The Man in the Water

by David Burton

  ‘Tell me,’ said Will, his eyes begging. ‘For God’s sake, just tell me.’

  Shaun smiled.

  It had been a painful night waiting to meet with Will. Shaun had remained tight-lipped for the rest of the appointment and the car ride home, simply nodding whenever his mother asked him to stop digging around in business that wasn’t his.

  He’d hung up the second he heard the voice on the other end of the line, and then his phone died. That night, when it was charging, he texted Will. Now the two were in Shaun’s bedroom, a new day barely broken outside, and Will had listened to Shaun’s lengthy description of sneaking into the camp.

  Shaun would never have his great public moment of reckoning, but he did have a captive audience with Will, and he acted out the exciting parts, like dodging the ute as he rode away from the IGA, and narrowly missing the cleaner.

  When he got to the bit about calling the mystery number, Will’s eyes got wider.

  ‘You didn’t,’ he kept saying. ‘You haven’t got the balls.’

  Shaun took a deep breath. ‘It was Sergeant Baker. The police officer at the station.’

  Will’s eyes were stuck at permanently wide. ‘What?’

  Shaun nodded. ‘Yep. She picked up. Simms was texting her.’

  ‘Shit,’ Will gasped. ‘The police.’

  It felt good to get the truth out.

  ‘What does that mean?’ Will’s face was still frozen in shock.

  ‘So,’ Shaun began, ‘Tyson finishes a shift, devastated. He’s certain he’s going to lose his job. He gets to camp. He writes a note, leaves it in his room and jumps on the shuttle. It takes him to the centre of town. He walks to the lake, drowns himself. And then I find him.’

  Will nodded, eager for him to continue. Shaun had thought about it the entire night. He had most of it clear in his head.

  ‘So,’ he continued, ‘I run straight to the police station and talk to the cops. The first cop I talk to is—’

  ‘That Charlie guy,’ Will said.

  ‘No, no. It was Baker. She was behind the desk.’ Shaun paused to let it sink in. He had almost referred to her as ‘Queen Bitch’, but he realised Will wouldn’t understand.

  ‘Crap, okay.’

  ‘So, I leave the station with Charlie, but Baker’s already on the phone to Simms to go and pick up the body. So when Charlie and I get there, it’s gone.’

  ‘So, Simms must’ve been close to the lake?’

  Shaun nodded. ‘Yes, I think so. He must’ve known something was up with Tyson. From the note it’s obvious that Tyson had just realised he was going to lose his job. I don’t know, maybe Simms was looking for him around the pub.’

  Will stared into the middle distance, examining something just beyond his reach. ‘And then he flies back home to freak out with headquarters. Because he knows it’s Peter’s kid, and he knows he’s going to go off. It’s a potential lawsuit for Scotts. Peter’s going to try to blame Scotts for Tyson’s death, suicide or not. We were right about that much.’

  Shaun nodded. ‘Yep. In fact, I remembered Simms pretty much told us that when we were staying with him. He said he flew back to headquarters early, but that was even before anyone had reported Tyson was missing.’

  Will brought his hands to his face in shock. ‘Yes! Why didn’t we figure that out?’

  Shaun smiled. ‘Well someone thought we were about to be poisoned.’

  But Will was too excited to listen, he was already moving on. ‘So, headquarters send him back, and he’s there talking with—’ Will stood up in surprise. ‘Crap, they were right there! They were talking that day we went into the police station to tell everyone.’

  Shaun had had the same realisation the night before. ‘Yep. But wait. He then draws out a massive amount of money to pay her, like to cover it up, and they agree to meet at the IGA.’

  Will was confused. ‘So, Baker’s there when Peter goes to bash Simms?’

  ‘Yeah. My mum said it herself. She said that the bashing happened in no time at all; suddenly the cops were just there. She didn’t even have to ring them. It’s because Baker was on her way there already.’

  ‘Jeez, okay, so,’ Will was pacing now, seeing the pieces coming together, ‘so, she’s there, sees Peter bashing the hell out of Simms, breaks it up. She’s got the body somewhere, and she knows it has to resolve itself because things are getting real hectic. So she gets the body to turn up in the tub.’

