Read Online Can You Keep a Secret? by Caroline Overington - Free Book Online

father.’
    ‘Your father still lives here?’
    ‘I guess he must. I don’t really make a point of keeping up with what he’s doing.’
    Of course they ran straight into him, because that’s what happens, isn’t it? People travel all the way to Europe and meet somebody who lives across the street. Caitlin had tried to avoid it, by quickly designing an itinerary that would take them past her old school at Horseshoe Bay, by her childhood home, over to the rock wallabies and back to the pier. She rented a Moke with a pop-out windshield from the man who owned Rent-a-Moke at the end of the pier, so they could get that all done, and Caitlin had just pulled up in the leaf litter outside a pink cottage when Jack stepped out onto theporch, wearing loose yellow underpants and nothing else. He looked to Colby to be about sixty. He was in fact fifty but in bad shape: his legs were tanned like an old leather couch; his knees were shot and his beard was overgrown and grey, except for the yellow nicotine stains around his mouth.
    Caitlin got out of the Moke and stood in the leaf litter, swatting flies. ‘What are you doing here?’
    ‘I could ask you the same question.’ Jack was so freshly out of the house that the long strips of coloured vinyl that hung in the doorway were still resting on his shoulders. He cupped his hands around a match, and lit a cigarette.
    ‘You better not be stealing Mum’s things,’ Caitlin said, striding towards him.
    ‘What would I steal? It’s all junk.’
    Colby was still seated in the Moke, unsure what to do. Caitlin hadn’t said, ‘Come on, let’s meet Dad,’ or anything like that. He put his hands up on the roll bar, lifted himself out of the vinyl seat and walked up to the timber porch.
    ‘Hello,’ he said, extending a hand to Jack. ‘I’m Lachlan Colbert – Colby – I’m a friend of Caitlin. She’s showing me around.’
    Jack did not take Colby’s hand. He looked at him and said, ‘You’re a Yank.’
    ‘Ha! Right! From New York City, yes!’ said Colby.
    ‘Don’t tell me you’re one of those Septics that Trevor took out on the boat last year?’
    ‘Ah, I’m not sure. We went out on a tour with Trevor Nesbit, yes.’
    ‘Well, he saw you coming, didn’t he? He’s been dining out on that story for a year.’
    ‘Right,’ said Colby. ‘Well, we think we got good value.’
    Jack turned to Caitlin. ‘Hear that, love? He thinks you’re good value.’
    ‘Shut up,’ said Caitlin.
    ‘Why are you here, anyway?’ Jack asked. ‘I thought you hated this place. Never coming back. That’s what you said.’
    ‘I’m showing my friend around. The actual question is, what are you doing here? This isn’t your house.’
    ‘It is now.’
    ‘What are you talking about?’ asked Caitlin, her voice rising. ‘This is Department of Housing. They’re going to do this up and find new people for it. You can’t just take it over. What’s wrong with your own place?’
    ‘Council condemned it.’
    ‘Did you ever think to cut the grass? Get rid of some of that junk you collect?’
    ‘It wasn’t junk.’
    ‘So, you just think you can move in here? On Mum’s lease?’
    ‘It’s not her lease. She’s given it up. And it’s not your business, anyway,’ said Jack. He’d been smoking, but now licked his fingers, snuffed the end of the cigarette and pocketed what remained. He went back through the vinyl strips into the kitchen and Caitlin followed.
    Colby hesitated, and then he followed too.
    ‘I came here to show Colby. I thought the place was empty.’
    ‘Well, it’s not. But since you’re here, there’s a stack of mail for your mother on the kitchen bench. And if you’re planning on making your boyfriend a cup of tea, you can make one for me as well.’
    There would be no tea. There was no milk in the fridge, and the only saucepan was already burnt black on the stove. Colby looked around, amazed: three cats sat on the benchtop, their tails swishing.
    ‘When was the last