“Not bad. It’s a little slower than I expected, but I guess living in the country it’s a go-slow expectation.”
“Ouch. That’s a little sharp.”
Barbie smiled.
“How are Fred and Barney taking the change of pace?”
“Seriously? You expected them to up their exercise regime?”
“I take it they’re still in their go-slow mode?”
“Country life suits them.”
“Sweetie, city and country life both suit them. Either way, they spend their days lolling back, being fed and stroked and spoiled rotten.”
“Hey, they’re ex-street cats. They deserve all the spoiling they get.” Dropping down onto the sofa, Barbie lifted her legs and propped her heels on the low coffee table. “Hey, can I ask you something?”
“Sure. If it’s about sex, what I don’t know I will try with my boss and get back to you.”
“That’s so big of you.”
“I know, but what are friends for, right?”
Grinning, Barbie watched Fred roll over and blink at her. A snap of her fingers had him stretching while he thought about the effort it might cost him to move. “Laura, do you believe in ghosts?”
“Ghosts?” Laura replied in surprise. “You’ve got a ghost problem?”
“No. Yes. I’m not sure.”
“Then you need to burn sage, sweetie. Get a big stash of it, light it up and walk around the rooms.”
“Well, I don’t know that there are ghosts here, but…” Wishing she hadn’t said anything now, Barbie dropped her head back against the sofa. “I think it’s the country, you know, quiet and stuff.”
“Ghosts don’t have a preference for country or city. Is the house haunted?”
“I’ve just heard a few things. Probably mice.”
“Ohhhh, that’s what people say right before they’re face to face with a demonic possession of their house.”
Barbie rolled her eyes. “Shit, Laura, make me feel better about the dark, why don’t you?”
“I’m just saying. Go stay in the motel at night.”
“I am not staying in a motel at night. I haven’t seen anything inside the house.”
“So you’ve seen something outside?”
“I thought I saw a face at the window.”
There was silence on the other end of the phone for several seconds before Laura queried, “Trespasser?”
“Maybe. I can’t be sure. I did hear a thump on the veranda not long after.”
“What did the police say?”
“Why would they say anything?”
“Barbie! You phoned the police, didn’t you?”
“Well…” She cleared her throat.
“I don’t believe you! There could have been a rapist or murderer out there, and you didn’t call the police?”
“I can’t be sure what I saw or heard.”
“You just told me!”
“Laura, I’m having security lights installed and I’m changing all the bulbs for brighter ones, okay? If anyone is lurking out there, they’re going to get a surprise.”
“Oh yes, that makes me feel so much better. Do you have security screens on the windows?”
“There are security screens on the door.”
“Oh, this just gets better and better. Barbie, you have to call the police and let them know someone was on the property.”
“They can’t do anything about ghosts.”
“Now you’re saying its ghosts and not intruders?”
“Ghosts are intruders. They intrude on the living.” Barbie rubbed her head, wishing she’d never broached the subject with her sometimes over-protective friend. “I’ll get sage and burn it. Probably burn the house down at the same time because it’s so old, but why worry, right?”
“Don’t be so flippant.” Suspicion was clear in Laura’s voice. “Why won’t you call the police?”
“There’s no need. It was just the one time.”
“What aren’t you telling me?”
“Nothing.”
“Exactly!”
“Laura, it’s nothing, all right? Stop stressing. I’m not.”
“Call the police.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“No need.”
“We can keep going in circles here. I can do this all night and you know it.”
“I can hang up.”
“I’ll just keep dialling you.”
“I’ll ignore the calls.”
“You can’t sleep with the phone ringing noisily.”
“I’ll just put the answering machine on.”
“Fine, then I’ll call the cops myself.”
Barbie straightened on the sofa. “No!”
“So you tell me why.” Laura added warningly, “Truth.”
Shit, her friend wasn’t going to let this go. Rubbing her forehead again, she mumbled, “Because Adam’s there.”
