by Maya Linnell
Penny felt the force of Lara’s glare like a laser beam.
‘Come on, girl, spit it out,’ said Angus, his voice deflecting Lara’s attention.
Lara froze like a rabbit trapped in the headlights, squirming in her seat. With a curse, she jumped to her feet and ran from the room.
Fifty-eight
The light rain had lifted in the minute or two it took Penny to shove her boots on.
Lara was sitting in the driver’s seat of her battered car, engine running, wipers scraping aimlessly against the now dry windscreen. Rusty weaved between Penny’s legs, his tail thumping as she strode down the steps.
‘Lara. Let’s put it all behind us and go back inside. You can’t drive anywhere like that, you’ll plough straight into a tree, the state you’re in.’
Lara lifted her head from the steering wheel, tears falling down her cheeks.
‘I can’t bloody well go back in there. Dad will disown me when he hears the mess I’m in.’ She spat out the words bitterly.
Penny tried to imagine a scenario that would make Angus McIntyre disown any of his family, but failed.
She reached in through the window and flicked off the windscreen wipers, then pulled the key from the ignition.
‘Come on. Whatever it is, we’ll deal with it together.’ Penny opened the car door and covered Lara’s cold hand. She pressed it softly and coaxed her out of the car. For the first time in a long time, Penny felt like she was the older sister and wrapped her arms around Lara’s stiff form. Lara didn’t embrace her, but nor did she push her away. At least that’s something. Another thought niggled at the back of her mind. She peered into the back seat. It was empty.
‘Evie’s not in there, I already checked,’ said Lara.
‘She’s probably forgotten about it already,’ Penny lied, wanting to ease Lara’s burden. ‘She’ll be curled up in front of the telly, feeling bad about giving her mum a hard time.’
They pulled off their boots, feeling all eyes on them as they re-entered the kitchen. Questions lingered in the air as thick as the smell of stale takeaway. Penny flicked the kettle on again and tossed the spent pizza boxes into the garbage bin. She brewed a fresh pot of tea and emptied and then refilled the untouched mugs on the table.
Lara pushed her mug around in circles, twisting it clockwise then anti-clockwise. Penny had worried she would bottle up after her first false start, but once she started talking, she didn’t stop. No one dared interrupt. Nerves threaded themselves around her words.
‘Sam came to the house the other month. Then he turned up at the school gate occasionally, just flexing his power, taunting me. Evie was ecstatic. There was no easy way to tell her that this man with boxes of Lego and bags of chips could break bones without a backward glance.’
Her hand left the mug and curled out in front of her, as if studying a long-forgotten injury. She gently furled it into a fist and took a shaky breath before continuing.
‘At the time I was so frantic about Dad’s accident, unsure if he’d pull through or not, that I didn’t realise why Sam had come back. It wasn’t until I fronted him with a cricket bat and told him to get out of town or I’d file a restraining order. Then he waved his trump card in my face and told me to push for the farm sale.
‘This is … this is really hard to talk about. It’s … Sam and I. Sam …’ She blew out an anguished breath, her fingers tracing over the raised welts on her upper arm.
‘Sam likes to hurt me … it started small. But I couldn’t make it stop. And if I refused, he threatened to tell Evie how disgusting I was. Apparently, one night he was filming us secretly. And that’s why I wanted to sell the farm. So I could buy that video off him, before he uploaded it online and shared it with everyone I knew. Starting with you, Dad. And then he was going to use it as leverage to get full custody of Evie.’
Lara’s voice petered out to a whisper in the last sentence, and she sipped her tea. Her sight remained anchored to the table. Penny’s sympathy grew as she listened, any irritation vanishing in the wake of Lara’s revelation.
She racked her brain, trying to think of any occasions Sam’s behaviour had indicated any of this, or a time she had noticed bruises, or fear, on her strong albeit prickly sister. She came up with a blank. It’s because you weren’t there, a voice inside her accused. Then she remembered the mark on Lara’s back at the hospital. The way Evie had behaved on the netball court, at the table. Penny washed away the feeling with a mouthful of cold tea but confusion grew in its wake. That doesn’t make sense. If he was hurting Lara, why wouldn’t the footage give her leverage?
