Good Intentions

by Marg McAlister

Something about the way she said it made Shirley certain that she was downplaying it. Apprehensive, she screwed up her courage and forced herself to ask, “What did you see? What made you think I was in trouble?”

  Georgie just looked at her for a moment, but she didn’t answer Shirley’s question immediately. “Shirley, I don’t always tell people everything I see. Sometimes it’s because I know it will upset them without helping in any way. At other times I know I can help, but if I say too much too soon, I frighten people away.” She leaned forward, her eyes full of empathy. “I don’t want you to run, Shirley. Not from me, not from this man. Louise and I will help you. So will Scott and Tony. But it’s up to you now. It has to be.”

  Shirley bit down hard on her lip to stop it trembling.

  She wanted so much to trust them.

  Maybe…maybe not all at once. If she told them just a little, she could probably judge from their reaction whether it was safe to tell the rest.

  With a shuddering sigh, she began. “The younger man you saw—could you describe him?”

  Across the table, Georgie’s face relaxed a fraction. “The man I saw, he looked to be in his mid-30s. That’s a guess; you know how hard it is to tell anyone’s actual age. Dark eyes, hair a little long and a bit greasy-looking. Brown eyes, bad teeth.”

  Chook. Shirley gave her a tiny nod. “You’re describing someone I know.”

  Louise broke in. “Is he the one who is scaring you, Shirley?”

  “Is it that obvious?”

  “I can see it in your face,” Louise told her.

  Shirley glanced from Louise to Georgie.

  She couldn’t hold it in any longer.

  “He—he’s my stepson. Jason Cooper. Also known as ‘Chook’.” Shirley laughed, but even she could hear the bitterness in it. “The kids he used to hang around with school started calling him Chook when he was about ten or eleven. Jason Cooper, chicken coop, Chook….you see?”

  She thought about what to say next. A little at a time…

  “Norm’s first wife already had a child when he married her. Norm adopted him, but after a few years she left him. She took Jason with her, but then she died…and Jason came to live with us.” She shook her head, remembering those terrible years. Jason sneaking out at night, Jason stealing cars, Jason at the police station, again and again and again. “He was always a difficult boy. A lot of trouble with the police, and he left school early. Stayed out at night till all hours.” She heaved a sigh and reach to fill her water glass. “There was virtually nothing that Norm could do to control him. My poor Emma hated it. She couldn’t bring her friends home, and she was embarrassed with everyone knowing that he was her brother. Well, step-brother.”

  “It must’ve been hard for you,” Georgie said. “I’m guessing that he didn’t keep living with you for very long once he left school?”

  “You’ve got that right. He said he’d rather live on the streets than stay with us and live by our rules.” Shirley drank some more water, feeling her throat seize up as she tried to talk about it. “It would have been fine if he had just stayed away, but he kept coming back and staying for a few weeks now and then. Which wasn’t good, because the police would turn up on the doorstop with questions about what he’d been doing. He couldn’t stay out of trouble to save his life.”

  She was silent for a long moment, remembering, her fingers shredding a paper napkin. When she glanced up she found Georgie and Louise waiting silently, their eyes on her. “Then Norm got sick. We found it was cancer, and…” She shuddered, picturing Norm’s pain-wracked face. “It was a bad time. Norm was in a lot of pain, and…” She stopped again, a lump in her throat.

  This was where she could tell them, or not.

  Not all. Not yet.

  “Anyway, I won’t go into the details, but we tried all kinds of different treatments. We used what was left of the home equity loan to pay for it, and then Norm died, and I sold the house. No more debt.”

  She saw the swift glance that Georgie and Louise exchanged. They didn’t say anything, but she could see that they knew she was leaving something out.

