by Else, Chris
'The ladies generally prefer white,' he said, like he knew something. I guess I wasn't that hard to read.
'What sort, though?'
'You could go a bubbly,' he said. 'That's always safe. Although my missus likes that riesling.' He waved his finger in the general direction of the chiller. 'She reckons it's a bit sweeter than the others.'
'All right.' I opened the door and pulled one out. He stuck it in a brown paper bag for me and I paid for it.
Outside, I crossed the road and headed back the way I had come. I stopped for a second outside the café and looked towards Maungaiti Road. The kids were still there. A couple of them were pulling at one another in some sort of play fight. Maybe I could call Hemi on Brenda's phone, I thought. I turned away, knocked on the café door. The main room was dark but there was a light on out the back. Brenda's shadow moved over the pane of glass and then she turned the lock. The door swung open.
'Come in.' She was dressed in black, a long skirt and a tight top. It had a squared-off neckline that showed most of her breasts. They were big and high and, as she stepped back to let me in, they seemed to roll around in whatever was holding them up. She was smiling too.
I gave her the wine. She didn't bother looking at it but waved for me to follow her, through the door into the kitchen. I walked behind her. I couldn't help watching her move. She was wearing a nice perfume. Slowly, though, as we passed through the kitchen, the scent was overtaken by cooking smells. There were pots on the stove and bowls and things on the benches.
Out back was a living space, dimly lit, with a dining table that was laid out for two. Silverware and gleaming glasses. Tablemats and napkins. There was a bottle of wine in a cooler that sat in a stand beside the table. Brenda poured me a glass — she already had one of her own. I felt weird, scared almost. I guess I had already forgotten about the kids.
She reached out and fingered the collar of my shirt, just for a second.
'You scrub up nicely,' she said.
'Cheers.'
We clinked and drank. Part of me wanted to run, but another part was stuck there. I found it hard to look in her eyes but I couldn't look anywhere else either.
'Come back to the kitchen,' she said. 'We can talk while I finish cooking.'
'Am I too early?' I asked.
'No, no. Don't be silly.'
Bright lights out there. Brenda set her wine on the central bench, wrapped an apron round her middle and turned her back on me.
'You live here?' I asked.
'Yes, there's a bedroom and so on upstairs,' she said over her shoulder.
'Handy.'
'Well, you're not far from work either, are you?'
'No.'
'I sometimes wish it wasn't quite so all in one. I never seem to get away.'
'Right.'
I didn't want to be facing her back so I moved round the kitchen bench until I was at the side of her. She was chopping something small like a nut. Then she added it to the frypan on the stove.
'Do you know the Smeeles?' she asked.
'Only to say hello. They seem nice people. Good neighbours.'
'Not sure what I'd do without Susie,' she said.
'Making friends here isn't that easy.'
'No. Susie was telling me about Mattie Barnes,' she said. 'Or at least her mother.'
'Oh?'
'Apparently the mother came by here. Around the time they were all looking for Mattie. I didn't realise.'
'Me neither.'
'She was in Jules and Susie's place. A lovely lady, Susie said. Distraught, of course.'
'For sure.'
Steam was rising from the pan. She grabbed the handle and shook it back and forth. Other things shook too.
'That conversation this afternoon,' she said. 'About that bloke hitting his wife.' She looked at me. I waited. 'Susie and I don't see eye to eye about that kind of stuff.'
'Oh?'
'There was a time when Jules used to hit Susie. He got counselling for it and he stopped it. Or it seems he's stopped it.' She reached down and pulled a dish out of the oven. Then she scooped up the contents of the pan in a big spoon and scattered them into the dish. 'I had an abusive husband once too. I left mine.'
'Not all men are like that,' I said. I was finding it hard to see Julian Smeele hitting anyone. He seemed so polite.
'No. I know.'
'My old man belted me and my brother. But he never touched my mother.'
'I don't like any of it. Women or children.' She rinsed her hands under the tap and took off the apron. Then she picked up the wine glass. 'I mean, I'm not completely antiviolence. Some people deserve it. I'm not sure that I think an eye for an eye is entirely wrong.' She sighed. 'Maybe I'm just inconsistent.'
