Crimson Dawn

by Fleur McDonald

  ‘You’re so clichéd,’ she said, laughing.

  Rip bounced up and down on his back legs and Tim bent down to pat him. ‘I’ve brought you a present, young Rip,’ Tim said as he dumped the food down. ‘It’s out of date, but there’s nothing wrong with it. Does it smell good, my little puppy friend?’ He reached into his back pocket and took out a small packet that he handed to Laura. ‘This is out of date too, but only just. It’ll still work.’

  It was worm medicine for Rip.

  ‘Thanks.’ She put her hands on her hips. ‘You didn’t bring anything for me.’

  ‘I brought your mail,’ Tim said.

  They went inside and he threw the bundle of letters on the bench.

  ‘Any news on Allie?’ Tim asked as he pulled out a chair and sat down at the table.

  ‘I heard from her mum that they’ve put her into a rehab clinic in Adelaide. She isn’t doing too well, from all accounts.’

  Laura put the kettle on then stood at the sink, reflecting on the day they’d gone through Allie’s room. The letter had been the clincher. So few words and yet so incriminating. The hurt Laura had felt had been instant and powerful. Tim had tried to take charge of the situation, but Laura, having looked after herself for so long, shunned his attempts. Seeming to know he was overstepping the mark, he’d retreated to the background, making cups of tea and, later, pouring wine, while Laura talked to the police and Allie’s parents.

  The police had taken the note with them to fingerprint.

  They’d also confiscated the iPod and smoking implements, along with the cough syrup and the other substances.

  In regard to the note, Detective Burrows had said it was unlikely they’d be able to prove anything. After all, the note didn’t mention when, where or who.

  It just happened to fit with the ‘Random Incident’.

  Laura was still none the wiser about who had sent the note.

  When asked whether she wanted to press any charges against Allie, Laura had deliberated long and hard. In the end, after realising there was really nothing she could charge her with—Allie hadn’t confessed to anything—she decided against it. ‘I think that girl will have a hard enough time coming out of this hole she’s put herself in,’ Laura had said.

  Detective Burrows had agreed. ‘Once down there, it’s difficult to get out, even with the best support,’ he said.

  ‘We can guess she was the one who drugged Random, but really, there isn’t any proof. I think we should just let bygones be bygones. But I would ask one thing, Detective.’ Looking the detective in the eye, she’d requested that the photos not be passed on to Allie’s mother.

  ‘I can’t promise anything if we do get to the bottom of this and it comes to court,’ he’d said, ‘but I’ll do my best otherwise.’

  What had been harder to deal with was Allie’s weeping mother. A single mum, Jackie had lamented that she didn’t know where she’d gone wrong. Allie’s sisters had been no trouble at all.

  Laura hadn’t been able to offer any comfort. She was still trying to work out how she’d missed the signs and if she could have made any difference.

  Robyn and Tegan had been unsurprised and unmoved when they came home to find Allie gone. It was then that Laura understood how intensely they’d grown to dislike the girl. For them, it was a relief not to have her on Nambina. The only time they’d reacted was when Laura had recounted the story of Random at the show and the circumstantial evidence against Allie. They’d been stunned.

  Tim broke into her musings. ‘So am I going to get that cup of tea or are you frozen in time?

  Laura blinked and looked back at him. ‘Sorry. Thinking about Allie.’

  She poured the water into the cups, grabbed the sugar and milk then dumped them on the table before carrying the cups across and sitting down.

  The silence was easy. It was one of the nicest things about their friendship. There wasn’t any need for talking. They seemed in sync with each other.

  ‘What are Robyn and Tegan up to?’ he asked as he stirred sugar into his tea.

  ‘Too hot to do too much today. I gave them the afternoon off. I think Robyn and Will were hoping to drive to the coast for a swim. Summer’s supposed to start tomorrow but I think it’s come early.’

  ‘I wouldn’t mind going to the beach,’ Tim commented.

  ‘I’ll take the pool, thanks. Don’t like seaweed and the way it can wrap around your ankles.’ She took a sip of tea. ‘I don’t know why we drink hot liquid on hot days. Do you want water or something?’

