Promise

by Sarah Armstrong

  Beatie appeared, her face grim. ‘Oh, Anna!’ She gave Anna a quick hug. She smelt of sleep and coffee. ‘How many cops?’

  ‘Three that I saw.’

  Anna sat at the table, her legs trembling. ‘I couldn’t get to Pat’s without them seeing us. Can you help us get away?’

  Will said, ‘I’ll take you over the back. The fire trail.’ He turned to Beatie. ‘What about Roger? I could take them to Roger’s, couldn’t I?’

  ‘Yes. Good idea.’

  ‘Thanks, Will.’ Anna tried to draw Charlie onto her lap but the girl twisted away and said, ‘Where’s Macky?’

  Beatie said, ‘In his room. But you’re going to have to leave in a minute. Stay here.’

  ‘No, I want to see him.’

  ‘Quickly, then,’ said Anna. ‘Just go really quickly, okay? Come straight back.’

  Will picked up a set of keys from the shelf by the door. ‘I’ll bring the Land Cruiser over. How much fuel’s in it, Beatie?’

  ‘Enough.’

  He slid his feet into a pair of old sandshoes by the door. ‘Can you grab me a t-shirt, Beat?’ He jogged across the lawn to the shed.

  Anna stood and called, ‘Charlie. Come here.’

  Charlie laughed at the other end of the house. Anna headed down the hallway.

  In her high sweet voice, Charlie sang, ‘Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream, merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream.’

  Anna looked into the kids’ room. Charlie held one end of a li-lo and Macky held the other. Zeb and Claudy swung their legs on the top bunk.

  Charlie grinned over at Anna. ‘Macky says we’re going li-loing today.’

  ‘Did he?’

  Anna imagined the drive over the mountain and Will depositing them at some stranger’s place. They’d be homeless and penniless and dependent on strangers. Anna watched Charlie pretending to paddle the li-lo and felt suddenly calm.

  It was over. This was where it ended. She could not drag Charlie off into more uncertainty. No. Their borrowed time was up. Her job was to prepare Charlie for what was coming.

  Anna stepped into the room. ‘Charlie! Come here, sweetie.’ Anna needed to hold the girl in her arms.

  ‘Anna!’ Will yelled from the kitchen. ‘Where are you?’

  ‘Here.’

  He stood in the doorway. ‘We should go right now. Get Charlie.’

  ‘I can’t do it. I’m not going to keep running.’

  ‘What?’ He frowned.

  Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream.

  ‘I can’t do it to her,’ said Anna.

  Beatie appeared behind Will.

  ‘She says she doesn’t want to go,’ Will said over his shoulder. ‘Anna, I can get you over the hill in twenty minutes. Come now. We’ll take you to a friend’s place. We’ll help. We can make this work.’

  ‘No,’ said Anna. She lifted both hands, palms facing Will. ‘That’s not going to happen. I can’t keep running. That’s no life for a child.’

  Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream.

  He shook his head.

  Beatie took hold of Anna’s arm. ‘But what about you, Anna, what it means for you? You could let us hand Charlie back to the police and you can go.’

  Anna said, ‘I don’t want to be a fugitive.’

  ‘Well, you already are.’

  ‘But only to keep her safe. It’s only worth it if I’m with her and keeping her safe.’

  Anna looked at Will. ‘Could you please phone Pat and find out if they’re at his place yet? That’s the logical place they’d go after the cottage. And if they’re there, tell them where we are. I want them to know that I’m waiting and willing, so when they come, it’s calm and not scary for her. Make them promise it will be calm before you say where we are.’

  Will nodded.

  Anna stepped into the kids’ bedroom and knelt by the li-lo where Charlie lay on her back, watching Anna.

  ‘Charlie, come sit on my lap for a moment.’

  The girl rolled over and climbed onto Anna’s lap.

  ‘We are going li-loing,’ the girl said. ‘And that’s my li-lo, Macky said so.’

  Anna pressed her nose into Charlie’s neck. She smelt of creek water and of the yellow soap Anna used to wash their clothes.

  ‘I have to tell you what’s going on. Things are going to really change in a moment.’

  Charlie frowned. She had a small scratch on her cheek from the day before at the creek. That scratch would heal when Anna no longer woke beside her each day, no longer made her breakfast pikelets or washed her clothes. Anna was faintly aware of Beatie calling her kids out to the hallway.

