by K. J. Emrick
Ever alert for some new danger in my life, Kevin presses me for more information. “What’s going on?”
“It’s Rosie.” I could hear the smile in my voice as I hug him goodbye. “She’s having the babies!”
Chapter 2
As it turned out, Rosie was not having her babies.
“It’s okay,” I told her for the fifth time. “False labor’s common. Especially for your first one.”
“I’m just so embarrassed to have called you in that state for no reason. I must’ve sounded like a woman gone mad.”
Rosie was fanning herself with a tea towel. She was a goodly sized woman, my friend, and always had been. Being pregnant had increased her girth and at the same time it had rolled back the years for her. She was looking younger every day. Her skin had gone pale from being inside on house rest, but it had that definite glow to it that impending motherhood seemed to always lend to a woman. Behind her brown eyes was a dreamy sort of light. She had always acted younger than me, even though we were nearly the same age, but now she looked younger too.
In preparation for the coming birth, Rosie’s home had been completely rearranged. Putting the round inflatable birthing pool in her already small living room had made it necessary to push the couch and the chairs and a coffee table to the walls, displacing other things to corners, and I had to believe pushing other things out of the house entirely. The living room and kitchen and small dining area were all one big open area, separated by a low half wall behind the sink, but even so it was like walking into an OCD hoarder’s abode.
The stacks of clean towels and duffles of supplies brought in by the midwife had added to the organized clutter and now Rosie and Josh Ryan’s little five room house was more cramped than I’d ever seen it. That included the time that Rosie had been making four different wedding cakes at the same time here in her kitchen.
I snuggled down next to Rosie on the couch and passed her the cup of raspberry leaf tea that Nala Halverston had made for her. It was supposed to prepare a woman’s body for labor and prevent post-partum bleeding, be high in calcium and a dozen other things that Nala had told me that I’ve since forgotten. Rosie was following her midwife’s advice to the letter however, so I was too.
Josh was out of the house, going after pickle jelly for Rosie now that the risk of the birth happening right this instant was past. It was just us three girls in the house for now. Me and Rosie, and Nala Halverston.
“Well,” said Nala, “this is going to take a bit longer than we expected, is all this is.”
I smiled at her, knowing that wisdom like that was a dime a dozen at best. Wonder how many frantic women she’d had to calm down with those words before? Nala was an odd woman to be sure. She was an Indigenous Australian, a Torres Strait Islander from Queensland, although from what I understood they made up a pretty hefty part of Tasmania’s population too. Her black hair was frizzy and huge, like a puffy halo around her mottled dark skin. The flowery, blousy dresses that she favored hid a physique of strong muscles and sinew which I have to believe would be a big help in her chosen career path as a midwife.
It wasn’t her dress or her hair that I found odd though. It was her way of saying everything was meant to be, regardless of whether it was a spilled drink in the kitchen or a stubbed toe in the bathroom, or the third false labor Rosie had been through in as many days.
Rosie sipped at her hot tea, and fanned herself with her tea towel, and I didn’t have the heart to point out the irony of heating herself up and cooling herself down at the same time. Not to a pregnant woman. I remembered how it felt to be pregnant with my two and uncomfortable didn’t begin to describe some days. Especially toward the end of things.
Instead, I laid my hand over her wrist. “It’s all right, Rosie. We’re all here for you.”
“Some of us more than others,” Nala said, her voice nasally as she screwed up her face. “Where is that husband of yours, hmm?”
Rosie tsked. “I sent him out for something, Nala. I had me another craving.”
Nala shook her head. “A husband’s place is at his wife’s side, as I’ve said many times already, yes? I will find him. We will discuss this.”
Rosie spared a look for me, but she didn’t argue. Nala came highly recommended as a midwife and up to now Rosie had done just about everything that she’d been told. She wanted this home birth pretty bad, seeing as how her mother had done the same for her. The closest medical center was in Geeveston, and they were hardly equipped for a birth. That’s just life in our part of the bush.
Regardless of how abrasive Nala’s personality might get, Rosie was willing to take it for the sake of having her expertise. She wanted it, so I wanted it too.