  ‘I’m good.’ He drank his tea in silence before a sly look crossed his face and he put down his cup. He looked her in the eye. ‘So are you telling me we’ve got the whole afternoon to ourselves? No students who’ll come knocking on the door, looking for more jobs?’

  She raised her eyebrows. ‘Did you have something in mind?’

  ‘I’ve always got ideas. The question is whether I can convince you?’

  ‘Answering a question with a question.’ Laura shook her head in mock disgust. ‘Actually, now you mention it, I want to take you for a drive.’ She pushed back her chair and stood up.

  Tim looked disappointed but recovered quickly. ‘I’m all yours.’ He got up from the table and tipped the rest of his tea down the sink before following Laura out of the door.

  Outside, Laura called to Rip, who bounded up and with one elegant bounce landed in the back of the ute. They climbed in and drove off with the windows down, the warm breeze drying the sweat on their bodies. The grasses had turned from a dull green to a brilliant wheat colour. Laura could see that there was a large fuel load in the paddocks, so much so she didn’t expect to get away for Christmas this year. She was too worried about fires. Georgie and Sean had been on the phone, trying to make plans, but Robyn and Tegan would be heading home for the holiday. That meant Laura would have to stay put. She was sure that, if she asked, Tim would spend the day with her.

  She slowed the ute to a standstill. ‘Look over there.’ She motioned towards a mob of sheep camped up on a dam bank.

  Tim gazed in the direction she was pointing, but she could tell from the blankness on his face that he couldn’t see what she could.

  ‘Here.’ She pulled a pair of binoculars from the glove box and handed them to him.

  He peered through them for a moment.

  ‘It’s Random?’ he asked.

  ‘Yep!’

  ‘He’s working?’ Tim asked.

  ‘Yep again. I watched him serve three ewes within a matter of minutes this morning, before it got too hot. He’s definitely back in the business of making babies!’

  Tim hadn’t lowered the glasses yet. ‘No swelling, no signs of pain,’ he mumbled more to himself than to Laura. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the seat.

  ‘So what’s your verdict, Dr Burns?’

  ‘He looks really good, Laura. I couldn’t have asked for a better outcome.’

  ‘I reckoned the same, but wanted to get some expert advice.’

  ‘Have you put the others to work? What about Boof and Mr Darcy?’

  ‘Do you know, I think Boof is pining for Rusty?’ Laura put the ute into gear and let out the clutch.

  ‘The yard cat? It never ceases to amaze me how animals form really close friendships. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least.’

  Laura felt a familiar lump in her throat. A week earlier she’d found Rusty curled up asleep in a fleece left over from shearing. When Laura called him, he hadn’t stirred. She knew then he wasn’t sleeping. When she touched him, he was cold.

  Reading her thoughts, Tim gave her knee a squeeze. ‘He had a good life, eh?’

  She nodded.

  ‘Christmas pageant’s on next week,’ he said, changing the subject. ‘Want to go?’

  Laura looked at him quizzically. ‘Can’t say I’ve been to one since I was a kid.’

  ‘Come on! They’re fun. Kids on bikes, all the floats. And you get to sit on Father Christmas’s knee. If you’r
e really good, I’ll give you a lolly to suck on.’

  Laura’s head whipped around. ‘Are you Father Christmas?’

  ‘The one and only.’

  She laughed. ‘Aren’t you a bit underweight? But you’d be so good at that. So good!’

  ‘Thank you,’ Tim answered, stroking an imaginary long white beard. ‘I thought so too. Now, back to the house, driver. I think a cold glass of something celebratory is in order! Random is in good shape.’

  Later that night Laura sat at the kitchen table drinking wine alone. She looked around the room and once again felt its emptiness. When Tim was around, the place seemed filled with laughter and friendship. Realisation dawned. She was missing him. Missing his company, his smile and conversation. You’d better put those sorts of ideas out of your mind, she told herself.

  She thought of Catherine. Laura could see her friend, hands on hips, staring at her intently. ‘Why?’ she would ask her.

  ‘Oh, go away,’ Laura mumbled out loud. But she found herself asking the same question.

  To distract herself, she flipped through the mail. One letter caught her attention and she slid her finger under the flap to tear it open.

  The letter inside was from a law firm.

