Along Country Roads

by Mandy Magro

  ‘Hello?’ It was more of a question than a greeting.

  Silence answered her.

  The sound of a glass bottle rolling across the road terrified her.

  She needed to get back inside the pub.

  Now.

  She fumbled in her bag for the keys, cursing that it was like a bottomless pit. Finally, she yanked them out and turned to slide the key into the lock. Dropping them, she knelt down to pick them up.

  The cause of the noise made her stop, and laugh out loud at her silliness.

  She heard hissing, which turned into more of a low feline growl. Then there was all-out war as cats went into battle. Seconds later a massive tomcat scooted past her. So her first guess had been spot on, it had been the moggies making the racket. Thank God for that. Now she could relax.

  With determined footsteps she headed towards the servo, praying to God she was right in thinking they were open twenty-four hours—being on a main thoroughfare for freight trucks it made sense. It would suck walking all the way, especially in the rain, only to find out they were closed. She was hankering for a bag of peanut M&Ms too—a small treat after the day she’d had.

  The flash of headlights behind her caught her attention and the thump thump of loud music made her turn. An unfamiliar four-wheel drive whooshed past, the driver clearly not adhering to the fifty-kilometre speed limit. A green Ford Echo soon trailed it with a group of young women squealing out the window. There must have been a party somewhere. Matilda hoped none of them were drink driving. Both sets of taillights disappeared over a ridge, once again leaving Matilda in shadowy darkness.

  Up ahead she spotted an older style blue Toyota Camry parked beside the park she had seen Ryan and Pippa in earlier. The interior light was on, but she was too far away to see who was inside, if anyone. She found it a little strange, considering the car wasn’t out the front of a house. On closer inspection she saw a familiar car-hire sticker on the back. Probably some lost tourist. Maybe she should ask if they needed help? But before she could decide whether that was a good idea, another car with thumping music sped past her and then the lost tourist indicated and drove away. Matilda laughed to herself. Talk about unexpected traffic—it was like waiting for a bus for ages and then all of a sudden three come along.

  Eight minutes later she was standing at the front doors of the servo, smiling from ear to ear because it was still open. Placing her umbrella near the door, she stepped through the sliding doors. Heading to the counter, she noticed the middle-aged bloke behind it was one of the regulars at the pub.

  ‘Oh hey, Rod. I didn’t know you worked here.’

  The man smiled broadly. ‘G’day there, Tilly. Yeah, I’ve been here forever. I do the graveyard shift so none of the girls have to do it. You can get some weirdos through this time of the night.’ He leant on the counter. ‘So what are you doing wandering around at this time anyway?’

  She shrugged. ‘Couldn’t sleep so was hoping to use the Internet.’

  ‘Yeah, sure.’

  She pulled her wallet from her bag. ‘How much is it?’

  ‘For you, free.’ He chuckled and then, even though there was nobody around, he covered the side of his mouth. ‘But don’t tell the boss or he’ll kick my butt.’

  ‘Oh you don’t have to do that, Rod. I honestly don’t mind paying for it.’ She unzipped her wallet to prove so.

  Rod waved his hand. ‘You pull a good beer and look after all us old codgers much better than the last barmaid did, so take it as my way of saying thanks.’

  Matilda grinned. The little things in life, especially kind gestures, meant so much. ‘Well, thank you.’

  ‘My pleasure.’ He handed her a piece of paper. ‘This is the password. Pop it in and it will give you an hour.’

  ‘I won’t be needing that long, but cheers.’ She grinned broadly. ‘Next time you’re in I’ll shout you a beer.’

  ‘No need, but thanks.’ He pointed towards the back of the store. ‘The computer’s down thataway. It’s been playing up a bit today so give me a shout if it does and I’ll come give it a good tapping.’

  ‘Righto, thanks Rod.’

  Pulling a chair up at the computer desk, Matilda felt her heart quicken its pace. What was she about to find out, if anything? Typing in the password she waited a few seconds before the message on the screen announced she had an hour. Then, typing in Ryan’s full name she sat back and waited with bated breath. In seconds the page filled with links. She leant forward, reading the top one out softly …

  After a short deliberation the jury have found Ryan Hunter not guilty of murder.

