Trick of the Light

by Fiona McCallum

  She checked her watch and was surprised to see how much time had passed. She’d start packing a bag for Melrose – to stay for several weeks – and then take Daphne for a walk when she got there. She was ridiculously excited about the prospect of having the dog for company. She’d only met her a handful of times, but Michelle was always going on about what a smart, intuitive and human-like dog she was. And very well behaved. She cocked her head towards the ceiling. Silence, except for the hum of the fridge.

  Chapter Twenty-five

  ‘Hello, Daphne, darling, have you come to keep me company?’ Erica said when Michelle returned. The red kelpie wriggled and writhed and bumped against Erica, her tail wagging so hard the whole dog shuddered. Erica tried to hug her but she wouldn’t stay still long enough. She gave Erica’s hand a quick lick and sniffed the air around them.

  ‘Before I let her go, is there anything at our lower thigh height that could inadvertently get swiped off by a tail or exuberant body?’ Michelle said, now the door was shut behind them. ‘Vases, ornaments, candles? Because she sometimes forgets where her body and tail are – not intentional swiping, just accidental collateral damage.’

  ‘Nope, all good.’

  ‘Daphne, just sit, will you!’ Michelle said. And the dog sat, though her bum was only just above the floor and her two front paws were kneading the hall runner like a cat. ‘And I hope you’re fine with wet nose marks over everything.’

  ‘It’s fine, Mich, really.’

  ‘Well, I did give her a quick bath so she smells nice and clean and shouldn’t leave too much hair around. And while she doesn’t look tired, she has had a long walk. She’s just excited about a new space with lots of interesting smells. She’ll calm down soon enough. So, are you sure about this? You can change your mind. She’s a good girl, really. Mostly. Does sleep well at night and makes a good substitute hot water bottle.’

  ‘I think she’s lovely,’ Erica said.

  Daphne turned and gave Erica’s hand another quick lick as if to say thank you.

  ‘Right, missy, no going crazy. Calm.’ As Michelle stroked the dog’s head rhythmically, Daphne stilled her front paws and visibly relaxed. ‘Okay. That’s better. Good girl.’ Michelle unclipped the lead from her collar. Again, the dog tiptoed up and down on the spot with her front paws, her backside on the floor, her tail waving back and forth. ‘Okay. Off you go,’ Michelle said, and moved her arm forwards. Daphne trotted off and began inspecting every corner of Erica’s home like a drug detection dog.

  While the pup was busy elsewhere in the house, Erica helped Michelle bring in all Daphne’s things from the verandah and set everything up, including her bed in Erica’s bedroom. Erica hoped the dog might abandon her plush bed on the floor and snuggle up with her instead, but she’d have to wait and see.

  ‘She can probably smell Boris,’ Erica said, when Michelle had given feeding instructions and they were standing at the kitchen bench watching the dog still snuffling around with her tail up and nose to the floor. ‘Is it safe to let her outside?’ she asked, noticing the dog pausing to look out the glass doors. ‘It’s fenced,’ she added.

  ‘Best to just keep her on the lead. Especially if you’ve got possums; she’ll try to climb over anything to round them up. You don’t want any more stress in your life. And, too much information, but she tends to have one poo in the mornings, which she’s had, so she’ll be fine in that department until tomorrow. Take her out into the garden for a wee last thing before bed, otherwise she might wake you up too early.’

  Erica nodded. ‘Okay. Got it.’

  ‘She’ll cart her lead around – I think it’s a bit of a security blanket for her. And she’ll bring it to you and insist on you taking notice if she desperately needs to go out for a wee or poo,’ Michelle said, bending down and leaving the looped lead next to the bowls on the floor.

  ‘Aww, that’s so cute.’

  ‘Yes, I have to admit she is pretty cute. And, finally, these are the T-R-E-A-T-S. Don’t say the word in full, else you’ll get guilted into giving her several. I tend to only use them for training, so you won’t need them. But I brought a couple in case you need to move her into a different room or she slips out of the door or something. It’s the magic button – the word that I just spelt out. She’ll go berserk for them.’

  ‘Oh, that’s funny, spelling out a word. Seriously?’

  ‘Yes. Watch this,’ Michelle said. ‘So, Erica, Daphne really likes treats, they’re like crack to her or something,’ she said in a normal conversational tone.

