next Saturday. They could talk about his London idea and drive up to Mount Canobolas, like they used to. Her dad’s calm and steady presence was exactly what she needed.
•
Late afternoon, Anna sat at the kitchen table sketching a grasshopper she’d found dead on the back step. As she sharpened her pencil, she heard shouting next door. Her heart flared.
No. Not more.
She stood, pencil in her hand, and through the window saw Harlan bending over Charlie by the clothesline. He gripped Charlie’s t-shirt with one hand and shouted, ‘That’s it! I’ve fuckin’ had it with you!’
His other hand was lifted, the fist clenched. Charlie’s face screwed up as if anticipating a blow. Anna took one step towards the door and then back to find her phone.
The cops
. She swiped her phone as Charlie screamed.
Harlan held her upside-down by the ankles, and shook her violently. Charlie’s head wobbled about and her arms flailed in the air.
‘Stop wriggling or I’ll fuckin’ drop you!’
Anna flung open the door and shouted, ‘Stop! Stop! Stop!’
Her voice was not loud enough. She found herself at the fence.
‘Stop! Stop!’ It was all she could say.
He turned to face Anna, Charlie still dangling from his hands. The girl twisted and he dropped her to the ground. She landed on her hands and scrabbled away on all fours, over the grass towards Anna, and burrowed in under some bushes by the fence. Harlan stared at Anna, his face calm. He adjusted the neck of his white t-shirt before slowly crossing to the fence.
He placed one hand on the fence and stared at her with a small smile. He’d slicked his hair back and she could see the track left by each tooth of the comb. A mower started up nearby and some kids shouted. Ordinary suburban sounds.
His lips barely moved as he spoke. ‘You and your boyfriend. You step
very
carefully.’
From the corner of her eye, Anna saw Charlie crawl along the fenceline, then through a gap in the palings and into Anna’s backyard, dragging her toy bunny with her.
He shook his head slowly. ‘You have no fuckin’ idea who you are dealing with here.’ He narrowed his eyes and spoke slowly, ‘You call the cops on me one more time, love . . . and you will be really fuckin’ sorry.’
There was only the rickety fence between them. If he looked to his right he’d see Charlie’s bright pink singlet where she crouched under the camellia bush.
Saliva flooded Anna’s mouth. She kept her eyes on him. She would not glance over at the girl.
Don’t move, Charlie.
He was so close she could smell his aftershave. He could easily climb over the fence. Would anyone come if she screamed?
This is how murders happen
, she thought. A person felt safe, invincible even, and then – in a moment – they were not safe. They were dying.
He tilted his head to one side. ‘Did you hear me? Anna.’
The deliberate way he said
Anna
was more frightening than anything else he’d said.
He slammed his fist against the fence and she staggered back. Her throat was thick but she forced herself to speak.
‘I heard you.’
Her legs were heavy. If he did climb over the fence, she wouldn’t be able to run.
He kicked away a paling on the ground and walked back inside, leaving the door wide open. She waited, listening for the sound of him coming back, but could only hear her heart banging in her ears and the tinny buzz of the mower a few doors down. She wouldn’t look at Charlie until she felt sure Harlan wasn’t about to walk back out. A door banged in the front of the house and music blared on.
Anna squatted in front of the camellia, and the ground seemed to rock beneath her.
‘He’s gone, Charlie,’ she whispered. ‘Quick. Let’s go inside my house.’
The girl’s knees were bent and pulled in close to her body, her injured arm held awkwardly near her neck. She trembled as she scanned the garden behind Anna.
Anna reached out her hand. ‘Come here.’ She had to get them inside and lock the doors.
•
Late afternoon, Anna sat at the kitchen table sketching a grasshopper she’d found dead on the back step. As she sharpened her pencil, she heard shouting next door. Her heart flared.
No. Not more.
She stood, pencil in her hand, and through the window saw Harlan bending over Charlie by the clothesline. He gripped Charlie’s t-shirt with one hand and shouted, ‘That’s it! I’ve fuckin’ had it with you!’
His other hand was lifted, the fist clenched. Charlie’s face screwed up as if anticipating a blow. Anna took one step towards the door and then back to find her phone.
The cops
. She swiped her phone as Charlie screamed.
Harlan held her upside-down by the ankles, and shook her violently. Charlie’s head wobbled about and her arms flailed in the air.
‘Stop wriggling or I’ll fuckin’ drop you!’
Anna flung open the door and shouted, ‘Stop! Stop! Stop!’
Her voice was not loud enough. She found herself at the fence.
‘Stop! Stop!’ It was all she could say.
He turned to face Anna, Charlie still dangling from his hands. The girl twisted and he dropped her to the ground. She landed on her hands and scrabbled away on all fours, over the grass towards Anna, and burrowed in under some bushes by the fence. Harlan stared at Anna, his face calm. He adjusted the neck of his white t-shirt before slowly crossing to the fence.
He placed one hand on the fence and stared at her with a small smile. He’d slicked his hair back and she could see the track left by each tooth of the comb. A mower started up nearby and some kids shouted. Ordinary suburban sounds.
His lips barely moved as he spoke. ‘You and your boyfriend. You step
very
carefully.’
From the corner of her eye, Anna saw Charlie crawl along the fenceline, then through a gap in the palings and into Anna’s backyard, dragging her toy bunny with her.
He shook his head slowly. ‘You have no fuckin’ idea who you are dealing with here.’ He narrowed his eyes and spoke slowly, ‘You call the cops on me one more time, love . . . and you will be really fuckin’ sorry.’
There was only the rickety fence between them. If he looked to his right he’d see Charlie’s bright pink singlet where she crouched under the camellia bush.
Saliva flooded Anna’s mouth. She kept her eyes on him. She would not glance over at the girl.
Don’t move, Charlie.
He was so close she could smell his aftershave. He could easily climb over the fence. Would anyone come if she screamed?
This is how murders happen
, she thought. A person felt safe, invincible even, and then – in a moment – they were not safe. They were dying.
He tilted his head to one side. ‘Did you hear me? Anna.’
The deliberate way he said
Anna
was more frightening than anything else he’d said.
He slammed his fist against the fence and she staggered back. Her throat was thick but she forced herself to speak.
‘I heard you.’
Her legs were heavy. If he did climb over the fence, she wouldn’t be able to run.
He kicked away a paling on the ground and walked back inside, leaving the door wide open. She waited, listening for the sound of him coming back, but could only hear her heart banging in her ears and the tinny buzz of the mower a few doors down. She wouldn’t look at Charlie until she felt sure Harlan wasn’t about to walk back out. A door banged in the front of the house and music blared on.
Anna squatted in front of the camellia, and the ground seemed to rock beneath her.
‘He’s gone, Charlie,’ she whispered. ‘Quick. Let’s go inside my house.’
The girl’s knees were bent and pulled in close to her body, her injured arm held awkwardly near her neck. She trembled as she scanned the garden behind Anna.
Anna reached out her hand. ‘Come here.’ She had to get them inside and lock the doors.
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