‘Yeah, six grand. And some community service to boot if you want to push it.’
‘That’s bullshit,’ said Simpson. ‘I reckon Dad’s gonna have words with your boss.’
‘Yeah, yeah, whatever,’ said Arbor. ‘He can please himself. That’s fine with me.’
He just wasn’t in the mood.
He had Warren Simpson sorted and gone before O’Reilly emerged from the residence, and well before the detectives arrived from their digs at the hotel next door. With the inquiry into Butch’s murder foremost in their minds, it made sense to him that he should deal with a lesser matter such as vandalism. He would mention it to O’Reilly only when he thought the moment was right or when a senior Simpson descended on them. He was making his second coffee when the residence door opened. O’Reilly came out bleary-eyed and scratching.
‘Yeah, make us one of those,’ he said.
‘One of those nights, Sarge?’ said Arbor.
‘You could say that,’ said O’Reilly.
‘Sarge,’ said Arbor. ‘I was wondering. Is there any chance I could knock off early this arvo? It’s my birthday and my folks are coming up from Mandurah.’
‘What time?’
‘About four.’
‘Yeah, it shouldn’t be a problem.’
‘Great.’
‘What’s great?’ said Burke.
The two detectives were dragging themselves through the front door.
‘The sarge has given me some time off,’ said Arbor. ‘It’s my birthday.’
‘Well, happy you,’ said Burke.
‘Your buy at the pub tonight, is it?’ said Cole.
‘No, I …’ Arbor thought it best to say no more. Any suggestion of the gathering at Jenny’s might bring unwanted consequences.
His thoughts of Jenny had barely passed. He just had turned his attention to the Simpson paperwork when the door opened again and Jenny and Amira entered.
‘Hey, babe,’ said Jenny. ‘We’re just on our way to Ashby. We thought we’d drop in.’
Arbor opened the partition and greeted her.
‘Happy birthday,’ she said with an embrace.
‘Thanks,’ he said.
Amira remained close to the door. Arbor could sense her nervousness.
‘Happy birthday, Danny,’ she said.
‘Morning, Sergeant,’ said Jenny, smiling. Her eyes were on O’Reilly. ‘Have you decided to let him off early?’
‘Yeah, I might as well,’ said O’Reilly. ‘The amount of good he does around here.’
They laughed.
‘I thought you might need him with all that’s going on,’ she said. ‘It’s a sorry business, isn’t it?’
She set her eyes on Burke, as if challenging the detective.
‘Hey, I remember you,’ she said. ‘From the other time. You’re the one that claimed all the credit, aren’t you?’
‘Yeah, and I remember you,’ said Burke, sneering. ‘You’re the one that shot that Hogg fella. You were lucky to get away with that, if you ask me.’
‘Yeah, well, I was defending the public. Which is sort of your job, isn’t it?’
‘Yeah, rightio, ladies,’ said O’Reilly. ‘Enough’s enough. No need to get physical. Arbor, say goodbye to your missus and get back to work.’
‘Yeah, okay, Sarge,’ said Arbor.
He looked at Jenny.
‘I’ll catch you later, eh?’ he said. ‘Four o’clock.’
‘Yeah. Four o’clock. Happy birthday again.’
He could feel her fingertips on his cheek and her lips, softly, on his. He was sure she looked at Burke one more time.
‘See you, Sergeant,’ she shouted, and she and Amira were out the door.
Arbor could feel all eyes on him.
‘Enough of the self-congratulation, Constable,’ said O’Reilly. ‘Yeah, she’s a good sort and you’re a lucky bastard, but there’s no need to dwell on it. Get in here.’
Arbor lifted the partition and re-entered the office. Cole had returned to his work, but he could still feel Burke’s examining eyes.
‘A bit old for you, Constable, isn’t she?’ she said. ‘But she doesn’t scare me, if that’s what you’re thinking. She doesn’t scare me in the least.’
‘Yeah, well,’ said Arbor, somehow managing a grin. ‘She scares me. She scares the hell out of me. And that’s enough, I reckon.’
The compartments into which Arbor had organised his life were being prised wide open. Even in his footy days, he had managed to keep game and family apart. And during his time at the police academy, he had been careful to avoid introducing any of the other recruits into his wider circle of friends. He had preferred to keep his social life well-ordered and in control. But in one afternoon, that was entirely out the window.
