Red Hot

by Cheryl Alldis

  ‘Thanks, Hazel.’ Kathy smiled at her. ‘You always know how to make me feel better.’ Kathy accepted the drink gratefully but still could not rid herself of the feeling someone had been in the orchard. For now, she decided to keep it to herself, thinking Hazel was right. Why would anyone want to hide in the orchard? She also knew though, if it was Robert, he would have come out laughing like a hyena.

  ***

  Tammi had received a letter from Laura Hansen, Muriel and Walter Hansen’s granddaughter. She lived in Cooma in the Snowy Mountains region. The letter said she would be arriving in a few weeks for the start of the holidays. Tammi was really looking forward to her arrival. Laura was the same age as her and they were very good friends. Despite being excited about Laura’s visit, Tammi was aware that something was amiss with her sister.

  ‘C’mon, Kath, what’s wrong with you? For the past few days you’ve been quieter than usual. Is everything okay?’

  Kathy sat for a moment with the book she was reading in her lap. She turned to Tammi.

  ‘I wasn’t going to make a big deal of this but I think someone was watching me the other night when I took a shortcut through the orchard.’ She told Tammi what happened.

  ‘Maybe it was Robert. He’s always sneaking around somewhere.’

  ‘I really don’t think so, though he wasn’t home when I was at his place that evening. If it was him, he would have come out in bloody hysterics, gloating about scaring me. The dickhead wouldn’t have been able to help himself.’

  ‘Well, it might just have just been your imagination. You know at that time of evening everything appears sort of creepy.’

  ‘Maybe, that’s what Hazel said too.’ Kathy shivered. ‘But it felt so real; you know how you just know when someone is there!’

  ‘C’mon,’ Tammi urged. ‘Let’s put some records on and paint our nails, take your mind off it. I have the latest Beatles record. Paul McCartney is such spunk, those gorgeous eyes!’ Tammi rolled her eyes heavenwards. ‘I’d love to meet him!’

  Kathy shook her head and gave her sister a playful slap. ‘Get over it Tam, they’ll never come to Albury, and if they do ever come back to Australia, I can’t see us being allowed to go to the big city to see them. Hell, Mum and Dad had a pink fit when I asked if we could go to Sydney and see them when they were there in June.’

  ‘Yeah, I know. Still, you have to agree, he’s fair dinkum gorgeous!’

  The Beatles arrived at Sydney Airport on 11th June, 1964. Some 1,200 screaming fans greeted them.

  Their first show was at Sydney Stadium on 18th June, attended by 12,000 fans. They did six shows in three days, each show attended by the same amount of fans.

  Kathy and Tammi kept all the newspaper articles about them. The two were glued to the television every time something had been reported about The Beatles.

  ***

  Darkness fell over the valley. The family settled down for the night. Hazel and Ted had gone down to their cottage. Karl, who had been out for a stroll and a smoke before bedtime, returned and locked up. Time ticked on. The family had all drifted off to sleep.

  Down in their cottage, Ted was restless. ‘Think I’ll get up and open that front window, Haze. It’s a bit stuffy tonight, don’t you think?’

  ‘A bit of fresh air would be nice, love.’

  Ted went to open the front window. As he pushed it open, he sniffed the air. Peering around, he couldn’t see anything in the darkness.

  ‘Haze, I’m just going out to check on things. I reckon I can smell smoke.’

  He opened the front door and returned in seconds.

  ‘Bloody hell, Haze, get up quick! Looks like a fire up at Sam’s.’ He was pulling on his trousers as he spoke. ‘It doesn’t look like anyone up at the house is awake. Quick, we have’ta get up there and wake ‘em up!’

  Hazel grabbed her dressing gown. ‘Oh glory be, just the thing we don’t want to happen!’ They hurried to the main house as fast as their old legs could take them.

  ‘Ring the fire brigade. I’ll wake Karl and Digger,’ Ted said over his shoulder as he clambered up the stairs to wake the men.

  With a quick knock on Karl’s door, he burst in. Ted was not sure what was burning at Sam’s, but whatever it was, it looked like it had a go on.

  ‘Karl, wake up, wake up.’ He grabbed Karl’s shoulder, giving it a rough shake.

  ‘Wha..? What tha flamin’ hell… Ted…what’s wrong?’ Karl glanced at the clock beside his bed. It was nearly midnight.