“How about this,” I offered. “Why don’t I go and find Josh and send him back here. I’ve got my mobile with me in case something else happens.”
“You mean, in case I go into real labor?” Rosie grumped, and pursed her lips. “I surely hope these children are worth it.”
I hugged her, and saw the disapproving look Nala gave me for it. I pretended not to notice. Rosie was the one paying for this woman’s displeasure, not me.
“Thank ya, Dell,” she said to me, dabbing at her eyes as I stood up. “Oh, I’m just so emotional. Ready for this to be over, and that’s a fact. If you could find that man of mine that would be just grand. But, oh! You haven’t told me what’s going on at our Inn yet. How’s the new chef getting on?”
“He’s good enough at his job,” I decided to tell her. “But everyone keeps asking when you’ll be back. Our customers much prefer your cooking.”
“Oh, you’re just saying that,” Rosie blushed.
“No, I mean it. Chef Marco is always creating these dishes that no one’s ever heard of. If you can’t pronounce what’s on the menu, you’re not likely to order it. Plus your food just tastes better. Don’t worry. Whenever you’re ready to come back your job will be waiting for you.”
“I never doubted it.”
Maybe not, I thought to myself, but I heard the anxiety behind her questions. Rosie and I had been friends and business partners for years. No way would I give that up just because she became a mother. Still, I’m sure it did her a world of good to hear it straight from me.
“This is too stressful for the young mother,” Nala grumped. She was fussing about, her dress billowing around her legs, moving things that didn’t need to be moved and putting them back where they’d come from in the first place. “Rosie needs her rest. I’m afraid I must insist. You go do… what is it you do again?”
I smiled at her, but my patience was wearing thin. She knew full well who I was and what I did. “I’m going to go check on that husband of yours Rosie, and then I’ll be back at the Inn. You call me if anything changes, okay?”
She raised up her cup of tea. Nala scowled. Amazing midwife or not, I was going to be glad to see the last of that woman.
On my way out through the kitchen I saw Nala’s huge fabric purse. It was printed with yellow and pink flowers and clasped with copper. I’ve never seen the like of it outside of those old movies from the forties. A woman could carry every little thing she owned, plus a dozen baby roos, in a purse like that. Made me wonder what Nala needed it for.
Well. That was a question for another time. Right now, I wanted to find Josh and get back to the Inn. There was just the two places Josh could’ve gone to get Rosie her pickle jelly. Which, I’m sorry… yuck, but if it’s what Rosie’s body was telling her she wanted I’m sure Josh would make that wish come true. Smart men catered to pregnant wives.
So. Two places in town. The Milkbar carried some, of course, but our resident jelly and jam maker Mrs. Havernathy would probably have some freshly made. Thing was, the Milkbar is that way and Mrs. Havernathy’s house is over in the opposite direction. I could spend the next hour going back and forth and still miss Josh either way. Calling him would be easier, to be sure.
I’ve come a long way with my mobile since Kevin got me my first o
ne. I know how to text like a pro and even surf the internet. In my day—and don’t I feel old saying that—the idea of using your phone for anything but phone calls was the stuff of science fiction. Now, I’ve practically got the whole town listed in my contacts and all of my bank account information at my fingertips too. Nowhere to hide from anyone when they want to find me, either. Guess it’s a bit of a blessing and a curse, as they say.
Swiping through the list of names in my phone I got to Josh, and went to press the little green call button.
Just as the thing buzzed and jingled in my hand.
Without thinking to check the display for a number, I answered it. The static on the line was heavy, obscuring the voice whispering to me.
“Richard?” I asked, even though I knew it wasn’t. This wasn’t my deceased husband. It was someone else.
Some other ghost.
“Well,” I muttered, “that’s new.”
My husband’s called me before. Jess has, too. I’ve gotten other calls at the Inn that I couldn’t say were one or the other but I’ve never had a ghost ring my mobile.
How does that even happen?
I hung up the call. Back to my contacts list, I pulled up Josh Ryan’s name again.
