Where the River Runs

by Fleur McDonald

  There were still a few unanswered questions though—whose brooch was it, and how did Baxter slip into the family unnoticed? Or for that matter, how did Oscar disappear without anyone noticing? Surely his gambling buddies must have realised he wasn’t attending their games.

  Still deep in thought, she ran into Ryan at the hospital entrance.

  ‘You’re looking serious,’ he said. ‘Everything okay?’

  ‘Fine, fine. Well, not really, but nothing’s wrong.’

  Ryan chuckled softly. ‘Do you often talk in riddles?’

  Laughing, Chelsea said, ‘I guess that sounded very odd. I’ve discovered a family secret and it’s a fairly big one. I’m trying to wrap my head around it.’

  ‘Sounds intriguing.’

  Blinking, she was lost for words. ‘It is. It really is!’

  ‘I’d love to hear about it some time, but I’m in the process of organising a transfer for Tom. He’ll be going to Adelaide tomorrow.’ He kept walking.

  ‘That’s great.’ She said to his departing back.

  She started on again, only to bump into Cal. ‘Oh, hey,’ she said. ‘Been in to see Dad?’

  ‘Yeah. Just dropped in quickly. Thought I’d see you in there.’

  Chelsea saw his eyes drop to her mouth, then come back to her face. ‘I had to go to the police station first. You’ll never believe what I found out last night. I’ve worked out who the bones are!’ she said quickly.

  ‘Really? Who? How’d you do that?’ The questions came thick and fast.

  ‘My great-grandfather and his baby girl.’

  Cal’s breath came out with a whoosh. ‘That’s not small shit. How the hell did you work that out?’

  Chelsea couldn’t help herself. She laughed. Then stopped. ‘Oh my God,’ she said.

  ‘What?’

  ‘I …’ She looked up at him. ‘I don’t know, I feel … I don’t know, I’m just pleased I’ve decided to stay.’

  Cal stared at her and she took a shaky breath as a flash of longing passed over his face. She reached out and put a hand on his chest, not breaking eye contact.

  The door opened and two nurses chatting loudly to each other walked in and the moment was gone.

  Stepping back, Cal said, ‘That’s got to be nothing but good.’ He smiled at her. ‘Let’s have a drink tonight and you can tell me about it, okay?’ He patted her shoulder in a brotherly way and jogged down the steps, leaving Chelsea wondering what was actually happening between them.

  ‘Hey, Dad,’ Chelsea said cautiously after she’d established his memory was clear today. ‘I want you to look at a couple of things I’ve found and tell me if you remember anything about them, okay?’

  She opened a photo album and turned to a page with the picture of a couple in a wedding dress. ‘Do you know these two?’

  Tom slipped his glasses on and peered at the photo. ‘Hmm, she looks like Adelia,’ he said, taking the album from her. ‘But that’s not Baxter.’ He flicked over the page and looked at another wedding photo. It was the same again: Adelia and Oscar.

  ‘I’ve found out that Adelia was married to a guy called Oscar before she was with Baxter, Dad. Oscar was a horrible man, but Baxter was lovely. And after she got rid of Oscar, she was really happy.’

  Tom stilled. ‘The skeleton?’

  Chelsea nodded. Today her dad’s mind was as sharp as ever.

  ‘I always thought …’ He broke off.

  Chelsea held her breath.

  ‘I always thought there was something not quite right. They lived as if they had a secret—oh, we all loved them, adored them really. But they protected their privacy fiercely. Now it all makes sense.’ Looking back down at the photos, he asked how she’d worked it out.

  After she explained it all to him, she said, ‘I can leave the diaries with you. Read them if you want to, but they’re not pleasant reading.’

  ‘Well, then,’ her father said noncommittally.

  ‘And Ryan said you’re going to Adelaide tomorrow. I’m going to pick up Aria on my way home today and we’ll pack up and meet you down there.’ She bent down and kissed him. ‘I’ll see you in Adelaide, okay?’

  Tom grabbed her hand. ‘Thank you for coming home, Chelsea. It means the world to me.’

  There was one more thing Chelsea wanted to do before she left Barker.