“What?”
“I said, because Adam’s there.” She flopped back on the sofa.
Fred jumped onto the coffee table, strolled across it like he had all the time in the world, which he did, and jumped onto her lap. She winced when he started kneading her, his nails sharp through the thin cloth of her skirt. Gently she stroked his head, and he closed his eyes and purred, rubbing his big, scarred head against her palm, his one remaining ear flattening against her hand.
“Adam Moor?” Laura breathed.
“Yes. I didn’t know he was here. Apparently he grew up in Peeron and came back at some time.”
“Wow. How’d the meeting between you two go?”
“Let’s just say we’re not friends. Big surprise.”
“Wow again. Does Melissa know?”
Barbie stared down at Fred, who’d practically melted into her lap and now sprawled across her, back legs on the sofa on one side of her knees, his head and front paws flopped over on the other side of her knees. “No.”
“Probably wise, given the circumstances. Mind you,” Laura pondered, “It was a long time ago.”
“I don’t want to bring it back up.”
“Sure, I understand.” Laura paused. “Even though she doesn’t hold it against you anymore.”
“It doesn’t matter, Laura. Once the house is fixed up and sold I’m out of here. Home sweet home never looks as good as when you’re away from it.”
“Okay.” Laura returned to the other matter. “But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t notify the police that you’ve had trespassers.”
“Maybe they’re not human,” Barbie pointed out.
“You’re alone out there with just Fred and Barney.”
“They’re street cats, tough and all, you know,” she joked.
“This is no laughing matter, Barbie. You get on the phone and let the cops know. They can have a look around, cruise past there at night.”
“I’m not-”
“If you don’t, I will.”
Barbie scowled. Her friend didn’t make idle threats. “I’m sorry I even told you.”
“Don’t give a rat’s arse. You or me, which is it to be?”
“Fine,” Barbie snapped. “I’ll do it.”
There was silence on the other end of the phone before Laura replied, “You’re not going to, are you?”
“Yes I will.” Barbie sighed. “I’ll call them, make an idiot of myself, make you feel better.”
“Barbie-”
“I’ll call them, all right?”
“Good.” Not in the least phased at her show of annoyance, Laura continued, “Is there a herb shop there?”
“This is a small town, no herb or speciality shops.” Barbie sighed. “Sorry I snapped.”
“I understand,” Laura said soothingly. “It can’t be easy with Adam around. But put that aside for now and concentrate. Adam’s the past, intruders are your present. Police for the human variety, sage for the ghostly. You need sage. I’ll post some to you.”
“Oh, but-”
“Overnight delivery.
It’ll be there tomorrow.”
“I’m sure I don’t-”
“Now you get on the phone and do your bit.”
“My bit?”
“Phone the cops.”
Knowing she wasn’t going to be able to talk her friend out of the sage posting, Barbie rolled her eyes. “Yes, ma’am.”
“And when you come back home, we’re going to have a chat about protecting yourself. I think you need self-defence lessons.”
Not a bad idea. “Okay, I could do that.”
“Great. I’ll check out the classes and get back to you. We can enrol. When do you think you’ll be back?”
Barbie rubbed Fred’s one ear, making him purr louder. “I don’t know. A month, maybe two. Depends how long it takes to fix this place and then sell it.”
“So you’re staying until it sells?”
“Maybe. I don’t like leaving a house empty, not with vandals and squatters.”
“True.” Laura lowered her voice. “I’m not prying, but sweetie, do you need a hand financially for that? I know your Great Aunt left you some money, but that’s quite awhile without work.”
Smiling, Barbie ran her fingers down Fred’s spine, making him wiggle and lift his head to blink at her in pleasure. “Thanks, Laura, but I’m fine. I’ve got my annual leave pay coming through, and I’m also doing a little bit of massage to bring in extra money.”
“You sure?”
“If I run out of food, I have plenty of reserves on my body.”