'You're allowed to be.'
'Oh,' she said, grinning at me. 'You think it's a general female characteristic, do you?'
'No. Everyone's allowed to be. Like me,' I said. 'Sometimes I get mad and think I'd like to have a go at somebody but I'm not sure I could. Even if they did deserve it.'
'I know.' She looked at me. Brown eyes that I couldn't read. No, that's wrong. I think I did read them.
She lifted her glass. It was almost empty so she turned and headed off into the dining room. After a few seconds I followed her. I met her in the doorway of the kitchen coming back.
'Hi,' I said.
'Hi.' That look again.
'The dinner will be a little while,' she said. 'I hope that's all right.'
She took a little step towards me. I moved back. My hand was shaking so I put my glass down on the bench. She did the same.
'Fine.' Suddenly I wanted to touch her, but at the same time I didn't. The closer we got, the harder it was going to be to stop. And maybe I didn't want to stop.
'I won't break,' she said.
She leaned closer and we kissed each other on the lips. Her mouth opened. She tasted of wine and spices. I put my arms round her, felt the pressure of her breasts against my chest. I pulled away a little and smoothed the curve with my hand. She shivered and gave a little laugh. I really wanted her, the pressure of it building in me, but the stronger it grew, the more I knew I couldn't do it. It was all a mistake. I'd got it all wrong somehow. What I really wanted was to talk to her, about everything. I couldn't see how to even start.
'There's something I have to tell you,' I said.
It was then that the front window caved in.
8
'JESUS!' BRENDA SCREAMED as the bells of glass tinkled down. It was a couple of seconds before either of us could move.
'Those bloody kids!' I ran for the door.
'Don't! Be careful!' she called after me.
I worked at the locks and finally got them open.
It was getting dark outside. The street was empty, no one on the footpath. Away to the right a single car was coming towards me, headlights on. A dog started to bark. I ran to the left, to the corner by Bank Antiques, looked up Maungaiti Road, and then behind me down Anzac Street on the other side of Main. Nothing, nobody. There were lights on across the road in the Big Asia Takeaway but I couldn't see anyone at the counter. Whoever it was had gone somewhere, though. I ran along Maungaiti Road, the length of the building. There was a service road there that straddled the back of the shops on this side of the main drag. I started walking down it towards the back of the café. Nothing.
By now there were other people out and about. A light came on downstairs in the Smeeles' place. I could hear voices, shouts from the main road. I ran back the way I had come, met Julian Smeele, who was just stepping out into the street.
'What happened?' he asked.
'Somebody just broke Brenda's window.'
'I'll call Hemi.' He went back inside.
Dong had come out to have a look too. He was standing in his doorway, a dark figure with the bright light of the takeaway behind him.
'What wrong?' he called.
'Somebody broke the café window.'
'Wha?'
'Where're
those kids?'
'They go home.'
'When?'
'Doano.'
I headed back down Main towards the café. Dolly McKenzie was making a beeline for the same place, half running across the road from the corner of Anzac and wrapping herself in a big woollen cardie.
A little crowd had started to gather: Bill Piata, Brian Faulks, Jack Dance, Sarah Pickens and Patrick from the bookshop. Brenda had a shawl round her shoulders and a brick in her hand.
'Was that it?' I asked.
'Seems so. God, the mess.' There was glass all over the footpath. And inside too, I guessed.
'What is it? What is it?' Dolly trotted up to us. She stared at the broken window. 'Vandals?'
'Watch your feet.' Patrick made a move to push her back. She still had her slippers on and was doing a little dance among the chunks of glass.
She took no notice. 'Where are the police? Where are the police?'
'Hemi's on his way,' Julian Smeele told her. He had Laurie and Susie with him. Susie gave Brenda a hug.
'Awful,' she said. 'How terrible!'
Julian stepped through the crunching glass and looked through the gaping hole into the shop. I joined him. The curtain was shredded, the rail bent, but it seemed that most of the glass inside had not gone far.
