Close to Home

by Janet Gover

  ‘I don’t have a family. My father has given up any claim to being that. Maybe one day I’ll try to find my mother. I think I finally understand why she left. And if he was hitting her, she was probably too scared to take me with her.’

  ‘I’d like to meet your mother.’

  ‘She was kind. And she was stronger than I ever thought. Now I’m older, I think she protected us kids from Dad. That was why she was so quiet. But in the end, she left. I understand now that leaving takes more courage than staying. I’d like to tell her that one day.’

  They finished their burgers and Jenny was feeling much better when they went to the bike. ‘It was good of Dino to let you take the bike. We couldn’t do this without it.’

  ‘I’ll pay him. Just as soon as I get a job.’

  Jenny checked the rucksack strapped to the bike. It contained only those things most important to her and as many clothes as she could fit. That was something else that would happen after Finn got a job. She could go back and collect the rest of her stuff. Some of it had been hard to leave behind, but watching Finn leave without her would have been even harder.

  She pulled her phone from her pocket and switched it on. The signal was strong here, and immediately messages began downloading. There must be a dozen missed calls from her parents. She ignored those. There were lots of messages from her friends, all asking where she was. She paused at one.

  I hope you’re OK. The shit is flying here. Good luck.

  Kate wouldn’t expect an answer, but Jenny sent one anyway.

  We’re fine. Will text U when we get there.

  Not that Kate knew where they were going. All she needed to know was that they were on the way. In the end, Jenny couldn’t leave without telling her best friend. And she knew Kate could keep a secret.

  There were only six people in Aunt Alice’s living room, but it seemed very crowded. Alice, as she always did, was holding court from her armchair by the window. To her right, Jenny’s parents were seated on the couch. Lucienne had settled herself in the room’s second armchair, across from Alice. Having told her story again to an aghast audience, Meg had backed into a corner, and looked as if she would like nothing more than to vanish into the wall behind her. The black and white cat had long ago abandoned the room in search of somewhere more peaceful and Simon almost wished he had gone with it. Instead, he hovered by the doorway and listened as a fragile peace broke down into open warfare.

  Alice glared at Peter Harden. ‘I knew, right from the very start, that this circus was trouble. If I’d known who was buying it, I would have never let you sell the Connelly place.’

  ‘If I’d known this would happen, I wouldn’t have made the deal. But how was I to know some circus boy would kidnap Jenny?’

  ‘Your own daughter!’ Alice flung one hand up in despair.

  ‘Le cirque has done nothing wrong,’ Lucienne interjected in her calm and cultured voice. ‘These children, they have done it all alone. They imagine they are Romeo and Juliet and their families are not to be trusted.’

  ‘Romeo and Juliet!’ Alice was not to be mollified. ‘I pray to the Lord that this story will have a far better ending.’

  Simon wasn’t going to let that thought linger. ‘Finn cares for her. She’ll be safe with him.’

  Her father wasn’t so sure. ‘If he cared for my daughter, he wouldn’t have her anywhere near that brute of a man.’

  Simon acknowledged that Peter had a point. But he wasn’t entirely sure Finn and Jenny would still be near Ron Whelan. And if they weren’t with the circus, they’d be much harder to find. He glanced at Meg and saw she was thinking the same thing. It was time to stop arguing and throwing blame around the room.

  ‘Perhaps we should think about what to do now,’ he offered.

  Peter reached for the phone lying on the table. He’d already tried to call Jenny half-a-dozen times and received no answer. ‘You’re right. It’s well past time we did something. I’m calling the police.’

  ‘No!’ Everyone else in the room spoke in unison. After an hour of bitter argument and recriminations, it was a surprising moment of accord.

  ‘Why the hell not?’

  ‘Because if the kids see the police, they’ll just run in a different direction.’ Simon spoke as if explaining to a child.

  ‘Put that phone down, Peter.’ Barbara had remained silent for so long, her words and the tone of her voice caught everyone by surprise. ‘I will not have you sending the police to chase our daughter. It’s our job to find her and bring her home.’

  Peter put his phone in his pocket.

