by Bill Day
Sonia calls out. “Yes, please, take them far away.”
Fingers twirls his fingers and the two run out the door. They walk back to the main house and disappear inside. I walk into the bathroom just as Sonia gets out of the bath and wraps herself in a robe.
“Get in the shower Monty. You’re a mess.”
I jump in the shower and get cleaned up. I let the hot water roll down my back. I feel very sleepy. After a while, I dry off and make my way to the soft bed. Sonia is fast asleep.
I kiss her forehead and climb in the other side. She whispers dreamily, “Goodnight Monty my darling. You took too long.”
I’m asleep in seconds.
33
Rescuing Rebecca – About Alice
I wake with the warmth of Sonia’s body beside me. It is as close to heaven as I can imagine. She is awake and gazing at me. “Good morning sleepy head. It is only 6.30. We have ages until breakfast.” She lies on her stomach with her chin on my chest. Her deep brown eyes flutter my heart.
“Sonia, do you remember saying I would adore you after six weeks.”
She smiles. “Did I say that?”
“Yes you did and it didn’t take that long. I adore you already.”
Sonia smiles. “Of course you do Monty.” She leans in close and we kiss.
An hour later we get out of bed and shower. We brought spare clothes. Sonia pulls out a comfortable jumpsuit, gives me a quick kiss and bounds out the door. She keeps up a steady pace and calls back. “I have to train.” She sprints into the distance. A half-hour later I see her outside the chalet. She is jumping, turning, and kicking in an elaborate series of exercises. It exhausts me to watch her.
She finishes, showers, and changes. We make our way to breakfast. Everyone is there except Alice. She’s still asleep on the couch. Tuyen is busy cooking bacon, eggs, sausages, and the like. There is a pile of toast and fresh bread on the table. There are bowls of fresh fruit, cereal of various kinds, and pastries. She must have worked half the night on this.
I select a warm croissant and bite into it. It is the best croissant I have ever eaten. “Tuyen, where did you get croissants in the middle of nowhere?”
Tuyen looks embarrassed. Fingers answers for her, “She makes them Monty. She makes everything you see here. Even the bacon is from our pigs. Try the sourdough. It is amazing.”
I make a plan to try a small portion of everything. I find the homemade bacon irresistible so the plan doesn’t work. Towards the end of breakfast Finger’s phone rings. He picks it up and goes into the other room. After five minutes he returns. He looks contemplative.
“That was Digger. I sent him what we know about Alice. Her name is Alice McMahon. She has been missing for ten months. At least some of that time was on the street in the central business district. He thinks that’s where Mike found her.”
Gail fixes Fingers with a steely gaze. “Do we know why she left home?”
“Digger found reports of welfare visits but nothing definitive. He has done pretty well given it was the middle of the night. He can talk to a few people later today and find out more. She has grandparents who look clean. He has an address for them. We could drop her off with them on the way home.”
Gail stiffens, “What, so we dump her?”
Flick intervenes, “Gail, she isn’t a puppy. She belongs with her people. That’s the end of it.”
Gail looks sour and stomps away to get changed.
“Felicity, she’s put us all at risk.”
“I know Paul. What could Gail have done?”
Fingers thinks for a bit, “Damned if I know Flick. Perhaps I would’ve done the same. Still, we have to get Alice home somehow and Gail isn’t the person to do it. I have a clean van tucked away for emergencies. The plates don’t link back to any of us. You need to take her to her grandparents.”
“Paul, Gail will go berserk. I need to be here to keep her in check.”
Fingers and Flick turn and stare at me. “Guys, she doesn’t know me. Why would she go with me?”
“She knows me though.” I could have sworn Sonia wasn’t listening. “Monty and I can take her. She will go with me.”
A voice cuts through the discussion. “No, I won't. I stay with Gail.”
“Will you stay with your Grandparents if Gail takes you?”
“No. Nan and Poppy are old and they smell.”
“Will you go back home then?”
