Red Hot

by Cheryl Alldis

  ‘Oh!’ she exclaimed loudly, backing away from the sink, covering her mouth with her hands, her eyes wide.

  Dawn turned and ran back to the bedroom, shaking Jeff roughly to wake him. ‘Jeff… Jeff! Wake up, Jeff!’ Panic had her in its grip.

  ‘Wha… What’s tha matter?’ Jeff sat up, rubbing sleepy eyes.

  ‘Jeff, quick… It’s Harry’s hut… it’s on fire!’

  ‘What! …Bloody hell! …Tell me ya jokin’, please Dawn?’

  ‘No, get up. I’ll call the brigade.’

  Jeff leapt out of bed and grabbed his overalls from where he had slung them over the bedroom chair. Quickly, he pulled them over his pyjamas. He ran from the bedroom, calling to Dawn, ‘Dawn, ring Sam. I’ll head over to the hut with the knapsack… try and stop it spreadin.’

  Jeff raced outside, anxious to get over to Harry’s hut and to prevent the fire spreading to the dry grassland surrounding it. If this happened, they’d have another disaster on their hands like the hill fire on Christmas Eve 1964.

  ‘Fuckin’ hell,’ he muttered, snatching the knapsack from its hook in the shed.

  The lights snapped on at Sam’s. Bleary-eyed from sleep, Sam staggered to the phone.

  ‘Aah shit! We’re on our way.’ He dropped the receiver onto its cradle.

  ‘What’s wrong?’ Connie had followed him out, tying her dressing gown.

  Sam explained. She could hardly believe it. ‘I’ll wake Eric and Des you ring Kia-Ora and tell them. Mum’ll get a fright when she hears those sirens.’

  Down at Kia-Ora, Digger couldn’t believe what he was hearing either. He dressed hurriedly and sped up Centaur Road in his ute.

  Win stood with Emmie, Kath and Tammi on the back veranda, the familiar sound of screaming sirens approaching. ‘How bloody familiar,’ she whispered. ‘Looks like we all counted our chickens a bit too soon!’

  Emmie was quiet for a moment. ‘You could be right, love. But it’s been over a year now and there hasn’t been a fire.’

  ‘Mmm, well that old hut didn’t light itself,’ Win said thoughtfully.

  ‘Well, we’ll know soon enough I guess.’ Emmie sighed deeply.

  ‘C’mon Mum, I’ll make you some warm milk and brandy. In fact, think I might have a brandy as well.’ Win put her arm around her and coaxed her back inside the house.

  Kathy and Tammi stayed outside, watching the flames leaping into the air.

  ***

  The pink chev sped past Kia-Ora.

  ‘Shit, Darc! It looks like Harry’s hut!’ Eileen was anxious to get home. She had panicked when the fire brigade had zoomed past them moments before.

  ‘Who’s Harry?’ Darcy asked.

  Eileen told him about her friendship with the old man and how he had died.

  Darcy listened shocked at the sad and horrid story. He didn’t know what to say, it was evident the old bloke had meant a lot to Eileen.

  He pulled up outside Dawn’s house. Eileen jumped out, staring towards the fire in utter disbelief.

  ‘Oh, Darcy, it is Harry’s hut! It’s not fair, it’s just not fair!’ Tears welled in her eyes, spilling down her cheeks. She sank to the ground and buried her face in her hands. ‘His hut’s gone. All his memories were in there… His little treasures… Now they’re all gone.’ She sobbed, broken.

  Darcy squatted beside her and gently helped her to her feet. ‘C’mon, sweetheart, let me take you inside.’

  Over at the fire, the men were racing around franticly pouring water onto the flames that engulfed the little hut.

  ‘Got any idea how this started?’ shouted Frank Smith.

  ‘Nope, but it didn’t light its self. Heaven help us if it’s the fuckin’ firebug again!’ Sam yelled above the crackling of flames.

  Nat Willis shouted back, ‘Tell you what, if that arsehole has started again I’m not hangin’ around waitin’ for the cops to do somethin’; I’ll go lookin’ for the bastard, an’ I swear I’ll shoot ‘im. We suffered too much last time!’

  ‘Too bloody right mate, we’ll be right there backin’ ya up,’ shouted another local farmer.