  Shaun sat on the edge of the bed, thinking. This was the part he couldn’t get clear in his head either. ‘Or maybe not. Because we haven’t heard from anyone else that has even seen the body. Maybe that’s just what she told everyone.’

  Will stopped and stared at him. ‘You mean she could still have it?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ Shaun said. ‘I don’t think so. The funeral people from out of town needed a body to burn. And even Copper Charlie said he didn’t have a wound on his head. So the body must be around. But the funeral people said they couldn’t let the family see because of its condition. By that point he’d been dead for a week.’

  Will frowned. ‘But surely they’re going to tell someone about that? Surely they’d be, like, hey this body’s totally been dead for a week.’

  ‘Unless she paid them off too? And Charlie’s in on it.’

  ‘You think?’

  Shaun shrugged. ‘I don’t know. Either way, Charlie came round to our place the next day to question me about the head-wound thing. And then later Baker dropped by too, after Peter knocked our window in.’

  ‘She was checking on both of you,’ Will said. ‘Making sure you didn’t know too much. She must’ve been nervous about your mum.’

  ‘Yeah, well Simms must’ve been nervous too, because he got us round for debating. And he did his whole speech.’

  ‘Yes!’ Will clapped. ‘I knew he was a psycho. Right from the start, I knew it was him.’

  Shaun grinned. It felt good. For the first time in weeks the case was making sense. They had a clear enough story to prove that Simms and Baker were behind everything.

  Will’s face fell. Shaun knew exactly what he was thinking. ‘What now? Who can we tell? If even the cops are in on it—’

  The idea hung in the air. This was the main issue Shaun had been wrestling with overnight. He wasn’t even sure if he could tell anyone apart from Will. His mother wouldn’t want to hear it, and he doubted Megan would listen. Simms and Baker could just get away with it.

  They were deep in thought. Then Will pulled out his phone and began typing.

  ‘What are you doing?’ said Shaun.

  ‘Finding out more about Sergeant Baker.’

  Shaun hadn’t even thought to google her. He was half-scared that she’d end up ringing his phone back, but she never did.

  They leant over the screen as Will scrolled through a stream of pictures.

  It was clear that Baker lived on a massive property on the edge of town. A proper old-fashioned farm. Suddenly, Shaun’s memory took him back to the day Baker had been at their house.

  ‘That’s it!’ Shaun said. ‘The drought. Baker’s stuffed. Everyone’s talking about the farming downturn out here. She needs the money. She’s probably in debt.’

  ‘And look!’

  Shaun stared at the picture Will’s finger had landed on. Baker was smiling at the camera, holding a large tray of red, raw meat.

  He didn’t get it. ‘What?’

  ‘If she farms for meat she’d have a big freezer. Like a thing big enough to hold a body in.’

  Shaun blinked at the idea. ‘Wow.’

  Will jumped up again. ‘They took the body out to her place after the drowning to preserve it. But they knew they’d have to get rid of it eventually. It’s a body that’s drowned, and she needs to make sure that whoever else looks at it can’t figure out it’s frozen. So she dumps it in t
he bathtub and – thaws it, I guess.’

  Shaun was starting to feel sick. ‘That’s gross.’

  Will’s eyes were alive with a kind of disgusted glee. ‘They’re both psychos.’ Will had another thought. ‘So does that mean Charlie’s not in on it?’

  ‘Yeah,’ said Shaun. ‘Yeah, I think he’s in the clear. On the day I found the body, he asked for directions to the lake.’

  They sat on the bed for a long time.

  ‘My mum had nothing to do with it either,’ Shaun said eventually.

  ‘Nah, mate, not her. She’s a legend.’

  Shaun sat on the bed and breathed out.

  He had solved the crime, finally, but it didn’t bring on the warm feeling of satisfaction that he had expected. He just felt sad. And empty.

  ‘What do we do now?’ Will said.

  Shaun and Will would tell the story again, again and again over the next few hours.

  First to his mum. He walked into the living room and asked, in his kindest, gentlest tone, if they could talk to her.