‘It’d never hold up in court, Lara. The video sounds like it exposes Sam for the scumbag he is,’ said Penny.
Lara shook her head. ‘I can’t bear to think of anybody seeing that video. I just can’t risk it, Pen. But that’s not the worst of it. If blackmail and domestic abuse weren’t enough, Sam added in a clincher. He said if I told anyone or contacted the police, he’d take our daughter.’
Angus threw back a shot of whisky and pushed his glass towards Diana.
‘That bastard. I can’t believe I trusted Sam, welcomed him into our home, clapped him on the shoulder and drank beer with him when Evie was born. You should have said something, love. We would have chased him off with a shotgun, not a cricket bat. I’ll have another dram, thanks, Diana.’
‘How could I, Dad? I had no evidence, nothing to take to the police. Just a few threats and memories of the bruises and cracked ribs.’
‘We would have helped, Lara. We’re your family, that’s what we’re supposed to do.’ Diana poured Angus and then herself a glass of whisky and cringed as the fiery liquid burned her throat.
Penny looked at Angie, incredulous to see Diana drinking straight spirits.
‘He’s got me over a barrel and there’s not a damn thing I can do about it. Except get him the money and be rid of him.’
Penny saw guilt seeping through Lara’s resignation.
‘But how did you know about it too, Angie? You and Lara have been thick as thieves these last few weeks. I should have known something was up,’ said Angus.
‘I bumbled my way into it when I saw Sam at the supermarket last month. He told me he might move back to town. I pressed Lara until she caved and suddenly the farm sale seemed a pretty viable compromise for Evie and Lara’s dignity.’
Penny leaned forward, the hurt from Angie’s well-intentioned abandonment softening amid the magnitude of Sam’s threats.
‘When he says, “take Evie”, does he mean he’ll fight for custody? Or does he mean take, as in “abscond”?’
A shiver went down Penny’s back as she watched her sister’s gaze dart around the room, suddenly jumpy.
‘Custody … I’m sure he meant custody.’
The ringing telephone cut through the silence, making Lara jump in her seat. Diana answered it, then turned to Penny with a question on her face. She covered the receiver.
‘It’s Vince.’
‘Vince?’ Penny shook her head, flicking her hand dismissively at his intrusion.
‘Sorry Vince, she’s not available. What? You’re in Bridgefield? Right now?’ Diana gave Penny a confused look and shrugged as she held out the phone.
Penny swore under her breath as she walked to the phone. She gave Vince directions in a clipped tone, then sat back down at the table and surveyed her sisters. Their shoulders were slumped, their expressions grim. Even Angus seemed lost in thought.
‘So, where do we go from here? Convince the police to throw Sam in jail?’ Penny said.
Angie looked up, her eyes tired and sad, lacking their usual sparkle. ‘I don’t think verbal threats are enough to lock someone up, Pen.’
Lara pushed back her chair. ‘I’m heading home—maybe Evie’s decided to walk the seven kilometres. I sure as hell can’t stick around to witness that idiot Vince sweet-talk his way back into your life.’
Penny snorted. ‘I’m not going to let him, but I can’t just send him back
to the city, another four hours of driving, without even saying hello, can I?’
‘Says who? If Sam’s taught me anything, it’s that bad behaviour doesn’t deserve a second chance. Or a third. You’re worth ten of those bastards.’
‘So are you, love. You all are,’ said Angus, resting his hand on top of Lara’s.
Penny surveyed the kitchen. Her family was united in despair. It wasn’t the way she’d wanted to forge ahead, but at least it was a start. She stacked the dishes on the bench, looking out at the paddocks as her mind jumped from one drama to another. Were they going to clear all this up? And how was she going to manage the farm without Tim’s photographic memory of each flock, each paddock and the jobs that needed doing? As much as she hated to admit it, his work was second to none. I’m going to miss him in more ways than one.
Fifty-nine
Diana and Lara bustled up their families in the lounge room, ready to leave, as Penny and Angie cleared the table.
‘Elliot, put that down. It’s time to go.’
