Read Online Should Have Killed The Kid by R. Frederick Hamilton - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: R. Frederick Hamilton
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words with a cutthroat gesture. ‘Car accident, apparently.’
‘That’s no good.’ Dave had never counted small talk as one of his strong suits.
‘Bah, probably a relief after being married to that nutter, huh?’
‘Probably,’ Dave nodded, remembering the eyes that had burned into him. It was hard to picture them containing anything like love.
‘So…’ Dave floundered for a second that he covered with a long inhale on his smoke. ‘So what’s all the building for? Houses or do you have a shopping centre or something going in?’
‘Houses. Yeah, got one of those estates coming in, you know. Rich man’s escape. Big city gets a bit much for ‘em and they pack up and bring the family out here where they can hide away from everything behind the gates. That sort of stuff. My cousin fronts one of the crews who went to tender, gave us a heads up. Sort of a dream of mine to own something like this and everything just came together, you know, mate? Scouting around the property websites and what do I see? This puppy going nice and cheap. In need of a little TLC, yeah. But once that’s taken care of. Goldmine, mate. Even with the renos it won’t set me back anywhere near as much as something half the size in the city. What about you? What’d you do with yourself?
Dave nodded in what he hoped was an appropriate manner throughout the stream of chatter that exited Bruno’s mouth but wasn’t really paying that much attention. He was completely caught off guard by the abrupt question.
‘Um… Well… I work at DHS…’ he spluttered, hoping Bruno wouldn’t pry too much further. ‘…down in Melbourne,’ and, after remembering Naomi’s complaints about him using the acronym, he added, 'Department of Human Services. I work for them.’
‘Wow. Intense stuff, yeah?’ Bruno nodded as though absorbing something that shocked him to the core. ‘There you go.’
Here we go, Dave thought, time for the awkward explanations . He hated explaining exactly what his job entailed. He couldn't help feeling like a failure when he clarified that he was neither a social worker nor crisis counsellor. Admin assistant, as intense as it gets! he thought sarcastically; though a small part of him itched to use the line Timbo always did while at the pub failing to pick up women: I do a lot of things I don’t fully understand involving paper.
Fortunately, just as Bruno was opening his mouth a beat up looking 4WD squelched into the car park and he didn’t pursue his questioning any further.
‘Oops, here comes the first wave.’ Bruno sent a wink Dave’s way. 'If you'll excuse me, buddy. Better get to it.' His wide grin revealed brown and stained teeth. 'See you inside.'
'Seeya.'
Bruno headed inside, returning his attention to the folded blue print. Dave had to grin as he saw him bounce off the door frame and almost fall from the ramp. He gave Bruno a good enough head start, polishing off his smoke as he watched a burly looking man jump from the 4WD and slosh across the car park toward him, then he crushed the butt out underfoot, picked up his duffel bag and followed him.
He didn't know what Bruno's rush was to get back inside. When he stepped off the drop-sheet, Marcus was in place behind the bar, looking almost as surly as Monty in front of him. Dave bypassed the both of them and headed for the drop-sheet over the door on the left. Bruno's hurried directions to his room had long since slipped his mind but when faced with a choice of the two at the bar or a little bit of adventuring, Dave knew what to select.
He pushed through to a sharp look from the gathered contractors who were in the middle of packing up their tools. They seemed to breathe a collective sigh of relief when they saw it was only him and returned to it, leaving him free to stare around the room undisturbed.
It was only half finished but already Dave could see it was shaping up every bit as opulent as the front room – although on slightly smaller scale.
‘That’s no good.’ Dave had never counted small talk as one of his strong suits.
‘Bah, probably a relief after being married to that nutter, huh?’
‘Probably,’ Dave nodded, remembering the eyes that had burned into him. It was hard to picture them containing anything like love.
‘So…’ Dave floundered for a second that he covered with a long inhale on his smoke. ‘So what’s all the building for? Houses or do you have a shopping centre or something going in?’
‘Houses. Yeah, got one of those estates coming in, you know. Rich man’s escape. Big city gets a bit much for ‘em and they pack up and bring the family out here where they can hide away from everything behind the gates. That sort of stuff. My cousin fronts one of the crews who went to tender, gave us a heads up. Sort of a dream of mine to own something like this and everything just came together, you know, mate? Scouting around the property websites and what do I see? This puppy going nice and cheap. In need of a little TLC, yeah. But once that’s taken care of. Goldmine, mate. Even with the renos it won’t set me back anywhere near as much as something half the size in the city. What about you? What’d you do with yourself?
Dave nodded in what he hoped was an appropriate manner throughout the stream of chatter that exited Bruno’s mouth but wasn’t really paying that much attention. He was completely caught off guard by the abrupt question.
‘Um… Well… I work at DHS…’ he spluttered, hoping Bruno wouldn’t pry too much further. ‘…down in Melbourne,’ and, after remembering Naomi’s complaints about him using the acronym, he added, 'Department of Human Services. I work for them.’
‘Wow. Intense stuff, yeah?’ Bruno nodded as though absorbing something that shocked him to the core. ‘There you go.’
Here we go, Dave thought, time for the awkward explanations . He hated explaining exactly what his job entailed. He couldn't help feeling like a failure when he clarified that he was neither a social worker nor crisis counsellor. Admin assistant, as intense as it gets! he thought sarcastically; though a small part of him itched to use the line Timbo always did while at the pub failing to pick up women: I do a lot of things I don’t fully understand involving paper.
Fortunately, just as Bruno was opening his mouth a beat up looking 4WD squelched into the car park and he didn’t pursue his questioning any further.
‘Oops, here comes the first wave.’ Bruno sent a wink Dave’s way. 'If you'll excuse me, buddy. Better get to it.' His wide grin revealed brown and stained teeth. 'See you inside.'
'Seeya.'
Bruno headed inside, returning his attention to the folded blue print. Dave had to grin as he saw him bounce off the door frame and almost fall from the ramp. He gave Bruno a good enough head start, polishing off his smoke as he watched a burly looking man jump from the 4WD and slosh across the car park toward him, then he crushed the butt out underfoot, picked up his duffel bag and followed him.
He didn't know what Bruno's rush was to get back inside. When he stepped off the drop-sheet, Marcus was in place behind the bar, looking almost as surly as Monty in front of him. Dave bypassed the both of them and headed for the drop-sheet over the door on the left. Bruno's hurried directions to his room had long since slipped his mind but when faced with a choice of the two at the bar or a little bit of adventuring, Dave knew what to select.
He pushed through to a sharp look from the gathered contractors who were in the middle of packing up their tools. They seemed to breathe a collective sigh of relief when they saw it was only him and returned to it, leaving him free to stare around the room undisturbed.
It was only half finished but already Dave could see it was shaping up every bit as opulent as the front room – although on slightly smaller scale.
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