  Jason was in his father’s sheep yards drafting lambs into different pens. One mob was larger than the other when she pulled up. He glanced up to see who’d arrived and froze. The lambs kept running, but Jason seemed to forget to use the drafting gate. Finally he stopped the sheep and put the block in. As he walked towards her, he wiped his brow nervously.

  ‘Hope I’m not interrupting,’ Chelsea said.

  Jason didn’t reply.

  ‘I wanted to come and see you. To talk about … Dale.’

  ‘I’m sorry,’ Jason said, tears forming in the corners of his eyes. ‘I see what happened every night. I dream about it every night. I’m so, so sorry. He was my friend.’ His voice broke and the despair was etched deeply in his face.

  Putting her hand on his shoulder, she smiled gently at him. ‘I know. He was lots of people’s friend. And lots of people miss him. I do. You do. Shane and Kelly would too, I’m sure.’

  ‘Everything your dad has been through …’

  Chelsea shook her head. ‘That’s got nothing to do with it. What happened to our family happened. None of us likes it, but we can’t change it. You didn’t kill Dale. It was an accident. No one’s fault. You’ve got to let it go. You’re the one who’s still alive, so you have to live your life. Dale would’ve wanted you to.

  ‘I’ve got to go to Adelaide tomorrow with Dad. You probably heard he had an accident. When I come back, you and I are going to catch up. We’re going to talk, laugh about the old days and learn to live again, okay? Both of us need to learn to live.’ She pulled him into a hug and felt his tears on her shirt.

  Chelsea picked up Aria from Lily’s and brought her back to Shandona. After a day without her doggy friend, the little girl’s first port of call was to see Scout. Her laughter as she let him off the chain and threw the stick for him was blissful.

  ‘Mummy,’ she called.

  ‘Yes, honey?’

  ‘Are kittens and dogs friends?’

  Chelsea raised her eyebrows at the question. ‘Why do you want to know?’

  ‘I want to know if Scout and my kitten will play together.’

  At that moment Cal arrived.

  Forgetting her question, Aria flew across the lawn and threw herself at him. Chelsea loved the way he hugged her and asked what she’d done when she stayed at Hec and Colleen’s and then how her day with Alecia had been.

  Aria chatted nineteen to the dozen until she finally fell asleep on Cal’s lap.

  ‘Do you want me to carry her to bed?’ he whispered.

  ‘Would you?’

  He nodded and gently put his hand under her small body and gathered her into his arms. Aria gave a low sleepy murmur. When he placed her on her bed she snored loudly.

  Chelsea wanted to laugh, but held it in, glancing at Cal with amused eyes. She pulled up the sheets and tucked them in before kissing her daughter goodnight.

  In the kitchen Cal poured Chelsea a glass of wine. ‘Sounds like she’s had a great time with her friends.’

  ‘It sure does. But I think I’m going to have to get her a kitten! She fell in love with Sooty at Colleen’s.’ Chelsea grimaced. ‘Dad hates cats! She’s so exhausted I’ll think she’ll sleep for a year. Goodness knows what she’s been doing!’

  ‘Didn’t you listen?’ Cal asked. ‘When she was with Colleen and Hec, they milked the dairy cow and played with the kitten. She’d helped make cakes—’

  ‘Yeah, yeah, I heard!’ Chelsea held his gaze as she smiled at him.

  ‘And with Alecia today they painted their fingernails and braided their hair!’ Cal winked at her, then asked, ‘How are you feeling?’ He handed her the wine.

  ‘Sp
un out!’ Chelsea laughed. ‘Too many emotions to put names to. I feel like I’ve sorted out so much, but who knows what tomorrow will bring.’

  ‘Shouldn’t worry about tomorrow just yet. There’s still a few more hours before the clock ticks over.’

  ‘By the way, I was talking to my friend Tori today and she’s going to come and visit. You’ll like her.’ She smiled at him. ‘Come on, let’s sit on the verandah so we don’t wake Aria.’ She walked outside and breathed in the cool, fresh air. A welcome change from the daytime heat. The landscape was quiet except for the crickets, and the moon bathed the land in a soft glow.

  She felt Cal place his hands on her shoulders and turned to face him.

  ‘Speaking of liking,’ he said, ‘Chels, I really like you.’

  ‘I really like you too,’ she answered.

