The Man in the Water

by David Burton

  It was just like the one Will had found at the lake. He hadn’t thought about it since then.

  His thoughts were interrupted when he heard Simms’s name.

  ‘That ratbag.’ Peter scowled. ‘Johnno was nearly falling asleep at the wheel the other day. They’d put him on the truck shift for seven hours, no break. Simms did nothing, even after he complained. Told him to keep going, he’d talk it over with the supervisors. Yeah right. Nothing happened.’

  ‘He flew to Brisbane last Monday,’ Shaun said.

  Peter paused, a forkful of chicken halfway to his mouth. ‘Hey?’

  Shaun explained about the car hire company and seeing Simms’s ute outside the police station. Peter’s face hardened and grew red.

  ‘So,’ Shaun said finally, ‘he flew back to headquarters at the start of the week on the day that something happened to Tyson.’

  ‘He knew,’ Peter said quietly.

  Elaine touched her husband’s arm. ‘We don’t know that,’ she said. Then she turned to Shaun. ‘How do you know that?’

  Shaun cleared his throat nervously. The potatoes were churning in his stomach. ‘Um, well, I’ve just asked around. Will knows someone at the car hire place at the airport and—’

  Peter’s eyes flashed. ‘That’s it. Simms knew. Of course he did. Why else would he fly to Brissie on a Monday? Before anybody had even reported Tyson missing? Tyson had an accident at work and they all shat themselves, because they knew he, he was …’

  Shaun put his fork down, unable to eat any more. Maybe he shouldn’t have spoken. He was about to explain his theory, but Peter got there before him.

  ‘… because they knew that he was my son,’ Peter finished. ‘And they knew they wouldn’t be able to pay us off to cover it up. They knew we’d make trouble for them. They knew he was my son, so they tried to cover it up, make it look like a bloody accident.’

  He got up from the table and went to the back door. He slid his boots on, slamming them into the ground so they’d fit properly.

  Elaine went to him. ‘Where are you going, Pete?’

  But he didn’t answer. He’d already gone out the door and was getting his car keys out of his pocket. They watched as his ute roared out of the driveway and down the road, leaving only silence behind him.

  Shaun was the first to speak. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said.

  Elaine shook her head. ‘It’s not your fault.’

  Millie hadn’t got up from the table to watch Peter leave. Now she spoke for the first time. ‘Shaun,’ she said, ‘what the fuck are you doing here?’

  Her words were cutting. His heart stopped. ‘I—’ he began, but Elaine interrupted.

  ‘He’s our guest, Millie, don’t be rude.’

  At this, Millie got up from the table and slouched towards the front door. ‘Thanks for dinner, Mrs Grant,’ she said. ‘I’ll see you later.’

  Elaine called after her. ‘Do you want me to drive you home?’ But she didn’t answer. Her loose, over-burdened shape left them, and they heard the creak of the front gate closing behind her.

  ‘Well,’ Elaine said. ‘I’ll clean up. Why don’t you two watch TV or something? Or, Shaun, why don’t you fill Megan in on what she’s missed at school?’

  Shaun followed Megan into her bedroom. It was small, probably the smallest room in the house. There was an old wardrobe, a single bed and a desk. There were magazine pictures of female athletes on the walls. They were diving for a try, or leaping in mid-air, or watching as a cricket ball made contact with a bat.

  ‘Cool,’ Shaun said under his breath. Megan went to her desk and grabbed a notepad. She sat on the edge of the bed, and he sat beside her.

  ‘So,’ she said. ‘What have I missed?’

  ‘I don’t know. I’ve been distracted.’

  She smiled. ‘Yeah.’

  She drew lazy circles on the open page.

  ‘I’m sorry about your dad,’ Shaun said. ‘I didn’t mean to start anything.’

  ‘Dad’s always had it in for that Simms guy. He was halfway to blaming him for Tyson’s death anyway. That bit about the car just sent him over the edge.’

  ‘I just thought it was worth mentioning,’ he said.

  ‘I’m glad you did. It’s good for us to know everything.’