  ‘But no interruptions,’ he said. ‘Just listen.’

  She was skeptical.

  ‘Seriously,’ Will said. ‘You’re going to want to hear this all the way through.’

  So she sat down at the kitchen table, and Will and Shaun joined her. Shaun let the story unfurl, calmly talking through each of the facts. He didn’t want to be emotional for fear that she would take him straight back to the psych ward.

  When he got to the bit about the IGA, he saw her eyes widen with recognition. He knew he had her then. She believed him.

  They called Charlie after that. And they told the story again. And then Charlie split the three of them up and interviewed each one for what seemed like hours. He spoke to Shaun the longest.

  They thought they were free at that point, but a while later Charlie came back to the house with an older cop from the coast. He was introduced as an inspector, and Shaun told the story again.

  By the end of it all, he was exhausted. But he didn’t mind telling them. Ever since Luke had stopped to actually listen to him the day before, he’d enjoyed repeating it, which seemed kind of sick or weird when he thought about it. It was just that it felt so rare to be listened to and believed.

  His mum prepared him a simple dinner: boiled eggs on toast. It was one of his favourites from when he was a kid.

  She watched him as he ate. When he finished, he sighed, and mumbled a thank you.

  Suddenly she knelt down next to him, her face serious and deliberate. ‘Sweetie,’ she said, ‘I’m really sorry. Okay?’

  ‘I know, Mum,’ he said. ‘Me too. I was a dick.’

  She hugged him and held him tight for a long while.

  He didn’t mind.

  The next day, Shaun sat in his bedroom and messaged Megan.

  He began and deleted the message a bunch of times.

  He wasn’t sure how much she knew. Word was starting to get out, though. The inspector was still in town, and he was planning on making a ‘statement’. Surely Charlie would have thought to fill in Tyson’s family?

  Hey, the message began. This is all crazy and I don’t know what to say. But I wanted to let you know I never meant to hurt you. I really never wanted to hurt you. And I’m sorry if I did. I only ever wanted to try and make things better for you. I hope you’re okay.

  His thumb hovered over the screen for a second and then pressed send.

  He stared at the phone, reading the message back to himself, wondering if he should add more. But in a few seconds, he saw that she had read it.

  He waited for a reply. He stood, staring at his phone, for long minutes. But the reply never came.

  If you want, Shaun typed, I’ll be at the pool all afternoon. Just come by if you want to talk. I’d love to see you.

  He pressed send and felt his stomach drop.

  He put his phone down and looked around the room. In the corner were his father’s CDs and player. The box they’d come in was empty; Shaun had spread the CDs out on the floor. He started sorting through them. Without thinking, he systematically began putting them right. Each disc found its home. It took him only a few minutes, but he was pleased with his work.

  It was only after he finished that he wondered if his dad would be mad at him for tidying up. He’d left the box in chaos. Maybe that was how he liked it. But the order and cleanliness were reassuring. They made him feel like the box was no longer his father’s. It was his now. And he hoped his father would be satisfied with that.

  Shaun’s thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. His mother answered it, and he recognised the voice.

  ‘G’day,’ he heard Tenner say. ‘I wanted to bring something over.’

  He’d bought a bunch of flowers wrapped in plastic from the IGA.

  ‘Thanks,’ said his mum, ‘that’s very kind.’

  Tenner saw Shaun. ‘Hi, Shaun,’ he said. ‘You up for a chat?’

  If Shaun hadn’t been so exhausted, he might have felt awkward having Tenner in his home. But nothing was normal anymore, and he was eager to hear if Tenner had any further information on his brother-in-law.

  They settled at the table. Tenner cleared his throat. ‘So,’ he said, ‘you had quite the adventure, I hear.’

  Shaun nodded. ‘Yeah, but I haven’t heard anything since the inspector’s been round.’

  ‘Yes,’ Tenner said, ‘I thought you might want updates. You deserve them, after all, for uncovering everything.’

