kors is focused on cleaning up the town. Give the guy six months and we'l be back to where we were before.'
He meant before kids started dying and everyone fel apart. But even
Russel Bishop had the tact not to spel this out in front of Zoey and me.
'I heard he arrested Nathan Thorne?' I prompted.
'They charged him with possession of narcotics. Kors knows he's a smal player but you start with the little guys and move on up the food chain.'
'Cool.' Zoey and I echoed each other. 120
' Yeah, if I have one criticism, it's that they bailed Nathan after they
charged him. If it was down to me I would lock up the lousy kid and throw away the key.'
For once I agreed with the pil ar of our community. How much better it would be if baby-face Nathan was permanently off the scene ...
'They released him?' Zoey was as shocked as I was.
Russel nodded. 'They picked him up with only enough cocaine for personal use. The bottom line is - the sheriff hopes it wil act as a warning and get Nathan to clean up his act. Personal y, I doubt that.' Looking at his watch, he cut the conversation short. 'I'm out of here. You want a ride to your therapy?' he asked Zoey.
'No thanks. I'l drive there.'
'How about you, Darina? Can I drop you somewhere?'
'I have my car,' I told him, pointing to where my shiny, red Brandon-
mobile was parked.
'Nice vehicle,' he muttered, raising an eyebrow, meaning, Where did you get a car like that, Darina?Then he went off to change out of his golf wear and meet his wife for an up-market lunch at the Blue Fin restaurant.
'How come Sheriff Kors is cosying up with your dad?' I asked Zoey as we led the horses into their stables.
'He knows Dad is considering running for mayor,' she told me.
'Seriously?' I asked.
'Seriously,' she said. And we both raised our eyebrows and grinned.
I left the perfect set-up - a house with air-conditioned stables and a whitecolumned portico, smooth lawns, electronical y control ed gates - and drove into a nightmare.
I was through the gates, waving Zoey goodbye, when I picked up the black Chevy in my overhead mirror. I saw three guys in the car and slammed my foot on the pedal, picked up speed along South 13th Street and made a sharp right back towards town, hoping to lose them. No such luck 121 I had a crazy driver on my tail, taking the corner on two wheels, gaining on me as I sped past the medical centre overlooking the park. By the time I reached the lights leading to the mal , they'd changed to red.
For a second I considered jumping the lights, but a truck crawled out of the side road, blocking my way. I slammed on my brakes, felt a jolt as the Chevy shunted into me, saw the doors open and Nathan jump out along with bandana men, Hal and Black.
In a saloon car I would have locked my doors, sat tight and prayed. But this was a convertible, the top was open and al the guys had to do was reach
in and drag me out.
It happened in broad daylight, so sudden and fast that I was lifted out of my car before the truck had even turned the corner. No one else was around. I guess the truck driver was too busy to see the abduction or else he didn't want to get involved. I know no one cal ed nine-one-one.
They gave Nathan the job of driving my car away from the junction. The other two goril as wrestled me into the back seat of the Chevy, then one stayed with me, holding me down while the other took the wheel and fol owed Nathan. They'd shunted into me, hauled me out of the convertible and tossed me into their car, driven away, and the whole thing had lasted less than thirty seconds. That's how long it takes to kidnap someone and make them disappear.
I fought back the best I could. Either Black or Hal - I didn't know one from the other put his hand around my throat and forced my head onto the floor so that I tipped out of sight and lay struggling for breath. Looking up into this guy's face, I saw narrowed eyes, a broad nose, dark stubble and no sign that he meant to go easy on me. I gave up the fight and lay quiet. He eased his grip as the car picked up speed.
I was pinned to the floor of a beaten-up Chevy, surrounded by empty Dorito packets and silver gum wrappers, snatched off the street by three drug-users who were driving me out of town to who knows wh.,!?2 godforsaken destination. Life events don't come much worse than this.
'Hey, Vince, give me Nathan's sweatshirt,' the guy with his boot on my spine growled.
Hal took one hand off the steering wheel, reached for a grey hooded jacket and tossed it into the back. Black jerked at my arm, pul ed me into a sitting position then muffled my face with the hood, securing it with the arms, which he tied in a knot around my mouth and neck. Afterwards he
scrabbled among the junk on the back seat, found another ligature and tied my hands behind my back.
For the rest of the journey I was tightly gagged and blindfolded. My face
sweated, it was hard to breath
e and I was seriously scared about what they
planned to do next.
We drove for what felt like eternity.
Trussed up and stuffed into the wel between the front and back seats, I tried to curl into foetal position - but every time Hal took a bend, I rol ed and knocked my head or my shins. The motion made me nauseous - that and sheer terror.
'Are we nearly there yet?' Robert Black said in a whiny, kiddie voice.
Hal laughed, said, 'Five more minutes, honey,' and roared the engine.
'When we get there, can we go swimming?' Black asked, stil in his kid voice, though the word 'swimming' came with sinister emphasis.
' Maybe,' Hal answered.
He swerved again and I hit my head against a sharp metal edge. The hood over my mouth was wet with saliva. Clammy fabric covered my nose, my eyes, my ears.
' Ta-dah, we're here!' Hal announced at last.
Keeping the blindfold and gag in position, they cut the engine and dragged me out of the car, across some rough ground to a place where I could hear lapping water. Obviously, 'swimming' was stil on the agenda. A key turned in a lock, I was shoved up two steps, through a doorway and into
a musty corner where I lay curled on my side. 123
'Hey, Nathan.' Black grunted a greeting.
'What took you so long?' Nathan answered.
'Your crappy car isn't built for speed, is what took us so long.' As Hal
answered, he stooped to untie the blindfold and lift the hood away from my face.
I blinked and kept my eyes screwed up, gradual y making out a bare wooden floor, fishing rods leaning against a wal , two old folding chairs and
a dusty canvas bag hanging from a hook on the back of the door.
'You sold me the heap of shit,' Nathan reminded him. 'Darina doesn't know how lucky she is, driving her convertible.'
The mention of my name brought Black's attention to the job in hand. He dragged me up from the floor and sat me on one of the chairs, making sure that my hands were stil firmly tied. 'Time for a swim?' he asked Nathan.
'No. We wait for my brother.' The answer was casual, non-committal.
'Oh, great!' Hal wasn't happy. He stood in the doorway looking out, rubbing his cheek then raising his shirt to scratch his ribcage. 'Doesn't Oscar know I have better things to do than hang out in some crummy shack waiting for the cops to catch up with us?'
