by C. A. Larmer
“Vague’s the word for it!” growled Ron. “I’ve had enough.”
He pulled himself up as though dragging a great weight from the lounge and shuffled towards the hallway like he was a hundred years old. He couldn’t be more than sixty-five, Monty thought, watching him go. She remembered how he had changed when Amelia had first vanished, how she’d watched him age as the year dragged on. This time he looked like he’d added another decade overnight.
She turned back to Beryl, who was now standing by the window.
“So tell me! Where is she?”
“She went back. To Sarisi.”
Monty pulled the chair out from beneath the table and slumped into it.
She hadn’t expected that.
Eventually she found her voice. “But… but she wouldn’t… would she?”
“I would,” Beryl snapped. “And about time too. What happened there, that day… it’s haunted her for the past decade. Enough’s enough. I’m glad she’s finally trying to exorcise the ghosts.”
“Exorcise?” Ron growled, shuffling back into the room. “She’ll end up dead! Or worse. Is that what you want?”
“I want her to feel something, Ron! Anything!” Beryl was growling too now. They were like two cats circling each other, knowing each other’s moves, as though they had circled each other for years and were exhausted by the effort.
Beryl tapped a hand to her chest as if trying to still her heart. “Our baby used to be so happy and confident and carefree.” She half smiled as she glanced back at Monty. “What did you all call her? Silly Millie?” Her smile deflated. “When she first came back, she was so cold. Just blank and cold, do you remember? She wasn’t Silly Millie anymore; she wasn’t my baby girl.” Her eyes reached for Ron’s. “You want her to stay cold, is that? Stay boxed in and angry? To sleepwalk the rest of her life? Because of what some monster did to her? You think bubble-wrapping her away has made her happier? Do you? You tell him, Monty! You tell him just how happy our little girl is!”
Monty groaned. She was right. Amelia wasn’t happy. Hadn’t been happy for over a decade, and immersing herself in a busy career had not helped. Hadn’t helped either of them in fact. She looked at Ron, but he wasn’t ready to hear any of it.
“I want my baby girl back. I don’t care what she’s like. I just want…” He choked on the final words and Beryl stepped towards him, but he waved her off and shuffled out.
Monty met Beryl’s eyes and saw that her bark had gone. She simply looked sad.
“I think we all got it terribly wrong, Monty. I think trying to forget only made it all worse. And I’m sorry, not just for my baby, but for you.”
“You really think she flew to Sarisi?” She was still trying to get her head around the concept. Never in a million years would she have guessed that.
She remembered the last time the conversation had come up. Fleur had mentioned a swimsuit shoot in the Greek islands, including Santorini and Sarisi. The Greek Tourist Board was splashing money about, offering free trips to almost every magazine in the country in exchange for publicity. She remembered how Amelia had nixed the idea before it got up, saying something like, “That place still gives me the creeps.”
That’s how she and Fleur had ended up on Queensland’s Hamilton Island, a glamorous enough location to shoot swimsuits, but nothing like Sarisi. Monty wondered about that now but shook the thought away, trying to focus on what Beryl was saying.
“Amelia said she was flying out last Saturday, that’s what she told me. She said she was heading straight for Athens, then getting a direct flight to Santorini. Then…” She gulped. “Then she was going to try to make her way back to that island, she wasn’t sure how. But she said it was important to go back, that she needed the time and space to get there.”
“But why didn’t you tell me? You know I’ve been worried sick!”
“I’m so sorry dear. But she begged me not to tell anybody, and she swore me to secrecy. She knew that Ron would not allow it, would try to stop her and persuade her to return. She knew you would too, all of you at Eve. She made me promise I wouldn’t tell a soul.”
“But why?”
“She needed the time and space to find him.”
This sent a shiver racing down Monty’s back. She gulped. “Him?”
Beryl nodded, dislodging a tear. “She said it was time. Long overdue, she said. She promised me she’d call as soon as she found him.”
“Okay and has she? Called you I mean?”