  Gradually, the fire was brought under control, then finally extinguished. Harry’s hut was gone. All that was left was a pile of ashes and a rusty old water tank blackened from the fire.

  Packing up the hoses, the men sighed and headed back across the paddocks towards Dawn’s. She met them in the backyard.

  ‘Listen, Eileen’s very upset. You know how fond she was of old Harry. How the hell did this happen? Please don’t tell me it’s the firebug.’

  Before she could get an answer, Eileen walked up behind her, asking flatly, ‘He’s at it again, isn’t he?’

  ‘We dunno for sure, lass. We won’t know for sure till mornin’ when we can take a proper look,’ Mr Johnson said to her. The kind old man squeezed her shoulder as he walked away.

  Dawn asked them all inside for a hot cuppa, which they accepted gratefully.

  Digger was the first to leave. He wanted to get back to the family. He knew they would be thinking the same as everyone else: that the firebug was back!

  Kathy and Tammi were inside checking on Emmie.

  ‘It does make you wonder how that started, doesn’t it,’ Kathy said into the silence of the room.

  ‘I bet it’s the firebug,’ Tammi said

  Win frowned at them over Emmie’s white head.

  ‘Don’t worry, Win.’ Emmie covered Win’s hand with hers. ‘I know it could be the work of that rotten scoundrel again, I’m no fool. I know what these old eyes and this old head is telling me.’

  Ellie arrived, hurrying through the back door. ‘What’s going on? Why is everybody up?’ she asked worriedly.

  She had fully expected everyone to be in bed at this hour. Instead, she had driven over the hill approaching Kia-Ora to find the house ablaze with lights and was instantly worried for her mother.

  Win told her what had taken place and she drew the same conclusion the rest of them had.

  They were discussing the fire when Digger came in followed by Karl, who had just arrived home himself.

  Digger gave Karl a run-down on what had happened up the hill at Harry’s.

  ‘Well, what have you discovered? Was it deliberate?’ Emmie asked.

  ‘Well it looks like it but we can’t sift through the ashes till mornin’; it’s too dark up there. Frank Smith’s goin’ back up there with the cops. One thing’s for sure, fires don’t light themselves!’

  They looked at each other across the table. Nothing further needed to be said.

  Everyone knew it was almost certainly the work of the firebug!

  ‘Let the flames begin.’

  Hayley Williams.

  ***

  The early morning air was crisp and clear. The sun was just rising as Eileen dismounted and walked Lightning closer to the pile of ashes.

  She stood, holding the reins in her hand. Lightning snorted and tossed his head.

  ‘That’s right fella, it isn’t fair, is it?’ She stroked his nose. ‘Now there’s nothing… bloody nothing! Harry’s things are gone forever.’ She choked back a sob. Her gaze took in the pile of ashes spread on the ground.

  ‘You’ll get yours, you bastard… You’ll get yours!’ she shouted into the emptiness around her.

  She turned, mounted Lightning and rode him slowly home.

  ***

  ‘Well Simmo, what’d’ya reckon? Are we in for it again?’ Detective Bennett asked his partner.

  Frank Smith came up to them. ‘There wasn’t any smell of fuel last night. The blokes won’t leave here till we find what set this off.’

  ‘Hey!’ shouted one of the firemen. ‘Look here!’ He pointed to a pile of rubble. Smith and the two detectives walked over to him.

  ‘What’d you find?’ Bennett asked.

  ‘Shit!’ Swore Simpson and slowly shook his head.

  ‘Well I’d say we’re gonna have ta face it, he we go again!’ Frank Smith stated grimly.

  The reaso
n for the fire had been unearthed… mosquito coils, the delayed action method used to light the fires that had brought so much destruction to the valley in the past.

  Masterminded by the Lavington Firebug!

  HAS THE PHOENIX RISEN FROM THE ASHES?

  Are the valley people doomed to be stricken by fire again…?

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Kathy wound the rollers into the hair of a woman who had not stopped talking about the fire the night before from the moment she had sat down.

  ‘Yes, I know Mrs Vandenberg, it was terrible,’ Kathy answered.

  ‘It has to be that firebug again… just has to be. He’ll start on our houses next, you wait and see. Oh, to think he’s back again, those poor people in the valley. After what they have been through, someone has to know who he is…’

  She droned on and on. Kathy wound another roller, one after another, feeling very tempted to pull the annoying woman’s hair. Her glance caught the headlines of the newspaper the woman had been reading

  SUSPICIOUS FIRE AT LAVINGTON!