O’Reilly had seemed quite proud of his decision to let him away early. It was as if, in the omnipresence of Burke and Cole, he had needed to re-establish the fact that this was his station. Even a soft decision, such as allowing Arbor the opportunity to meet his parents, was a way of telling the detectives that, when push came to shove, he was still the boss.
Arbor had been waiting outside the station for only a few minutes when Jenny and Amira arrived. Jenny parked her SUV on the other side of Palm Street and the women alighted and strolled across the empty space.
‘No sign of them yet?’ asked Jenny.
‘Not yet,’ said Arbor.
They fixed their eyes firmly down the road towards the edge of town. They didn’t wait long.
‘Is this them?’ Jenny said. ‘They’ve made good time, if it is.’
Arbor could see the gleam of a blue sedan.
‘Yeah, that’s them.’
The car drew closer and pulled up behind the paddy wagon. Here goes, thought Arbor. He wiped his clammy hands on the back of his pants and then opened the passenger door for his mum.
‘Hi, love,’ she said. ‘Happy birthday.’ She reached for him.
His dad had already alighted and was stretching, looking around, examining Jenny and Amira, offering a critical eye towards the wide expanse of nothing.
‘Mind your feet there, Mum,’ Arbor said. ‘That kerb’s a bit of a nuisance.’
He helped her out and felt himself wrapped in her embrace. She kissed him.
‘Yeah, all right, Mum,’ he said. ‘You can stop your squeezing.’
‘You’ve put on weight,’ she said. ‘Who’s been feeding you?’
Get it over with, thought Arbor. That’s the best way.
‘That would be Jenny here,’ he said. ‘She’s my—’
‘Landlady,’ said Jenny, offering her hand. She made the briefest eye contact with Arbor, but it was enough. I’m prepared to bullshit, she was saying. Just bullshit with me.
‘I don’t know if he’s told you,’ she said. ‘But that place he was in was pretty awful. I’ve got a small property not far out of town. I needed someone about the place. Danny offered. So it’s a good arrangement. Oh, and this is my friend, Amira.’
‘How do you do, Amira?’ said Mum, offering Amira her hand, sounding every slow syllable of her name.
Tone it down, Mum, thought Arbor. Her smiles and airs were agonising. But she looked genuinely pleased about the feminine influence in his life. If she only knew.
‘I haven’t been at Jenny’s for the last few days,’ he said. ‘There’s been some trouble. I’ve been looking after Amira’s place here in town.’
‘Uh-huh,’ said Mum. ‘And what about tonight?’
‘We’re all out at my place tonight,’ said Jenny. ‘There are plenty of beds to go around.’
Plenty of beds. With an emphasis on plenty. Arbor felt some relief.
‘John,’ said Mum. Arbor’s dad had finished his inspection. ‘This is Jenny, Danny’s landlady, and Amira, their friend.’
‘Nice to meet you, Jenny. Amira,’ he said.
He remained on the far side of the car, if anything a little bashful.
‘Oh, and, of course,’ said Mum. ‘F
orgive me. I’m Margaret. Everyone calls me Margie.’
‘It’s lovely to meet you, Margie,’ said Jenny.
John Arbor finally circled the car. He offered his son his hand.
‘Good to see you, mate,’ he said. ‘Happy birthday.’
‘Yeah, thanks, Dad,’ said Arbor.
Their grip was strong and firm, but even in this passing contact, Arbor could feel his father’s love. And a twenty-cent coin.
‘What the … What’s this?’ said Arbor.
‘It’s your birthday present,’ said his dad. ‘We’ve been saving up.’
‘Yeah, right,’ said Arbor. ‘Well, I’m keeping it.’
He dropped the coin into his pocket.
As they drifted past, John Arbor surveyed the stillness of the railway track and the silo beyond. He was in the passenger seat of his own Toyota, on the way to Jenny Martin’s farmhouse.
‘By the looks of it,’ he said, ‘you wouldn’t think anything much would happen out here.’
‘You’d think that,’ said his son. Arbor’s eyes were on Jenny’s SUV on the road before him.
‘And what? This is the second murder since you’ve been here?’ said John.