  Her stomach flip-flopped.

  Dear Miss Murphy,

  We have been instructed to act on behalf of Meghan Hunter in establishing her interest in the parcel of land known as ‘Nambina’, location 486, Mangalow.

  We have been able to ascertain that our client has a lineal relationship that we believe entitles her to make a claim on this land.

  Further details will be provided in due course.

  You can be assured that we are extremely confident of her position and entitlement.

  The legal process to pursue this claim will be, of necessity, time-consuming and extremely expensive for both you and our client. We would therefore consider any offer you choose to make to satisfy our client.

  All future correspondence and communication must be through this office. Direct communication with our client could result in action being taken against you.

  We look forward to your response in writing within twenty-one (21) days of the date of this letter.

  Yours faithfully,

  Brendan Dark

  Dark & Partners

  Laura stopped breathing.

  Chapter 33

  2008

  ‘How could this happen?’ Laura wailed down the phone to her father. ‘Lineal relationship?’

  ‘Laura, calm down. I know this is upsetting, but . . .’

  ‘It’s beyond that, Dad! We could lose Nambina. What would we do without it?’ Her voice broke and she felt like her heart was being torn from her chest.

  ‘I can’t see how it’s possibly true,’ Sean said. ‘There must be some mistake. Or mix-up, or something. There’s just no way.’ His voice faded. ‘Unless . . .’

  ‘What?’ The word came out of her like a bullet. ‘Unless what?’

  ‘Well, oh, I don’t know. Let me think about it. You’ve only just told me,’ Sean snapped.

  Laura felt the floor begin to spin beneath her. She sank down against the wall and took deep breaths. She knew she was close to losing control and that wasn’t going to help. They had to figure out what was happening, how it was happening, and how to stop it.

  Laura could hear her father’s short sharp inhalations over the line. He was upset too.

  ‘How do I find out?’ she asked. ‘How can I prove they’re wrong?’ Her mind was racing, jumbled thoughts that she couldn’t make sense of falling over one another.

  ‘I don’t know,’ Sean answered. He made a sound of exasperation then said quickly: ‘Birth certificates, obviously. We’ll get her birth certificate.’

  Laura crinkled her brow. ‘We know who her parents are. Josh’s dad and that stuck-up, toffy-nosed woman, Glenda, who married him.’

  ‘Remind me of the history again,’ Sean said. ‘History will hold all the answers we need, I’m sure of it.’

  ‘Josh’s mum died while she was having him,’ Laura answered. ‘Mr Hunter hired a housekeeper because he needed someone to look after Josh. That was Glenda. She managed to get the old man to marry her—some people say she got up the duff on purpose. They had Meghan.’

  ‘Ah, that’s right. He was a lot older than her and died a few years ago. Cancer.’ Sean said. ‘Awful disease.’

  ‘Hmm. Anyway, about three years ago Mrs Hunter-the-second left town. I think she moved to Adelaide or somewhere more cultural than Mangalow. I know she always reckoned we were second-class citizens down here. Not enough art and theatre for her.’

  ‘That’s strange, considering she started as a housekeeper,’ Sean observed. ‘I remember the story now.’

  ‘Yeah, Papa always said that Mrs Hunter was too hoity-toity for her own good and she should remember how she came into money. Apparently, Mr Hunter worked really hard when he was younger. He got what he wanted through sheer determination and sweat.’

  ‘Now, wasn’t it Josh’s aunty, the old man’s sister, that Howie got into trouble with when he was looking through his rifle sights? Pretending to sight up a fence, wasn’t he?’

  Despite herself, Laura laughed. ‘You’re right! Howie always had a bit of a soft spot for her, I think. She was a widow but I don’t know anything more about her.’

  Renewed fear made her shudder and she gripped the phone more tightly. ‘So, Dad, how do we fix this?’

  ‘We hire our own lawyer and fight,’ he answered with certainty.

  ‘That was my first idea, too,’ she said miserably. ‘But I don’t think I have the money. There isn’t any extra cash around. The letter from the lawyers said it would be expensive for both parties.’

  Her father let out a groan. ‘We don’t have any spare capital either. The hospital pays well and all, but we do rely on those payments coming from Nambina to keep everything running as it should and to pay the house off.’ He paused. ‘Would you consider mortgaging the farm?’