  “You’re wondering why Jason should still be chasing me,” she said. “I was an idiot, I admit it. When I sold the house, I gave some money to Emma to help them out. I gave Chook exactly the same, but he wanted more. Said that his father would have wanted to see him set. That if I gave him money, he would be out of my life for good. So I did.” Her chin came up, daring them to say she had done the wrong thing. “I’d already bought the motorhome, so I could have somewhere to live. But I was desperate to get rid of him. I told him I’d give him half of what I had left if he agreed never to come near me again. I showed him my bank balance, to prove he was getting half.”

  “I’m assuming he agreed,” Georgie said, her voice level and practical. “And you thought that would be the end of it?”

  “Yes.” Shirley sat back in her chair and folded her arms defensively. “Talk about being gullible. I should have known, shouldn’t I? All those years, the friends he had, the trouble with police—I should have known he’d never keep his word. And you know what? Part of me must’ve been afraid that he would still come after me, still want more. Because I ran, didn’t I? For four months, I’ve been on the road, first out west and then north to here. And now he’s asking Emma where I am. I’ll never be free of him.” She couldn’t prevent the tremor in her voice, the shudder that went down her back.

  Louise’s eyes narrowed. She shot a determined glance at Georgie, and then at Shirley. “You have to end it, Shirley. Bring in the police. Face up to him. There are laws about stalking, you know.”

  “Stalking?” Shirley’s shoulders slumped. “I don’t know whether I could make that stick. And anyway, I’ve had enough of the police, after years and years of it with Chook.”

  She looked again at the two women opposite.

  They wanted to help. She needed the help.

  If only they could figure out a way to stop him, without having to involve the law.

  That wasn’t a risk she was prepared to take.

  15

  Out and About

  Without exchanging a word, Louise and Georgie understood that what Shirley needed was friendship. Pure, unsullied friendship: something she had clearly been lacking ever since her wayward stepson came into her life.

  “Right,” Louise said, with a glance at her watch. “We’ve got lots to see yet, so let’s hit the road. Shirley, don’t you worry. We are going to find a way out of this. But for now—let me show you some of my little corner of the world.” She dug her elbow into Shirley’s side. “After all, the “caretaker of the year” needs to know the local area like the back of her hand, doesn’t she?”

  Her eyes showing the relief she felt at having the change of subject, Shirley mustered up a smile. “Easy for you to say, when you’ve lived here most of your life. But go ahead.” She mimicked writing on the palm of her hand. “I’ll take notes, and you can test me later.”

  For the next few hours, Louise acted as chauffeur while she showed both of them some of her favorite places. “Okay,” she said. “I’ve introduced you to Canungra township. Now we’re going little further afield. Shirley, you need to drive along these roads so that you know why people shouldn’t bring their RVs up here.” She grinned. “And why they should stay at my campground at Canungra. It’s a fantastic base camp.”

  Georgie filed away every experience—even the steep, winding road that led to the top of Mount Tamborine, which had her wishing at times that she had a bag to put over her head. It was worth it, though, once you were at the top and could drink in the view. Lush green pasture below rolled up to the base of the mountain, and all around her she could hear birds calling.

  After that, Shirley drove to North Tamborine and took them for a short walk along a bush track to Curtis Falls, where they could stand at the base and watch the water cascading into the small pool below.

  “Now you know why I said wear your walking shoes!” Louise
said. “But wasn’t it worth it?”

  “It was. Selfie time!” Georgie declared, taking out her phone. “I’m going to send this back to Elkhart, where they’re all up to their necks in snow. Ready?”

  The three of them hammed it up for the camera, laughing, while Georgie stretched out an arm and angled the phone so she could see the falls behind them before she clicked the button. “Done!” I’ll forward it to both of you.”

  She showed it to them, and was pleased to see the genuine delight in Shirley’s smile.

  “I actually look okay!” she said. “I’ll get it printed and put it up in the motorhome.”

  Georgie gave the image one final glance before tucking her phone back into her pocket. It was a great photo: one of those off-the-cuff snapshots that turned out perfectly. Shirley’s eyes sparkled and she looked truly happy.

  That, Georgie reflected, was how she should look all the time.