  IS IT THE WORK OF THE FIREBUG AGAIN?

  After a twelve month reprieve, the residents of Hamilton valley were woken once again by the wail of sirens as the fire brigade raced to another suspicious fire.

  Detectives have yet to confirm what caused the fire but at the time of this report going to print, it looks like it was deliberately lit.

  ***

  The creak of the salon door interrupted her thoughts of pulling Mrs Vandenberg’s hair and last night’s dreadful events.

  The handsome face of Eddie beamed at her. A smile quickly replaced her frown.

  ‘Excuse me, Mrs Vandenberg; I’ll just be a moment.’ Kathy smiled at the woman and walked to the door.

  Eddie reached out and took her hand, drawing her to him. He kissed her lightly on the lips. Kathy glanced quickly over her shoulder at Mrs Vandenberg who looked away with a scowl. Eddie chuckled and saluted to the woman.

  ‘Eddie! You bugger, don’t, she might tell the boss!’ Kathy whispered. ‘Anyway, what’re you doing here? You’ve only been gone a week.’

  ‘Missed you, sweetheart. I was so bored with the blokes in Wagga. They only want to chase skirt and drink, and I only want what’s in this skirt!’ He tugged at Kathy’s floral dress, laughing softly.

  ‘Well, that’s nice to know, but now I have to get back to work. What say you pick me up at five thirty?’

  ‘Sure babe, see you then!’ As he turned to leave, Kathy spoke.

  ‘Oh, Eddie, did you hear about the fire last night? Old Harry’s hut burned to the ground.’

  ‘Yeah I did, doesn’t sound good, not good at all. See you later.’ Eddie sauntered off. Kathy turned to Mrs Vandenberg and smiled. The woman was watching Eddie.

  ‘He’s a handsome young man,’ she said quietly.

  ‘Yes, he is,’ Kathy answered thoughtfully.

  Kathy and Eddie had been dating now for almost eighteen months. During that time, Eddie made frequent trips to Wagga, another Riverina town approximately one and a half hours from Lavington. He explained to Kathy that he had quite a few mates up there and they went shooting and spotlighting and enjoyed the occasional fishing trip. Kathy didn’t think much about it, as she wasn’t inclined to participate in any of those activities and her job in the salon called for her to work Saturday mornings, so her weekends were not free to go away unless she was on holidays.

  ***

  ‘Ya know, Dig, I really thought after all this time he’d stopped. Pissed off or dropped dead – at least I was hopin’ he had!’ Karl’s voice held a tone of despair.

  ‘Yeah mate, I know the feelin. I was startin’ ta think it must ‘ave been the friggin’ priest.’ Digger looked up toward the hills.

  Karl removed his hat and wiped his forehead with a handkerchief, a frown creasing his weathered face. The worried look in his eyes didn’t go unnoticed by Sam, who had just arrived.

  ‘Don’t have’ta tell me, mate: it’s the bloody fire last night that’s causin’ that scowl on ya face, eh?’

  ‘We’re in for it again, aren’t we?’ Digger knew the answer already.

  Sam rolled a cigarette from a tin of Havelock tobacco, the cigarette paper sticking to his bottom lip as he prepared the filling in the palm of his hand.

  ‘Yeah, looks that way. I’ve just come from up at the Willis’. Nat reckons if he lays eyes on him, he’ll shoot first and ask questions later. Says if he’d had his gun the night we chased him along the creek, he’da done it then!’

  Karl tipped his hat back on his head, a familiar gesture he had when he was concerned or thinking about something.

  The men continued to discuss the previous night’s events. They didn’t realise what a familiar scene they portrayed. You would swear this was a re-enactment of 1965!

  CHAPTER FIVE

  ‘Mick McGrath, you’re the third person I’ve seen today, and I might add, the only suitable applicant.’ Mary studied the face of the man applying for the position of farmhand on her Jindera property.

  Mick scratched at his bushy beard and smiled at her. He gazed around the property and spoke confidently to her.

  ‘Well, I can’t see a problem, ma’am. I’ve run properties three to four times this size.’ Mick’s memory flashed back to his teenage years on his mother’s property where he was forced to work extremely hard, practically running the place single-handedly.

