by Hager, Mandy
Viv nudged Dean aside and threw her arms around him. Pressed her lips to his cheek. ‘Yeah, you even look too cold for death warmed up.’
Will shuffled around, sat opposite them at the table and waited until the officer left the room. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said to Dean with a rusty croak. He sounded ninety. ‘I know it was a crazy idea. But I found them! You should’ve seen it. All these huge orcas — so excited to have him back.’ He couldn’t think of it without a lump swelling up; felt tears rise.
‘You’re a legend, kid,’ Viv said, scowling at Dean. ‘Don’t pay any attention to old Mr Grumpy here. Everyone’s so proud of you — well, now we know you’re still alive, that is.’
Dean’s lips thinned. ‘For god’s sake, woman, don’t encourage him. Apart from the fact you’re condoning theft, how the hell am I going to explain this to his parents? I’m supposed to keep him safe.’ He glared at Will. ‘Did you think how they’d feel if you’d carked it out there? For fuck’s sake, Will, why don’t you use your bloody—’
‘Don’t ever call me stupid,’ Viv interrupted. ‘That’s such a male put-down.’
‘Well, excuse me for having some balls.’
‘Don’t flatter yourself. Now this kid here? He’s got balls.’
‘Goddamn you’re a difficult wo—’
‘Guys!’ Will shook his head; he had enough crap in there already, didn’t need theirs. ‘I said it was dumb, okay? I’ll take whatever they throw at me. But don’t ask me to regret it, because I can’t.’ He held Dean’s simmering gaze. ‘Sorry.’
‘Don’t you worry, hon, I told Greenpeace. Now that it’s a big news story—’
‘What?’ His guts nearly emptied on the floor. No, please god, no.
Dean’s voice oozed anger. ‘Yeah, seems you’ve got Gabby to thank for that.’
‘Gabby? Why?’ Oh shit. Shit!
‘She uploaded the clips of you and Pania with Min to this crowdfunding site last night. She’s asking for donations to help you pay the fine.’ Viv smiled. ‘I know it freaks you out but, Will, she’s nearly raised the eight grand already — from people all around the world! And then the press turned up this morning, looking for you.’
They’d dragged Pania into this? No wonder Dean looked so pissed off.
‘Yeah, sorry mate,’ he said.
No, not pissed off. Miserable. ‘How the hell could you let them set Pania up like that?’ Heat flooded his face.
Dean thought Will meant him. ‘You think I didn’t try once I knew? But she insisted — said if it would help you pay the fine then she’d agree. You know what women are like once they’ve set their minds on something.’
‘It’s called action,’ Viv said. ‘Good for her.’
But what if Harley decided to fine Pania as well? He wished he had the energy to shout. ‘How the hell did Gabby even get them?’
‘They were still on Cathy’s laptop from Saturday’s show. Gabby conned them out of her.’ Viv seemed oblivious to the disaster here.
‘Yeah, and I started getting calls at work,’ Dean said. ‘That’s when I went home to look for you and found your note.’
‘You told the police?’
‘What the hell did you expect me to do? You were out in a bloody gale, in a boat you couldn’t handle.’
Will’s heart was pumping way too fast. He felt dizzy. ‘But I made it there okay.’
‘Yeah, well, you fluked it.’
It would be so easy to reassure Dean, admit that Pania had shown him how to set the course. ‘You didn’t notice the boat was missing?’
‘I didn’t get down to the marina till late. Thought Bruce had taken it out.’
‘But he’s—’
‘Bailed, mate. Got out last night. He didn’t show his face this morning or you can bet he’d have called the cops. The joke is that at first I thought he’d scuttled it for insurance.’ Only half his face smiled. ‘Anyway, now, somehow, the press all seem to know. They’re everywhere.’
A silence built in the room, as if they’d all run out of steam. How could it be fair that Bruce was walking free while Hunter lay in hospital? And how the hell was Will going to face the press? It was one big mother of a nightmare. All the joy he’d had from seeing Min back with his pod evaporated. Thank god he was here, locked away from the media, those invasive pricks.
‘What happens now?’ he finally said.
Dean sighed. ‘You’ll have to stay tonight and go to court sometime tomorrow. The cops reckon they’ll grant you bail.’
