Read Online The First Week by Margaret Merrilees - Free Book Online

face even more pinched than usual.
    â€˜Look at this.’ She spread out a note in front of them. Its crude printed letters crowded off the white edges of the paper. YOU FILTHY LESOS BELONG IN PRISON WITH YOUR MURDERER MATE.
    The three women stared at it in silence.
    â€˜Where was it?’ Ros asked at last.
    â€˜Letterbox.’ Sam put down a handful of envelopes on the table and sat down. ‘Sorry, Mrs Anditon. I got a shock. I shouldn’t have sprung it on you.’
    â€˜Marian.’
    â€˜Sorry?’
    â€˜Please call me Marian.’
    Ros was crying, silently and helplessly, tears pouring down her face. Sam dragged her chair along and put one arm around her. ‘Hey,’ she murmured. ‘Hey baby. It’ll be okay.’
    Marian looked away, embarrassed.
    The calendar behind the door showed a photo of jonquils under a bare tree. August. Mum’s birthday. A cream foam of flowers escaped from the gardens along the edges of the track behind the township. They’d pick great bunches, the sweetness filling the house.
    Happy birthday Mum.
    Ros gulped and pulled out a hanky. ‘Sorry,’ she said shakily. ‘It’s just … but I guess it must be worse for you Mrs … Marian.’
    Marian dragged her mind back. Worse for her? Both girls were watching her. ‘I don’t know,’ she said. ‘I can’t seem to take it in. My mind keeps wandering.’
    Sam stirred. ‘Yeah. I know what you mean. I get confused. Last night I kept waking up thinking Charlie was dead.’
    Marian was surprised. ‘Yes. That’s it. Me too.’
    â€˜Tell Marian what happened,’ Ros said. ‘She needs to, like, get a picture of it.’
    Sam traced a whorl in the laminex with her finger. ‘Where will I start?’
    â€˜Start on Sunday night,’ Ros said. ‘How did you know there was something wrong?’
    â€˜I didn’t. Not really. But Charlie was a bit off.’
    â€˜What do you mean, off ?’
    â€˜I’m not sure. I was here on my own.’ She turned to Marian. ‘Ros was at work. Ben and Charlie had dinner here, then went next door. They were …’
    â€˜Tell Marian the whole thing,’ Ros said. Marian saw that though she might look softer than Sam she was the stronger one. ‘The cops know anyway.’
    Sam took a deep breath. ‘They smoked a bit. Nothing much.’ She must have seen the blankness in Marian’s face. ‘Marijuana,’ she said.
    So it was drugs. Marian looked at Ros. Was she in it too? Ros was listening to Sam and didn’t seem shocked.
    Sam hurried on. ‘I think they were playing cards. The next thing I knew it was about midnight. Charlie marched in here looking totally wired.’
    Wired.
    â€˜Tense. Angry. I said what’s up? But he ignored me, I’m not sure he even heard me. I was reading, so I didn’t take much notice. I thought he’d had a row with Lee, the way they do.’ She slumped back. ‘I should have done something.’
    Lee. Next door, Ros had said, with the young man from earlier on. Another household next door.
    Ros leaned towards Sam. ‘Hey. It’s not your fault, remember?’
    Sam sighed. ‘He kind of crashed into his room and out the front door again. I thought …’ Tears welled in her eyes. ‘I thought you moody bastard .’
    She swallowed. ‘That’s about it. I went to bed not long after and I didn’t wake up till Ros came home in the morning. About eight I guess. I had a shower, cup of coffee. Started washing up. I had no idea. I figured Charlie must have come in late and still be asleep. I thought I hope he wakes up in a better mood. But that was all. I didn’t have any, you know, premonition or anything. Till the cops came.’ She shivered.
    â€˜When was that?’ Marian asked.
    â€˜I’m not sure. About nine? They said does Charles Thomas Anditon