  ‘The police are not the answer,’ Lucienne said. ‘There is no love between the people of le cirque and the police. I cannot say what might happen if they confront Ron Whelan.’

  ‘He’s a violent man who shouldn’t be on the streets,’ Alice declared. ‘He works for you, so you are responsible for him. He should be in jail for hitting a child.’

  Secretly Simon agreed with that. He watched his grandmother’s face tighten and knew that Ron’s future in the circus was over.

  ‘I will deal with him, as I should. But for now, our main concern must be finding the children and bringing them home.’ Lucienne glanced over at him, and Simon nodded. ‘Bien. Simon will go and find them.’

  ‘Why don’t you just ring this Ron Whelan and tell him to bring them home?’ Peter asked.

  Simon decided it was time he started things moving in the right direction. ‘And just what do we tell him? That we know he hits his son? Do we really want to make him angry then send him searching for the kids? That could get nasty. Or the kids could take off again and be harder to find.’

  ‘But what if they’re not with the circus?’ Barbara finally spoke the words Simon had been thinking.

  ‘We’ll deal with that when and if that’s the case. Now, I’d better get going.’

  Peter stepped forward. ‘She’s my daughter. I’m coming with you.’

  Simon had been expecting that. The last thing he wanted was to face a long drive with Peter Harden sitting next to him. And who knew how the man would react when they caught up with the young lovers? ‘I think it would probably be better if you went home. Just in case Jenny shows up. Or rings.’

  ‘Barbara can do that.’

  ‘No.’ Barbara’s voice was defiant. ‘It’s partly your fault she ran away. If you hadn’t been so hard on her about the boy, she might still be here. Right now she doesn’t need another argument with you. She needs someone she trusts.’

  ‘I will not have my niece relying on someone else from the circus.’ The tone of Alice’s voice told Simon she wouldn’t be swayed. ‘I will not have her alone in a car in the middle of nowhere with the likes of—’

  ‘I’ll go too,’ Meg said. ‘I’m the one Jenny told. She trusts me. If I go, she’s more likely to stop and listen to what we’ve got to say.’

  Simon nodded. ‘Meg’s right. We’ll go together. Peter, Barbara. Why don’t you wait at home in case she comes back?’

  The man sighed and his shoulders sagged in defeat. His wife stood up, nodding. ‘I think you’re right. That’s the best thing to do. Come on, Peter.’

  Looking a little stunned, Peter followed his wife out of the room.

  ‘Meg, if you want to go and grab what you need, I’ll run Grandmère home then pick you up at your place.’

  ‘I shall wait here.’ Lucienne settled herself even further into her seat as Alice’s face tightened.

  ‘You will do no such thing. You don’t have any part in this. Jenny is my family.’

  ‘As Finn is mine.’

  Simon thought he knew why his grandmother was staying. If by some chance Finn and Jenny arrived here alone, there had to be someone on Finn’s side.

  ‘All right.’

  ‘No. This is my house. I don’t want that woman here.’

  Lucienne showed no sign of moving. ‘It’s going to be a long night. And we don’t know what’s going to happen. Are you sure you want to be alone?’r />
  The kitten appeared in the doorway, thanks to that unnerving instinct for appearing at critical moments that all cats seem to have. It sat on the carpet exactly halfway between the two seated women, looking from one to the other. Then it got to its feet and, ignoring Alice, walked to Lucienne. With a small mew, Duchess leaped lightly into Lucienne’s lap, curled herself into a ball and instantly went to sleep.

  Well, that was settled.

  ‘Come on, Meg. The sooner we get started, the sooner we’ll catch them up.’

  They left the two old women sitting silently on either side of the room.

  Like all good horse trainers, Lucienne had an almost inexhaustible supply of patience. After the front door closed behind Simon and Meg, she settled herself to wait. She stroked the kitten on her lap and was rewarded with a contented purr. She looked across at Alice occasionally, but the woman’s head was always turned away. D’accord. She could wait. Most anger and hate was driven by fear based on ignorance. Tonight, there was even more to fear. Lucienne not only understood, she shared Alice’s concern for the two teenagers. Her faith in Simon was unshakable. He would find them. She knew that, but Alice didn’t.