Beryl’s eyes flooded with tears, and her hand reached for her heart again. “No.” She sniffed. “Not yet.” Then, more confidently, “But she will! I just know it! Very soon.”
Monty tried to digest this news, couldn’t get her head around it. “I have to go over there. I don’t care what she says. I have to find her, help her out.”
Beryl shook her head firmly. “No, dear. I told you before. Amelia was adamant about this. She didn’t want anyone following her.”
“But…”
“We all need to let her grow up, Monty, let her face her own demons, and you, my dear…” She walked across the room and reached for Monty’s hands, folded them into her own. “You need to get on with your own life. I never did quite understand why you stayed, why you helped so much.”
“She’s my best friend.” Now Monty’s voice was cracking.
She nodded, squeezing her hands tighter. “But she’s not your life. You need to get on with your own life.”
Didn’t she already know that? Hadn’t she been telling herself that for twelve years?
The first year or two were easy. They patched each other up. But then it became habit, one she couldn’t quite work out how to break. Was that what Amelia was doing, she wondered as she squeezed Beryl’s hand back.
Was she helping me break the habit?
TOM
The Shepperdin police station was abuzz with activity when Tom burst in late Monday afternoon, having driven straight from the city, not even stopping to fill the car with petrol or his stomach with much-needed nourishment. The fuel gauge was as red as his mood. He needed to get this out. He needed to get this done. And he was thankful, yet again, that Phil was in safe hands, ensconced with Amy’s family in their snobby Sydney suburb.
The Malones were cold and distant when he dropped Phil off, Ron barely able to look at him, and he understood their fears and hoped that the news he was about to give Geoffrey would clear his name and change all that.
“Hey!” he called out as the screen door behind him slammed with a thud and the uniformed officer on the front desk looked up with momentary panic. “You bastards need to talk to Monty Brennan! Now!”
The admitting sergeant relaxed a little when he realised it was Tom, but he knew the situation, everybody knew the situation now, and he was about to ask him to stand back when the superintendent appeared.
“Tommo,” Geoff said, a warning sound in his tone. “We’ve been looking for you.”
“Yeah well I went to Sydney, doing your job for you! Call your dogs off, Geoff! That bitch has sent her back to Greece! That’s where she is!” There was spittle flying from Tom’s lips. “She’s sleeping her way around the Greek islands while I’m stuck here being branded a killer!”
Geoff stepped in front of the officer and released the latch to let Tom through. “Nobody’s branded you anything.” Yet. “Just take a deep breath and settle down, okay?”
“You settle down!” Tom yelled, glancing around to see that the buzz had stopped and several officers were now moving towards him, hands at their holsters.
Geoff held a palm out to his lackeys, just as Montana had done.
“Let’s get to my office, mate, and you can tell me all about it.”
As they walked across the room, Tom started up again.
“I’ve been dealing with your suspicions and accusations for days now, but I’m the victim here! My wife is exactly where I knew she’d be. She’s on fucking holidays! And I’ve got two witnesses to prove it.”<
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Geoff nodded as they walked, then bypassed his office and headed towards an interview room, nodding at his sergeant as he went.
It was only when they were seated that Tom took a breath and looked around.
There was a uniformed officer standing guard at the door and another seated beside Geoff who had a folder in his hands. He placed it on the table as Tom frowned.
“What’s going on?”
“I’m glad you’re here. We have a few questions for you. Just some discrepancies we need to clear up.”
“Hang on, what? You’re still questioning me? You should be halfway to Sydney by now! Hauling Monty Brennan back here! She’s the one with answers.”
Geoff was writing something down in the folder. “Monty Brennan?”
“Amy’s old school friend, Montana. She knows exactly where my wife is.” He had the clipping out again. “She works at this magazine. See, this chick.” He was stabbing a finger at Montana’s creased face. “She went to this island, this place called Sarisi. She told Amy about some guy there. That’s where Amy’s gone. To see this fella. I promise you! Just talk to Montana. She’ll set you straight.”