‘That’s right,’ said Arbor. ‘Amira’s dad was the first.’
‘Poor lass,’ John Arbor said. ‘Ah, well. It keeps you busy, I suppose.’
He gave his son a smile.
‘And, so, Dan,’ he said. ‘What’s the story? With this Jenny?’
‘How do you mean?’ said Arbor.
‘I mean landlady?’ said John Arbor. ‘That’s a stretch. It might fool your mum for five minutes, but it doesn’t fool me.’
‘We’re just friends,’ said Arbor.
‘Yeah, sure you are,’ said John.
He laughed.
‘Hey, it’s no skin off my nose if you’ve got something going,’ he continued. ‘Good luck to you if you are. I mean, I couldn’t give a rat’s arse one way or the other. I tell you one thing. She’s a hell of a lot better than most of the low-lifes hanging around Mandurah these days … Does she keep you in line? On the straight and narrow?’
‘Yes, she does.’
‘Good for her, then. That’s all that matters.’
‘It might seem a bit weird, Dad,’ said Arbor. ‘The age difference. But we get on well. Well, most of the time. And we got really close … when Amira’s dad got killed. It just seemed right.’
‘Yeah, rightio,’ said John. ‘As I said. It’s no skin off my nose. Whatever floats your boat.’
‘What do you reckon Mum will say?’ said Arbor.
‘What do you reckon she’ll say?’ came the reply.
‘I don’t know. I’ve no idea to tell you the truth. I’m shit scared of her finding out.’
John Arbor laughed.
‘I mean,’ his son continued, ‘I mean, Jen’s nearly forty. Mum’s barely ten years older than her. She might think it’s a bit, you know … off.’
‘How long have you been seeing Jenny?’ asked John.
‘Pretty much since I got here,’ said Arbor.
‘And you never once thought to talk to Mum about it?’
Arbor shook his head.
‘Gutless, Dan,’ John Arbor continued. ‘I thought we raised you better than that. And she might be your mother, son, but she’s a sheila, too. She might just figure it out for herself. Then where will you be? But if she doesn’t, promise me you’ll talk to her. All right?’
‘Yeah, all right,’ said Arbor.
‘Good,’ said John. ‘She deserves it.’
Arbor looked again at Jenny’s SUV. He felt that sinking feeling again. That knot in the pit of his stomach. He should have been honest about it, he thought. Much earlier. From the beginning. He should have come clean to his parents about Jenny at the very start.
The only person to suffer from all his subterfuge and shady dealings, he realised, was himself.
It was as if his mum and dad had never been on a farm before. No sooner had they put their bags in Jenny’s room than they were taking a walk. To do some exploring, they said. Arbor was happy to let them go. The path back to the creek, Jenny suggested, would offer the most interesting views. They strolled off hand in hand and Jenny, Amira and Arbor re-entered the house. Amira went to look through the spoils of her day in Ashby and Jenny and Arbor started on dinner.
‘So, you’re my landlady, now, are you?’ said Arbor. ‘What was that about?’
‘I decided I didn’t want to embarrass you,’ said Jenny. ‘Not yet, anyway. But I might, eh? I just might. I might come and jump you in the middle of the night.’
‘You wouldn’t.’
Jenny laughed.
‘Your mum’s nice,’ she said. ‘We had a good chat on the way out. Your dad’s a bit …’
‘Stand-offish? He knows, you know. He sussed us straight away.’
‘Ah, well. What did he say? Did he give you grief?’
‘No. Not really. He was quite … I think he was more surprised than anything. Not because of our age difference. I reckon he was a bit surprised … that you’d even have me.’
‘Well, he’s smarter than you are, anyway. Did you speak to Nathan again?’
‘Yeah,’ said Arbor.
He looked at his watch.
‘They should be here any time.’
‘Then you’d better chase after your mum and dad,’ said Jenny. ‘It gets dark pretty quick and we don’t want to end up needing a search party for them, do we?’
‘No, I guess not,’ said Arbor.
He headed off along the path and found them standing by the creek bed, watching the flow.
‘It’s hard to believe,’ he said. ‘That was bone dry a week ago.’
‘You wouldn’t want to risk crossing it now, that’s for sure,’ said John.
‘It’s beautiful,’ said Margie.