  The women sat in silence as the last vestiges of light faded in the window. The only sound in the room remained the cat purring.

  When the phone rang, Alice jumped to her feet and darted into the hallway. She spoke so loudly, Lucienne could hear without straining.

  ‘Hello?’

  Woken by the disturbance, the kitten jumped down to the floor and began washing its face.

  ‘No. I haven’t heard anything. We think she’s run off with that awful circus boy …’

  In the silence that followed, Lucienne could almost feel Alice’s anger from the next room.

  ‘Now you listen to me, Jack Grady, I told everyone these circus people were trouble. Right from the day they arrived. And now look what’s happened.’

  The cat gave up its ablutions and wandered over to stand in the doorway and watch Aunt Alice. Lucienne decided to follow her.

  ‘Jenny’s mother is useless. She has no control over the girl. Jenny’s a good girl but strong willed. When we find her and bring her back, I will have words to say.’ Alice looked up and saw Lucienne in the doorway. ‘I want to keep this line free in case Jenny tries to call. So goodbye.’

  Now that the heavy silence had been broken, Lucienne was not about to let it settle around them again. ‘I think your kitten wishes her dinner.’

  Duchess gave a plaintive mew as if to agree and stalked in the direction of the kitchen.

  ‘It’s a greedy thing,’ Alice said gruffly as she followed the kitten.

  Lucienne didn’t wait for an invitation—she joined Alice in the kitchen. It was a pleasant place, with a big wooden table at the centre. The cupboards were painted a mix of pastel yellows and greens. The curtains were pale green, leaf-patterned fabric, which matched the cushions on the wooden chairs. In one corner, the cat was waiting expectantly by a cream plastic tray that already held a bowl of water.

  ‘While you tend to Duchess, shall I make us some tea?’

  Alice stopped moving. ‘I make the tea in my own kitchen.’

  ‘Of course. Thank you. A cup of tea would be very nice.’ She settled herself comfortably at the table.

  Alice slammed the cat’s bowl down so hard Lucienne feared it might break. Duchess, however, had no concerns and was soon licking up the last of the jellied fish while its mistress placed a teapot and cups and saucers on the table.

  ‘I fear we shall be missing our dinner tonight,’ Lucienne said. ‘I had cooked a lovely bœuf bourguignon before we were called. Perhaps I should have brought some with me for us to eat.’

  ‘Stop that.’

  ‘I beg your pardon?’

  ‘Stop trying to force me into acting as if you are a guest in my home. You are not. You are here under sufferance, that’s all.’

  Lucienne could see Alice’s face tightening. If she pushed her any further, the woman would probably explode. Lucienne reached for the teapot. ‘Shall I pour?’

  ‘No.’ Alice almost snatched the pot away. When the first cup was full she pushed it towards Lucienne and poured a second for herself. She fetched a small jug of milk from the fridge and a bowl of sugar.

  For one moment, Lucienne considered asking for lemon, then decided that might be a step too far. ‘Thank you.’ She was pleased when Alice sat down across the table from her. That was some sort of progress. They sipped their tea, the rattle of the cups in the saucers seeming very loud.

  The cat finished its dinner and walked to the back door. It looked over its shoulder and mewed. When there was no movement, it mewed again.

  ‘So you want to go out, do you?’ Alice got slowly to her feet. ‘Here you go.’ She opened the door and the cat darted out into the darkness. ‘She’ll be back in about five minutes, crying to be let in.’ Alice wasn’t exactly speaking directly to Lucienne, but she was the only other person in the room.

  ‘Cats are demanding creatures. I have never had one. Well, not a pet, you understand. The big cats at le cirque were never pets.’

  ‘You never had a cat?’ Alice seemed genuinely shocked as she came back to the table. ‘You had a dog?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘No pets at all?’

  ‘Our animals were not pets. They were performers and family too. They came to le cirque as performers. With their own families. At different times our circus had dogs and elephants. Lions too. And of course, I always had my horses. At each town, we would parade through the streets. Sometimes I rode an elephant, just to attract attention. I would dance on its back.’