  ‘Do you … I mean, did my story …’

  Chelsea put her finger on his lips. ‘Shh. We’ve both made mistakes, but not with each other. We’ve got a fresh start, haven’t we?’

  Cal gathered her close to him and groaned quietly. ‘Oh, I hope so.’

  Later, Chelsea tried to imagine what that night would’ve been like for Adelia. Did she send a message to Baxter to tell him to come? How did he know what had happened? Did he turn up to help her?

  She imagined the night bathed in pale moonlight; two figures out in the dark. A woman in heavy skirts and a man in overalls. They had shovels and were digging on the edge of a hill. The tinny noise of steel on earth was echoing through the valley.

  On the ground alongside them was a large man-sized bundle wrapped in hessian.

  The two worked together silently until the hole was large enough and deep enough. Between them they rolled the bundle into the grave. Then the woman picked up a box, knelt next to the grave and, leaning over, let it drop to the bottom of the hole. She didn’t stand until the man put his hands on her shoulders. The two stood together, their arms around each other, and Chelsea could hear them talking.

  ‘How did you know to come back this time?’ the woman asked.

  ‘I felt it. I knew you needed me.’

  ‘Our connection,’ she said.

  ‘I don’t understand it, but I know what it feels like.’

  ‘How do we explain this?’ She pointed at the grave.

  ‘We don’t. Unless someone asks. It’s the Depression, my love. People are walking away all the time. You woke up one morning and he was gone. I can’t imagine anyone will ask any questions.’

  The woman was agitated. ‘But what if someone finds this? Digs them up?’

  ‘I will make sure no one ever knows about it. You know the government is offering peppercorn leases for this type of land. I’ll secure it. There will be no reason for anyone to know they are buried here. Trust me.’

  ‘You know I do, Baxter. You know I do.’

  ‘From here on in, your children are mine. I will raise them as if they were mine and love them the same way. You can do whatever you like—work the paddocks or stay at home. I want—need—you to be happy. I want us to be happy together.’ Baxter bent down and kissed her.

  ‘I will be just so long as I’m with you. Come on, let’s finish this up,’ Adelia said, taking the shovel in her hand again. ‘Oh wait.’ She fished around in her pocket and drew something out. ‘I never could understand how something so beautiful could come from someone so awful,’ she said.

  Chelsea could see a piece of jewellery spiralling downwards. It caught in the moonlight and two ropes twisted together glinted.

  She nodded. Yes, she thought. It could have happened that way.

  Chapter 30

  ‘Hey Joan, can you give me a hand for a minute?’ Dave called out. He was looking at the Qantas website but wasn’t sure how to book flights to Perth. Joan had a much better understanding of websites than he did.

  ‘Where are you going?’ she asked when she saw what was on the screen. ‘Planning a second honeymoon?’

  ‘No,’ Dave answered grimly. He still wasn’t really sure how he felt about the decision he’d made. ‘Going to Perth to see the family. Can you please help me book the tickets? For some reason it won’t let me use my frequent flyer points.’

  Joan grabbed the mouse, clicked a few buttons. Fifteen minutes later he had the printed e-tickets in his hand and was walking out of the station towards his house.

  ‘Oh my God, are you serious?’ Kim squealed when he held them up to show her. She flung herself at him and hugged him tightly. ‘You won’t regret this,’ she told him. ‘Not one little bit.’

  ‘I’ll have to get Jack to look after everything here,’ Dave said, frowning.

  ‘He’ll be fine. You’ve taught him so well. Whatever comes up he’ll be able to cope with it, and if worse comes to worst, I’m sure you’ll be able to help him over the phone.’ She kissed him. ‘Now call your mother.’

  In the office, Dave picked up his phone and scrolled through the contacts, looking for Dean’s number. He wanted to tell him first.

  ‘G’day, it’s me,’ he said when Dean answered.

  ‘Been thinking?’

  ‘Yeah. Kim and I are booked on a flight Monday week. I’ve got a few things to tidy up here and then we’ll be over.’

  Silence, and then Dave heard the muffled sob. ‘I’m real glad,’ Dean said in a tight voice. ‘Real glad. Mum’s here, so she knows too.’

  Dave cleared his throat. ‘Good. Righty-o, I’ll be in contact a bit later.’