'We're going to have to board this up,' I said.
'I got some plywood and timber round the back of my place,' Bill answered.
Julian turned to him. 'Laurie and I'll give you a hand.' The three of them went off together.
'You need me too?' I called after them.
'We're sweet, bro,' Bill called back.
'We're going to need a couple of shovels and a stiff broom or two,' I said. 'Sweep this mess up.'
'Right,' Patrick said, turning away.
'Mr McUrran. Sir.' Billy Cleat was there behind me. He was leaning forward, stretching his skinny neck.
'Go away,' I said. 'Bugger off.'
Brenda hadn't seen him but Susie and some of the others had. Susie looked at me and then at Brenda.
'We'll need a rubbish bin or something too,' I said, trying to pretend Billy wasn't there.
'There's an empty one out the back of my place.' Brenda turned to me. Then she saw Billy. He was staring at her and doing the thing with his tongue.
'Bugger off, you little creep!' She almost screamed it.
A weird sort of smile started on Billy's face and his eyes grew round. I remembered Gith's picture of the driver of the van. Then suddenly Billy saw something else. He turned and ran. Coming towards us from the south was a Ford Falcon with police insignia.
'Urrgh!' Brenda closed her eyes.
'I'll get the bin,' Susie told her. 'You stay there and talk to Hemi.' Another look at me before she left.
The Falcon pulled up at the kerb.
'Oh, thank goodness, thank goodness!' Dolly rubbed her hands together and took a step towards it. Hemi climbed slowly out and she started straight in telling him what had happened. He came and looked at the window, scratched his head.
'Did you see anyone?' he asked Brenda.
'No. No one.'
'I looked,' I told him, 'but there was nobody around. I figure they must have gone round the corner by Julian and Susie's and then down the alley along the back. Could be anywhere by now. My guess is it was those kids who hang out round Dong's.'
'Could be.' He turned back to Brenda. 'Only thing you can do is sweep this glass up and secure the place.'
'Under control,' I said.
'Cool.' Hemi looked round at everyone who was left. 'Okay, folks. We don't need a crowd here. If you're not helping clean up, the best thing is you go on home.'
He was keeping it calm as usual. I remembered I still hadn't told him what happened to Gith at the show. It was time I did, maybe.
He turned and looked at me. 'Message for you from your old lady. She's been trying to get in touch. Seems you've got a problem.'
'What sort of problem?'
'She wouldn't say. Except it's to do with your girl.'
'Gith?' I was scared then. I just stood there useless for a second. Then I turned to Brenda.
'Phone,' I said.
'Sure.' She pointed inside. 'There's one by the till.'
I called the farm. It rang for a long time. I was ready for the message to kick in when Ma answered.
'It's Ken,' I said.
'Oh, love. Is Anna there? With you?'
'Where?'
'At home. She's gone, you see.'
'Gone?'
'Everything was fine. No problems at all. We were just sitting down to tea when Leece and Bill turned up. Leece mentioned that she had seen you in the Domain this afternoon. Next thing we knew Anna had disappeared. She took my car.'
'She went home?'
'I suppose so. I mean, I don't mind. It's not a problem. Just so long as she's safe.'
'Right. Thanks.'
'I don't know how she did it,' Ma said. 'She didn't even have the keys.'
'She wouldn't have needed keys. Look, thanks, Ma. I'll call you later.'
Brenda was standing beside me. I told her what had happened.
'I have to go home and check,' I said.
'Fine. That's okay. I've got more help here than I need.' She laughed. 'Christ, what an evening! Are we doomed or what?'
I didn't know what to say. She leaned in quickly and kissed me on the mouth.
'See you later,' she said.
I ran home. Ma's car was parked in the drive but the house was dark. Inside, I opened the door to Gith's room real slow in case she'd just gone to bed, as she sometimes did. No. She wasn't in my bed either. Panic set in then. I checked the other rooms but there was no one there. I called Hemi on his mobile, told him that Gith had gone.