‘That’s the creek bed my mate, Nathan, and I searched,’ said Arbor. ‘When we were looking for Amira.’
‘He’s an Aborigine, is he?’ said Margie.
‘Yes, Mum,’ said Arbor. ‘Nathan’s Aboriginal. He’s coming tonight. With his wife, Mandy.’
‘Anyone else?’ said John.
‘No,’ said Arbor. ‘It’s just the seven of us.’
‘You’ve got some grog in, haven’t you?’ his father continued.
‘Yeah, enough to see us through,’ said Arbor. ‘Come on. We’d better head back. It doesn’t take long to get dark around here. We don’t want to be tripping and killing ourselves.’
As it was, their return journey to the house was lit by the high beam of Nathan’s headlights. After turning off the main road, he fell in behind them and followed them all the way.
‘Mum. Dad,’ said Arbor. ‘This is Mandy and Nathan. They’re good friends of ours.’
‘G’day,’ said John Arbor, offering his hand to each.
‘G’day,’ said Nathan.
He didn’t know how, but Arbor could sense that the two men liked each other. But Mum, on the other hand … He wasn’t sure. She was polite enough to Mandy, but with Nathan … Arbor blushed.
‘Come on, everyone,’ he said. ‘Inside.’
‘Yeah, hang on a tick, Danny,’ said Nathan. ‘I’ve got some things here.’
He opened the car’s hatch.
‘I’m sorry about my mum, mate,’ Arbor whispered.
‘Hey, it wasn’t you, Danny,’ said Nathan. ‘Nothing to worry about.’
He reached in and removed two small boxes.
‘Presents for the birthday boy,’ he laughed.
‘You shouldn’t have, mate,’ said Arbor. ‘But, listen. For tonight anyway, me and Jenny are not together. You got me?’
‘Yeah, I’ve got you, sunshine,’ said Nathan. ‘But you’d better tell Mandy. She’s got a mouth on her like a front-end loader. It’ll come out of her for sure.’
Arbor managed to get hold of Mandy before she let anything slip. She made and kept a promise to keep the relationship between Arbor and Jenny a secr
et. Nevertheless, Arbor spent most of the evening feeling uncomfortable.
Dinner went without a hitch. Jenny had chosen a safe option in lamb, and everyone had been appreciative. John, though, had been perhaps a little bit too complimentary.
‘No wonder you’re getting fat, Danny boy,’ he said. ‘If you’re eating like this every night. You’re getting spoiled.’
Arbor worried that the several beers his dad had enjoyed over dinner had gone to his head. But the worry was misplaced. As they moved into the lounge, John happily accepted a coffee. For a while, at least, it seemed as if normal service had been resumed. They talked about Chatton, about football and about Arbor’s plans to coach the Blue Tongues. Jenny was happy to share her history as a teacher and tutor. They even managed to coax a few stories from Amira about her time with her father. Mandy told of some of her experience as a Care Aid and Nathan talked about his childhood move from Albany.
It was still early, but Arbor could see his parents were starting to tire.
‘Was it a long drive?’ he asked his father.
‘Yeah, I guess I’m not as used to it as I thought,’ said John.
‘It must be present time, then,’ said Nathan. ‘You haven’t opened your presents.’
‘No, I haven’t,’ said Arbor.
‘Here you are,’ said Amira. ‘Open mine first. It’ll be the smallest and the cheapest.’
They laughed. Arbor tore at the parcel. It was a polo shirt.
‘I had to shop at Mr Big,’ said Amira. ‘The first time ever. Dad was an XS.’
‘That’s great,’ said Arbor. ‘Thanks, Amira. That’ll fit me fine.’
Margie reached into her bag and passed him a small box.
‘Here you are, love,’ she said. ‘This one’s from us. We didn’t know what to buy you, but your dad and I thought you might like this.’
He could sense the gravitas she was attaching to the moment. He opened the parcel slowly.
‘Oh, that’s lovely, Mum.’
It was a gold bracelet. Ugly. Heavy. As big as a handcuff. But what could he say?
‘Wow, thanks, Mum. Dad,’ he said. ‘That’s awesome.’
‘Mine’s in the bedroom, Danny,’ said Jenny. ‘I’ll give it to you later.’
Arbor grinned. Nathan smirked.
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