  It would be nice if she could help to make it happen.

  Eventually, Louise pointed at her watch. “Okay, girls. It’s a little after one, and my stomach tells me it’s lunchtime. We’re off to the winery. I’m driving, so you girls can enjoy a glass of wine with your meal.”

  Georgie had been alert to Shirley’s mood, and was pleased to see her loosen up when they were walking along the boardwalk. It would have been hard not to relax, out in nature surrounded by the leafy green canopy and massive staghorn ferns, laughing at a busy scrub turkey scratching around and taking a snapshot of a scaly water dragon basking on a rock just before it disappeared.

  Over lunch, and second glass of wine, Shirley loosened up even more—but not to the extent of taking them further into her confidence.

  Georgie waited until Shirley made a visit to the bathroom, and then raised her eyebrows at Louise. “I feel a bit guilty talking about her behind her back like this, but are you getting the same feeling I am?”

  “That there’s still something she’s not telling us?” Louise nodded. “Don’t have to be Einstein to figure that one out. What’s more, I think it’s not just the charming Jason she’s afraid of, but…the police.” She rolled her eyes. “I’d love to shake this Jason until his teeth rattle.”

  Georgie made a face. “Doesn’t sound like shaking him would do much good.” She sent Louise a questioning glance. “Do you think we might be a bit out of our depth in this one? We can’t do much until we know exactly what kind of hold he has over her.”

  “Well, one thing is for sure, she can’t spend the rest of her life looking over her shoulder.” Louise tapped her fingernails on the table, looking frustrated, and then gave up, shrugging. “Do you know it’s going on for 3:30? We’ve successfully managed to fritter away most of the day. Well done, us!”

  “At least Shirley isn’t feeling quite so much alone now. As for the rest of it, that will come. Nobody is proof against The Crystal Ball Investigation Team.” Georgie grinned. “Although I’m beginning to think we need to include something about astrology or cards in our name.”

  “Wouldn’t be the same.” Louise waved that aside. “I’m happy to be an honorary member.” She gave a quick nod over Georgie’s shoulder. “Shirley’s coming back now, so let’s change the topic of conversation.”

  “A little at a time,” Georgie said. “A little at a time.”

  Back at home, Scott and his father stood on the rise behind the house and gazed at Tamborine Mountain. Tony put the binoculars that he had just fetched from the house up to his eyes and peered intently. “Definitely smoke, not just a heat haze.” He passed the binoculars to his son. “Here, take a look.”

  Scott peered through the binoculars and grunted. “It’s a fair way off, but in this weather, things can get out of control fast.” He pulled out his mobile phone, flicked through a few screens and pulled up the “Fires near Me” app. “Nothing showing on here yet.”

  “They could be back-burning, but given the conditions I doubt it. What’s the time?”

  “Around three thirty.” Scott checked his watch. “A little after. Did the women say where they were going?”

  “Louise was going to take them up the mountain road, go across the board walk. Shopping in Canungra, maybe Tamborine, and lunch at the winery. That’s as much as I know, but knowing Louise, she’s just as likely decided to take a side trip to the coast.” His father took out his own phone. “I’ll give them a buzz, see where they are. I’d feel better if they were closer to home.”

  He tapped the speed dial button with Louise’s face on it, and his face relaxed when she answered immediately. “Hi, love. Just checking to see where you girls are.” He listened for a moment, and then nodded at Scott. “Good. That’s good – so about fifteen minutes, you reckon?”

  At her response, he laughed, and said to Scott: “She’s asking if we can’t even manage without them for one full day?” He said into the phone, “We’ve been busy enough. We got a couple of new people in, traveling together, but we’ve just spotted what looks like smoke on the other side of the mountain. Figured it’s better if everyone is back here.”

  He finished the call, and stood for a moment staring at the faint grey haze in the distance. Nothing to worry about right now, but he found himself glad that Louise had finalized their evacuation plan.

  Better to be safe than sorry.