And once again the phone rang.
Angrily, I cancelled the call. This was getting—
The phone rang. I ground my teeth together but this time, I checked the caller ID. Good thing I did. My son’s name was on the screen.
I sigh out a breath, feeling stupid. A bad connection, and Kevin trying to talk to me, and I freak out. “Kevin, hey…”
“You just hung up on me.”
He sounded more stressed than he did upset. “I’m sorry, Kevin. My phone… there was something wrong with the phone.”
“Mom, how long would it take you to get back to the Thirsty Roo?”
“Just a few minutes. I’m on foot… what’s wrong?”
“It’s a bit hard to explain.” I heard his voice muffle as he talked aside to someone. “Sorry. It’s a bit crazy here. Just get here. This involves the town in something. Just come quick.”
“Kevin, I’m not on the police force.” I’m glad that my son still relies on my input but he never calls me in to consult on a case he’s working. I usually have to bully my way into letting him do that. “What’s going on?”
There was silence on the line for a quick second. “That thing that Alfonse wanted to show us? The thing he said he was going to reveal to everyone tonight?”
“Yes, I remember. Sorry I didn’t get to stay and find out what it was—”
“Well you’ll get to see it when yer over here, that’s for sure.”
I could hear his father in his voice so strongly. In the way he pronounced his words and the way he rounded his vowels. Every bit the Australian, my Kevin is, and every bit his father’s son.
And good on him for it.
“Mom,” he said in my ear, “I’ll see you down here. The mayor’s on his way as well. It’s going to be a long night.”
Then he hung up, leaving me to check my watch. The sun had set an hour ago, and the daylight was already gone. Night had come to Lakeshore.
When I got to the Thirsty Roo I could see yellow police tape tied around the awning support poles out front. Not the first time I’ve seen this, sad to say. Usually it’s because of a fistfight over a cricket match in the Big Bash League. Not for… whatever it was that Kevin had asked me down here for.
Strewth, I hope whatever he called me for, it isn’t cricket. We’re both diehard fans of different teams.
Along the side of the street, dozens of people stood gawking as police officers went in and out of the front door of the tavern. I knew their faces, and most of their names. Easy enough to do when there aren’t that many people employed as constables in our town. More now than there used to be—eleven in total I think—but still. You get to know them all pretty quickly.
One of them, Arianna Eckert, motioned for me to come past the barrier tape when she saw me walking up. I liked Arianna. She was in her twenties, and even prettier when her dusty blonde hair wasn’t curled up under her policeman’s cap, but she never acts like she knows how pretty she is, if you take my meaning.
“The boss’s expecting you inside,” she told me. “How late’s the Inn serving dinner?”
“Usual hours. Probably done serving now but come in anytime and I’ll make something for both of us. Kind of missed dinner too.”
She smiled her thanks. “I reckon we’re going to be here for a while. Might have to take you up on that some other time.”
“What on Earth is going on?”
Biting the inside of her cheek, she motioned through the swinging doors. “Your son can explain it better. Not sure I believe it myself.”
Wondering what to make of that, I went in. Behind me I heard Arianna telling a couple of the locals to step back before she put them back. Whatever was going on inside, Kevin’s officers were taking it seriously.
“Mom. Over here.”
My son’s voice called me from across the open, empty room of the tavern. Funny, how much bigger it looked without any patrons at the tables or at the bar. It’s always so full in here, and now there was just Alfonse and his bartender Drew Norstrom over at that corner table. Carly was still there, too, which was odd. She and Drew practically had their heads touching each other, deep in a whispered conversation. I wondered why she wouldn’t have just left with everyone else, but then she spared me a little smile, and I was just happy to have my daughter around, emotional baggage and all.
That’s not to say I was any less confused about what was going on. There were three constables taking photos and writing notes over to the right, beside the door that led to the back room, where earlier today Alfonse had been going to show me and Kevin that certain something special he mentioned. Kevin was over there with them. So was Mayor Brown.
“Mom,” Kevin called to me again. Next to him, Mayor Brown’s expression was hard to read. Nothing good, that was for sure.