'Best stay put,' he said. 'She'll come back.'
'You sure?' How could he be sure?
'Stay cool, bro. That's what usually happens.'
'How's Brenda?'
'Okay. The window's getting sorted even as we speak.'
I hung around for half an hour, walking the floor, trying to figure what else I could do, but then it all got too much. Doing something, anything, had to be better than doing nothing. I grabbed my mobile and went outside. Ma's car was blocking the driveway so I got in and let off the handbrake, rolled it back down onto the tarseal beside the service station. Then I went back up to the garage to get the Surf. Then I had a thought. Well, maybe it wasn't a thought but just a weird bit of stupidity. Before I really knew what I was doing, I was back inside the house, getting the rifle down from the top of the wardrobe, the shells from the drawer. I took them out to the Surf and propped the gun in the footwell on the passenger side. I left the box of shells on the seat.
I didn't know where I was going. Perhaps it didn't matter. Over the next forty minutes I just drove the streets of Te Kohuna: Pakenga Valley Road as far as the last house. Anzac Street to where it merged with Basingstoke Road. Basingstoke to Main Street and up Tacketts Valley Road to the culvert over Waikatu Creek. I drove Church Street and Ramp Street and then south towards Katawai for 500 metres. I went north towards Tapanahu as far as the cemetery gates. I drove slowly looking about to either side. The streets were quiet. The usual cars on the main drag but not much else. A woman walking a dog. A bloke on a bicycle.
Things outside the café had settled down. The glass had gone, the broken window was boarded up with planks of wood. In Ramp Street I took a good look at Wayne Wyett's house but it was dark. Every so often I called home on the mobile, figuring Gith would answer if she was there and needing me. In the end I did what I should have done in the first place. I went to the pub.
The usual clump of smokers were outside but I rushed straight past them, pushing open the door and stepping into the bar. The room was full and the warm smell of beer and sweat wafted at me. I looked around at the familiar faces and then started to move from group to group, asking if anyone had seen Gith. Nobody had. One or two of them wanted to talk about what had happened at Brenda
's but I ignored them. Monty and Tom were there and Monty said he would help me search. I turned him down. I didn't know what he could do that I hadn't done already.
'Let me know,' he said. 'Give me a call if you need anything.'
'Thanks, mate. I will.' I left.
Outside I stood for a second in the light of the doorway, trying to figure out what to do. One of the smokers, a young bloke I didn't know, turned to me.
'You the joker from the service station?' he asked.
'Yes.'
'You looking for that bird that works for you? The dumb one?'
'Yes. You seen her?'
'Yeah, I reckon. She was in the car park talking to a bloke. Well — he was doing the talking, eh.'
'When was this?'
'Maybe half an hour.'
'Who was she talking to?'
'Dunno.' He dragged on his cigarette, blew out a plume of smoke that drifted round us. 'But it's the fella that's got a dumb brother. Not dumb like yours, though, eh. The other kind.'
'Ray Tackett?' Jesus!
The smoker shrugged. 'I figured they knew each other — having, you know, something in common. Well, kind of.'
I'm not sure what I said. I don't remember going back to the Surf or loading the gun, but the next thing I knew I was on the road, driving out to Tacketts' place.
It was the first farm in the valley, about fifteen k from the highway. A private road led off to the left, curving round the side of a hill before it came to the house. It was a long, low building, made of the local stone, pale in the moonlight. Lights in one of the windows.
The dogs heard me, and by the time I pulled up outside the front door Gray was there on the top step waiting for me. I didn't bother to get out.
'Where's Ray?' I asked.
'He's not here.'
'He's got Gith,' I said. 'Anna.'
'What's that supposed to mean?'
'Abduction. Is that what they call it? It's a crime.'
'You're nuts. How do you know she's even with him? She probably just wandered off.'
'They were seen talking.'
'So? Young blokes talk to young girls all the time. It's part of life.'
I felt rage and uselessness. My hands on the wheel were shaking but I kept them there. I was scared of what they would do if I let them loose on the rifle.