grey and bleak. Just like I felt.
“Come on, Kat. That’s bullshit.”
“What d’you mean, bullshit?”
I faced her. “Look, Kat, I’m not trying to poke my nose in. I know it’s none of my business. That guy scares me though – he was sort of following
me
too.”
“And?”
“And I saw him with you. I went for a run up behind your place a couple of nights ago. Saw him talking to you. You and Blissy.” I knew I was overstepping the mark. But the explosion I braced myself for didn’t come.
She dropped her face into her hands and stood motionless. Rigid. “Jeez,” she muttered.
“Where does he fit in?” I asked more gently.
“He’s …” She slid her hands down her face, cupping them under her chin. “He’s a friend … sort of. He’s looking after us, keeping an eye on us.”
“What, like a minder? A bodyguard?”
“If you like.”
“Shit!” It still didn’t make sense. I remembered him standing over her on the jetty, grabbing her arm and spitting anger. “Does he … does he carry a gun?”
“Probably.”
“And he came to see you the other night because of the guys we saw in the Pajero?”
“I’m not telling you any more. It’s too dangerous. If you’re going to keep on about it, you can walk by yourself.” She set off again along the waterfront path, and after a moment’s hesitation I followed her. Then she stopped again, turning to face me. “But
please
… you can’t say anything …
anything
about any of this. Not to
anybody
.” Her eyes were pleading. “Promise?”
“It’s okay – I said I wouldn’t.” We walked in silence nearly all the way to the ferry, but I didn’t feel awkward any more. Just empty. Kat was leaving. I was going to lose her.
The next day dawned clear and bright, but I was still wallowing dismally in bleak shadows. That afternoon I was expected to offer myself up as Burger’s punching bag. And Kat was about to disappear off my radar screen.
Dad was off to another meeting in Auckland, leaving early. He was full of apologies, but really I was quite relieved. I knew he’d have wanted to see the fight, and the last thing I wanted in the audience was a doting parent. He climbed into the MX-5 and lowered the window. “Good luck. And remember – that first punch.” He reached out, jabbing me lightly on the arm. “Go for the nose – hard.” He drove off and I watched the little sports car turn out of the drive and disappear.
I’d bludged a lift from Jed, but I had to wait for ages. He was so late picking me up, I thought I’d probably miss the ferry. And the mood I was in wasn’t helping much either.
“Lighten up,” he said after an ice age of silence. “It’s only a fight. They’ll probably stop it before he kills you.”
I grinned. Not a proper grin. A baring of the teeth, thin and stretched, the best I could manage. There was a whole lot I wanted to share with him, but I couldn’t. I’d promised Kat. And I didn’t want to talk about the fight either.
Jed took matters out of my hands. “What about Bullyboy? You find out anything more about him?”
I shook my head. “No.” But the pause had been too long and he knew I was lying.
“Hey, I don’t know what’s going on. You don’t need to bullshit. Not to me.” He took one hand from the wheel and tapped his chest. “If you can’t trust me, who
can
you trust?”
I glanced at him, but I couldn’t meet his eye. “I promised … she’s scared,” I muttered at last. “Reckons it’s dangerous.”
“Cully, that’s why you’ve got to share it.” He spoke slowly, seriously. Not like Jed at all. “You can’t carry stuff like this on your own. Something’s up, isn’t it?
I didn’t know what to do. If I told him what I knew, I’d be ratting on Kat. And I could still see the fear in her eyes. She’d been desperate – and I
had
promised, hadn’t I?
But I owed Jed something too. I’d involved him in this, and he was right – if I couldn’t trust him, who
“Come on, Kat. That’s bullshit.”
“What d’you mean, bullshit?”
I faced her. “Look, Kat, I’m not trying to poke my nose in. I know it’s none of my business. That guy scares me though – he was sort of following
me
too.”
“And?”
“And I saw him with you. I went for a run up behind your place a couple of nights ago. Saw him talking to you. You and Blissy.” I knew I was overstepping the mark. But the explosion I braced myself for didn’t come.
She dropped her face into her hands and stood motionless. Rigid. “Jeez,” she muttered.
“Where does he fit in?” I asked more gently.
“He’s …” She slid her hands down her face, cupping them under her chin. “He’s a friend … sort of. He’s looking after us, keeping an eye on us.”
“What, like a minder? A bodyguard?”
“If you like.”
“Shit!” It still didn’t make sense. I remembered him standing over her on the jetty, grabbing her arm and spitting anger. “Does he … does he carry a gun?”
“Probably.”
“And he came to see you the other night because of the guys we saw in the Pajero?”
“I’m not telling you any more. It’s too dangerous. If you’re going to keep on about it, you can walk by yourself.” She set off again along the waterfront path, and after a moment’s hesitation I followed her. Then she stopped again, turning to face me. “But
please
… you can’t say anything …
anything
about any of this. Not to
anybody
.” Her eyes were pleading. “Promise?”
“It’s okay – I said I wouldn’t.” We walked in silence nearly all the way to the ferry, but I didn’t feel awkward any more. Just empty. Kat was leaving. I was going to lose her.
The next day dawned clear and bright, but I was still wallowing dismally in bleak shadows. That afternoon I was expected to offer myself up as Burger’s punching bag. And Kat was about to disappear off my radar screen.
Dad was off to another meeting in Auckland, leaving early. He was full of apologies, but really I was quite relieved. I knew he’d have wanted to see the fight, and the last thing I wanted in the audience was a doting parent. He climbed into the MX-5 and lowered the window. “Good luck. And remember – that first punch.” He reached out, jabbing me lightly on the arm. “Go for the nose – hard.” He drove off and I watched the little sports car turn out of the drive and disappear.
I’d bludged a lift from Jed, but I had to wait for ages. He was so late picking me up, I thought I’d probably miss the ferry. And the mood I was in wasn’t helping much either.
“Lighten up,” he said after an ice age of silence. “It’s only a fight. They’ll probably stop it before he kills you.”
I grinned. Not a proper grin. A baring of the teeth, thin and stretched, the best I could manage. There was a whole lot I wanted to share with him, but I couldn’t. I’d promised Kat. And I didn’t want to talk about the fight either.
Jed took matters out of my hands. “What about Bullyboy? You find out anything more about him?”
I shook my head. “No.” But the pause had been too long and he knew I was lying.
“Hey, I don’t know what’s going on. You don’t need to bullshit. Not to me.” He took one hand from the wheel and tapped his chest. “If you can’t trust me, who
can
you trust?”
I glanced at him, but I couldn’t meet his eye. “I promised … she’s scared,” I muttered at last. “Reckons it’s dangerous.”
“Cully, that’s why you’ve got to share it.” He spoke slowly, seriously. Not like Jed at all. “You can’t carry stuff like this on your own. Something’s up, isn’t it?
I didn’t know what to do. If I told him what I knew, I’d be ratting on Kat. And I could still see the fear in her eyes. She’d been desperate – and I
had
promised, hadn’t I?
But I owed Jed something too. I’d involved him in this, and he was right – if I couldn’t trust him, who
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