probably needed a litre of caffeine intravenously.
Jess started asking me about the guys who’d killed my parents. Gradually she probed deeper and deeper.
‘I think they just pick places at random,’ I said, although I know I always went a bit white-faced when I thought about the alternatives.
‘What do you think they wanted?’
‘To steal stuff I guess.’
‘Yes, I suppose. Did they steal anything?’
‘Well, no. But with four of them killed, I imagine the others panicked and took off.’
‘How many do you think there were?’
‘I don’t know. The police looked at the tracks. But I haven’t heard anything from them for nearly a week. So I’m not sure if they came up with much evidence. I get the feeling that there’s so much happening with border fights and everything, and so many new people moving into the district . . . I think they’re just overwhelmed. And face it, what chance do they have of finding these guys?’
‘Not much I guess. But there are a few rumours going around.’
‘Like what?’
‘Oh, you know, camps of renegade soldiers, right near the border. People say they’re responsible for a lot of the raids.’
‘Oh, I hadn’t heard about that.’
She shrugged. ‘It’s just a rumour.’
‘Jess is the Rumour Queen,’ Jeremy said. ‘You want to know who you’re with? She knows it before you do.’
I blushed a bit, thinking of how a few minutes earlier I’d been thinking that maybe he was with Jess.
Jess came back to the murders again.
‘Does it make you mad?’ she asked me.
I nodded. Our eyes locked together. It was weird, like I was being interrogated almost. She asked me a series of quick questions.
‘What do you think should happen about it?’
‘It has to be stopped of course. How can we live like this?’
‘Stopped by who?’
‘I don’t know. The Army. The police.’
‘What if they can’t? Or won’t?’
‘If they really won’t, I suppose people have to protect themselves.’
‘The law of the jungle?’
‘I don’t know. I know that’s not the best way. But we can’t let them just wander around killing anyone they want.’
‘So people have to defend themselves?’
‘Maybe. Seems like it.’
‘How far do you reckon they should go to defend themselves? Across the border, for example?’
I leaned back and sighed and pushed my hair out of my face.
‘I’m sorry. It’s too early for me to think about all this.’
Jess immediately switched off. ‘Oh yes, sorry. I didn’t mean to throw so many questions at you. You’re in such a horrible situation.’
‘What are you going to do, Ellie?’ Jeremy asked.
‘Depends on which day you ask me. A couple of days ago I would have said sell up and move out. Today it looks like I’m going to try to make the place work.’
Homer rolled his eyes. ‘Make up your mind,’ he said. ‘I thought you were broke?’
‘I am. But, I don’t know, I don’t want to give up without a fight.’ I was too embarrassed to admit that Gavin had talked me into staying.
‘Fair enough,’ Homer said. ‘Shame in one way. My old man was all fired up to buy your place and expand his empire. But he’ll cope with the disappointment. Count on me for any help you want.’
‘Thanks,’ I said. ‘If things go like I’m expecting, you’ll probably hear our pathetic fingernails scratching on your door one night, and our pathetic voices crying out for a crust of bread.’
Gavin came swinging into the kitchen, went to the fridge and got himself some Linton’s cordial. I tried to introduce him to the three visitors as he poured the cordial into the glass, but he deliberately wouldn’t look up. Somehow though he managed to spill half the drink onto the bench. I sighed and went for a Chux.
That night I lay in bed staring up into the darkness. I couldn’t sleep a wink. It wasn’t just the worry of how we were going to make two thousand bucks a week, although God knows, that was enough to keep anyone awake. I
Jess started asking me about the guys who’d killed my parents. Gradually she probed deeper and deeper.
‘I think they just pick places at random,’ I said, although I know I always went a bit white-faced when I thought about the alternatives.
‘What do you think they wanted?’
‘To steal stuff I guess.’
‘Yes, I suppose. Did they steal anything?’
‘Well, no. But with four of them killed, I imagine the others panicked and took off.’
‘How many do you think there were?’
‘I don’t know. The police looked at the tracks. But I haven’t heard anything from them for nearly a week. So I’m not sure if they came up with much evidence. I get the feeling that there’s so much happening with border fights and everything, and so many new people moving into the district . . . I think they’re just overwhelmed. And face it, what chance do they have of finding these guys?’
‘Not much I guess. But there are a few rumours going around.’
‘Like what?’
‘Oh, you know, camps of renegade soldiers, right near the border. People say they’re responsible for a lot of the raids.’
‘Oh, I hadn’t heard about that.’
She shrugged. ‘It’s just a rumour.’
‘Jess is the Rumour Queen,’ Jeremy said. ‘You want to know who you’re with? She knows it before you do.’
I blushed a bit, thinking of how a few minutes earlier I’d been thinking that maybe he was with Jess.
Jess came back to the murders again.
‘Does it make you mad?’ she asked me.
I nodded. Our eyes locked together. It was weird, like I was being interrogated almost. She asked me a series of quick questions.
‘What do you think should happen about it?’
‘It has to be stopped of course. How can we live like this?’
‘Stopped by who?’
‘I don’t know. The Army. The police.’
‘What if they can’t? Or won’t?’
‘If they really won’t, I suppose people have to protect themselves.’
‘The law of the jungle?’
‘I don’t know. I know that’s not the best way. But we can’t let them just wander around killing anyone they want.’
‘So people have to defend themselves?’
‘Maybe. Seems like it.’
‘How far do you reckon they should go to defend themselves? Across the border, for example?’
I leaned back and sighed and pushed my hair out of my face.
‘I’m sorry. It’s too early for me to think about all this.’
Jess immediately switched off. ‘Oh yes, sorry. I didn’t mean to throw so many questions at you. You’re in such a horrible situation.’
‘What are you going to do, Ellie?’ Jeremy asked.
‘Depends on which day you ask me. A couple of days ago I would have said sell up and move out. Today it looks like I’m going to try to make the place work.’
Homer rolled his eyes. ‘Make up your mind,’ he said. ‘I thought you were broke?’
‘I am. But, I don’t know, I don’t want to give up without a fight.’ I was too embarrassed to admit that Gavin had talked me into staying.
‘Fair enough,’ Homer said. ‘Shame in one way. My old man was all fired up to buy your place and expand his empire. But he’ll cope with the disappointment. Count on me for any help you want.’
‘Thanks,’ I said. ‘If things go like I’m expecting, you’ll probably hear our pathetic fingernails scratching on your door one night, and our pathetic voices crying out for a crust of bread.’
Gavin came swinging into the kitchen, went to the fridge and got himself some Linton’s cordial. I tried to introduce him to the three visitors as he poured the cordial into the glass, but he deliberately wouldn’t look up. Somehow though he managed to spill half the drink onto the bench. I sighed and went for a Chux.
That night I lay in bed staring up into the darkness. I couldn’t sleep a wink. It wasn’t just the worry of how we were going to make two thousand bucks a week, although God knows, that was enough to keep anyone awake. I
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