“To my parents? Fuck off.” It seems Alice is not the angel we assumed her to be. “Drop me back with my friends in the city if you must take me anywhere.”
Flick sighs. “Alice we can’t leave you for another Attis to pick up. Or worse.”
“So I’ll stay with you guys.”
“You can’t stay with us, Alice.”
“Why, because you’re criminals?”
Finger does his best to look offended. “What makes you think we’re criminals Alice? That’s quite insulting.”
“Oh, really Pops? You have this mansion in the bush like a drug lord. The bus is full of surveillance gear, torches, sets of knives, and goodness knows what else. Gail fishes me out of that bloody spa and - hey presto - Attis has an accident. I don’t know why you were there, and I am very grateful that you were, but you had reasons of your own that were not exactly sparkling clean.”
She turns on Sonia, “And you Sonia. What are you, a commando or something? You carried me at a sprint through the bush for miles. Not that I minded.”
She looks at me. “And you’re punching way above your weight. Why him Sonia?”
“He has hidden qualities.”
“Yeah, very hidden. So guys. What’s the plan?”
Fingers is irritated, “There is no plan Alice. You can’t stay with us because you’re thirteen. You won’t go home. Your grandparents smell. You tell us. What’s the plan?”
Alice looks around, “This is a nice place. Why don’t you give me a job here?”
“Because you’re thirteen. I can’t legally employ you.”
“Yes, you can Pops. I’m a street kid. I can get special permission to be employed through government training schemes. I can give you a number to contact. You offer a live-in traineeship and pluck me off the streets. I like horses. Do you have horses?”
Fingers rubs his face, “You can’t work here but I can find somewhere else for you. What about racehorses?”
“That would be okay I guess. You would need to drop me back in the city so I can be a street kid again.”
Fingers nods.
“I’ll need money. A few grand would do it.” Fingers nods again. He looks tired. He has been gulled by a thirteen year old.
Gail walks back in. She wears a lovely floral print dress and looks a bit like a teenager herself. With their matching blond hair and bright blue eyes, they could be sisters. “What’s going on?”
“It seems Alice is disinclined to go home. I am going to organise her a traineeship with Shooter as a strapper.”
“She’s too young Fingers.”
Fingers waves his hand tiredly, “Alice can explain it. It’s her plan.”
Alice explains her plan. Gail listens intently. “Okay, but I keep an eye on you. I will get you a phone. You ring me if anyone even looks at you strangely. Do you need cash?”
Alice tilts her head and appears to be deep in thought. “Oh, a few grand would help.”
I like this girl.
Fingers rubs his eyes again. “Can we pack up and move out now? I have phone calls to make on the way. Gail and Flick take my van and drop Alice wherever she wants. Alice, grab some breakfast. I’ll be in touch when I get everything set up.”
An hour later we are ready to go. Gail, Flick and Alice are in the van. As they pull away Trotsky and Helen appear and sprint after the van. Flick stops and opens the sliding back door. They leap in and cover Alice with kisses.
34
Rescuing Rebecca - The Homecoming
As we drive home Vince and Pat fill in missing parts of the story. Mike
had a scanner and monitored mobile phone conversations. He knew Rebecca was feeding information back to Raymond, at least some relating to his penchant for very young girls.
He didn’t suspect Pat and Vince. They knew their job too well to get caught. Mike was wary of Lucky so he couldn’t do much with Rebecca except lock her down. Pat and Vince kept her safe.
We pull into a pub car park and go get some lunch. We all sit a table and tuck into hamburgers, chips, and so on. Rebecca sits close to Pat and Vince as if her safety still depends on them. Vince eyes a Mitsubishi van sitting on the road verge. It has a for sale sign on it.
“So lads, your work is done for now. What’s next for you?”
“Mr Van Der Linden, we will travel around for a while and spend some of our pay. Which we need to talk to you about.”
“Nothing to talk about boys.” Fingers reaches into his bag and hands over a paper package. “As agreed, feel free to count it.”