  Shaun didn’t know what to say. If he was brave, he’d put an arm around her, but they just sat there.

  ‘Shaun,’ she said eventually, ‘I’ve only just realised. Did you and Will go out to the airport on your own to get that information?’

  He grinned and she laughed. A great big joyous laugh. Then something changed. He felt the air lift, as though they were in a plane that had just taken off. Megan was sitting in her bedroom, on her bed, alone, and he had made her laugh. It was like a dream.

  ‘Shaun, there’s something I’ve been wanting to say. For ages.’

  He leant in closer. His whole body was alive. ‘What?’ he said.

  ‘Um.’ She swallowed, and shifted slightly. ‘Uh, I like you.’

  He heard nothing but white noise. His jaw was open. His brain was numb. ‘What?’

  ‘Don’t make me say it again.’

  His mouth was like paper. ‘I, uh—’ He had to cough to get words out. ‘I like you too.’

  Then something else took over, and their lips met.

  The kiss was dry but soft. Shaun’s body was rigid with fright, but when they came apart they both laughed and he felt himself relax a bit.

  He’d done it. He had kissed Megan.

  ‘That was scary,’ she said.

  ‘Yeah.’

  Now what? Were they forever paired? Had she really liked him all this time, just as he had liked her?

  He wanted to kiss her again. He felt more sure-footed this time. But somewhere in the house a phone rang, and they heard Elaine pick it up.

  Megan let her hand rest on Shaun’s leg. He was suddenly super aware of how he was sitting, and how they would need to move their bodies for a better kissing angle.

  They heard the rattle of keys and the sound of footsteps. Megan jumped up from the bed and away from him. A second later Elaine was in the doorway.

  ‘That was the police,’ she said, looking at Megan. ‘We need to go down to the station. Your dad’s been arrested.’

  ‘For what?’ said Megan.

  ‘Belting up Simms.’

  This new trauma weighed on Elaine differently. She was past being sad or angry; she just looked exhausted. ‘Shaun, I’m sorry, I don’t think you should come. Peter’s in a state.’

  ‘I’ll walk home,’ he said.

  ‘It’s dark and you’re on the other side of town. You shouldn’t walk. I’ve just messaged your mum.’

  He tried to hide his dread. His mum would be furious.

  ‘Thanks,’ he said quietly.

  Megan put on her sneakers. Shaun’s heart sank. He knew his mum would have questions about him having dinner at the Grants, and Megan was leaving so quickly.

  He had kissed Megan. Megan had said she liked him.

  ‘She’ll just be a few minutes, Shaun,’ Elaine said. ‘I’ll leave you here. Just close the front door behind you.’

  They left, Megan sparing him a short, tired smile before dissolving into the darkness. Their ute soon rumbled to life and reversed down the driveway.

  That kiss was the only good thing to come out of this whole mess. He felt guilty for having triggered rage in Peter. He imagined Simms in hospital, bleeding nose, broken arm, bruised eye. Or worse. Maybe Peter had hit his head. Hard. Perhaps he was in a coma. Maybe he’d die. The men in this town had a habit of disappearing.

  He tried to shake the image away. He didn’t know how severe Simms’s injuries were. It could have just been a quick punch-up. And he probably deserved it, if Shaun’s theory was correct. If Simms knew something about Tyson
’s death, even a small clue that he wasn’t telling the family, Shaun didn’t feel so bad about Peter taking his anger out on him.

  He checked his phone. His mum had texted. She said she’d be over as soon as she could, but she was locking up the store. The right and proper thing to do, he supposed, would be to sit on the front steps and wait for her to come.

  But he also knew the house held secrets, and he’d been given an unexpected opportunity. It felt wrong to go snooping in Megan’s room. But somewhere in the house was Tyson’s bedroom. And he still knew so little about the man in the water – it didn’t feel like a betrayal to want to see where he had slept. He had felt close to Tyson ever since he touched him.

  Tyson’s bedroom was directly opposite Megan’s. It was the first room he tried. He touched the door and it swung open.