The mayor was an old, old man. Weathered and wrinkled, his skin was like leather and his smile was usually quick and easy. He wasn’t smiling tonight. He’d been the man in charge of the Lakeshore council for years now, and he’d seen murders and recessions and drought, and he had met them all with his usual confidence. Not this time. Whatever had happened this time had him really worried.
Not for the first time since Kevin had called me, my mind started thinking the worst. Someone had died. Another murder, another mystery…
Kevin shook his head as he took my hand. “It’s not that. I promise. Nobody’s dead.”
That was a relief, at least. “But it’s bad?”
Mayor Brown answered. “Bad is one word for it, Miss Dell. Just glad that Alfonse’s little publicity stunt didn’t get the response from the media he was hoping for. Can’t imagine if this had hit the papers already, before we had a chance to manage the situation.”
“What do you mean?” I remembered earlier, when Alfonse had mentioned expecting there to be reporters in the Roo for whatever he had planned. “Kevin, maybe you should just start from the beginning. What’s wrong?”
“I wanted you here for this,” he said, which was less of an explanation than I was looking for. “This is gonna effect every business in town.”
“What is?” I asked, feeling myself getting more frustrated with each evasive answer.
Kevin ran a hand over his bristle-short hair as he blew out a breath. “You aren’t going to believe this. I’m not sure I believe it, tell ya the truth. Alfonse says it was stolen, only…” He sighed. “Let’s have Alfonse explain it. If he’s done sobbing in his beer, that is.”
The kangaroos on the walls watched us as we went over to the table where yes, I could see Alfonse was through his second pint of ale, and his eyes were red from crying. Mayor Brown eased himself into a chair across from Alfonse, and I could almost hear his bones creaking as he did. Kevin stayed standing, like I did. Funny thi
ng, how Carly and Drew shifted in their seats so they weren’t so close together anymore.
I guess, if I hadn’t been so distracted with figuring out what had upset Kevin so much, my Mom senses would’ve picked up on what was right in front of my face sooner. Put it together with how nice Drew had been to me lately, and I got the picture now.
Well, well.
“Alfonse,” Kevin prompted him, “tell my mother what you told us.”
“What’s the point?” Alfonse wailed. “It’s gone. Gone!”
I looked at Kevin. He shrugged. “He’s been like this ever since he found the box empty.”
I nearly tossed my hands up into the air. “What box? Kevin, for Pete’s sake!”
Every eye turned to look at me.
“What?” I asked. “It’s something a friend of mine from the States says.”
“Who’s Pete?” Carly asks.
“No, it’s just a… nevermind. Kevin, seriously, if someone doesn’t start telling me what’s going on here, and right quick…”
“Seventeen Ninety,” Alfonse said, speaking into his glass. “That’s where the story starts.”
“So,” I said, still waiting, “this is going to be a long story, then?”
“Mom, please.” That was Carly. Her eyes narrowed, and she sounded as annoyed as I felt. Only, I had a hard time convincing myself her annoyance wasn’t directed at me. “Let him tell it. Might go quicker if you didn’t interrupt.”
Right, I said to myself. Because it’s had all the speed of a garden snail so far. “All right, I’ll bite. What happened in 1790?”
His frown soured. “Gotta remember your history. The First Fleet sailed in 1787 for Tasmania. Among those ships, we find the HMS Sirius. She was a good ship. Brought supplies to the new colonies several times to prevent starvation. Took two hundred and fifty days for a ship to get from England to Tasmania. Had to be crazy brave to even try it. So there’s the good ship Sirius, making our new life possible here in the merry old land of Oz.”
In one motion he drained the rest of his drink. Even I was impressed by that. Then he sat back in his chair with his eyes unfocused, staring off into the distance. “Fast forward to 1790. Now the Sirius is back in Australia, making a trip out to Norfolk Island. They were moving convicts from one place to the other to make room for more, is what they were doing. But, on the way it hits a reef, and it sinks. The crew is stranded for months on Norfolk before they get rescued and taken back to England.”