  16

  On the Hunt

  She wasn’t here.

  She wasn’t anywhere.

  Chook had visited every last campground and caravan park in the area, driving around all day, with no sign of Shirley or her Jayco motorhome.

  There was nowhere left. He’d even gone down to a little place down south of Canungra, some farm where you could stay, and neither of the two RVs there belonged to Shirley.

  Hot, sweaty, tired and thoroughly discouraged, he drove back to Canungra and checked into the hotel. Air-conditioning at last. At least for one night, he told himself, he was going to sleep in a comfortable bed, have a shower and a decent meal. He could while away the evening sampling some of Grant’s stash of weed and watching the idiot box.

  Tomorrow, he’d decide on the next step. If there was anywhere else in this miserable area you could stay with a caravan or a motorhome, he’d find it.

  By now, he was getting the knack of asking for directions to campgrounds from locals and other travelers. His little story about looking for his auntie to surprise her on her birthday had grown with each re-telling. Shirley had gone from being just an ordinary auntie to a sweet old auntie without any children who had sacrificed her life to bring him up when his parents died in a plane crash.

  He owed everything to his aunt, he told people. He could never repay her for what she’d done, but now he planned to surprise her, after coming into a bit of money. He was going to treat her to a trip overseas, a little break from living in the motorhome.

  Thinking about his story over dinner, he was pleased with his efforts. Really, he even surprised himself sometimes with his cleverness. All those teachers who had told him he had no future could suck eggs.

  Chook snickered. They’d be eating their words if they could see him now. Tracking down the old cow like a real detective, planning how to separate her from what she had left.

  Showered and changed into a set of clothes that didn’t smell quite as bad as the ones he’d taken off, Chook took himself out to the verandah of the hotel and sat there with a beer, watching the odd car go by and the locals going about their business.

  The barmaid had been friendly enough, but too busy to talk. He’d try her again later, see if she knew about any campgrounds or parks that he’d missed.

  It really was time he caught up with his dear old auntie.

  Back at the Mowbray property, Scott and Georgie were down at the campground with Shirley, chatting to the people staying there. There were only two other caravans, but with a fire in the area, no matter how distant, they wanted to make sure everyone was ready to move out in a hurry.

  “Do you think we should leave now?” One of the cara
van owners squinted anxiously at the haze of smoke in the distance. “Better safe than sorry?”

  “If you’re at all concerned, you could do that,” Scott said. He held out his hand for the map that Shirley had just distributed and traced a path with his finger. “This road will take you straight into Tamborine, but there’s a big open area on my Uncle’s property next door, and that’ll be our first option. It’s as safe as anywhere.”

  His wife pursed her lips. “But the fire is nowhere near us, is it? Didn’t you say it was heading the other way?”

  “It is,” Scott agreed. “At the moment, you’re fine right here. But bushfires are unpredictable.” He smiled at her kindly, and then included her husband in his next comment. “It’s entirely up to you.”

  “I vote we stay here,” she said. She nudged her husband. “You don’t really want to pack up again for nothing, Dave?”

  The other couple standing around listening looked at each other and seem to exchange some sort of wordless communication. “I think I’d rather stay,” said the other man. “But if you want to leave now, Dave, we’ll come with you.”

  “How about if you all have a little talk amongst yourselves and decide what you’d like to do?” Scott pointed to the sheet of paper he held. “The main thing is for you to stay hitched up tonight, so you can be ready to leave if we need to. We’ll monitor the situation, and if there is any change in the status of the fire we’ll let you know immediately. It’s entirely up to you.”

  The man called Dave still didn’t look too sure. “But you’ll let us know in plenty of time to leave?”

  “Guarantee it,” Scott told him. “Even if there is a change in the wind direction, we’ll make our way to the safe area next door.”

  “Okay, then.” With a final look at the smoke far in the distance, Dave nodded.

  Scott turned his attention to Shirley. “You all packed up ready to go, Shirley?”