They smile, “There is no need. You of all people we trust. We look forward to your next call.” Vince pulls a clump of cash out of the packet and walks to the counter. He points to the van outside and negotiates a cash purchase.
Rebecca watches the boys get their payout. “And who pays me?”
“Lucky should settle with you Rebecca but I sense you want to go with these ratbags. Am I right?”
Pat throws his arm around Rebecca’s shoulder. “You’re the bomb, Rebecca. We would love to have you along.”
Fingers reaches into his bag again. “I thought so. Rebecca, you earned this and probably more. Lucky can square with me.” Rebecca pockets her packet of cash. “You did well Rebecca. Can I call later if I have a job for you?
Rebecca smiles, “You can Fingers. I don’t know about Lucky though.”
The three of them take a last sip of coffee and make for the door without a word. Vince completes paperwork as Rebecca and Patrick throw their possessions in the van. Rebecca has found her place in the world.
“Hey, Rebecca! Please ring Frankie. She will skin me for not bringing you home.”
Rebecca gives a thumbs up and a wave. Vince spins the keys around his index finger as he walks to the van. They all pile in, start up, and head South down the highway. Our troupe is reduced to three - Fingers, Sonia, and me.
“Now, Monty and Sonia, Lucky has squared things with Giovanni. He said to consider it gratitude for your work and a wedding present. Don’t let him off that easy though. Squeeze him for a proper wedding present. I mean, he did sell Giovanni that diamond in the first place.”
Sonia is particularly quiet and stares out the window. I need to investigate this diamond transaction further.
“Sonia, did you know Lucky sold that diamond to Giovanni?”
There is a long pause. “Zio Giovanni is family. Lucky is a family friend. Of course I knew.”
“And did you by any chance see this particular diamond before Lucky sold it to Uncle Giovanni?
“Monty, I have the right to choose my own diamond! Why are you making a big deal of this? Are you a policeman now?”
“No big deal Sonia. Shall we head home?”
“Yes, and no more stupid questions.” Sonia shoots Fingers a deadly glare.
We jump in the bus and head home. It feels empty. After half an hour Sonia breaks the silence. “Monty, I’m bored.”
“What can I do about that?”
“I didn’t ask you to do anything Monty. I am just telling you I’m bored.”
“And?”
“There is no need to be testy Monty.”
“I’m not testy.”
“You sound testy. You sound very testy.”
“No, I was just….”
“You can’t justify rudeness, Monty.”
“But I….”
“Enough. Do you know any games?”
“Um, How about twenty questions?”
Fingers looks interested, “What’s that Monty?”
“Twenty questions. One of us thinks of something and everybody else has to guess what it is.”
“That’s stupid Monty. How could we guess what somebody else is thinking?”
“You ask questions. So, say I have thought of something and you have to guess what it is. You ask me a question and I answer, but I can only answer yes or no. I can’t say anything else. You have twenty questions to discover what it is.”
“Yes or no?”
“Correct. Do you want to play?”
“Ok. I’ll go first.”
“It might be best if I go first, Sonia. So you get the hang of it.”
“I’m not an idiot Monty. I have one.”
“One what?”
“Oh for goodness sake Monty. I have something in my head and you guys have to guess.”
“Is it a dog?”
“No Fingers, it’s too early.”
“Too early?”
“Too early to guess. You have to narrow down the field by asking big questions. Like this - Sonia, is it a living thing?”
“No.”
“So it’s not a living thing?”
“No, it’s not a dog.”
“So is it a living thing?”
“What? A dog?”
“No, is the thing you have in mind a living thing?”
“Well, sort of.”
“You can only say yes or no. And how can something be sort of a living thing? It is or it isn’t… surely.”
“Not necessarily.”
“Is it a budgerigar?”
“Fingers! It’s too early to guess!”
“It isn’t a budgerigar Fingers. But you are very close.”
“You can only say yes or no!”