‘How much?’
‘Dunno. They’ll probably just set down some conditions, but I can fork out for it if I have to, so long as you don’t do a runner.’
‘Course I won’t.’
‘Yeah, well, you’d better be telling the bloody truth this time. Are there any other bombshells you’d like to drop?’
He shook his head. ‘Nah, man. I’m done.’ Done, dusted, and deeply in the shit. ‘Please don’t ring Mum and Dad. I’ll sort it on my own.’
‘Too late. I called and left a message as soon as I found your note. You could’ve been bloody dead out there for all I knew. I thought they had a right to know.’
Will groaned and buried his face in his hands. They’d freak. Would get all stressed and miserable like they were before.
‘Don’t worry, we’ve left another message telling them you’re safe.’ Viv patted his back. ‘Is there anything you need?’ she asked. ‘Besides some clothes for court?’
‘And take those frickin’ piercings out,’ Dean said. ‘From here on in, you’d better play it really straight.’
He knew they were doing their best but he was so tired he just wished they’d go away. He had to think. Figure out how the hell he was going to handle this. Bloody Gabby. Sure, it was remotely possible she was trying to help — be nice even — but she had no idea how much the thought of more attention made him want to puke. And poor Pania had no idea what she was getting into. That shit had the potential to go global. Will of the World Wide Web.
‘How’s Hunter?’
‘Good, mate. Doing okay.’ Dean stared hard at him. ‘How’d you know where to find the keys for the Cat?’
No flies on Dean. ‘A lucky guess.’
‘Yeah, right.’ He scratched his scalp; truly did look miserable. ‘You do know Bruce’ll be gunning for you? If he can make you out to be the scapegoat for his charge, he will. You may as well have handed him a “get out of jail free” card.’
‘Can you make Gabby take the clips down?’ He had to try, though knew full well it was impossible. It only took one person to download them and post them again.
‘That would be crazy,’ Viv said. ‘It’s your best defence. Anyone who sees that clip will understand your motives — and if it comes to trial you should let them play the thing in court.’
‘For god’s sake,’ Dean said. ‘This isn’t some Yankee courtroom drama. They’ll just read the charges then sentence him. No dramatic speeches.’
It was as if Viv wasn’t listening. She reached over and took Will’s hand, her fingers so much warmer than his. ‘I want you to think about allowing Greenpeace to use that footage for their anti-whaling campaign. I know you don’t like the publicity, but think about the wider picture. You could really make a difference, Will. Those clips could change the way people think about orcas and, by default, other whales as well. It’s really important. No one’s seen anything like it, anywhere in the world.’
‘Leave the poor kid alone, for chrissake,’ said Dean. His voice was abrupt, though his gaze had lost its sting. He patted Will’s shoulder. ‘Hang in there, mate. I know it’s a lot to take in right now.’ He stood up. ‘We’d better go. We’ll look in on Hunter while we’re here. See you tomorrow, eh?’
‘You’ll come? What about work?’
‘Of course I’ll bloody come. Someone has to be here until we can drum up a decent lawyer. Anyway, I can take time off if I want and if Bruce has a problem with it, let me at him.’
‘Whoa, b
ig boy!’ Viv laughed as she kissed Will goodbye, then whispered in his ear. ‘What you did was amazing, Will. Thank you. You saved Min’s life.’
It made him want to howl. He was so damned tired and the cold wouldn’t shift from his bones. But he was proud of himself. Would never regret what he’d done. Never.
When they’d gone he went back to the cell, where a meal of some indefinable stew, potatoes, boiled carrots and bread awaited him. It needed salt but he scoffed it down anyway, hungry as hell; grateful.
Later, the cop on duty told Will he was due at the District Court first thing in the morning. Will asked him to let Dean know, then curled up and tried to sleep. Even now, the squab rocked under him like he was still aboard the boat. He thought about his parents, how angry they would be, and hoped they wouldn’t rush over. Tomorrow he would ask if he could call them; try to reassure them he could manage on his own. Hoped he could.
