Read Online Contact by Chris Morphew - Free Book Online

expression of shock – not exactly hard to do right now – and said, ‘Wait … are the phones back on?’
    Dad flinched. ‘No, mate, I was just –’ His eyes darted back and forth like they always do when he’s thinking on his feet. ‘I thought I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket. You know how you sometimes think it’s buzzing, but really –?’
    â€˜Then why did you say “Melinda”?’ I asked.
    He narrowed his eyes at me.
    And in that moment, the reality of what I was doing hit me like a bowling ball in the face.
    Pryor’s phone goes missing in the middle of my meeting with her, and then my dad gets a call from the stolen phone and I just happen to be there to bust him?
    Was I trying to get caught?
    Dad’s hand drifted down to his pocket. He pulled his phone back out, face fixed with a stony, serious look that he hardly ever gets.
    â€˜All right,’ he said. ‘Here. See? This is my work phone. Mr Shackleton gave it to me in case anyone needs to contact me with a story for the paper.’
    How is that important enough to deserve a phone? I heard Jordan shouting in my head. I shoved the thought away.
    â€˜But the phones are down,’ I said. ‘How are you getting reception?’
    Dad tapped the weird bulge at the back of his phone. ‘Louisa Hawking – you know, your friend Cathryn’s mum – she’s set up a makeshift network. It’s pretty temperamental, though, and it still can’t connect to anywhere outside Phoenix. That’s why they’ve asked me to keep it quiet. They don’t want people to suddenly hear a phone ringing and get the wrong idea.’
    He shot me a significant look.
    â€˜Wait,’ I said. ‘That phone in the park. That was you? ’
    Dad nodded. ‘No point hiding it from you now, I guess. I was cutting across the park on the way to a meeting and the bloody thing went off in the bottom of my bag. No idea how it got turned off vibrate. I got out of there and shut it up quick as I could. But I guess it wasn’t quick enough, was it? Officer Miller said he saw you and your mates coming after me.’
    Why was he admitting this? Surely that proved he wasn’t one of them.
    No, it doesn’t. You already caught him with the phone. He hasn’t said anything you don’t already know.
    But that wasn’t true either. He’d given something else away, even if he hadn’t meant to.
    If that phone had been his, then so had that list of building stuff. That was his big project. He was helping them build something. He was helping them.
    I caught myself. I’d been silent for too long. ‘Huh,’ I said. ‘Well, now I’m just disappointed.’
    â€˜I know you are, Pete, but I’m sure the rest of the phones will be back on before –’
    â€˜Not about that ,’ I said, forcing a smile. ‘I’m disappointed that I was outrun by you .’
    â€˜Whoa, hey, come on,’ said Dad. ‘I came first place in my uni marathon!’
    â€˜Whatever,’ I said. ‘Mum told me you won that thing because it rained and only two other people showed up.’
    â€˜Yeah,’ said Dad, ‘and I beat both of them.’
    He was being so normal. For Dad, anyway. And my dad is not what you’d call a complicated man. I couldn’t believe that his side of this conversation was just an act.
    Why not? Your side of it is.
    â€˜Pete, listen,’ said Dad, sidestepping around the couch towards me, suddenly serious again, ‘you need to promise me you won’t tell anyone about the phones.’
    â€˜Sure,’ I said, taking an involuntary step back. ‘No worries.’
    â€˜Especially not Luke and Jordan.’
    â€˜Um, okay,’ I said.
    Had he even met Luke and Jordan before? Why was he so sure they were the ones I’d want to run out and tell?
    â€˜I’m serious, Pete. Those two are