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Authors: Sue Williams
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drill.’
Taylah found the register in a drawer and handed it over. ‘And he’s a gun smuggler. Or diamonds, maybe. Or he’s not who he says he is.’ She rubbed her face. ‘Something, anyway.’
I sighed. ‘Yeah, no doubt Dean will have him locked up before the end of the week.’ I signed the book.
‘Well, I hope he waits until after the festival. You know, in Muddy Soak. The Turning Leaf Spectacular.’
Muddy Soak is a town that’s set itself up as the capital of nonstop festivals. In the last six months they’ve had the Yabby Pageant, the Olive Extravaganza, even a Fermentation Magnificence. Their out-of-control crime levels don’t get mentioned in the glossy festival brochures, of course.
‘Hey, why don’t you take Mr Jefferson there? For his birthday?’ said Taylah.
I leaned in over the counter. ‘Actually, Taylah, I was wondering if you could help with something. I’m acting as…a kind-of consultant. Regarding Natalie Kellett. The car accident?’
‘Yeah, I heard you’re looking into that. So it wasn’t an accident? Don’t tell me Dean stuffed up again?’
I tried not to bristle. ‘I wouldn’t go assuming anything. Dean did a terrific job. By the book.’
‘Sorry. I didn’t mean…’
‘Anyway, my role is more of a…well, her father’s keento put up a memorial. Yeah, he came to me in search of inspiration.’
‘Really? I didn’t know you were like a memorial expert.’
‘Oh, well,’ I gestured vaguely at the wall behind her, ‘it was me, after all, who came up with the wording on Bob and Dottie Stone’s grave. You know, for Leo.’
‘Oh yes, that was lovely. You know, I’ve always wondered…?’
I gave her a distant smile. ‘Anyway, I’m currently in the information-gathering phase. Talking to people who knew Natalie. And I suddenly thought: Taylah or maybe Jacinta might have known her.’
‘Well, Jazzy did, sure. She met her through Morris Temple. Natalie and Morris worked together at the Muddy Soak Cultivator .’
Aha.
‘He could give you some stuff for the inscription, maybe. Although Jazzy’s in an off phase with him at the moment. Bloody good thing, I say.’
I waited.
‘He’s weird, Cass. And I keep telling her: weird men, they’re a huge risk, OMG. Everyone goes on about shark attacks but men, well, a woman is killed every week in Australia thanks to a guy, and how many violent men are we culling?’
I shifted my weight a little.
‘And. Most victims of domestic violence don’t report it until after thirty attacks ’cause they know no one will help. D’you reckon you’d need to be attacked by a shark thirty times before someone would come and help?’
Taylah recently started an online course in social work.
‘Are you saying Morris was…bothering Natalie?’
‘Couldn’t say. Anyway, it’s a bit rough, you having to check up on Dean’s…I mean, being a memorial consultant. You must be flat out with all this. And the shop. And you’re a nanna again. How is Jessie, anyway?’
It’s important to mention that I’m an exceptionally young person to be a nanna. And that middle age is smack dead centre in a person’s prime. Anyway, I wasn’t a nanna in this instance, not biologically speaking. Claire had her baby, Jess, sixteen months ago. Claire’s…not exactly my daughter, but since she’s Brad and Dean’s half-sister, there is a family connection. It’s a bit of a long and tedious story, actually, and I don’t always feel up to going into it.
I was just working out how I could ask Taylah for Jacinta’s address when the phone started up again. Taylah grabbed it and I mooched off down the hallway to Ernie’s room.
13
The lighting throughout the home is yellow, as if the decorator thought people in the twilight of their lives might not be able to cope with the brightness of white light. Pastel paintings of flowers line the walls. Very funereal-looking flowers. I passed Mrs Watkins out on her walker; called out a friendly hello.
Taylah found the register in a drawer and handed it over. ‘And he’s a gun smuggler. Or diamonds, maybe. Or he’s not who he says he is.’ She rubbed her face. ‘Something, anyway.’
I sighed. ‘Yeah, no doubt Dean will have him locked up before the end of the week.’ I signed the book.
‘Well, I hope he waits until after the festival. You know, in Muddy Soak. The Turning Leaf Spectacular.’
Muddy Soak is a town that’s set itself up as the capital of nonstop festivals. In the last six months they’ve had the Yabby Pageant, the Olive Extravaganza, even a Fermentation Magnificence. Their out-of-control crime levels don’t get mentioned in the glossy festival brochures, of course.
‘Hey, why don’t you take Mr Jefferson there? For his birthday?’ said Taylah.
I leaned in over the counter. ‘Actually, Taylah, I was wondering if you could help with something. I’m acting as…a kind-of consultant. Regarding Natalie Kellett. The car accident?’
‘Yeah, I heard you’re looking into that. So it wasn’t an accident? Don’t tell me Dean stuffed up again?’
I tried not to bristle. ‘I wouldn’t go assuming anything. Dean did a terrific job. By the book.’
‘Sorry. I didn’t mean…’
‘Anyway, my role is more of a…well, her father’s keento put up a memorial. Yeah, he came to me in search of inspiration.’
‘Really? I didn’t know you were like a memorial expert.’
‘Oh, well,’ I gestured vaguely at the wall behind her, ‘it was me, after all, who came up with the wording on Bob and Dottie Stone’s grave. You know, for Leo.’
‘Oh yes, that was lovely. You know, I’ve always wondered…?’
I gave her a distant smile. ‘Anyway, I’m currently in the information-gathering phase. Talking to people who knew Natalie. And I suddenly thought: Taylah or maybe Jacinta might have known her.’
‘Well, Jazzy did, sure. She met her through Morris Temple. Natalie and Morris worked together at the Muddy Soak Cultivator .’
Aha.
‘He could give you some stuff for the inscription, maybe. Although Jazzy’s in an off phase with him at the moment. Bloody good thing, I say.’
I waited.
‘He’s weird, Cass. And I keep telling her: weird men, they’re a huge risk, OMG. Everyone goes on about shark attacks but men, well, a woman is killed every week in Australia thanks to a guy, and how many violent men are we culling?’
I shifted my weight a little.
‘And. Most victims of domestic violence don’t report it until after thirty attacks ’cause they know no one will help. D’you reckon you’d need to be attacked by a shark thirty times before someone would come and help?’
Taylah recently started an online course in social work.
‘Are you saying Morris was…bothering Natalie?’
‘Couldn’t say. Anyway, it’s a bit rough, you having to check up on Dean’s…I mean, being a memorial consultant. You must be flat out with all this. And the shop. And you’re a nanna again. How is Jessie, anyway?’
It’s important to mention that I’m an exceptionally young person to be a nanna. And that middle age is smack dead centre in a person’s prime. Anyway, I wasn’t a nanna in this instance, not biologically speaking. Claire had her baby, Jess, sixteen months ago. Claire’s…not exactly my daughter, but since she’s Brad and Dean’s half-sister, there is a family connection. It’s a bit of a long and tedious story, actually, and I don’t always feel up to going into it.
I was just working out how I could ask Taylah for Jacinta’s address when the phone started up again. Taylah grabbed it and I mooched off down the hallway to Ernie’s room.
13
The lighting throughout the home is yellow, as if the decorator thought people in the twilight of their lives might not be able to cope with the brightness of white light. Pastel paintings of flowers line the walls. Very funereal-looking flowers. I passed Mrs Watkins out on her walker; called out a friendly hello.
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