It was impossible to settle, the squab too hard, blankets too thin, and far too many worries buzzing around inside his head. The charge, the state of Bruce’s boat, Hunter, the clip doing the rounds, Pania, Gabby. Jesus. The media too. And the fine, and his mum and dad. The only thing that brought him any comfort was the thought of Min. He pushed the other crap away. Nothing he could do about any of it tonight. Instead, he relived the moment when the crowd of orcas had risen from the sea. It made his heart thud. Nothing else would top that, for the rest of his life.
THE DISTRICT COURT WAS BUSY, full of cases from the night before. Will sat in a waiting room with Dean, uncomfortable in one of Dean’s good shirts and tie. Tried to ignore the others who were called before him: a couple of drunks, a drug dealer, one pretty tragic homeless guy, and an old lady (who was clearly not all there) nabbed for shoplifting one miserable tin of cat food.
He’d seen the duty solicitor first thing this morning and asked about his chances of getting bail. She’d seemed confident. Said all he had to do was plead guilty, she’d do the rest. She assured him she’d try to get an order for Diversion if she could, though said it would depend on the details of the case. But, once he’d given her an honest account, she wasn’t willing to commit. Now she said it depended how much pressure Bruce brought to bear. So here he was, still dependent on that prick.
When he was led into the courtroom the crowd in the public seats unnerved him. Cathy was there — winked at him — and Viv. He met her eye, raised an eyebrow newly stripped of its piercings, shrugged, warmed by her grin. There were a few other familiar local faces, and several journalists, he guessed, notebooks out, gimlet eyes trained on him. He looked away.
As the registrar was reading out the charge sheet, in walked Bruce with another man. They found seats up front, ignoring Dean. Bruce was well turned out in a fancy suit and florid tie. He scrubbed up well for such an arsehole. His angry stare burnt into Will, who turned away, hating that he blushed. He coughed, his throat on fire.
The court officials ground through all the formalities: Will pleading guilty, the lawyer explaining there were extenuating circumstances — that his friend had just been brutally beaten (everyone glanced at Bruce who didn’t even flinch, the bastard), and how Will was concerned Min was in immediate danger of being killed. She said he came from a good home, had no previous convictions, and his uncle would post bail if need be and guarantee his good behaviour.
The police said they wouldn’t oppose bail, and the judge looked like she’d go for it; she was checking through her papers when the man beside Bruce spoke up.
‘Your Honour, please excuse my interruption, but on behalf of my client Mr Godsill here, I’d like to oppose bail.’
The judge looked over the rim of her glasses, assessing him. ‘Mr Godsill? I thought we dealt with him yesterday. This is most unusual, but since the boat is his I’ll allow you to quickly say your piece.’
His lawyer deferred to Bruce, who stood and puffed himself out. ‘Well, apart from stealing my boat, Mr Jackson here has been the source of trouble since he came to town. He’s blatantly ignored Fisheries regulations, is an accessory to the destruction of my commercial enterprise, and he had no experience in my boat — has damaged it significantly — and now I hear he’s planning illegal actions with Greenpeace, threatening my farms.’
‘That’s bullshit!’ Viv yelled. Around her, the journos perked up like wilted flowers given water.
‘Silence, madam. No more now.’ The judge stalled for time, shuffling her papers, then addressed the officer who’d detailed the police case. ‘Sergeant Morrison? Your thoughts?’
‘This is news to me. But there certainly has been a heap of interest in the case — and it’s got a lot of locals really riled up.’
What? Will glanced over his shoulder at Cathy, who shook her fist in a show of solidarity. He felt stupid and naive — not only that he hadn’t predicted all the interest from the press but, worse, he never thought Bruce would have the nerve to stand up in a court of law and spout such lies. To sit in solemn silence in a dull, dark dock, In a pestilential prison, with a life-long lock, Awaiting the sensation of a short, sharp shock, From a cheap and chippy chopper on a big black block!
Will’s lawyer stood again. ‘Your Honour, I think Mr Godsill is over-egging the potential dangers. Mr Jackson merely wanted to prevent the illegal killing of the orca. Now that’s been achieved I’m sure he’d like to reassure the court he’ll cause no further trouble.’
Bruce broke in again. ‘I disagree. Just this morning I had a group of greenies protesting down at the wharf. He’s the ring-leader — look at him.’ Will felt every eye in the courtroom turn to him. Was relieved he’d taken Dean’s advice and stripped his face of rings and studs. ‘He came down from the city with this plan in mind.’