Geoff took the page from him, glanced across it and then placed it in the folder.
“We’ll get onto that later. For now, I want to talk to you.” He looked past him to the officer by the door. “How about a bottle of water, hey, Constable Dobson? Or would you prefer a cuppa?”
Tom scowled. “I’d prefer that you listen to me. I’m trying to tell you what happened to Amy. There’s a guy there, see? On that island in the picture. Someone she fell for years ago. She’s obviously gone back to find him. To Greece. She’s—”
“We’ve already checked customs, Tom. She does have a new passport as it turns out, but she hasn’t left the country.”
That caught him by surprise. He blinked. “What?”
“They have no trace of her.”
“Then she’s using a false passport.”
Geoff cocked his head to one side. “This isn’t a spy novel, mate.”
Tom let out a loud sigh. “Well, then, she must be holed up somewhere, maybe waiting for her flight. She might not have left yet, but you mark my words. She’s on her way there. She’s having an affair.”
“See, here’s my problem, Tom. As far as I can see, you’re the one having the affair.” His voice was perfectly calm, but it caused the other man to start.
“What?”
“Belinda Mann came in yesterday. She told us all about it.”
His mouth gaped. Geoff waited a moment, giving his old friend a chance to speak up, but when he did, his words just made Geoff feel sad.
“Told you about what?”
He waited some more.
“Seriously, Geoff? Belinda and me? Oh give me a little credit!”
And finally, as Geoff’s expression morphed from sadness to disappointment, Tom said, “Come on, Geoffrey. Everyone knows she’s the town bike, has been trying her luck for years. But I never took her up on it. Just ask anyone.”
Geoff nodded. “She told us all that herself, Tom. Said it was always a game to her, she flirted, you flirted back, but you never took up the offer.” Tom’s shoulders relaxed considerably, so he quickly added, “Until last Friday.” The shoulders jumped sky-high again. “At the school gates, when the game suddenly changed.”
Tom’s cheeks began to mottle.
“She said you couldn’t palm Phil off fast enough, dumped him on his friend Zac and followed her home. Said she was taken aback and not just by your sudden interest. Said it was, and I quote…” He glanced at a sheet of paper in front of him. “‘Kind of weird’.” He looked up at Tom. “You like it alfresco, hey, Tommo? Out in the open for all to see?”
Tom now blushed a deep beetroot red and his eyes were boring into his lap.
“And we know she’s not the first.”
Now the eyes were scrunched shut.
“We know about the blonde. Scarlett saw her leave your place. Wednesday morning. Crack of dawn.”
Tom seemed to sink into himself then, his shoulders so hunched forward he looked like he might tip onto the desk. A water bottle appeared before him, but he ignored it, shaking his head over and over while Geoff sat back and watched, waited, wondered if this was anything more than a sad, pathetic sleazebag. Hoped that’s all it was.
Eventually Tom looked up, wiping something from his nose. “Stupid.” He sniffed.
“What was that, Tom?”
“It was stupid, okay? I know that. Bloody stupid! But I was lonely. She was there. That’s all it was.”
“To whom are we referring, Tom? The blonde or Belinda? Or were there others?”
“No! Of course not!”
“But how do we know that? Looks like a pattern to us.”
“It was only them. Just the two. I’ve never done anything like that before. You know I only had eyes for Amy, you know that! Cassie… the blonde, she came into the Boot & Tucker. I was… drunk. I was… angry.”
“Yeah. We know, with Amy. Your wife. Do you get angry with Amy often?”
“What? No! Never. Until she left me. She’s the one who’s left me for some other man, can we remember that before we start pointing the finger!”
“But you don’t know that for a fact, do you, Tom? You only assume that, like you assume everything.”