  ‘You seem to be just the fellow I’m looking for, Mick. Come and I’ll show you the bungalow that you can have as your living quarters if you like.’

  Together they walked to the modest but comfortable bungalow. Mary had made matching curtains and cushions and furnished the little place with her old furniture from the lovely home she had renovated last year.

  ‘I would like you to start in two days if that’s suitable?’

  ‘Sure is, and I would like to take up the offer of the bungalow, Mrs Winters.’

  ‘Wonderful, you can move in whenever you like, Mick. Just let me know and I’ll make sure I’m here to give you the keys.’

  ‘Would tomorrow afternoon be okay with you? Then I can start bright an’ early next morning. I haven’t got much to move in, ma’am!’ He looked sheepish.

  Mary smiled and held the key out to him.

  ‘Here, take the key now. Just be ready to start in a couple of days at 7am. When you arrive tomorrow, I’ll have a list of jobs ready that you can get started on.’

  Mary walked off toward the house. Mick’s eyes followed her and swept over her slim figure with admiration. He cocked an eyebrow as he congratulated himself on his achievement. Pleased with himself, he headed off in his old car.

  ***

  ‘Morning, Beth. How’s things?’ Francis smiled.

  ‘It’s a wonderful morning, Francis. I’ve just received word: I start work next Monday. Isn’t that great?’

  ‘That’s fantastic. We have to celebrate. Let’s go out to dinner tonight… No, on second thought, would you come to Kia-Ora for dinner?’

  Beth looked at Francis, her face beaming. She felt extremely fortunate to have met such a nice person. If it wasn’t for him, she would probably still be searching for employment. Their dinner the other night had been very pleasant. They laughed and chatted easily. She felt comfortable with him.

  ‘I would love to. Are you sure it’ll be alright with your mother?’

  ‘Not a problem, Beth. We have extra people more often than not for meals. They would love to meet you.’

  ‘Okay then. I’ll come back and meet you, if you like.’

  ‘No, I’ll pick you up at the boarding house at 5.45. Save you walking all the way back.’

  Francis was excited she had accepted his invitation. He phoned Kia-Ora and got Win. He asked her to let Hazel know that there would be another person for dinner.

  Win was in the kitchen with Hazel when Ellie came in.

  ‘What’re you two up to?’ she asked.

  ‘Planning dinner. Your son just phoned. He’s
bringing a young woman to meet us tonight. Apparently she starts work at Mates next Monday. He wants to make it special for her.’ Win winked at Hazel.

  ‘I see… Well, we better make it special then, shouldn’t we?’ Ellie grinned. The three women laughed. They were used to Francis and his requests for special dinners for special guests. Although there hadn’t been a special guest for ages since his last friend had moved to Queensland.

  ‘I must say, it’ll bring a brighter note to the house this evening. The men are very disturbed about that fire last night.’ Hazel slung the tea towel over her shoulder and dropped onto a kitchen chair.

  ‘I can hardly believe there’s been another fire. It’s been so long and for it to be old Harry’s hut! Dawn phoned earlier; she said Eileen’s terribly upset. She had such a strong affection for old Harry. His death really hurt her and now this,’ Win added.

  Ellie was staring out the kitchen window.

  ‘I don’t know how we’ll get through it if this is the start of more fires. My God… Things were just returning to normal! If that was the work of the firebug last night, we can’t let it go on and on like it did last time.’

  Win placed a comforting arm around her sister’s shoulders. ‘Don’t get too concerned yet, Ellie. It may just be a one-off thing.’

  The concern in Win eyes betrayed the confidence in her voice. All three women felt the same. Only one person could be responsible for last night’s fire and that was the firebug.

  CHAPTER SIX

  With heavy boots kicking up the dirt up around their ankles, Karl and Digger headed up the track from the orchard to Kia-Ora, their stomachs rumbling. They had been hard at it since daybreak.

  ‘Hope Hazel’s made us some of her big meat and relish sandwiches. I could eat a bloody horse!’ Digger rubbed his stomach.

  Karl grinned at him, agreeing. Hazel usually knew just what to have ready for them. Karl stopped at the tap beside the machinery shed to wash his hands and splash his face. Digger did the same and was drying his face on his handkerchief when he heard Karl’s raised voice.