Marked by Denis Martin

four-wheel drive we’d seen parked outside their place, and how it had thrown Kat into a tailspin. “It could’ve just been a couple of developers or something. She said so herself.”
    “But she didn’t believe it?” He glanced at me.
    “No. She thought it could be a bloke from Australia that’s been trying to track down her mum. Dad reckons it’s probably a debt collector.”
    Jed nodded thoughtfully, his lips pursed, a frown across his forehead.
    “There’s more though,” I said, and he looked up sharply.
    I told him about seeing Bullyboy at the cottage.
    “And you reckon they know him?”
    “Yeah. Dunno whether they’re
friends
. But they knew each other well enough.” I wasn’t going to forget in a hurry the way he’d patted Kat’s shoulder.
    “I’m buggered if I know what’s going on. This Bullyboy … I’ve only seen him once, but he gives me the creeps. So he’s got a different car now?”
    “Guess so. It was a big Toyota. Grey with tinted windows. An import. Rego BBC.”
    “Observant little sod, aren’t you?” He grinned, but not with a lot of mirth.
    “Easy one to remember.”
    “Something else a bit weird,” he said. “It’s Blissy. I’m not sure she’s really Kat’s mother.”
    “What?”
    “It’s just …” He hesitated, choosing his words carefully. “It’s just a few things don’t add up. Don’t get me wrong. I really like Blissy, but I’m not certain she’s Kat’s mother.”
    I stared at him. “What sort of things?”
    “Well, mostly, it was a photo I came across. Kat with a couple of adults. Blissy wasn’t in it, but the woman looked like Kat, except older. Same hair, same features. I’d say
she
was her mum. And the bloke would’ve been her dad.”
    “Why didn’t you say anything?”
    He looked sheepish, his eyes fixed on the road. “It seemed kinda private. It was … in her room. I was fixing a plumbing leak from the bathroom next door and I had to cut away part of her wall. I saw it when I was moving the furniture. Had to take the drawers out of her dresser to shift it.” I could see he was uncomfortable.
    “And the photo was in a drawer?”
    He nodded. “I felt like one of those tradesmen they catch on TV. You know, the ones you see fondling lacy lingerie in the bedroom. Bit embarrassing really. Didn’t want you to think I was a perve.” He glanced at me with a guilty smile.
    “No. I guess not.”
    We pulled into our driveway and he put the ute out of gear. Left the engine running, and turned to me, watching me carefully. He was searching for words. “I’m sorry. I should’ve told you. I guess I was worried what you’d think.”
    “It’s okay. Don’t worry about it.” I grinned, trying to make it easy for him. “You didn’t ask Blissy about it?”
    “No. She wouldn’t have been all that impressed. Plays things pretty close to her chest, does Blissy.”
    I thought about the photo for a moment. “You’re right though. They don’t look much like mother and daughter. Maybe Kat was adopted? Or fostered?”
    “Yeah, I suppose it’s possible.” He paused, fiddling with the gear lever. “But they don’t
act
like mother and daughter. She never calls her
Mum
– it’s always
Blissy
.”
    “That’s not so unusual – lots of kids call their parents by their first names.”
    He shrugged, giving me a slightly pitying look and eased the ute back into gear. “Okay. I’ve gotta go. I don’t know what’s going on up the road there, but I like Blissy, and Kat’s a great kid. Let’s just keep an eye out for them.”
    Watching him drive away, I wondered how that would help. Couldn’t think of a better plan though.
    Dark shadows seemed to be crawling across my world. Cold and murky ones.

CHAPTER TWELVE
    Kat was waiting for the ferry next morning when Dad dropped me off and it was great to see her there. Maybe things were back to normal.
    She was different though, obviously something heavy on her mind. I asked if she’d been ill, and