Bill Rules by Elizabeth Fensham Page A

accepted the Grubs’ invitation. Bill wondered if his poor mum would be thinking Troy would not play cards because of the fight. She would be so much more frightened and let down if she knew what her husband was really up to.
    By about half-past eight, the Grub household had settled down for the evening. Tom was out on the back verandah playing guitar with some friends who had dropped by. The Grub parents, Nan and Pam were seated around the card table in the little sitting room, absorbed in their game of cards. Bill and Mat announced they were going across to the O’Connellplace. The grown-ups, heads tilted down as they studied their cards, making little jokes to each other, did not question the children.

Although Bill and Mat had discussed what would happen next, this was not something that could be planned in detail. So much depended on the undependable and unpredictable Troy. When they walked into the O’Connell kitchen, Troy was not there. He was nowhere in the house. Bill panicked. He ran outside calling for his dad. ‘Dad! Dad!’ There was fear in Bill’s voice. An answer came from out of the dark. ‘Over here, mate. What’s up?’
    Troy O’Connell was standing in the old garage. A bare light bulb hanging from the ceiling lit up the crammed interior. There were some old piecesof furniture left behind by previous tenants. There was not enough space to park a car, so Pam had used the remaining area to store a lot of her own pieces of unused furniture and some tea-chests packed with other belongings. Bill saw that his dad was in the process of shifting the chests out of the garage.
    â€˜Give us a hand, you two,’ said Troy.
    â€˜What are you doing, Dad?’ asked Bill.
    â€˜Just making room in here for some of my own things,’ said Troy.
    â€˜What things? We have all your stuff. We’ve kept it every move,’ said Bill. ‘It’s all inside the house.’
    â€˜Questions, questions,’ said Troy. ‘How about just doing what I ask for once?’
    A quiet anger Bill had never known built up inside him. His father was lying. His father was brushing off Bill’s own reasonable question. His father was even expecting Bill and Mat to help him with his lies and plans. These boxes were being moved out to make room for stolen goods.
    â€˜No,’ said Bill to his dad.
    Troy was bent over a crate, waiting for Bill to pickup the other end. He swung round and stood straight. ‘What did you say?’
    â€˜I said no.’ Bill stood as tall as he could.
    Troy’s lip curled in a furious and cold way. He stood over Bill and pointed into the darkness of the garden. ‘Stay here, Mat. Come out here, Bill. I have something to say to you.’
    Bill saw fear in Mat’s eyes. She might have known an awful lot of people in her safe little world, but someone like Troy O’Connell was a new type of person. Bill was not going to leave her alone. Nor was he going to agree to going out into the dark with his dad. He needed a witness for what he was about to say. ‘No. I’m not going outside. I have something to say to you,’ said Bill. ‘You are in danger.’
    Troy laughed angrily. ‘You’ve got to be dreaming! In danger from you?’
    â€˜From the police,’ said Bill.
    â€˜What do you mean?’ Troy tried to sound casual, but there was worry in his voice.
    â€˜I know you’re planning to receive stolen goods. I’ve traced your supplier and informed the police. At this point, they don’t know you’re involved.’ Troy satdown on one of the tea-chests. ‘If you go along with my plan, you won’t get into trouble.’
    â€˜You are one deluded kid!’ said Troy. The little muscles under his eyes were twitching like someone about to lose control. ‘You and this little girl, off in your world of make-believe. What on earth have you two cooked up?’
    Once again,