  Ryan? On trial for murder? What the …

  Matilda had to stop herself from crying out. She threw both hands over her mouth and took a few moments to catch her breath. She looked behind her to see if she’d caught Rod’s attention with her gasp, but he was nowhere to be seen. She was almost too afraid to read on. With trembling fingers she clicked on the link, her eyes wide as the page opened up. The article was dated a little over five months ago.

  After a dramatic three-week trial, the media frenzy fuelled by the many rallies supporting Mister Hunter’s actions, Ryan Hunter has been cleared of all charges relating to the death of his brother-in-law, Garrick Nunn. A six-women, six-man jury took less than an hour to reach their decision. Friends and family clapped and quietly cried as the judge announced his not-guilty verdict, Judge Robertson going as far as to say the death of Mister Nunn was an inescapable tragedy, and that if Mister Hunter hadn’t pulled the trigger he had no doubt in his mind that it would have been he who had lost his life that fateful day. There was no joy on Ryan Hunter’s face as he was cleared of the charges. Instead he hung his head in his hands and wept for what many believe is the cross he will have to bear for the rest of his life.

  As much as she didn’t want to cry in public, Matilda couldn’t stop the tears flowing down her cheeks as everything fell into place—the conversation between Ryan and Sergeant Fuller, his mother’s deep concern the day Ryan came to tell them Troy was in town, the real reason behind Ryan’s intense concern for her, and Samara, poor darling Samara, losing not only her mother, but her father too at the hands of her uncle. No wonder the girl was suffering panic attacks. And Ryan, poor beautiful thoughtful Ryan, her heart broke into a million tiny little pieces for him. She was amazed he was coping with life after going through something like that only months ago. Matilda sadly shook her head. If only she’d known the truth she wouldn’t have been so harsh with him earlier on. She felt awful.

  The loud ringing of a mobile phone followed by a familiar nasal voice dragged her attention from the glow of the computer screen. She leant over to try to see who it was—hoping it was someone who could give her a lift back to the pub. Oh my God, it was Pippa. Matilda swore beneath her breath. Seriously, could her night get any worse? She quickly pulled back to hide behind the computer, at the same time trying hard to hear what Pippa was saying. She was keeping her voice down, as if telling a secret, but Matilda could just make out the words.

  ‘Yes, I know.’ She giggled. ‘Tell me about it. In my next life, I want to come back as a man—they get it so bloody easy.’

  There was a pause as Pippa must have been listening to whoever was on the other end. Matilda wished she would hurry the hell up because all she wanted to do was run back to the pub and sit in the darkness of her room so she could try to get her head around what she’d just read. Part of her wanted to ring Ryan immediately, to tell him she was sorry for getting so mad and that she was here for him, but as it was past one in the morning it would have to wait until sun up.

  She risked leaning over again, surprised to see Pippa holding a packet of tampons. A weird shopping item for a pregnant woman, especially this time of night. Maybe she was buying them for a friend? Matilda’s curiosity was piqued. Big time.

  ‘Aha, damn periods. I’m almost a week early and I couldn’t find any at home so I had to run out and get some in this weather, and besides, I don’t wa
nt to go shopping for tampons during the day, when people could catch me out. Anyway, while I’ve got you, do you have any strong painkillers there, hon? They only have Panadol here and I need something with codeine, my cramps are frigging excruciating.’

  Another pause, long enough for Matilda to debate whether throttling Pippa right here and now would be a bad thing.

  ‘Oh yay, great, you’re a lifesaver. I’ll call in on my way home and pick them up. Don’t worry, it’s not like a bloke can tell you’ve got your periods just by looking at you, and we’re not to the point of having sex again yet, so Ryan won’t suspect a thing.’

  Another pause. Matilda’s fury was building by the second. How could a person be so immoral?

  ‘Yes, I know, but if by some slim chance he does, and God knows why because I’m so bloody convincing, I’ve practised my miscarriage face so I’ll have it down pat. I’ll have to use it eventually anyway, before he starts asking too many questions. He’ll never want to leave me then—he’ll feel obliged to help me through the heartache of it all and I’ll have won him back.’