“You talk to Montana Brennan. She’ll tell you. Her secretary guy will back me up. She’ll explain about the Greek bloke, about Sarisi.” Tears were streaming down Tom’s face. “Please, man, you gotta believe me. I know I’m a bastard, I know it was wrong. Belinda…” He shuddered thinking about her. “I shouldn’t have gone there. She’s poison. I always knew that about her. And the other woman, that was just the grog, the desperation. I needed somebody that night.”
Geoff was looking at him with a disgust he could not disguise. “It makes you look guilty, don’t you see that, Tom? You tell us you’re the grieving husband, but all I’m seeing is a man out and about having a good time.”
“A good time? Have you ever been with Belinda?” He almost smiled. “Come on, man, you know me. Jenny knows me—”
“You leave my wife out of this.” Geoff’s voice was a low, deep rumble that made both officers look towards him.
“I’m just saying, she’ll vouch for me. She knows I’m a good guy. I’m the one who rescued Amy, remember? You know the story. You know the truth. When she got knocked up, I’m the one who looked after her, took her in. Not Angus. Me!”
“Angus Tower? Your Sydney mate? Are you telling me he’s Phil’s dad?”
Geoff had long known Tom was not the biological father, most of the town had worked that out, but he’d never been told who had got Amy pregnant and had never felt the need to ask. Now he felt like kicking himself.
“Why didn’t you tell me that?” Geoff said. “Why didn’t Angus?”
“You spoke to Angus?” Tom rolled his eyes. “Of course you did. You’ve been following me around like a criminal since this started. Well here’s something else Angus wouldn’t tell you. He laughed. That’s right! Laughed his bloody head off when Amy told him she was pregnant. Then he told her to get rid of it. Like it was a piece of chewing gum you could stick under a desk and forget about. I saved her. I loved her. I would never have cheated on her while…”
“While she was alive?”
“She is alive! You ask Monty. You fucking do your job!” Then he pushed the chair back and stood up. “You do your job.”
As he walked out, smacking away his tears and swallowing back the snot, Geoff let him go, wondering if he had ever really known the guy or if he was reading him all wrong.
Then he handed the crumpled magazine clipping to the officer beside him and said, “See if you can track down this Montana Brennan, Dave. See if we can get her in here pronto. And while you’re at it, let’s get Angus Tower back. It’s time to get some straight answers. I’ve had enough of all the bullshit.”
SARISI
The moon was full, almost absurdly so, and Nicholas appreciated the light as he strode up the hill towards the castle. It was a long trek, and he also appreciated the chance to calm himself down and clear his head.
He had no idea why Effie had turned so vile so fast, but he’d just got up to speed on a little ancient history that he knew was far from buried. For all of them, it would seem.
When he finally got to the hostel, he was surprised to see Kostas, feet up, snoozing in front of a blaring television, like he was on guard or waiting for something. The manager usually slept in a small bedsit in town preseason, but his one guest must have changed all that.
“Kos, mate,” Nicholas said, and he woke with a start, nearly toppling off his chair.
“Oh, shit man! You scare me!”
“Sorry about that. Is she here?”
“Who?”
He gave Kos one of his looks.
“Is upstairs packing. She get red-eye to Athens soon.”
Nicholas felt like he’d been slapped. He checked his watch and then charged up, first checking the single rooms, then taking another flight of stairs to the dormitory. There was a large leather carry bag sitting on the bunk, some clothes spilling out of it, but otherwise the room was empty, and he was about to head back downstairs when he noticed the rippling velvet curtain.
He took a few breaths, then stepped out onto the Juliet balcony.
Millie was standing at the edge, jacket and beanie on, looking up at the ridiculous moon.
“So it’s true?” he said and she turned around, eyes wide.
“Oh, Nico, hi.”
“Is it true?” he asked again. “You’re just going to slink away?”
“I’m heading home; there’s nothing for me here now.”
“Really? Nothing? Nothing at all.”
She looked away and back at the moon, and he felt his heart crack but let that one pass.
“So that’s it? You’re going to take Effie’s word for it and not chase down this animal?”
Millie glanced back at him, her eyes now hardening. “What?”