How ridiculous. As if he’d organised for Min to be abandoned right on cue. Will glanced at Dean, whose anger was set in concrete on his face, fists shackled by his armpits.
‘Mr Jackson? Is this true?’
‘No. None of it. Well, except for the boat — it may have a few scratches, but—’
Bruce snorted. ‘A few? The insurance company has looked it over this morning and they say there’s nearly fifty grand of damage.’ Gasps came from the stalls like a matinee pantomime.
Now Dean was on his feet. ‘That’s utter rot! How you can stand there and—’
‘Enough! I’ve been more than lenient.’ The judge looked heartily pissed off. ‘All right, I can see this needs further investigation. I will grant bail, but am prepared to revoke it should more information — solid information, Mr Godsill — come to light. A bond of two thousand dollars, given the serious nature of these new allegations.’ She stood, and the game was over.
Will rose to his feet, stunned. Another two grand? Did Dean even have that much? He stood there as Bruce marched out, a trail of reporters hot-footing it after him. Will had to be moved on by the cop, who took him by the elbow to guide him out.
‘Can he do that?’ he asked. ‘Just make stuff up and get away with it?’
The cop shrugged. ‘That’s up to the judge to decide. But you’re lucky it’s Judge Harris. If you’d had any of the others you’d probably be staying put.’
He had to wait while Dean signed on the dotted line, promising to deliver Will to a probation officer next week and then back to court again for sentencing the following month. Clearly they didn’t trust him to get there on his own. They both had to swallow a stern warning about staying away from Bruce as well, before they finally let Will go. He walked out with Dean’s arm tight around his shoulders, straight into a milling crowd. Cameras zoomed on him; reporters threw out stupid questions: was the clip for real? Had he trained Min? What had happened out at sea? He said nothing; let Dean bustle him into the Commodore, past a pushy TV crew.
‘I’m so sorry,’ Will said. Always apologising. ‘Is it possible to go see Hunter?’
‘Yeah, no worries.’ Despite a face like a brewing storm, to Will’s surprise Dean didn’t say another word until they reached the hospital. ‘I’ve g
otta go and do a pick-up. You okay here for an hour? I’ll come and find you when I’m done.’
‘That’s cool.’ He climbed out of the car but poked his head back through the open window. ‘Thanks. I promise not to cause you any more grief.’
‘Good. See you don’t.’ He drove off at speed, the old Commodore spewing fumes.
Hunter was dozing when he reached the room, only a slightly healthier colour than last time Will had seen him, still hooked up to all the machines and drips. Will sat down beside the bed and closed his eyes. Summoned up Pania; replayed their kiss. He was sprung grinning stupidly by a nurse, who’d come to rouse Hunter for his medication.
‘Oh, hey! You made it!’ He gave Will a weak thumbs-up.
‘Oh, mate, you won’t believe it …’ Will turned the trip into a rollicking story for Hunter’s entertainment, stalling on the courtroom drama until the nurse had left the room.
‘Don’t worry. I’ll fix it,’ Hunter said.
‘Yeah, good one, man.’
‘I mean it. I’m gonna talk to Dad.’
‘Don’t be mental! And, anyway, if the cops have any sense they’ll have slapped a restraining order on him.’
‘But I can make the whole thing go away. I’ve had all night to think about it.’
A tiny germ of hope started to grow in Will until he stomped it dead. ‘Forget it, man. I can sort it. It’ll be okay.’
Hunter tried to shift. ‘Gimme a hand up, will you?’ Will helped him slide up the bed and jammed the pillows in behind him. Straightened out the covers and tubes while Hunter started up again. ‘Listen. I’m gonna tell you something — a secret — but you can never tell anyone, okay? Never.’
Will hated this. But Hunter’s gaze fixed on him, pleading, the look so hurt and fragile it made him think of Min. ‘But what if it’s—’
‘Never. That’s my one condition. Okay?’
What was it with these people and their conditions? Secrets ended badly. Fact. ‘Okay. But if it—’
‘Just listen. I’ve never told anyone this before.’
‘So why me? Why now?’
‘It’s time. Hell, you’re the one who told me to let it out. Please, Will. Just promise.’