“So do I, but I prefer food.”
Barbie laughed.
“Okay, I better go. Now you ring the police and I’ll go shopping for sage.”
“Stay safe in the big, bad city.”
“Stay safe in the spooky country.” Laura wasn’t laughing when she hung up.
Holding the receiver in one hand, Barbie looked down at Fred. “I have light bulbs to attend to.”
He didn’t move.
“Which means I have to get up.”
Not a whisker twitched.
“Which means you have to get off me.”
If not for his breathing, she’d have thought he was dead.
“Are you listening?”
Not a muscle moved.
“No, I thought not.”
Carefully she slid Fred’s lazy bulk to the side, settling him onto the sofa where he simply flopped and closed his eyes.
Laughing, she stood up and crossed to the phone, dropping the receiver into the cradle. Glancing up, she studied the few phone numbers printed in an elegant hand with now fading ink on the piece pf paper taped to the wall. The phone number of the police station was at the top. After several seconds, she shook her head and turned away.
No way. One happening wasn’t enough to make her face Adam’s derision.
Going into the kitchen, she switched on the CD player, the light pop music filling the room. Turning it up a little so that she could hear it through the house, she returned to the hallway and eyed the ladder.
Picking up the little box containing the light globe, she weighed it in her hands. “All right, matey, it’s you and me.” She looked at the ladder. “And you. Don’t let me down.”
Luckily, if she fell off there was no one to witness except for two lazy cats and maybe ghosts.
Not liking that thought, and not particularly sure she even believed in ghosts, she focussed on the music and climbed up the ladder.
~*~
Sitting at the kitchen table, Adam took a sip of hot tea and nibbled on one of his Aunt’s homemade biscuits. Now having morning tea at her house beat the hell out of having morning tea at the police station.
“Here, honey, have another biccie.” Leaning over his shoulder, she proffered the container.
“Thanks, Aunty.” Taking out a chocolate chip, he dunked it in his tea.
His Aunt ruffled his hair while passing. “I hear you and the new girl aren’t exactly seeing eye to eye.”
It was bound to get noticed in such a small town. “Really?”
“Something happen at the pub last night?”
He cast her a wry look. “However did you hear such a thing?”
Picking up a tea towel, she started drying a mug. “I hear a lot of things.”
“Form Mrs Hubble?”
“Mrs Hubble doesn’t go to the pub. She thinks it’s unladylike.”
“But Old Man Parker goes, and he visits her.”
“So something did happen?”
“Nothing important.” He chewed the last of the biscuit.
“Mrs Hubble wanted you to have a word to her, something to do with Hallie.” His Aunt’s eyes studied him. “Do I need to be worrying?”
“Not at all.” Standing up, he took his cup to the sink and rinsed it
“Mrs Hubble said this Barbie could be a bad influence on Hallie.”
Adam dropped a kiss on top of her head. “It’s all taken care of.”
“I can always count on you.” She smiled up at him.
“To true.” Unable to help himself, he took another biscuit. “One for the road. Thanks for the cuppa, Aunty, I better head back to work.”
“Got plans for tonight?”
“No, but tomorrow I’m meeting Matt and Ghost for the footy game.”
“Ah. Pizza and beer. Very nutritious.”
“Glad you agree.” Grinning, he left the room.
When he stepped out onto the veranda, the security screen swinging shut behind him, Hallie sprang up from where she’d been sitting on the swing chair. “Adam, I need to talk to you.”
“Sure.” Seeing her narrow-eyed expression, he raised one brow. “Something wrong?”
“Yeah, something is wrong all right. I overheard you and Mum talking about Barbie.”
“Eavesdropping isn’t polite.”
“Neither is listening to gossip, which you apparently did. I’m surprised at you, Adam, you don’t normally take notice of gossip.”
He studied his cousin, noting with interest the very pissed expression on her face. “I don’t.”
“You did when it came to Barbie.”