  ‘Don’t feel like you have to tell us anything,’ Shaun’s mum said. ‘It must be difficult. I understand Mr Simms is your—’

  ‘Brother-in-law,’ Tenner muttered. ‘Yeah. Although I don’t know for how much longer. I just got off the phone with Sharon and she’s—’ He didn’t finish the sentence. ‘Anyway,’ he continued, ‘the bastard’s been arrested. And Baker too, I believe.’

  Shaun felt sick. He knew that arresting Simms and Baker was bound to happen. He’d been dreaming about it. Except in the dreams, he felt enormous. He felt proud, felt the weighty satisfaction of justice. But he’d forgotten about Sharon, and Tenner. They’d have to go on living, knowing that Simms had lied to them and done something awful. Nothing could make that pain go away.

  ‘Sharon said cops showed up at their place and took a bunch of his stuff with them,’ Tenner said. ‘She’d had a short chat with him. He apologised, she said. Said it was to keep his job. Keep the company happy. Keep the money coming. These places,’ Tenner sighed, ‘these places just care about profit, in the end. It stuffs people up in the head.’

  Shaun’s mum reached across the table and touched his hand, and Tenner replied with a thin-lipped, feeble smile. Then he cleared his throat again and turned to Shaun.

  ‘This isn’t over, mate,’ he said. ‘Not by a long stretch. You and, well, both of you, are going to have to testify in court. And if Scotts decides to keep Henry employed, he’ll have their lawyers.’

  ‘No,’ scoffed Shaun’s mum, ‘surely they won’t keep him on, will they?’

  Tenner shrugged. ‘Early days. But they’d be having a good hard think. And of course, Sergeant Baker’s made friends through town and through the force. I guess I’m saying,’ he was struggling to find the right sentiment, ‘I’m saying there’ll be plenty of people who will make you think you did the wrong thing. Who’ll try to blame you for everything.’

  Shaun felt the last strands of his fantasy slip away. No parade, no celebration. Maybe even no Megan. He’d have to check his phone.

  ‘But you did the right thing, Shaun,’ Tenner said, his voice firm. ‘Don’t let anyone make you think otherwise.’

  ‘Thanks, Mr Tenner,’ he said. ‘I know.’

  The pool was busy. It was a hot day. Shaun felt slimy and sticky with sweat. He sat on the edge of the pool, letting his feet dangle in the blue. Around hi
m, families and kids splashed and giggled, the sun gleaming on the perfect surface and catching the drops that flew through the air. Sometimes Shaun could see his own reflection in the water, but only for a second before it was shaken by someone swimming past.

  He kept looking at the gate, expecting Megan to join him. He knew that she’d read both of his messages.

  The inspector had just given his statement. Shaun read it on his phone. It didn’t identify Simms by name. But it did say Baker was suspended due to suspicious circumstances. It didn’t mention her arrest. The investigation of Tyson Grant had yielded ‘insufficient’ evidence.

  If Megan hadn’t known everything before, she knew a hell of a lot more now.

  The media would turn up tomorrow. And they’d probably want to talk to the Grants.

  He looked at the gate again. No sign of her.

  In a corner of the pool was a young father with a baby. He was holding the kid round the middle, bobbing it in and out of the water. The baby was tiny and little more than a round bubble of flesh. But with each dip, it giggled loudly enough to be heard right across the pool.

  His mum still wanted him to talk to the psychologist. In fact, she said they would go together – and he agreed. It would mean regular trips to the coast, and maybe even the occasional afternoon off school.

  He checked the gate again.

  Megan wasn’t coming.

  His phone buzzed in his pocket.

  It was a message from her.

  I’m allowed to talk to you now, it said. But I don’t know if I’m going back to school. And I don’t want to show my face around town. Mum said it might be a bad idea. I’m sorry for everything, Shaun, but I don’t think I can handle any more right now. It’s all confusing. I’ll write when I can.

  He read it three times, hoping for more. But nothing came. He thought about sending a response but didn’t know what to say.

  He looked at the gate one more time.

  And there was Will, long-legged and smiling, walking straight towards him.

  ‘Hey,’ he said, sitting down. ‘Your mum said you were here.’

  They kicked their feet in the water for a bit, talking about the inspector’s statement and Tenner’s visit.