  In a split second there was a clatter of claws on tiles and Daphne skidded to a halt on her bum, already sat in front of Michelle and looking up expectantly.

  ‘See?’

  ‘Oh my god. That’s crazy.’

  ‘Isn’t it? And if you do say the magic word and this happens, you can’t not give her one. Well, you can try, but I dare you to defy that precious look. And anyway, it would be mean.’ Michelle broke one of the bone-shaped biscuits in half and handed one piece to Erica and held the other half out towards Daphne, who took the offering with more gentleness than Erica thought possible considering how much the dog clearly wanted the treat – the exuberant licking of lips, the big wide-eyed expression.

  ‘And then you have to show her your empty hands, like this,’ Michelle said, holding out her palms for Daphne to sniff, ‘otherwise she’ll sit there forever shooting you accusatory glares.’

  ‘She’s very polite,’ Erica said.

  ‘She’s a good girl, aren’t you?’ Michelle said, patting the dog. They both laughed when the dog remained sitting, but swivelled her body and her piercing gaze towards Erica.

  ‘Ooh, you’re too clever for words.’ The dog licked her lips. ‘Here you are,’ Erica said, holding the end of the biscuit with the tips of her two fingers. In a second it was gone and two seconds and about three crunch sounds later was swallowed. ‘Sorry, darling, that’s all I’ve got,’ Erica said, holding out her palms for Daphne to sniff. The dog gave a disappointed harrumph and trotted off to where she’d been before hearing the magic word.

  ‘Okay, so you think you’re all good?’ Michelle finally asked.

  ‘Yep. I reckon.’ Erica didn’t know if it was Michelle’s calm delivery or lack of printed instructions or the fact it was a dog and not a cat, but she felt more at ease with taking care of Daphne than when Steph had left Boris with her.

  ‘Daphne, I’m going now, darling.’ Erica watched as the dog looked up, cocked her head and then trotted up to them. ‘I hope the clicking of her claws on the tiles isn’t going to drive you nuts,’ Michelle said.

  ‘I actually like it,’ Erica said. And she meant it. There was something comforting about the tone and it wasn’t as if she could do any damage to anything with just wandering about.

  ‘Okay, miss,’ Michelle said, patting the dog. ‘You be a good girl for Auntie Erica.’ She ruffled the dog’s ears. ‘I’ll see you Sunday afternoon. Have fun. If you get sick of her, just call. I know it can be an acquired taste thing.’

  ‘No worries. We’re going to be fine, aren’t we, girl?’ Erica said, patting the dog firmly.

  ‘I hope she helps you get a good night’s sleep,’ Michelle said as they made their way back down the hall.

  ‘Me too. Thanks for lending her to me.’

  ‘All good.’

  ***

  Daphne paced around the house while Erica got her dinner together, occasionally stopping to look out the windows and whine. A couple of times she let out a series of woofs.

  ‘Sorry, girl, your mum said it’s not a good idea for you to go out there.’ She distracted the dog by tossing the ball Michelle had left up the long hallway for her to fetch, but after a few laps Daphne always appeared back and began pacing between the table where Erica sat eating and the windows to outside. A few times the dog walked around with her head up letting out a noise like a strangled howl, so strong that Erica wondered if she was choking or getting ready to. If she were a cat, she
might have suspected a furball, but dogs didn’t get those, did they? She resisted phoning Michelle to check.

  ‘What’s up, girl?’ she said. The dog came over and nuzzled her for a brief moment before flopping down on the floor with her chewy stick, only to get up a few moments later, let out a howl and dart back and forth at the doors and then race up the hall and back with her head raised as if she could see something on the ceiling. It reminded Erica of videos of dogs chasing red laser dots and growling with frustration at not being able to catch them. Erica thought teasing them like that was cruel. She sighed with exhaustion and frustration.

  God, I hope you settle down soon and give me some peace and quiet. Erica cursed herself for not borrowing the money from Steph and getting a possum catcher in. She wasn’t sure she could deal with another sleepless night. But at least the dog seemed unsettled generally rather than detecting a physical presence.