  ‘What change?’ Charlie tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and Anna saw that she had drawn a ring on her finger. A ring with a big oval jewel.

  ‘You know that the police don’t like that I took you away from your mum. I’m in a bit of trouble for that even though I did it to keep you safe. The police have been looking for us and that’s why they came to the cottage.’

  She heard Will in the hallway, talking on the phone, his voice serious.

  ‘And the police are going to come here, to Macky’s place, soon,’ said Anna. ‘And you and I will go with them but I think they’ll probably separate us. We’ll go in different cars and go to different places.’

  ‘I don’t want to!’ Charlie gripped Anna’s t-shirt.

  ‘I know. I don’t want it either.’

  Hot tears prickled behind the skin of her face. She didn’t want to cry in front of Charlie. She held the girl’s dear face between her hands. ‘The police want to check you are okay. So you’ll go with them.’

  Charlie’s voice wobbled. ‘Will I see Mummy?’

  ‘Probably . . . But not today, I don’t think.’ What could she say?

  ‘Can you come with me, Anna? Please? I don’t want to go by myself.’ Charlie started to cry, fat tears slipping down her cheeks. ‘I want you to come with me.’

  ‘Oh, I wish I could come with you but they won’t let us stay together. And they’re the boss, I’m afraid.’ Anna took a shaky breath. ‘They’ll take good care of you. I love you and I will do everything I can to see you again. But it may not be for a while.’

  Charlie dropped her head onto Anna’s shoulder, and made little moaning noises. Anna ran her hand down the girl’s back, over and over. ‘It will be okay. It will be okay.’

  Will came to crouch by Anna, his face solemn. ‘They’re leaving Pat’s now. They should be here in about seven minutes.’

  ‘Okay. Thank you.’ Anna stroked Charlie’s back and asked Will, ‘How did Pat sound?’

  Will waggled his head from side to side. ‘He’s sounded better.’

  And poor Sabine. This was Sabine’s worst nightmare and Anna had brought it about.

  ‘I’m sorry for bringing the police to your door, Will.’

  Will shrugged. ‘We have nothing to hide.’

  ‘I don’t want this to come back and bite you and Beatie. Tell them you thought we were mother and child. Tell them you had no idea. Promise?’

  Will nodded.

  Anna stood and lifted Charlie onto her hip. ‘We’re going to go and wait for them outside.’

  She carried the girl through the kitchen to the verandah, Charlie’s legs wrapped tightly around her waist. She lowered herself onto a damp cane chair, her heart beating in her throat. Charlie curled up into a tight ball on Anna’s lap, her bare legs warm on Anna’s thighs. Anna folded herself over the girl.

  She whispered, ‘They’ll be here soon. And they’ll take care of you.’ They better bloody well take care of her. ‘And you know, even when we’re apart, there will be an invisible string joining us. When you think of me, I will definitely be thinking of you.’

  Tears slid from Anna’s cheeks onto Charlie’s t-shirt. ‘I’ll be thinking of what fun we had swimming in the creek and cooking jaffles on the fire . . .’

  Charlie whispered, ‘Are they coming n
ow to get me?’

  ‘They’re on their way. They’ll be here soon.’

  Behind them, in the kitchen, she heard Beatie and Macky talking quietly and the sound of the air coming out of a li-lo. The morning air felt cool and calm, chooks pecked at the dew-wet grass, and a bird called whoop whoop in the forest. Such a vast forest, and it couldn’t keep them safe after all.

  ‘I’ll think of you all the time, Charlie.’

  The sound of car engines drifted through the trees. Beatie stepped onto the verandah, her hand on Macky’s shoulder. ‘Macky wants to say a quick goodbye to Charlie.’

  Macky stood by Anna’s chair, swaying a little side to side.

  ‘Bye-bye, Charlie,’ he said, his voice quiet and strained.

  Charlie looked up and whispered, ‘Bye.’

  He bent and gave her an awkward one-armed hug. A blue wagon drove into the clearing, wheels crunching loudly on the gravel, followed by two white four-wheel drives. Anna held Charlie close and rocked her gently. Beatie ushered Macky back into the house.