  The double bed was unmade. There was a dirty coffee cup beside it and clothes on the floor. He stood in the doorway for a long time, looking at it all.

  There was a small collection of posters on the wall. One of Darren Lockyer scoring a try in a State of Origin match. Another few with tanned, leggy women draped over gleaming cars. He spotted a few crushed Red Bull cans under Tyson’s bed. The only movement was from the curtains by the open window.

  A car drove past outside and Shaun blinked. He found a small table, almost straining under the weight of a pile of dirty clothes, car magazines and video games. Instinctively he looked at the games: a couple of editions of Call of Duty and FIFA. On the corner of the table was a stack of unopened letters.

  On top of it was a clean white envelope, without a stamp. There was just the Scotts company logo and the words Postage Paid Australia.

  A letter, from Scotts.

  He stood still, staring at it. There was a familiar sound outside: his mum was pulling into the driveway.

  Without thinking, he took the letter, put it in his back pocket and closed the bedroom door behind him.

  ‘Why can’t you leave these people alone?’ Shaun’s mum said the moment he was in the car.

  ‘They invited me!’

  She sighed. ‘Elaine said that Peter had got into trouble. What happened?’

  How could Shaun tell the story without getting himself in trouble?

  ‘He got into a fight with the safety officer at the mines,’ he said. ‘He was arrested.’

  ‘God,’ his mum muttered under her breath. ‘You need to leave them alone, okay? They’re grieving. People go weird at times like this. Remember how …’

  Her voice faded away, but he knew what she meant. He’d never forget how she changed in the days after his father’s death.

  ‘Yeah,’ he said.

  ‘You just need to concentrate on your school work. You’ve got the doctor’s appointment tomorrow, and we can talk about everything then.’

  He’d forgotten about that. She had a day off tomorrow, so she would make sure he went to school and then pick him up straight after to go to the doctor’s. He wouldn’t have any time to see Megan again and find out what had happened to her dad. Or maybe even kiss her.

  When they got home, he closed his bedroom door but his mother yelled out, ‘Get some sleep! Don’t stay up!’

  He wasn’t thinking about going online, though. He couldn’t wait to read the stolen letter, a thickly folded wad in his back pocket. He smoothed it out and looked at it under his bedside light. There was some kind of card inside the envelope, heavier than ordinary paper.

  He ripped it open and pulled out a single sheet of folded paper and a thick plastic card. He read the letter three times.

  Mr Grant,

  Enclosed is your new accommodation key for Viveco Workers’ Village. You will continue to stay in room 315.

  Your old card has been cancelled. If you find it, throw it away. It will no longer work.

  If this card is lost or stolen, you will be charged a $50 replacement fee. There will be a penalty if you are found to be using a card that doesn’t belong to you.

  A reminder that your room must be reasonably clean upon departure from your shift. Any excessive mess will incur a penalty.

  Regards,

  Tanya Smith

  Manager, Employee Care and Accommodation

  At the top of the letter was the Scotts logo with the address of their Sydney headquarters. It had been written a little over a week ago. Tyson would’ve been on his shift when the letter arrived at the house.

  Shaun fished his phone from his pocket and searched for Viveco Workers’ Village. He already had a rough idea of where it was. The map confirmed his suspicions. The large camp was about 30 kilometres away, just on the edge of the mining site. It was one of six or seven camps that surrounded the town.

  He spun the key card in his hand. With access to Tyson’s room, what clues could he find? He pictured the scene: another change of clothes; a diary spilling out all Tyson’s thoughts; his phone, maybe, with messages between him and his murderer, unveiling the whole story behind his disappearance and death.

  But 30 kilometres was a hell of a distance on his bike. It would take him ages.

  He put the letter to one side and scrolled through his phone. He thought about texting Megan, but didn’t know what to say. She’d probably be too distracted with her dad to even think about Shaun and their kiss.

  She was the last thought on his mind as he drifted off to sleep. Smiling and perfect, her face moving closer to his, until the only thing separating them was his own beating heart.