  With the adrenaline coursing through her veins, Matilda had to resist the urge to confront Pippa. She had learnt the hard way, after being on the receiving end of it for years, that aggression achieved nothing. This was massive—she didn’t want to give Pippa the chance to talk to Ryan first. What a bitch, lying to him about the pregnancy.

  Glancing down the aisle again and noticing it was empty, and hearing the opening and closing of the sliding doors then rev of an engine outside, she breathed a sigh of relief that Pippa had gone. Shutting down the computer and picking up her bag she rushed out, making sure to yell out a quick thank you and goodbye to Rod on the way.

  She grabbed her umbrella and braved the pounding rain. There was an old-fashioned phone box halfway back to the pub—she would stop off there to ring Ryan. He deserved to know the truth and this was something that couldn’t wait until morning.

  CHAPTER

  24

  Standing in the old-style phone booth, Matilda dropped a few gold coins into the slot and nervously dialled Ryan’s mobile number.

  In three rings he answered and sounded wide awake for this time of night.

  ‘Hi, Ryan, it’s me, Tilly.’

  ‘Hey, Tilly, why are you calling so late? Is everything okay?’

  ‘Oh, sorry, I know it’s late … I’m okay so don’t stress.’ She paused, not wanting to say the words that were dangling from the tip of her tongue.

  ‘Oh good, that’s good. I’m so glad you called.’ His voice sounded strained. ‘I’ve been sitting here worrying about you. You had every right to be upset. I should have told you, but Greg asked me not to. I’m so deeply sorry.’

  It was so good to hear his voice that she almost burst into tears. Matilda wished she could see his face. ‘Please don’t apologise, Ryan, I’m the one that should be sorry. After everything you’ve done for me …’ Her voice cracked and she sucked in a breath. ‘I have trouble trusting people but I should have known I could trust you. You’re a good man.’

  ‘I try to be but sometimes I make mistakes like everyone else.’ He sighed weightily. ‘There’s something else I need to tell you.’

  ‘If it’s about Samara’s father, I know.’

  ‘Who told you?’

  She detected resignation in his voice. ‘Nobody, I Googled your name and the court case came up.’

  ‘Does it make you think less of me?’

  If only she could reach out and hug him, the anguish in his voice making her heart ache like hell. ‘Of course not, why would it? You were defending yourself, Ryan.’

  ‘Yes, I was, but there was also so much rage inside me at the time.’

  ‘You had just found your sister’s body, of course there was rage inside you; you wouldn’t be normal if there wasn’t. I know I’m not really the right person to be preaching this, but you have to stop being so hard on yourself. You did what you had to do to survive.’

  ‘Yeah, easier said than done. Every time I look at Samara my heart breaks that I took her father from her.’

  Ryan was silent and she wondered if he was crying. The sound of a muffled sob clutched at her heart. ‘Oh I wish I was there to comfort you, like you’ve been there for me. I’m so sorry you’re going through so much heartache.’

  ‘It’s okay, I’m a big boy …’ His tone was filled with emotion.

  Feeling helpless, she sighed softly. ‘There’s another reason I’ve called you at such an ungodly hour.’

  ‘Sorry, Tilly, I didn’t catch that. The heavens have just opened up and the rain’s hitting the roof like bullets.’

  Lightning flashed across the sky, and the phone crackled in protest. Worried about being electrocuted, Matilda held the receiver a little away from her ear. ‘I said, I need to tell you something.’ She almost shouted it as the rain began to hammer the roof of the phone booth.

  ‘You’re breaking up, Tilly. Can I come and meet you so we can talk face to face?’

  ‘You don’t have to do that.’

  ‘I’m just pulling on my boots and I’ll be on my way. Where are you?’

  Matilda groaned in frustration. She could hear him just fine. Was he using the bad phone connection as an excuse to see her? She hoped so, because she liked the thought of that. ‘I’m standing in a phone box down the road from the pub.’

  ‘Why did you walk to a phone box to ring me when there are perfectly good phones there?’

  ‘Because I wasn’t at the pub to begin with.’

  ‘Oh, right …’

  She could tell he wanted to ask where she had been. Thunder roared off in the distance. All she could hear on the phone was static and she was worried they were going to be cut off. ‘Well, if you’re determined to come in here, please drive carefully, Ryan, the weather is awful.’