  ‘There’s a fire up at Sam’s. Looks like it’s got a hell of a go on!’

  ‘Shit!’ Karl jumped out of bed, grabbed his trousers and dragged them on over his pyjamas, stumbling in his haste.

  Digger heard the commotion and met them at the top of the stairs.

  ‘Fire up at Sam’s, Dig. Tell Win to keep Dad here. He doesn’t need to come with us.’

  Sam’s property was only a few minutes up the road so they didn’t waste time getting the ute out of the shed, instead they ran the short distance.

  Because most properties were in close proximity to each other, no one bothered driving to their neighbour. It was just as easy to jump a fence or a make quick dash through a paddock.

  What Ted had seen was a grass fire behind the packing shed, which was rapidly spreading towards the orchard, and from there it could spread straight into the scrub at the foot of the hills.

  ‘How’d this start?’ Karl grabbed the nearest thing to him, a hessian bag, soaked it under the garden tap and began desperately belting at the flames that had started to spread closer to the shed.

  ‘Got no idea, mate, just discovered it. We were all asleep. Des woke us. He said the cracklin’ woke him. Thank God he heard it!’ Sam told him.

  Nat Willis and his brother Rex arrived, followed closely by Arthur, Robert and several other farmers. The sirens had disturbed them all, and seeing the flames, they immediately sprang into action.

  Nat had a knapsack and quickly got to work. The others grabbed hoses or soaked hessian bags and began belting at the flames.

  Frank Smith arrived with the fire brigade and hurriedly set about organizing the blokes and getting the hoses connected.

  ‘Get that bloody fire hose over here. This thing’s spreadin’ fast. If it gets into the bush we won’t stop it!’ bellowed Digger. ‘Get Eric to move his tractor… hurry! It’s right in line with this!’

  ‘Shit! The fuckin’ thing’s stalled!’ Eric was trying to move the tractor but it kept stalling on him.

  ‘Hurry, hook this chain on the front, I’ll tow you with the ute.’ Sam backed his ute up and they swiftly attached the chain to the front of the tractor and the back of the ute, and pulled the tractor away from danger.

  Down at Kia-Ora, the family had all gathered on the side veranda.

  ‘That fire’s got a real go on!’ said Dave. ‘If they don’t get a hold of it and it spreads, there’s all that scrub up there…!’ His voice drifted off as he watched with a frown, furrowing his brow.

  Emmie placed her hand on his arm. ‘They’ll get it out Dave, Frank’s there and I’m sure he’ll have it under control in no time. Try not to worry.’

  As Emmie spoke, Father Damien walked ‘round the corner of the veranda, startling them. He was dressed in shorts, sneakers and had a slouch hat on his head, even though it was dark. The locals often had a laugh about his attire and many a crude joke was spun at the pub about him.

  Father Damien was not your usual, everyday priest. The only time he wore his robes was at the seminary when conducting mass. Otherwise, his attire consisted of shorts, sneakers and slouch hat. In winter, his shorts were replaced with jeans.

  Most of the locals thought him quite odd and rather creepy, making jokes about him behind his back.

  His habit of wandering around at night often made people wonder about his antics.

  ‘Father..!’ Dave exclaimed, ‘what’re you doin’ down this way at this time of night?’

  ‘I’m sorry if I gave yo
u all a start. I was taking a late stroll around the seminary grounds as I do every night. I thought you would all be up because of the fire. Bad thing to happen… bad thing… at least it’s not the house or the shed.’

  ‘Oh, so you went across to see did you?’

  The seminary was built on the side of one of the hills that surrounded the valley and overlooked Sam’s place.

  ‘No Dave, but I could see that grass patch behind the shed where Eric keeps his tractor was alight. They seem to be getting on top of it now. I thought, seeing everyone would be up there putting it out, you would appreciate knowing what was happening.’

  ‘You’re very kind to let us know, Father,’ Emmie thanked him. ‘Eric has only just bought that tractor. It would have been dreadful if it got burnt. Let’s hope they get it out quickly. Here, come sit down with us.’

  ***

  Up at Sam’s, after a hectic battle, the fire was finally under control. The men’s quick action prevented a disaster. If the fire had gone unnoticed any longer, it would have destroyed the tractor and shed, with the possibility of causing damage to the house as well.

  Digger wandered over to Sam and Eric. ‘Strewth, got any ideas about how it started?’