  Laura was about to answer when Sean groaned again. ‘Ah, the banks won’t do that when they know there’s court action hanging over it. Stupid suggestion.’

  ‘I couldn’t do it anyway, Dad,’ Laura answered. ‘The threat of losing this place to someone else is bad enough, but if something happened and I couldn’t pay the loan back . . .’ She gulped. ‘Can’t even think about it.’

  ‘Look, I have to go to the hospital in the morning, but I’ll see my boss and get some leave. I’ll come down the day after and we’ll work out a plan. We’ve got twenty-one days, haven’t we?’

  ‘Nineteen now,’ she answered miserably. ‘It’s dated two days ago.’

  ‘Well, then, we better get moving.’ His tone was determined. ‘Will you be okay by yourself until I get there?’

  ‘I’ll be fine. Tim’s coming over tomorrow.’

  ‘Good.’

  They rang off. Laura still felt alarmed and incensed, but was calmer in the knowledge that her dad, as always, would be there and do his best to help her fix the situation.

  Laura lay in bed, listening intently, trying to work out what had woken her.

  Completely spent from the emotion of the day, she’d gone to bed before the sun’s rays had disappeared below the horizon and had fallen into the deepest sleep she’d had in a long time.

  Now she listened for any noise that was odd. The wind was rattling through the windows and the front door knocked against its frame. Nothing unusual there.

  She had almost dropped off back to sleep when a soft tapping on the kitchen door startled her.

  Now that was weird. She strained to listen. It sounded again.

  There was someone knocking at the door.

  Her eyes fell on the bedside clock. Who would be visiting at this hour?

  Rip hadn’t barked and Laura hadn’t heard a car. Did that mean whoever it was had walked in? Memories of Josh’s unwanted visits and Meghan’s threats came to mind. Suddenly frightened, she slid out of bed and l
ooked around wildly for a weapon, but she could find nothing.

  Never, in all her time alone on Nambina, had she felt so scared and out of control—it had overtaken her so quickly.

  Tiptoeing over to the window, she peered into the darkness and saw a man. He had a small light strapped to his head.

  ‘Tim!’ She sagged against the wall with relief. Hearing another knock, this time louder, she gathered herself and went to open it. As she crossed the dark kitchen, her anger rose.

  She yanked the door open and stood there, her hands on her hips. ‘What the fuck are you doing? You scared the bloody living daylights out of me!’ Her voice was loud and harsh.

  Tim pulled back, his ready smile dropping away and confusion taking its place. ‘Sorry, Laura. I had a late call out this way. I wanted to come by and see how you were. Guess I should’ve rung first . . .’

  ‘So you decided you’d creep in and scare me? Where the hell are your brains?’

  Tim looked put out. ‘I was worried. You sounded so down when you called. Didn’t think you’d be in bed yet. Sort of assumed you’d be pacing the room trying to work out how to fix everything.’

  Laura flicked the switch for the outside light. The moment the verandah area was illuminated, moths dive-bombed the lightglobe. ‘Quick,’ she said impatiently, motioning for him to come in. ‘Before all the insects get inside.’

  It was then she saw that Tim’s jeans were dirty and he had traces of blood on his face. ‘So, what call did you have?’ she asked.

  ‘Whelping bitch. Had the second pup stuck in the birth canal.’

  ‘Right. You forgot to wash your face.’

  Tim’s hand automatically went to his cheeks and his fingers felt for the dried blood. He scratched at it. ‘Sorry,’ he said for the third time.

  Laura’s heart rate was returning to normal. ‘No, it’s me who should be sorry. I was a bitch just then.’ She sighed and sank into a kitchen chair. ‘I went to bed early. Did you drive in? I didn’t hear a car. I was so tired I just went out like a light.’

  ‘Yeah, how else would I get here? Walk? I don’t think so. That’s too much like exercise for me.’ He grinned and squatted down in front of her. ‘Sorry I woke you. And sorry I scared you.’ He patted her knee. ‘I was worried after you rang, then I got the call out this way. Thought it was an omen—like I was supposed to come and see you.’