“There you go again. No one will play with you if you’re testy.”
“Your the one who was bored.”
“What was that Monty?”
“Nothing Sonia. So it may or may not be a living thing?”
“Yes, Monty. Time to move on.”
“Is it an animal?”
“No.”
“Is it a parrot?”
“It is a parrot Fingers. Can you guess what type?”
“Yes or no. Yes or no. How hard is that?”
“Monty, please shut up.”
Fingers stares at a flock of galahs winging across a paddock, “Is it Galahs?”
“You got it Fingers! Well done. Your turn.”
I am aghast. “Um, galahs are living things.”
“What about dead ones Monty? Dead ones aren’t.”
“Even so, be they alive or dead, Galahs are animals.”
“No Monty. Galahs are birds.”
“Surely you know they’re birds Monty?”
“Yes Fingers, I know galahs are birds.”
“Monty! You’re spoiling the game.”
Sometimes an idea gets in my head and sits there like an itch. I can’t help but say it, even when the wisdom of the utterance is questionable. “Um, Galahs aren’t parrots. They’re cockatoos.”
There is a deathly silence.
“That’s it! You can play by yourself Mr Smart Arse - stupid game.”
“Shit, I was enjoying that game, Monty.”
“Sorry Fingers.”
We drive for another hour. Nobody talks. Fingers whistles to himself and Sonia stares out the window.
She sighs. “Monty I’m bored.”
“That’s terrible my darling. How can I help?”
“Do you know any games, Monty?”
Um, how about I Spy?
“No, I hate I Spy. Monty, if you promise not to be an arsehole we can play twenty questions again.”
“I will do my best. Sonia do you want to go first?
“No. I believe it’s Fingers turn.”
We play Twenty Questions until the lights of the city come into view. They sparkle in the distance.
35
Gail and the Pitching Machine
When we arrive, Felicity and Gail are in the diner. They have food ready for us. We gratefully sit and eat.
&n
bsp; Fingers looks up from his roast chicken. “How did things go with Alice?”
“No worries. We took her back into the city. Gail booked a hotel room. She can pretend to be a street kid during the day.”
“I spoke to Shooter. He has a place for her. Give me a week and it will be done and dusted. Tough girl that one.” Fingers looks at Gail, Sonia, and I. “When you’ve finished here, head down to the basement. I have something for you to do.”
We finish up and head down the basement. Fingers has left three baseball bats, a pile of balls, and a pitching machine. There is a note stuck to the machine. “I don’t have any lemons but use these to blow off some steam. Good work.”
Gail scoops up a bat while Sonia and I figure out the pitching machine. We set it on maximum and load the hopper with balls. The first ball rockets towards Gail. She slams it into the back wall. It ricochets around the basement. Sonia and I grab our bats and we slog balls. They fly from wall to wall like enraged monkeys. We find ourselves with one eye on the pitching machine and one on ricochets. As one of us is hit the others howl with delight. Gail seems particularly enthusiastic.
I am just about to hit a ball and another comes from the left. It bounces off my shoulder. I squeal. Sonia is hit on the back of the head as she swings at another ball. She falls to her knees with a cry of irritation. Gail is hit twice in quick succession. She sinks to her knees and a ball bounces off her forehead. We all collapse on the floor and laugh. We compare bruises and rank them one to ten. My shoulder bruise is the clear winner.
Gail puts up her bat and stands against the wall. “Shoot balls at me guys!”
Sonia directs the machine at Gail while I retrieve balls scattered about the room. She loads the hopper and turns on the machine. A series of ten balls rocket towards Gail. She casually dodges them.
“Closer!” We move the machine closer. She easily dodges the next series of balls.
“Closer Still! Put it here.” She points to a spot about fifteen feet from her. I worry. This is an injury in the making.
A series of ten balls hurtle at Gail. She has less than a second per ball to react. She dodges five, blocks four with her forearms, and catches the last. I can see dark bruises on her forearms from the blocked balls.