  Oh. Perhaps there is a ghost – an everywhere energy messing with Daphne. Poor dog. Poor me. God, it’s exhausting. First Boris and now Daphne. Maybe the house is haunted. Bugger off, Stuart. No. Sorry, I didn’t mean that. If you’re here, that’s great because I miss you, but I’m tired. I need to sleep.

  Erica emptied the dishwasher of its clean contents and put everything away, wondering as she did what there was about the appliance that was tugging at her memory. She stared into the machine for a few moments, hoping it would come to her. But nothing did.

  No idea. You’re going to have to be clearer than that, because I’m not sharp enough, she thought as she rinsed the cutlery and bowl she’d just used and added the mugs and spoons from the morning and the plates from lunch. As she did, she thought she may as well have just washed them by hand, but carried on. She wasn’t sure her state leant itself to not dropping anything.

  The machine still didn’t have enough in it worth pressing start and as she leant on the closed door, she wondered what she’d forgotten – was that what her mind was trying to tell her? She looked around the kitchen and dining area and came up empty. Her whole brain was fuzzy again and her eyes scratchy with tiredness.

  It was early for bed, but the need to retreat was overwhelming. Would Daphne mind? Suddenly having the dog there felt like a bad idea. Oh well, too late now. She’d have to get through tonight and she could return her in the morning if necessary. As she looked at the dog looking back at her she experienced a surge of guilt and love.

  ‘Sorry, darling, it’s not your fault. You’re gorgeous. I’m just …’ What? All over the bloody place. Erica took the dog outside and as she stared mindlessly at Daphne squatting, she thought she could see how sleep deprivation might be a very useful weapon of torture. A few more days of this and she’d confess to murder for a decent night’s sleep. Back inside she unclipped the lead and let the dog loose. ‘Come on, girl, fancy a snuggle in front of the TV?’ she said, and headed to the end of the hall, where she turned on the light.

  ‘Come on, Daphne,’ she called. She watched as the dog trotted over to her lead by her water bowl, picked it up, somehow managing to gather it up in a neat loop, and trotted towards Erica, the ends hanging down from either side of her mouth. ‘Aww, you’re such a sweetie,’ she said, patting the dog where she now stood beside her looking up adoringly. ‘You have the most beautiful eyes,’ she said, stroking the dog’s head.

  ‘Come on,’ she said, and turned the hall light off.

  Erica did her evening ablutions in the en suite and then took a moment to smile and watch Daphne getting settled on her bed, looking like she was trying to dig a hole to lie in. She then seemed to give up and snuffled her way under the end of the quilt by Erica’s pillow.

  ‘Hey, leave space for me, missy,’ she said.

  Erica slid under the sheets and quilt beside the dog. A head popped up next to her and the dog looked like she had a cheeky grin on her face. Erica snuggled down, not sure how much she liked being next to a dog.

  ‘You’re just too cute for words,’ she said, peering down at the dog’s face poking out at her as she picked up the remote. ‘Ready for TV. All comfy?’

  Eric had barely finished her quick surf of her favourite channels and settled on a kids’ movie when Daphne’s head popped up suddenly out from under the covers beside her. A second later the dog was out and standing on the spare pillow next to her and uttering a series of muffled woofs. Erica pressed the mute button and held her breath. Her heart flipped as she heard several thuds and a scrape in the ceiling above them.

  ‘It’s okay, girl, just the friendly resident possum. We’ll call someone tomorrow.’ She put her hand out to the dog and stroked her sleek coat. ‘Settle, petal, we’re okay,’ she cooed. Erica was relieved when the dog lowered herself and then curled up again. But as Erica pressed the remote to unmute the TV and return to watching, she noticed Daphne was still but wasn’t completely relaxed – she seemed tightly wound, ready to leap into action at any moment. Her eyes were open, her ears taut and twitching and her tail still. Well, as long as you’re quiet, we’re fine, Erica decided.

  As she turned out the lamp before the end of the movie – too tired to watch or try to keep track of the story any longer – Erica deliberated over whether to take an antihistamine sleeping tablet or not. And then she remembered the knife with the peanut paste in the sink. Perhaps the sleep medication had caused that. No, better steer clear. And, anyway, she didn’t want to trip over Daphne in a groggy state if she got up to go to the loo and the dog had decided to sleep on the floor. Hopefully she was too tired to need it anyway. I’ll try earplugs instead, she thought and pulled out her bedside drawer where she kept some in a container. As she squished the first one up and pushed it into her ear, she wondered why she hadn’t thought of the earplugs before now. Oh well. Fingers crossed it works.

