Read Online Challis - 01 - Dragon Man by Garry Disher - Free Book Online
Authors: Garry Disher
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the doorway of the $2 Bargains shop.
All of the shop windows were frosted and hung with silver and gold tinsel. The
bargains shop was very busy; the others only moderately so. Here and there
Challis saw signs begging him to support his local trader, and he guessed thered
be a few closures in the new year. But not at $2 Bargains.
Done your shopping?
Not yet. I know what will happen:
at the last minute Ill buy Alan some T-shirts and wine, and Larrayne some
T-shirts and CD vouchers. Same as last year, and the year before. Its
depressing. You?
No. Frankly, Christmas makes me
anxious. So many people have so much riding on it that you feel somehow
responsible for their happiness.
She glanced at him worriedly. Youre
still coming for drinks on Christmas morning, arent you?
He stopped and touched her arm. Sure.
I didnt mean you when I said that.
They walked on. Challis felt a
sudden small surge of pleasure. The town was struggling, and there was a killer
circling it, but it felt good to be walking along a sunny street with Ellen
Destry and to see the shops and the people shopping for Christmas. There was a
general good will in the air. Its strange, he said, but I need to do things
like this occasionally, to remind myself Im just a working hack like everyone
else, not a copper and therefore separate from them.
She understood. She slipped her hand
into the crook of his elbow and with a bounce in her step steered him past the
butcher and into the health-food shop.
There were two middle-aged women
waiting to be served ahead of them. Challis found himself listening to their
conversation with the young woman behind the counter.
I wont let my daughter take that
road any more.
My niece, she takes the bus to
Frankston now, in case her car breaks down.
The shopgirl said, It makes you
think twice about going to the pictures and that. She shivered. Stay home and
watch a video instead.
Theyre cowards, you know. If youre
a woman and youre driving alone at night, take someone along with you. Theyre
cowards. They wont pick on two.
Makes you think.
Ill say.
There was no advice that Challis
could offer them, so he said nothing. Hed seen women take stupid risks and pay
for it. Hed seen them take extra care and still fall victim to rapists and
killers. Hed seen them fall victim in public thoroughfares, where they might
expect a measure of security. What good would it do for him to tell the women
in the shop: Youre right to be cautious?
He bought a pita bread pocket
stuffed with lettuce, tomato, fetta and leaky mayonnaise, Ellen a slice of
quiche. They wandered down to the playground next to the public swimming pool.
Some of their lightness had evaporated. Then something like that happens,
Challis said, knowing that Ellen would follow the trail of his thoughts, and I
realise that I am different, I am separate from everyone else. Im
expected to be. No-ones saying, Come in here with us, theyre saying, Stay
out there and watch over us. Its a crying shame, he said, hurling the
remains of his lunch toward the seagulls, and nothing can be done about it.
Ellen leaned briefly against him and
said, Hal, softly.
They wandered back to the station,
saying little, but feeling a kind of commonality with each other, and sadness.
* * * *
They
hadnt been in the incident room for long when Ellen murmured, McQuarries
here.
The man coming toward them wore a
natty suit and the alert, clipped, close-shaven look of an army officer in an
old British film. Afternoon, everyone.
Superintendent.
Hal, have you seen one of these?
Challis glanced at it, a leaflet
headed Our very own stormtrooper.
I was aware they were around, sir.
The night shift found them on their
cars this morning. Someone had the nerve to walk in under our noses.
Since McQuarrie was based in
Frankston and rarely visited the regional stations, Challis didnt know why he
was saying our noses. I see.
Ive talked to Mr Kellock. Hes
going to post a stakeout over the
All of the shop windows were frosted and hung with silver and gold tinsel. The
bargains shop was very busy; the others only moderately so. Here and there
Challis saw signs begging him to support his local trader, and he guessed thered
be a few closures in the new year. But not at $2 Bargains.
Done your shopping?
Not yet. I know what will happen:
at the last minute Ill buy Alan some T-shirts and wine, and Larrayne some
T-shirts and CD vouchers. Same as last year, and the year before. Its
depressing. You?
No. Frankly, Christmas makes me
anxious. So many people have so much riding on it that you feel somehow
responsible for their happiness.
She glanced at him worriedly. Youre
still coming for drinks on Christmas morning, arent you?
He stopped and touched her arm. Sure.
I didnt mean you when I said that.
They walked on. Challis felt a
sudden small surge of pleasure. The town was struggling, and there was a killer
circling it, but it felt good to be walking along a sunny street with Ellen
Destry and to see the shops and the people shopping for Christmas. There was a
general good will in the air. Its strange, he said, but I need to do things
like this occasionally, to remind myself Im just a working hack like everyone
else, not a copper and therefore separate from them.
She understood. She slipped her hand
into the crook of his elbow and with a bounce in her step steered him past the
butcher and into the health-food shop.
There were two middle-aged women
waiting to be served ahead of them. Challis found himself listening to their
conversation with the young woman behind the counter.
I wont let my daughter take that
road any more.
My niece, she takes the bus to
Frankston now, in case her car breaks down.
The shopgirl said, It makes you
think twice about going to the pictures and that. She shivered. Stay home and
watch a video instead.
Theyre cowards, you know. If youre
a woman and youre driving alone at night, take someone along with you. Theyre
cowards. They wont pick on two.
Makes you think.
Ill say.
There was no advice that Challis
could offer them, so he said nothing. Hed seen women take stupid risks and pay
for it. Hed seen them take extra care and still fall victim to rapists and
killers. Hed seen them fall victim in public thoroughfares, where they might
expect a measure of security. What good would it do for him to tell the women
in the shop: Youre right to be cautious?
He bought a pita bread pocket
stuffed with lettuce, tomato, fetta and leaky mayonnaise, Ellen a slice of
quiche. They wandered down to the playground next to the public swimming pool.
Some of their lightness had evaporated. Then something like that happens,
Challis said, knowing that Ellen would follow the trail of his thoughts, and I
realise that I am different, I am separate from everyone else. Im
expected to be. No-ones saying, Come in here with us, theyre saying, Stay
out there and watch over us. Its a crying shame, he said, hurling the
remains of his lunch toward the seagulls, and nothing can be done about it.
Ellen leaned briefly against him and
said, Hal, softly.
They wandered back to the station,
saying little, but feeling a kind of commonality with each other, and sadness.
* * * *
They
hadnt been in the incident room for long when Ellen murmured, McQuarries
here.
The man coming toward them wore a
natty suit and the alert, clipped, close-shaven look of an army officer in an
old British film. Afternoon, everyone.
Superintendent.
Hal, have you seen one of these?
Challis glanced at it, a leaflet
headed Our very own stormtrooper.
I was aware they were around, sir.
The night shift found them on their
cars this morning. Someone had the nerve to walk in under our noses.
Since McQuarrie was based in
Frankston and rarely visited the regional stations, Challis didnt know why he
was saying our noses. I see.
Ive talked to Mr Kellock. Hes
going to post a stakeout over the
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