  Lucienne saw Alice wince and her face darken. Her shoulders sagged as if a heavy weight had just settled on her.

  ‘Why do you hate le cirque so very much? Or is it just me?’ Lucienne kept her voice soft. ‘What happened?’

  At first she didn’t think Alice was going to answer. The woman put her cup down carefully and got up. She vanished in the direction of the lounge room, and Lucienne shrugged. She had tried. She could do no more than that.

  An old circus flier was placed on the table in front of her. ‘Were you ever a part of this circus?’

  Lucienne picked up the flier. There was no date, but it was old. Very old. The paper was dry and the ink faded. It showed a red and white striped big top and a girl in a tutu standing on the back of a liberty horse. The girl had blonde hair.

  ‘You think this is me?’

  ‘Is it?’

  ‘Non. I have never performed with this circus.’

  Alice stared at her for a long time, as if trying to judge whether or not she was lying. Then she turned and almost fell into her chair. She was holding something else in her hands—a photo. Lucienne reached for it and, reluctantly, Alice let it go.

  ‘He is a very handsome boy. And this girl, this pretty girl with love on her face, this is you?’

  Alice nodded and Lucienne saw it all.

  ‘He left you for le cirque. For the écuyère. The horse dancer. All these years ago. And you have never forgotten. Or forgiven him.’

  Alice’s eyes were dry and her face hard as she nodded.

  ‘And you thought I was this girl? The one who stole your love?’

  Before Alice could answer, the phone rang and she went into the hall. The look in her eyes as she left answered Lucienne’s question for her.

  Lucienne studied the poster. Of course she had heard of this troupe. The circus world was small. She held the photograph close and studied the face of the boy, looking for a hint of the man he would become. Had she known him? She didn’t think so. Their paths may have crossed, but certainement she had not known him well. The cry of the cat asking to come in distracted her. She opened the door for the creature, and by the time she had resumed her seat, Alice had returned.

  ‘Well?’

  ‘No news. Just another of my relatives ringing to find out if I have heard anything. And they wonder why I refuse to have a m
obile phone. I would never be free of them.’ Alice didn’t sit. With a determined stride, she went to the fridge and opened the door. ‘So. I have some chicken pie here, brought by one of my nieces. She is a reasonable cook. Would you like some? We need to keep our strength up.’

  Lucienne knew there was more to Alice’s story than she had told, but the time for the sharing of confidences was gone. No matter. They had a very long night ahead of them and Lucienne could wait. She carefully put the poster and photo to one side.

  ‘That will be very good, I’m sure. And, if you have it, perhaps we might have a glass of wine.’

  Alice carried a dish to the oven. She turned on the heat and placed the pie inside before turning around. ‘I don’t have any wine. But perhaps a small glass of sherry?’

  Lucienne hated sherry; she had never really seen a reason to drink it when wine was so much nicer.

  ‘Sherry would be very good. Merci, Alice.’

  CHAPTER

  30

  The road was almost deserted. They hadn’t talked much, both lost in thought. Long periods passed between the flash of headlights from another vehicle. Before leaving Nyringa, they had paused briefly at Three Rings to pick up a tarpaulin and some ropes. Enough to safely load a motorcycle into the ute when they brought the kids back. Meg firmly focused on ‘when’. ‘If’ was not even to be contemplated.

  Looking at Simon’s profile, Meg saw the concern etched there. And the doubt. ‘Do you really think they’re with the circus?’ she asked.

  ‘I’m not sure. I don’t think so. I think this is Finn escaping from his father. He certainly wouldn’t want Jenny around Ron. But it’s the first place we have to check.’

  ‘If not there, then where?’

  Simon shook his head, eyes never leaving the road. ‘I don’t know.’

  ‘That motorcycle is only small. How far can they get on that?’

  ‘It’s no different from any other motorcycle, really. Just a different shape. It’ll go as far as they want it to, as long as they can afford to buy petrol.’

  ‘If they get pulled over …’