  A woman got out of the blue wagon and nodded at the man getting out from the passenger side. It was the pair from the cottage.

  The woman said, ‘Anna Pierce?’ Her voice was warmer than Anna expected. She had a round face and dark hair scraped back into a tight ponytail.

  ‘Yes.’

  They walked across to the verandah, so out of place in their polished shoes, crisp ironed shirts and perfume. They were outsiders, but had all the authority.

  The woman lifted her chin to look into the house, then she stepped up onto the verandah and knelt beside Anna’s chair.

  She smiled at Charlie and spoke softly, ‘Is your name Charlie Seybold?’

  Charlie didn’t respond but gripped Anna’s shirt.

  Anna nodded. ‘Yes, this is Charlie.’

  Two uniformed police climbed out of one of the white four-wheel drives and stood, hands on hips, looking over to the house. They wore blue vests hanging with all sorts of paraphernalia.

  The woman laid her hand on Charlie’s back.

  ‘Charlie, my name’s Karen. I’m a police officer. Come with me. We’re going to go in a police car.’

  Charlie buried her head under Anna’s arm. She was gripping Anna’s shirt so tightly that the fabric cut into Anna’s back.

  Anna said, ‘Sweetie. We haven’t got any choice about this, I’m afraid. It’s better if you go with her, otherwise they’ll just pick you up and take you.’ She kissed Charlie’s hair and tried to sit the girl up. ‘Karen will take care of you.’

  Anna looked straight at the woman, who blinked back at Anna, her face impassive.

  The woman stood. ‘Hop off her lap now, Charlie.’

  Charlie slowly climbed down from Anna’s lap, her shoulders up around her ears. She squeezed Anna’s hand tightly.

  The woman took Charlie’s other hand and said, ‘We’re going to the car now.’ She nodded to the man.

  Anna extricated her hand from Charlie’s and steadied her voice. ‘Bye-bye, Charlie. I’ll be thinking of you all the time, sweetie.’

  Charlie walked with the woman towards the car. She looked so small in her pyjama t-shirt, bare feet treading over the grass, her hand in the policewoman’s. She didn’t look back at Anna.

  The man stepped forward.

  ‘My name’s Detective Sergeant Munro. Anna Pierce, you’re under arrest for the abduction of Charlie Seybold. I want you to understand you are not obliged to say anything unless you wish and anything you do say may be taken down or recorded and may be used against you as evidence. Do you understand?’

  ‘Yes, I understand.’

  Charlie was at the station wagon now. The woman opened the back door and helped her inside.

  ‘Stand up, please, Ms Pierce.’ His grip on her upper arm was firm.

  ‘Where are you taking Charlie?’ said Anna.

  ‘She’ll be well taken care of.’

  He walked Anna down the steps and across the lawn towards one of the dusty 4WDs. Anna could just see Charlie in the rear seat of the station wagon. The back door was still open and Karen leaned in and spoke to Charlie.

  Anna said, ‘What about Charlie’s clothes and things? She’s only got a t-shirt and undies on.’

  The man said, ‘We’ll look after that.’

  ‘Will you go back to the cottage and get her stuff? She has a toy rabbit and little wooden dolls that she really needs to have with her.’

  ‘We’ll look after it.’

  ‘Anna!’ Charlie screamed from the car. ‘I want to go with you!’

  Anna tried to call back, but tears jammed her throat. She was guided into the back seat of the 4WD, and the car carrying Charlie turned around and disappeared down the driveway.

  Chapter Thirty-four

  Anna’s dad flung up the roller door and turned back to her. ‘I should have kept up the rent on your place. Sorry, love.’

  ‘I’m not sure I could have gone back there anyway, Dad.’

  Anna stepped into the storage locker stacked with her things. Her old blue couch. The television. Cardboard boxes piled to waist height. While she and Charlie were up in the forest, her dad had packed up all her stuff and trucked it over the mountains to one of his own storage lockers in Orange. She didn’t want to ask, but presumed he left all the pot plants behind.

  She ran a finger over a box her dad had neatly taped up. Kitchenware.

  ‘Thank you so much for doing this, Daddo. It must have been a huge job.’

  She started crying again and he stepped close and hugged her. ‘Oh, Annie.’

  She sobbed into his shoulder. ‘I just want to know that she’s okay.’