‘Cameron?’
‘Pete, can you grab the nappy bag? Evie? Cameron … ?’
‘Switch it off, Harry. Pete, where’s Cameron?’
Pete walked into the kitchen, nappy bag and robot toy clutched in one arm, Leo in the other. Harry and Elliot trailed behind him, but Cameron was nowhere to be seen.
‘How am I supposed to know where he is? I took one for the team and watched the bloody Lion King for the millionth time. I thought he was with Evie.’ Pete frowned at Diana.
‘Evie … Cameron …’
Lara strode into the kitchen, her brow furrowed, chewing her lip as she scanned the room.
‘They haven’t been back here, have they? Cam? Evie?’
Penny shook her head, her pulse racing as Diana and Lara both called for their children, anxiety marking their unanswered calls.
The brass knocker rapped against the wooden door and Penny sprinted to open it, hoping Cameron and Evie had just been playing a trick. Her heart sank when she saw it was Vince.
Apart from a few creases at the elbows and hips of his navy suit and the coating of dust on his black loafers, Vince looked as perfectly poised as ever. Penny inhaled the aftershave she’d bought him last Christmas, but it didn’t give her any joy. She ran a shaky hand through her half-arsed ponytail and stepped away as he leaned in to kiss her cheek.
‘What the hell are you doing here, Vince? I don’t have time for your games anymore.’ She looked beyond him to where Pete and Diana were canvassing the yard. Angie and Lara had split up to search the house from top to bottom. Angus sat, tense and frustrated by his uselessness, in the recliner as the children watched another Disney classic.
‘I miss you, babe. I know I screwed things up big time, but I want to make it up to you.’
‘It’s too late. Even if I wanted to, I can’t trust you again.’
‘Don’t say that, we can come back from here. Penny and Vince, the dream team. I know I hurt you, babe, but it will never happen again. I swear on my mother’s grave.’
Penny sucked in a quick breath. How could I have fallen for this guy? She opened her mouth to point out that Mrs Callas was still alive and well, which was more than could be said for her own mother, but his finger pressed against her lips, demanding silence.
‘No, no. Don’t say anything more. I’ve got something you’re going to like.’ He slipped his hand into his breast pocket and pulled out a ring box.
Penny closed her eyes, shaking her head as he dropped to one knee. Was it really just months ago that I so desperately wanted this proposal, craved the question he’s about to ask? Here in the weak afternoon sun, when her family was tearing the place upside down searching for missing children, his proposal felt like a cheap afterthought.
‘Get up, Vince. Don’t even bother. Haven’t you noticed a hint of chaos since you arrived? Have you even asked me how I am, or how my father is? Or introduced yourself to my family?’ Her angry voice matched her flashing eyes.
Vince looked around him, surveying the surroundings he’d overlooked in his rush to propose.
‘What’s everyone doing? I passed someone along the road earlier, but they didn’t even wave. I thought you said waving was mandatory around here.’
Penny jumped on the snippet of information.
‘Near our driveway? What type of car? Blond hair? Any children with him?’
‘Steady on. I’m about to propose and you’re more worried about a blond man who may or may not have been driving past? Have you replaced me that quickly?’
Penny pushed past him and ran towards Diana. Vince followed, keeping a wide berth of Rusty, who stayed glued to Penny’s leg.
‘What’s going on, Penny?’
‘My niece and nephew are missing, and I’ve just found out my sister’s ex-husband threatened to snatch their daughter.’
She called out towards the machinery shed.
‘Diana! Pete! Vince just saw someone suspicious driving past.’
They jogged over. Vince shifted in his loafers as he received the undivided attention of two frantic parents.
‘Well, if you categorise not waving or smiling as suspicious, then … yes, I guess he was. Average guy, some crappy old station wagon. I didn’t notice his hair colour or any children. I was too busy swerving off the side of that single-lane road.’
Pete’s shoulders dropped.
‘Could have been anyone. Thanks, anyway.’
‘Have you called Tim yet, Penny?’
‘Not yet. I’ll try Nanna Pearl’s house now, Diana. You guys heading to the shearing shed? Make sure you look underneath too, they could be below the catching pens.’
