Double Take by Kendall Talbot Page B

seen us.”
    â€œBut he didn’t. And now we have so much more on tape. And you took that photo.”
    â€œCome on, let’s get out of here.” Murray began to crawl backwards.
    When they neared the racing track he asked, “Was that Matchbox car one of yours?”
    Trent shrugged. “It could’ve been. We used to bring them before we got the remote control cars at Christmas.”
    â€œJesus, how long have you been coming here?”
    â€œFor ages,” Max said as he stood up. “We sometimes go down to the creek too.”
    Dad groaned.
    Trent couldn’t believe Max told him that. Now the creek would be off limits as well. But right now all he could do was glare at his stupid brother.
    â€œWell, there’s no way you can come back here again. Ever. Do you understand?”
    â€œBut Dad—”
    â€œNo, Max. I absolutely forbid it. Didn’t you see that guy in the blue singlet? The one with all the tattoos? He’s the one who found the Matchbox car. And now they know kids might be around.”
    Trent didn’t even bother to argue. He’d already figured as much.
    â€œWhat’s that smell?” Max said.
    Trent sniffed and knew exactly what it was. “It’s pee.”
    â€œOh poo!” Max said. “I don’t want to walk through that.”
    Of all the places that guy could’ve gone, he had peed right into their gap in the boards. Max was able to manoeuvre through the hole, but for Trent and his dad it was impossible to get through without stepping in it.
    Outside, Murray scraped his feet on the grass. Trent did the same.
    â€œHoly shit, that stank,” Max said, obviously without thinking again, because when Dad swung towards him, he covered his mouth and backed up a little.
    â€œMax! You’re not to say those words. Do you hear me?”
    â€œYes, Dad. Sorry. But it did stink.”
    â€œI know, come on. Let’s get home.” Dad turned Max by the shoulders and then led him along the side of the shed. He did a quick check around the corner before the three of them hustled up the driveway to the street.
    Gemma must’ve been waiting for them, because when they got home the front door opened as soon as they reached the bottom step. “How’d you go with the photos?” She was beaming with excitement. The exact opposite of how his father looked.

Chapter 11
    G emma wished Murray would make the boys go to bed. Since they’d come home, Trent and Max had not let up for a minute about what happened under the shed. But Murray had barely said a word. Most of all, she wanted to hear the tape, but Murray refused to let the boys listen to it on account of all the swearing.
    Finally nine o’clock rolled around and he sent them off to bed.
    â€œWant to tell me what really happened?”
    Murray glanced over at her and she noticed tiny red veins creeping across the whites of his eyes. He looked like he’d been crying.
    â€œIt was horrible, Gemma. So scary with the boys there. At one point this guy came downstairs, they called him Pete. You should see him. He’s covered in tattoos. And I mean covered. His arms, chest, neck. He was built too, like he does body building or something. Anyway he came downstairs and peed in the gap in the wall we crawled through. All it would’ve taken was for him to glance up and I swear to God he would have seen us. It was stupid. I should never have gone there. Especially not with the boys.” He twisted the empty wine glass in his hand.
    She wished she’d been there, but she couldn’t get out of work today, not after she’d charged the wedding party triple her normal fee to be open on a Sunday. The whole time she was waxing, plucking and spray tanning the giggling girls, her mind was on Murray taking those photos. “So how many photos did you get?”
    He turned to her with a vacant expression on his face.
    â€œWhat?” She shrugged.
    He