she nodded. “A touch of flu.”
I knew that wasn’t the truth, but I let it go. She wasn’t being rude or unpleasant – I could see she just didn’t want to talk. When the ferry docked, she walked to school with the other girls, and they didn’t seem to be getting much out of her either.
Kat mightn’t have wanted to talk, but I did. School had finished for the day before I had a chance to catch up with her. She was making her way through the foreshore reserve, heading for the ferry wharf and there was no one else around, so I fell in beside her.
“You okay now?”
She glanced at me. “Yes. Thanks.”
“You sure?”
“What is this? The inquisition?”
I didn’t answer and we walked in silence. I felt awkward and after a while I couldn’t bear it any longer. “Would you be happier if I left you alone?”
She stopped. Her eyes were roving over me and she frowned slightly. Almost as if she was seeing me for the first time. “No,” she said at last. “No, I wouldn’t. I’d like you to stick around, but …” She tailed off, running one hand through her hair and staring at my cheek. “What’s happened to you? Your face?”
“Had a fight with a thornbush,” I said, fingering the scratch. I knew she was trying to take control of the conversation, but I wasn’t having any of it. I sucked in a deep breath. “Look,” I said, “I know something’s wrong. You were scared shitless by those two guys in the Pajero the other day. Something is wrong and I only want to help. Thought we were friends.”
“Friends,” she said. “Yeah, I suppose we are.” A long pause, her eyes locked with mine. “You’re right. God, I wish you weren’t. But I can’t tell you about it. This is dangerous.
Really
dangerous.” She glanced over her shoulder. “You have to trust me … please. You already know way too much. And the more you know, the more dangerous it’ll get. For
both
of us.”
I stared at her. Didn’t know what to say – so much for staying out of other people’s problems. She seemed scared again, eyes searching for danger like a frightened rabbit, her lower lip clenched.
“I’ve said too much anyway. But it’ll all be over soon.” Her voice dropped almost to a whisper. “We … we’re leaving … Blissy and me.”
The words sliced into me and I stepped backwards, stunned. Kat leaving? I felt gutted. “
Leaving
? For good?”
“Yes. We’ve got to.”
“When?”
“Don’t know. Could be any day.” Then her tone became desperate. “For God’s sake though, keep that to yourself.
Please
. Don’t tell anyone.
Anyone
.”
I nodded. My mind was elsewhere, swirling into shades of black. She
couldn’t
leave. Not now. We’d only just got to know each other.
“Promise? It’s
really
important.”
Struggling to focus, I nodded again. “I promise.”
Leaving. Any day
.
I probably should’ve stopped there, but I couldn’t. “It’s those guys … the ones in the Pajero, isn’t it? The bastards. They’re driving you out of here.”
She turned away, shaking her head and began walking again quickly.
I hurried to catch up. “They
are
, aren’t they?” I was losing Kat – and losing control of myself. Needed someone to blame.
“Cully, can’t you take a hint?” She glanced at me, scowling. But she slowed her pace. “I’ve already told you too much.” Then her shoulders slumped. “Yes, it’s to do with them. We were hoping … hoping they wouldn’t find us.”
“What do they want?”
She stopped abruptly and stood looking at me across the path. “Can’t tell you that. Just give it a rest, Cully.”
“Okay.” But I couldn’t, could I? I was wild with these people. They were driving Kat away and I wanted her here. “What about that guy I saw hassling you on the jetty that day? The one who was tailing you. Where does he fit in?”
“He doesn’t. Don’t know who he was. A cop.” She was gazing away from me, out over the estuary. The water was wind-whipped,
I knew that wasn’t the truth, but I let it go. She wasn’t being rude or unpleasant – I could see she just didn’t want to talk. When the ferry docked, she walked to school with the other girls, and they didn’t seem to be getting much out of her either.
Kat mightn’t have wanted to talk, but I did. School had finished for the day before I had a chance to catch up with her. She was making her way through the foreshore reserve, heading for the ferry wharf and there was no one else around, so I fell in beside her.
“You okay now?”
She glanced at me. “Yes. Thanks.”
“You sure?”
“What is this? The inquisition?”
I didn’t answer and we walked in silence. I felt awkward and after a while I couldn’t bear it any longer. “Would you be happier if I left you alone?”
She stopped. Her eyes were roving over me and she frowned slightly. Almost as if she was seeing me for the first time. “No,” she said at last. “No, I wouldn’t. I’d like you to stick around, but …” She tailed off, running one hand through her hair and staring at my cheek. “What’s happened to you? Your face?”
“Had a fight with a thornbush,” I said, fingering the scratch. I knew she was trying to take control of the conversation, but I wasn’t having any of it. I sucked in a deep breath. “Look,” I said, “I know something’s wrong. You were scared shitless by those two guys in the Pajero the other day. Something is wrong and I only want to help. Thought we were friends.”
“Friends,” she said. “Yeah, I suppose we are.” A long pause, her eyes locked with mine. “You’re right. God, I wish you weren’t. But I can’t tell you about it. This is dangerous.
Really
dangerous.” She glanced over her shoulder. “You have to trust me … please. You already know way too much. And the more you know, the more dangerous it’ll get. For
both
of us.”
I stared at her. Didn’t know what to say – so much for staying out of other people’s problems. She seemed scared again, eyes searching for danger like a frightened rabbit, her lower lip clenched.
“I’ve said too much anyway. But it’ll all be over soon.” Her voice dropped almost to a whisper. “We … we’re leaving … Blissy and me.”
The words sliced into me and I stepped backwards, stunned. Kat leaving? I felt gutted. “
Leaving
? For good?”
“Yes. We’ve got to.”
“When?”
“Don’t know. Could be any day.” Then her tone became desperate. “For God’s sake though, keep that to yourself.
Please
. Don’t tell anyone.
Anyone
.”
I nodded. My mind was elsewhere, swirling into shades of black. She
couldn’t
leave. Not now. We’d only just got to know each other.
“Promise? It’s
really
important.”
Struggling to focus, I nodded again. “I promise.”
Leaving. Any day
.
I probably should’ve stopped there, but I couldn’t. “It’s those guys … the ones in the Pajero, isn’t it? The bastards. They’re driving you out of here.”
She turned away, shaking her head and began walking again quickly.
I hurried to catch up. “They
are
, aren’t they?” I was losing Kat – and losing control of myself. Needed someone to blame.
“Cully, can’t you take a hint?” She glanced at me, scowling. But she slowed her pace. “I’ve already told you too much.” Then her shoulders slumped. “Yes, it’s to do with them. We were hoping … hoping they wouldn’t find us.”
“What do they want?”
She stopped abruptly and stood looking at me across the path. “Can’t tell you that. Just give it a rest, Cully.”
“Okay.” But I couldn’t, could I? I was wild with these people. They were driving Kat away and I wanted her here. “What about that guy I saw hassling you on the jetty that day? The one who was tailing you. Where does he fit in?”
“He doesn’t. Don’t know who he was. A cop.” She was gazing away from me, out over the estuary. The water was wind-whipped,
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