Vince piped up, his face animated.
‘Is this Tim the farm lackey you were talking about, Pen? The one with the dodgy father in jail? I’d be hunting him down if my kids were missing. The apple never falls far from the tree.’
Pete spun around and grabbed a handful of Vince’s crisp, white shirt. ‘You’ve got no right to waltz in here wearing your wanky suit and stirring up trouble. Tim’s a bloody good bloke.’
Penny’s eyes widened. Diana’s husband was ordinarily placid and mild-mannered. She’d never seen this side of him. She grabbed Vince’s arm and pulled him out of Pete’s grasp. She watched his jaw clench at the dirty mark on his $200 shirt. He shook off her hand as they turned towards the house.
‘Since you’re here, Vince, you can make yourself useful. Come inside while I call Tim, then I’ll give you a job. We need to find those kids before someone else does.’
Sixty
Angus dragged his damaged leg into the footwell of the side-by-side and allowed Penny to buckle up his helmet. He winced as she strapped the seatbelt into place, accidentally brushing against his hip.
‘Sorry, Dad. Hold on tight.’
She pushed the UTV forward. The smell of damp earth and fresh grass whipped past them as they headed down the laneway. A tight smile crept across Angus’s face.
‘Not a bad way to travel, is it?’
Angus nodded, scanning the paddock. ‘Better than sitting in front of the cartoons while everyone else searches. Good thinking delegating that job to Vince. Young Evie knows this place better than Cameron. You’ll need an extra set of peepers to scout out their hiding spot.’
She slowed to open a gate, scanning the dam ahead for any sign of bright clothing or— Her heart dropped into her stomach as she thought of the worst-case scenario.
‘You don’t think they’d go into the dams, do you?’ Penny pushed the accelerator down, urging the UTV towards the water. She held her breath until she reached the embankment and exhaled with relief when a solitary duck flew away, rippling the otherwise clear surface.
‘They’re not toddlers. I’m more worried about that bastard, Sam. If I’d known about him and Lara, I’d have taken a shotgun around to his place and sorted him out myself. I might not be able to hold a gun right now, but heaven help him if he’s snatched those two.’
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nbsp; ‘Cameron? Evie?’ Penny’s voice was already hoarse from yelling, but she searched the machinery shed a final time.
‘This isn’t funny anymore. Come out now, please.’
A mouse ran across the back of the shed and a crow cawed, heckling her efforts as she did a final sweep of the area, climbing into the machinery cabs to ensure the children weren’t hiding inside. She jumped down from the steps, holding her breath to walk past the shrivelled lump of blackened electrical cable that had caused this morning’s fire. A fast-moving front sent rain pelting down her back as she pulled the sliding door shut behind her.
Where are they? Hiding or taken? And to think I was standing here this morning, breathing a sigh of relief and counting my blessings after the fire.
She pulled her jacket closer, accepting the cold as penance for her misdirected priorities. She thought of the children’s winter jackets still lying on the laundry bench, which would have warded off hypothermia.
The rain she had repeatedly cursed for delaying the shearing slammed hard against her failings. I’ve been so short-sighted. The holidays and expensive clothes I used to covet. The replaceable material things like houses, sheds, apartments and jobs. All that time I wasted worrying about Vince and Charlotte. Even a family rift seems trivial in comparison to this. Penny swiped at her tears as regret washed over her. How could I have accepted Lara’s surly veneer without noticing something was terribly wrong? Was I that self-absorbed and hell-bent on proving myself that I missed her cry for help? The sound of rain on corrugated iron interspersed with the echoes of ‘Cameron! Evie!’ pulled her out of her wallowing.
There would be no replacing these two precious children if they fell into a dam, or worse, slipped into Sam’s hands. The thought made her stomach curdle. She looked at her watch as the sun dipped closer to the horizon. Almost 4 p.m. They could be anywhere by now. It was time to revise their plan of action.
‘I’ve checked the closest paddocks, the machinery shed twice and the old cubby house in the shelterbelt. Still no word from Tim either, it keeps going straight to MessageBank,’ said Penny.