  ‘I will. You sound a little clearer, so maybe it was the service in the cottage.’

  ‘Maybe.’

  ‘So what were you going to tell me? I don’t know if I can wait until I get there. The curiosity is killing me.’

  ‘It’s not good news, Ryan.’

  ‘Yeah, I kind of gathered that.’

  ‘I just overheard Pippa telling someone she was taking you for a ride about the pregnancy.’

  ‘What the hell do you mean?’ He sounded angry, and Matilda wasn’t sure if it was at her or Pippa. She hadn’t even stopped to consider that Ryan might not believe her. Panic fuelled her into a jumble of words.

  ‘I was at the servo, using the Internet, and she was there buying tampons, which is weird for a pregnant lady …’

  ‘Maybe she was buying them for a friend.’

  Now he sounded defensive and that got her goat up. But she bit her tongue—Ryan didn’t need her getting cranky at him.

  ‘That’s what I thought too, until I heard her on her mobile telling whoever it was on the other end that she would make sure you didn’t find out she has her period, and that if you did, she would pretend she was having a miscarriage.’

  There was silence, filled only with whispered swear words.

  The rain began to ease off a little—thank God for small mercies.

  ‘Ryan, are you okay?’

  ‘No, I’m fucking livid. I should have known better than to fall for her lies again …’ He sighed heavily. ‘I’m a bloody idiot.’

  ‘No, you’re not, Ryan, you’re a bloke who cares, and she knows how to play you because of that, that’s all.’

  ‘Thanks, Til, that means a lot coming from you.’

  Matilda watched as the Toyota Camry came round the bend again and then drew closer, slowly rolling past her, the driver an indistinguishable black silhouette in the dark interior. This was getting peculiar. Something about it didn’t seem right and her instincts told her this wasn’t a tourist. Ryan was saying something but it wasn’t registering. Thinking about the times this week when she felt as if she was being followed or watched fuelled her dread. She took in a deep shaky breath as sh
e heard the slam of a car door and then the Landcruiser rev to life at the other end of the phone. ‘Tilly? Are you still there?’

  ‘Yeah, sorry …’ She was really starting to freak now, but she didn’t want Ryan to panic while he was driving. What if she was jumping the gun? If it was Troy in the Camry, did she really want Ryan getting involved?

  ‘I said, I’ve just sent a text to Pippa, telling her I know she’s lied to me and that we need to talk.’

  With the Camry turning away from her and onto the main road out of town Matilda brought her focus back to the phone call. ‘Oh, hey, you don’t muck about.’

  ‘Not in this kind of situation I don’t.’

  ‘Do you reckon she’s going to text you back?’

  ‘Who knows … I don’t think she will straight away. She’ll be trying to concoct yet another lie to cover her others.’

  ‘She’s pretty good at it, from what I’ve seen.’

  ‘She sure is. I’m so sorry to drag you through all of this, Til. Thanks for calling to tell me.’

  ‘Of course I’d tell you.’ The Camry reappeared and this time it drove so close to the curb it was creepy. Matilda sucked in a sharp breath.

  ‘Are you okay?’

  ‘Um …’

  ‘Til, you’re freaking me out.’

  ‘Troy …’ Unwittingly his name tumbled from her lips just as the call suddenly got cut off, leaving her feeling more alone than she had ever felt in her life.

  Panicking, Matilda realised she had forgotten to feed more money into the phone. She frantically searched through her bag for her purse. Finding it, she yanked it out but with her hands trembling so badly it slipped from her fingers. She knelt down to pick it up as the car pulled over, right beside the phone box. The taillights went out and a male figure stepped from the driver’s side. Turning towards her, the bloke pulled his hat down, shadowing his face from the streetlight. Leaning against the car he lit a cigarette, the flame briefly igniting his features, before he bent in through the driver’s door and re-emerged gripping something in his hand. Holding it up as if to show her, the streetlight glimmered off the long blade of a machete. An involuntary cry escaped her trembling lips as she slunk into the corner of the booth—the sneer on his lips as she did so was spine chilling.