  The knock on the front door was loud and urgent. It woke Shaun up. He reached for his phone and checked the time. It was just before seven in the morning. The knock came again, louder, a pounding fist. It shook the front windows.

  He heard his mum’s muffled footsteps as she walked down the hall.

  He stared at his bedroom ceiling and heard Charlie’s serious tone, but he couldn’t make out the words, only that his mum then welcomed him into the house. In seconds she was at his bedroom door.

  ‘Sweetie,’ she said, standing in the doorway. ‘You need to come and talk to the police. They’ve found Tyson.’

  Charlie was waiting at the kitchen table. He smiled when Shaun sat down opposite and said, ‘You found him?’

  ‘Yeah. We did.’

  ‘Where? What does he look like?’

  Charlie paused. ‘Well, it’s complicated. We don’t know what’s happened yet. It’s going to take some time to examine the body.’

  ‘But you can see that he was in water, yeah? That he drowned.’

  Charlie’s eyes narrowed. ‘Why do you think he drowned?’

  ‘Because,’ Shaun sighed, ‘I saw him in the water.’

  ‘What about the mark on his head?’

  Shaun flicked a glance at his mother down the end of the table. She was just as eager for his answer as Charlie was.

  ‘Shaun?’

  ‘He just looked like he’d been in the water for a while.’

  ‘One of the first things you asked was what he looked like.’

  ‘Because I was interested. Aren’t you?’

  ‘We’re looking at the body and trying to figure this all out, but there’s one thing we can tell immediately. Tyson doesn’t have any marks on his head.’

  Shaun’s mouth opened but nothing came out.

  ‘Do you have anything to say about that?’ Charlie raised his eyebrows.

  Shaun looked at his mother again. She had tears in her eyes. Obviously she thought he was mental.

  ‘How did you know where to find him?’ he said to Charlie. ‘Where was he?’

  Charlie shook his head. ‘I’m asking the questions here, okay?’

  Shaun’s mum cleared her throat. ‘Was there any sign the body had been in water? At all?’

  Charlie shifted in his seat. ‘Like I said, we’re investigating. I’m afraid I can’t tell you much more.’ He le
ant in, closer to Shaun. ‘Lying to the police is a serious offence, Shaun—’

  ‘I WASN’T LYING!’

  ‘Quite obviously you were. Tyson does not have a single mark on his head. And I hope, for your sake, that this is the only thing you’ve lied about. If you know anything else, you need to tell us right now.’

  ‘I don’t know anything. You know more than I do. And the mark on his head – I thought I saw blood.’

  It was no good. His mum and Charlie both thought he was lying now – that he didn’t even see the body in the first place.

  He imagined Peter in jail, learning that the body had been found. Would they bother to tell him that Tyson hadn’t been hit on the head? Would Peter hate him now?

  Or Megan?

  He wanted to run away at the thought.

  ‘Do you have anything else to say for yourself?’ said Charlie.

  Shaun shook his head.

  ‘Thank you,’ said his mum, weakly, and showed him out. Shaun couldn’t bear to look at her. He retreated to his bedroom and buried his face in his pillow. His mum left him alone. He didn’t want to talk.

  He thought about writing to Megan, to try to apologise. But imagining her face made him want to disappear. She would know he was a liar now. He cried silently into his pillow.

  A little while later, he jumped when his phone rang. It was Will. He let out a deep breath and picked up.

  ‘Dude, what’s going on?’ said Will. ‘Everyone’s talking about Tyson.’

  ‘Yeah,’ said Shaun, uncertain what to add, but Will did all the talking.

  ‘A bunch of dickheads are saying he was an alcoholic. And the usual losers say you were lying the whole time and you never saw him in the lake, but I told them to get stuffed. I didn’t let on about the boots or Simms and the car or any of that stuff. People just like to gossip, hey. But did Mr Grant really bash Simms?’

  ‘Yeah,’ Shaun said again. ‘Yeah, I was over there and I talked through the clues and that, and Mr Grant got really angry and charged out. Then a while later the cops rang the house and said that he’d been arrested.’