  ‘See ya, mate.’

  Dave walked to the window, shoved his hands in his pockets and looked out. He rocked on his heels.

  His grandfather had been a constant source of inspiration to him when he’d been growing up and he still remembered many of the pieces of advice he’d been given.

  ‘Face your fears, son. Don’t let them get the better of you. A man always stands up tall and faces them head on.’

  Dave knew that was what he needed to do now. Face his fears, head back to Perth and hug his mother.

  Epilogue

  It was a cold, bleak day, with only a handful of people standing around a grave in the Barker cemetery.

  A small coffin containing the remains of Oscar Taylor and the unnamed baby girl was laid to rest, far away from the graves of Adelia and Baxter.

  Chelsea read a short Bible verse and Tom, still on crutches, said a few words, before the minister signalled for the coffin to be lowered into the ground.

  Cal was holding Aria’s hand, and on the other side of the grave were Lily, Jason, Jack, Dave and Kim.

  Chelsea had been surprised to see how much clearer Jason’s face looked. Perhaps her healing words had made a difference to him.

  ‘Come on,’ Aria complained. ‘I’m so cold.’

  ‘It’s not that bad,’ Cal said, taking off his coat and wrapping her in it. ‘You’re being soft.’

  Aria pouted. ‘I am not.’

  Grinning, Cal picked her up. ‘You just wanted my jacket, didn’t you?’

  ‘Who, me?’ The pout changed to an innocent look. Chelsea smiled at the interaction. She was lucky. So lucky.

  ‘I need a cup of tea,’ Tom said.

  ‘You all go on,’ Chelsea said. ‘I’ll catch you up.’

  The small group wandered back to their cars while Chelsea picked a path over to her mum’s grave. She traced the words on the headstone with her finger, then sighed and leaned against it.

  ‘Sorry, Mum,’ she whispered. ‘I guess I failed you there for a while. But I think I’m back on track. I’m home. Looking after Dad. He needs a bit of help at the moment. He’s been forgetting things and the neurologist seems to think that some of his medication could be causing the memory loss. We’ve got a few more trials to get through before we see if that’s the case. If it’s not, well … But I’m not going to worry about that just yet.’ She looked around her. ‘I’m surprised. I didn’t think I’d ever want to live here, but I do. So I’m staying. Aria loves it here too. And then there’s Cal.’ She turned and looked down
at the grave. ‘Yeah, did you hear that? Cal and I?’ She laughed a little as she felt her stomach flip. ‘Yeah, the “we” astounded me too, I can tell you.’

  There was another blast of bitter wind and she shoved her hands in her pockets. ‘I wish you could’ve seen Aria though. She looks like her father, but sometimes I see your expressions on her face. I think Dad does too.’

  ‘Come on, Chelsea!’

  She turned at the sound of her name and saw Cal waving her over.

  ‘Guess I’ve got to go. Oh, one other piece of news. I’ve taken a job at the school teaching piano. Can you believe that?’ She laughed loudly at the irony of it and knew her mum would probably be laughing wherever she was too.

  Chelsea kissed the headstone. ‘Love you, Mum.’ And she turned and ran over to her family.

  Acknowledgements

  Firstly, I need to tell everyone that Allen & Unwin is the best publishing house in the world, and, Annette, I’m incredibly grateful for the understanding you’ve shown towards me over the past few months. Since my spinal surgery in January, writing has been a bit of a battle, but hopefully we’re on the up and up from here.

  My heartfelt thanks to all the wonderful people at Allen & Unwin—in particular Tom, Christa, Tami and Andrew. To Annette, I’m beyond thrilled to be under your banner. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your professionalism and guidance. Thank you for caring about my books as much as I do.

  A very special thanks to Dave Byrne, who is continually on the end of the phone, email and messaging to answer my weird questions about investigations. Without you, Detective Dave wouldn’t be who he is.

  As always, colossal appreciation to Gaby Naher from The Naher Agency. No better agent exists.

  To my beautiful kids, Rochelle and Hayden, one who is no longer a kid and one who is nearly not. Bear with me; just because you’re off on your own adventures doesn’t mean I won’t worry or cry. You’ve been my world. You’ll always be my world and I love you as much as is humanly possible.