  He patted her back. ‘I know. At least she’s not with her mother and the boyfriend.’

  She stepped away and wiped her face. ‘God knows what the grandmother’s like, though.’

  ‘It’s out of your hands now.’ He surveyed the storage shed. ‘I have your computer at home. And your toiletries. I didn’t think they’d survive the heat very well. Most of your clothes are in those two suitcases.’

  She unzipped the green suitcase and rummaged through neatly rolled clothes to find a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. They smelt of her house, of her old life. She thought of the clothes Sabine had given her, sitting folded on the shelf at the cottage, beside Charlie’s small t-shirts and shorts, and favourite purple dress. She hoped that one of the cops had gone to get them, and the dolls, and Bunny, who would have been somewhere in the mess of bedclothes.

  ‘I’m just going to put some clean clothes on,’ she said as she found a bundle of underpants in the suitcase.

  ‘There’s a bathroom in the office . . .’ He pointed towards the boom gate.

  ‘It’s okay.’

  She was so weary, she couldn’t be bothered with modesty. Her dad busied himself at the car while she undressed and pulled on her old burgundy shorts and a tank top. The shorts were loose and sat low on her hips. She’d lost weight. She slid down the roller door and wheeled the suitcase to the back of her dad’s car. Whatever clothes were in that case would do for now.

  ‘Good.’ Her dad heaved her suitcase into the boot. ‘You look like yourself again.’

  She smiled. ‘You’ve always been a crap liar.’

  ‘We’ll be home in ten minutes.’

  •

  She’d spent a day at the Byron Bay police station. First, the detectives had questioned her, and made her recount, in detail, how she took Charlie. Karen, who seemed to be the senior detective, was more friendly than Anna expected.

  Then she was put in a cell, where she sat on the plastic mattress and stared at her bare, muddy feet, her mind circling the same questions: where was Charlie right now? Was she okay? Would Anna get bail? When would her dad arrive? Who had dobbed them in?

  After the magistrate granted her bail, her dad – who’d flown from Orange to the Gold Coast – bundled her into his hire car.

  ‘Let’s head over to Lismore, Annie,’ he said. ‘Hotels aroun
d here will be too pricey.’

  She phoned Dave and left him a message then pretended to sleep while her dad drove. Through half-closed eyes she watched the scenery whipping by, her mind whirring so quickly she could barely pick out individual thoughts. Anna hadn’t felt this miserable since the days after her mother’s death when, day after day, she’d come home from school to an empty house.

  All she wanted was to know that Charlie was okay. No, she wanted to hold Charlie. She’d always imagined the great love of her life would be a man, not a five-year-old girl she’d known for three months.

  Dave phoned back while she was under the shower in the Lismore motel. Her dad knocked on the bathroom door and passed his phone through. She sat naked and wet on the lid of the toilet.

  ‘Hi,’ she said.

  ‘Anna. How are you?’

  Oh, it was lovely to hear his voice.

  ‘I don’t know how I am,’ she said. ‘Exhausted, I guess . . . all I can think about is Charlie.’ The shower dripped into the bath beside her. ‘I suppose she’s with the grandmother.’

  ‘I guess so, unless they decide the grandmother’s not fit to care for her.’

  ‘So someone will look into that?’ she asked.

  ‘Oh, I’d hope so.’

  There was the sound of a woman laughing somewhere at his end. He must be at work.

  ‘Any idea how the police found you?’ asked Dave.

  ‘No.’ She hadn’t mustered the courage to ask her dad if it was him. ‘We took Charlie to hospital for a virus and maybe the doctor figured it out. I don’t know.’

  ‘I guess it doesn’t particularly matter now, does it?’ he said. ‘How are you, really? I can only imagine the arrest was pretty awful.’

  She ran a toe through the muddy footprint she’d left on the white floor tiles. ‘The worst was watching them drive away with Charlie . . .’

  ‘Your dad said you have to live with him.’

  ‘Yeah. And I’m not allowed to see Charlie, of course . . .’ She sighed. ‘If I even knew where she was.’

  Through the small, high window came the sound of someone walking along the motel verandah, whistling a jaunty tune.

  ‘Your lawyer did well to get you bail. And listen, I’ll help you find someone good for the sentencing. You’re pleading guilty, your dad said.’