  Chapter Twenty-six

  Erica woke with a start. What woke me up. Am I still dreaming? No, I don’t think so. What was I dreaming about? A barking dog. What? Oh, Daphne. Her heart began to race as she realised she couldn’t move. There was something holding her down. Weights on her chest. Her face was wet too. Oh god. Yuck. Dog slobber or has the ceiling fallen in from a deluge? Was rain forecast?

  She managed to get her arm across to the lamp switch and turn it on. She blinked against the sudden brightness. Daphne was crouched on top of her. ‘Ouch. What are you doing? Daphne, stop!’ She giggled at the dog’s blunt claws scrabbling earnestly at her chest and arm and gave her a gentle push to get her off. But it had the opposite effect; the dog scratched harder. ‘Ow, that hurts.’ Then the dog’s lips puffed in and out and Erica heard a deep rumbling ‘Woof, woof, woof.’ The dog was barking without fully opening her mouth.

  ‘God, Daphne, what?’ Erica removed her earplugs and managed to stretch her arm far enough to put them on the bedside table. She turned back to look at the dog, still on her chest. ‘Okay, you’ve got my full attention. What is it?’ Daphne let out two loud barks, right by her ear. Erica turned her head just in time to avoid a stringy glob of drool. Bloody hell. ‘Yuk, Daphne.’ Then the lead was deposited on her chest and Erica laughed. ‘No bloody way. You do not need a wee. It’s the middle of the night. Go back to sleep.’ She reached out to pat the dog. But Daphne barked again, and it wasn’t playful or friendly. Erica recoiled at the aggression. The kelpie was showing her teeth. And now she was pulling at the cover and scratching at Erica’s bare arm.

  ‘Hey, that hurts. Like seriously hurts,’ Erica said. She rubbed her arm and then her scratchy eyes. She was tired but wide awake. ‘All right. I’m getting up. But this had better be an emergency and not just you wanting to go for a midnight walk for the sake of it, missy.’ The dog’s barking seemed to urge her on and was very loud in the dark bedroom. Thank goodness I don’t have close neighbours, she thought as she climbed out of bed. ‘Okay. You win.

  ‘Just call me a sucker,’ she muttered, pulling on clothes. Daphne was standing at the doorway with the lead in her mouth, swaying back and forth impatiently, but at least the dog was silent.
When Erica sat on the bed to put her socks on, she got a hurry-up whine. And then the dog ran over and Erica was stunned when she tugged at the loose leg of Erica’s track pants.

  ‘All right. All right. I’m going as quickly as I can.’ She dragged her phone from the top of her bedside cupboard.

  In the hall, Daphne turned left towards the front door and Erica didn’t think the dog would wait for her to lace up her runners so she slid her feet into her knock-off Crocs. It didn’t matter; hopefully this level of apparent desperation meant they wouldn’t get far before the dog did her business and they could come back in.

  ‘Hang on, I’m going to be in enough trouble with your mum for letting you get away with this naughtiness as it is without you escaping, too,’ she said, and attached the clip of the lead to Daphne’s collar. Thank goodness for the natty little poo bag container already attached. Though why the hell the dog couldn’t just go out into her garden she didn’t know!

  Erica pulled her coat off the hook and slid one arm into it. After double-checking she had her phone and keys in hand, she opened the front door and then the security screen. She got the main door closed but left the security screen open as she was dragged out by the kelpie, whose strength belied her relatively small stature. Erica wanted to shout at Daphne to stop or at least give a gruff command and regain some control, but she also didn’t want to wake her neighbours, whom she didn’t know beyond smiling and offering them a friendly wave. Again, Daphne practically dragged her through the gate, but this time Erica was ready and made sure to keep her stance wide.

  As soon as they were out in the well-lit street and the gate closed behind them, Daphne was perfectly behaved – trotting happily alongside Erica and no longer straining on the lead. Erica didn’t know whether to laugh or be angry. She changed the lead to her other hand so she could finish putting her coat on. Thankfully it wasn’t raining and her breath wasn’t coming out as white puffs of steam.