Ah, so that’s what this is about. “Let’s just say I know her a little more than you do.”
“Oh really? So how, exactly, is she a bad influence on me?”
“Telling you that you could-” Stopping, Adam glanced behind him at the security screen before taking a step forward and, placing one hand on his cousin’s shoulder, ushering her to the edge of the veranda and finishing in a lower voice, “Pierce your…you know.”
“Clit, Adam, the word is clit. Or clitoris. You can say it, you know.”
“Fine. Yes. And she had no right telling you that you could do it.”
“She didn’t.”
Adam looked at her.
Folding her arms across her chest, Hallie shook her head. “She never said that.”
“Look,” Adam said patiently, “I understand that you like her, she seems nice, but she had no business telling you such things, not a girl your age. And as for her laughing at the idea of your Mum getting upset about any piercing-”
Hallie’s eyes widened. “Where did you hear that?”
“I hear things.”
“It’s not true.”
“Hallie-”
“I’m telling you, Adam.”
“Are you denying the conversation even took place?” Tipping back his head, he looked up at the veranda roof and sighed. “Look, you’re impressionable and-”
“Don’t pull that bullshit on me.”
He looked down at her.
“Bull crap,” she automatically corrected, but her eyes glinted angrily. “Whoever told you the story got it twisted, way twisted, which is why I’m betting it was Mrs Hubble, because she was pis- uptight.”
“Offended?” Adam suggested.
“Yeah, that too.”
“Actually, it was you who told me that Barbie suggested piercing your privates.”
At any other time Hallie would have laughed at his choice of wor
ds. He normally spoke quite frankly to people, but when it came to his female relatives, especially young Hallie, he chose his words carefully. He wouldn’t even dare mention the word ‘clit’ to his own mother.
Now Hallie just looked even more furious. “I never said that.”
Hands on his hips, Adam looked her right in the eyes. “You said, and I quote, ‘she said I could have pierced my clit instead’. Exact words, if my memory isn’t failing me.”
“Dude!” Exasperated, Hallie rolled her eyes. “That wasn’t the whole conversation.”
Oh, this should be good. “So enlighten me.”
“Mrs Hubble was having a fit about my tongue piercing, and Barbie said, and I quote,” she added sarcastically, “‘It could be worse. It’s just her tongue, not her clit.’ She wasn’t condoning it, Barbie was just trying to calm Mrs Hubble down.”
Adam studied her closely. Was she speaking the truth? Or was she just trying to ease the pressure on Barbie because she liked the older woman?
Hallie read his expression correctly. “I’m not lying. I don’t lie to you, Adam, I never have.”
No, his cousin was honest, sometimes painfully so. A small, uncomfortable niggle started low in his belly. “What about her laughing at the thought of Aunt Betty’s reaction?”
“Actually, she grinned at me when I said that Mum would soon know. I didn’t have to say anything further, she knew that I meant that Mrs Hubble would tell Mum. She really only laughed when I said that you hadn’t gotten your tongue pierced.”
Adam’s eyebrows shot up. “What has my tongue to do with anything?”
“You had to be there for the whole conversation. Thanks to you, Barbie is barely talking to me. Thanks heaps!” Moving closer, she stuck her forefinger against his chest and prodded painfully. “You better fix this. I like her, and you’re being a total ars- jerk.”
Taking her wrist between his fingers, Adam tugged her hand away. “I could arrest you for assault, cuz.”
“Shame you can’t be arrested for being a dumb arse.”
“Where did you get this mouth on you?”
Hallie glared up at him. “Fix it.”
“Your mouth? A bar of soap would do that.”
“Barbie. Fix Barbie.”
His little cousin had no idea he’d fixed Barbie Declan a long time ago, but he knew what she meant. Actually, he was starting to feel a little guilty, something to which he definitely wasn’t accustomed, and he’d never been a man to refuse to acknowledge his wrongs.
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