Read Online Red by Libby Gleeson - Free Book Online

different sizes were scattered there, as if tossed at random. Earlier, in the half light, they had been invisible. It took the darkness to uncover them.
    I am lying on cool grass staring at the sky. ‘That’s the Milky Way,’ he’s saying. It’s Dad. I know it’s him although I can’t see him. ‘It’s made up of well over a hundred billion stars, maybe two hundred billion or some people say four hundred billion. We’re part of it and our sun is twenty-four thousand light years away from the centre.’ We lie there in silence. ‘They’re huge but most of them have no names and we know so little about them. Makes you feel pretty small and insignificant,’ he says .

CHAPTER SEVEN
    RED WOKE MANY TIMES IN THE NIGHT. SHE HEARD Jazz’s even breathing and occasionally the low hum of a car on the road. She pictured the face on the computer screen and struggled to drag memories from deep inside herself. Could she place him eating breakfast across a table from her, walking beside her on her way to school, sitting beside her in a lounge room watching television? Nothing. She was lying still, staring up at the ceiling stars when the alarm on Jazz’s phone rang: a song she didn’t recognise.
    â€¢ • • • •
    â€˜I’m going to have a shower,’ said Jazz. ‘Then we should tell Mum and Dad.’
    Red shook her head. ‘We can’t tell anyone.’
    â€˜But they’ll know what to do.’
    â€˜We can’t. He said not to and especially not to tell a policeman.’
    â€˜Are you saying my dad’s a crook or something?’
    â€˜I’m just trying to do what my dad said.’
    â€˜Dad could look your dad up on the police computers. There’s sure to be stuff on there about this commission thing.’
    â€˜We can’t do that.’
    â€˜Aren’t you ever going to tell anyone? That’s crazy.’
    â€˜I don’t know. Not yet. And don’t you say anything. It’s my stick and my dad and he said not to tell anyone.’
    â€˜OK. OK. Don’t go off at me.’
    At breakfast they hardly spoke. Peri sat opposite them and looked from one to the other, raised his eyebrows, shrugged and then added another WeetBix to the four already in his bowl.
    Jazz’s mum rapped the granite benchtop with her scarlet fingernails and said, ‘We want to talk to you all. Andrew and I are pretty concerned at what’s happening. He’s in the study. He’s working at home this morning. When you finish, go and see him.’ She left.
    Red looked across at Jazz. ‘Have you told?’ Jazz shook her head. ‘When could I? You’ve been with me all morning.’
    â€¢ • • • •
    â€˜Sit down,’ Jazz’s father stayed standing. Red fixed her eyes on his shoes.
    â€˜Now, Margaret and I have been talking. We are really happy to have you stay with us. Both of you are truly welcome here for as long as you like. With all the chaos outside, it may take a long time to find your families anyway, and we don’t want you out there, on your own, but …’ He paused.
    There was a deep scratch on the outside of the shoe on his left foot. How could that have happened?
    â€˜ … but we insist that we report your presence here to the authorities.’
    â€˜To the police?’ said Peri.
    â€˜Well, yes. Someone may be looking for you. We need to register you so that in that case they can find out where you are.’
    â€˜But—’ ‘No buts, Peri. I know you said you’ve been in contact but given everything that’s happened, if I was your dad I’d be worried sick.’ He looked at Red. ‘We need to find out what’s happened to your father. We’ve made a decision. We can’t do it today because I’ve got a conference call starting in less than an hour and then some meetings. Jazz’s probably told you