  ‘Damned if I know, mate. Everything was alright when we went to bed.’

  ‘I was out here about eleven and didn’t notice anythin’ out of the ordinary. I checked the tractor and closed the shed door,’ said Eric.

  Des joined them. ‘Frank’s gonna keep an eye on it a while to make sure it don’t flare up again.’

  ‘Well, it beats me how it started. Where’s Karl?’ Sam wiped a weary hand across his forehead, leaving a smudge of black ash.

  ‘With Arthur and Robert and the others. They’re soaking the grass down near the orchard for safety’s sake,’ Des answered, rubbing at a nervous tic near his right eye.

  Everyone was shocked and extremely concerned at what could have been if the fire had gone unnoticed any longer than it had.

  Connie wandered over, her face, too, showing distress.

  ‘It’s out now, love,’ Sam told her, draping his arm around her shoulders.

  ‘How’d it start?’ she asked him.

  ‘We don’t know yet, we’ll have to wait till daylight to find out. If it’s those flamin’ lunatic kids, they’ll wish they were never born!’

  ‘Well, seein’ that all’s under control here, mate, we’ll get on home and put their minds to rest. They’ll all be waitin’ up and worried,’ Karl said, cupping his hands around a match to light his smoke. ‘This is as suspicious as hell an’ my bet is it’s those brat kids.’ Karl had come up to join them. He and Digger left then, saying they’d be back early in the morning, which was by now only a few hours away.

  Dave and the others were still out on the veranda. Father Damien had left.

  ‘Grass fire, eh?’ said Dave. ‘Bad one, by the look of it. Someone’s up to no good, bet me bottom dollar on that!’

  ‘Yep, bad enough Dad, but we saved Eric’s tractor and the shed. You’re right, it didn’t start itself! Frank’s stayin’ a bit longer to make sure it won’t flare up again.’

  ‘Father Damien told us what it was. We were so worried. Con hasn’t been the best lately, this would upset her. How is she?’ Emmie asked.

  ‘She’s alright, Sam calmed her down. How’d Father Damien know? I didn’t see him there. Did you, Dig?’

  ‘Nuh, we were all too busy with the fire to notice anyone.’

  ‘He said he saw the fire while out taking a late night stroll around the seminary grounds and thought he’d let us know what it was, so we wouldn’t worry,’ Win explained.

  ‘He’s a strange bloke that… real strange,’ Karl mused.

  ‘Well, I’m gonna hit the hay. We’ll have to go up in a few hours and see if we can find out what caused it,’ Digger said, yawning loudly.

  They all went back to bed for the second time that night.

  ***

  Next morning, the men were up early and went back up to Sam’s to check out the scene of the fire. The smell of smoke hung in the air and the area was a blackened mess.

  ‘There has to be a clue somewhere,’ muttered Eric.

  ‘You’re right, mate. This didn’t start on its own,’ Des said as he gazed around. ‘Wonder who that is?’

  They all turned, looking in the direction of the house as a car pulled into the driveway.

  Two men in suits got out and walked the short distance from the driveway to where the men stood surveying the scene.

  ‘Good morning, gentlemen. This is Detective Simpson and I’m Detective Bennett. Frank Smith, from your local fire brigade, contacted us and suggested we take a look around here. He believes there might be suspicious circumstances involved.’

  ‘So do we, mate. The bloody thing didn’t light itself!’ Sam replied angrily.

  ‘Where were you when it was discovered?’ Detective Bennett questioned.

  ‘We were all in bed and I can vouch for everyone here,’ declared Sam.

  ‘How do you know that?’ the detective demanded. ‘Did you check to see for yourself, eh?’ His question came across very sarcastic.

  ‘I’m sorry, mate, we’re all family here.’ Sam introduced them all one by one and explained that farmers and fruit growers all kept a similar routine. In fact, he could vouch for nearly every bloke in the valley.

  The detective grunted and straightened his red and blue striped tie. He disliked smart-mouthed country cocks.

  ‘Who discovered the fire first?’

  ‘I did!’ Des told him. ‘I heard it cracklin’. My sleep out’s at the back of the house and I could see a glow through the louvre windows. I raced out to see what it was but it already had a good go on.’

  ‘Ted Perkins raised the alarm at my parent’s house and Karl here and Dig came straight up,’ Sam explained

  ‘Who’s Ted Perkins?’

  ‘He helps with odd jobs around Kia-Ora. He lives in a cottage there with his wife,’ Karl explained.

  ‘That’s Kia-Ora down there, I take it?’ The detective indicated with a jerk of his head.

  The detectives stayed quite a while, asking questions and combing through the ash. A reporter from the Border Morning Mail newspaper arrived, did a report on the fire, and took a few photos, saying it would be in the next day’s edition.

  The assumption was that the fire had been deliberate. Finally, the detectives left, intending to call on the youngsters, the O’Toole kids, and their mates.

  Karl and Digger had told them their suspicions about Walter Hansen’s horse jumps. This fire, coming so soon after the fire at Walters’s, and nothing to explain how either fire could have started was just too big of a coincidence.

  If indeed the O’Toole boys had anything to do with lighting the fires, they would be in very serious trouble.

  The men had also formed their own impression of the detectives.

  ***

  The blokes sat around on fruit boxes in Sam’s packing shed. Nat and Rex Willis had joined them. They didn’t believe for one minute the detectives would do anything further about the fire. They would have to follow up on the kids, but unless they got anywhere with them, that would be it.

  ‘Bloody useless bastards. Won’t do nothin’ not important enough, just a grass fire to them.’ Sam sat with his hands hanging over his knees, a frown creasing his forehead.

  ‘Well one thing’s for sure, that fire didn’t light itself. Someone’s responsible,’ Nat stated.

  ‘I still reckon it’s those mongrel kids. I know we can’t say anythin’ to O’Toole but I say we keep our eyes and ears open from now on. If it was, they’re bound to slip up sometime. They’re cocky little bastards and they’ll come undone, mark my words,’ Karl said, his voice rising in anger.

  ‘Yeah, Karl, I reckon ya might be right. I was in Jones’ hardware last Sat’dy mornin’, had to wait to get served, the bloke in fronta me wanted mosquito coils.’ Rex started to tell them.

  ‘Mosquit
o coils? Haven’t used them for a few years!’ interrupted Sam.

  ‘Me neither,’ Rex continued. ‘The young fella servin’ wasn’t sure if they had any, had ta go out the back and look for ‘em. Anyway, while I was waitin’ I happened to glance out the winda and there was those smart arse kids takin’ the mickey outta that poor old Elsie Hathaway. She must be easy eighty six or seven! Well, I couldn’t stand around and let that go on, so I went out and hunted ‘em. Copped a mouthful of cheek but at least they took off,’ Rex told them.

  ‘Well, we can’t let this sorta thing keep happenin’,’ Nat added. ‘Shit, if they’re sneakin’ ‘round lightin’ fires, we have’ta do somethin’ and bloody quickly. For fucks sake! Everythin’s dry as a bone! There’s gotta be somethin’ we missed. A clue left around somewhere. They’re only bloody kids, they woulda left somethin’ behind!’ He slammed his fist into a box in anger.

  Sam stood and walked to the shed door. His gaze went to the blackened grass patch.

  ‘Aah well, we didn’t suffer any damage and we’ve been over everythin’. The cops combed through it as well, and there’s just no clue whatsoever. We can’t prove a friggin’ thing! All we can do at this point is just get on with it and see what happens next.’

  ‘Yeah, nothin’ more we can do except keep a closer eye on things and our ears cocked for anythin’. One thing’s for bloody sure, they won’t light another friggin’ fire if we catch ‘em!’ Digger fumed. ‘Bloody young thugs. What sorta blokes are they gonna grow into?!

  ‘Well we’re not gettin’ any work done standin’ ‘round talkin’, we better get back to Kia-Ora, there’s boxes bein’ delivered this arvo… gotta get ‘em sorted and stacked. C’mon Karl, can’t do anymore here.’ Digger made a move to leave. As frustrating as it was, there wasn’t anything more they could do.

  ‘See ya later mate,’ he said to Sam and shook hands with Nat and Rex.

  Karl stuck his thumb up. ‘See yas later.’ They headed back to Kia-Ora.

  CHAPTER THREE

  ‘What do you think I should do, Tam? I really do believe someone was there!’ Kathy had become concerned all over again after hearing that someone had deliberately lit the fire at their Uncle Sam’s. She was thinking again about the strange feeling she’d had that someone was watching her that evening in the orchard.