New Zealand Herald:
POLICE APPEAL TO PUBLIC FOR HELP LOCATING HISTORIC HAND
Police have had no luck finding Captain Cook’s stolen and preserved hand, which was removed from an exhibition at Te Papa last week, despite extensive investigations.
Police commissioner Aaron Coster says every effort is going into finding the priceless artifact, but that so far, their leads have not turned up the results they would have liked.
“Please, if you took this irreplaceable piece of history, or know who did, I urge you to contact authorities,” Mr Coster said in a statement this morning. He says they have not ruled out offering a reward for the hand’s return, but says as of today, the search for the culprit is still ongoing.
They drove for another hour. The landscape was dull and dry and there wasn’t much to see of interest. It was all brown/ green farmland and road works. Large logging trucks and milk tankers overtook them constantly, their tyres churning up dust and heat as they rattled past. Time seemed to pause as they drove past what felt like the same landmarks over and over. The plan was to drive straight to Oamaru, but when they got to Timaru and spotted a sign for a penguin colony at Caroline Bay, Anna suggested it was time for a break. They were well behind schedule with all the bank drama and the flat tyre, but she needed to stretch her legs, wash her greasy hands and get a caffeine fix.
They pulled up outside a small cafe right on the beach, drawing the attention of the locals, many of whom took out their phones to take a picture of the van. They both needed the loo, so they detoured to the bathroom first, before getting a table on the wooden deck, the briny smell of the ocean mixing with the smell of roasting coffee.
Outside, the beach was mostly empty, the wind whipping sand up in whorls against the rocks. A lone figure walked slowly along the foreshore, bending occasionally to pick something up and put it into a basket. Their red sweatshirt stood out starkly against the colourless sky.
A smiling blonde waitress with long false nails sidled up with menus and took their drinks order. When she came back she gave them another big smile, pink lipstick smudged on her front tooth.
“Youse guys are in the van right?” she asked, setting Anna’s coffee down in front of Faith, slopping it slightly onto the saucer.
“We are,” Anna said, switching the drinks over.
“That’s so cool. I saw your page. I’m stoked. I’ll get to post on it now. You’re probably the most famous people we’ve had in here since that time the Wilderpeople kid came in.”
Faith was grinning away behind her menu. Anna could tell by her eyes. She wasn’t sure what to say so she thanked the girl, who told them her name was Chloe, and gave her her lunch order.
“Do you think she read the art walk article?” Faith said.
“Maybe. What page was she talking about though?”
Chloe returned with their salads and waved out the window at the person in red, who was coming up the beach.
“That’s Red,” she told them. “He’s an artist. Like sculpting and stuff.” She pointed to a piece on the wall to Anna’s right. It was a driftwood piece that looked like a morepork in flight. It was rather beautiful.
“Oh wow, that’s amazing,” Faith said, standing to take a closer look.
“Does he live locally?” Anna asked Chloe.
“I don’t think he lives anywhere,” she said. “He just turns up sometimes, either to collect wood, or sell his work to cafes. He’s a free spirit.” She sounded rather wistful. “No one knows his real name, so we all call him Red, ’cause of his top. He doesn’t speak much.”
“Well, he’s underselling himself. That piece is amazing and it’s at least half the price it should be.”
“There’s a few more by the counter,” Chloe told her.
They ate in silence for a bit, watching the water and talking about the penguins. It had started to drizzle and Anna was feeling less inclined to brave the elements, especially since all she had were her heeled boots.
“I don’t suppose you have a spare jacket?” she asked Faith.
“No, and the rain looks like it’s settling in a bit now too. Perhaps we should flag the beach? It’s getting a bit late too.”
Anna looked along the beach, but there was no sign of Red. She wondered where he went when it rained.
“You know, I might get one of those driftwood pieces for Isaac,” Faith said. “I bet he’d love it.”
They went over to the counter to pay and then looked at the other pieces. There was a whale, a fish and, amazingly, a dog. It wasn’t a corgi, but Faith was thrilled and after Chloe had wrapped it in tissue and brown string, they headed back to the van, making a quick dash to avoid the rain that was now coming down quite heavily.
Anna had gotten another coffee to go which she settled into the centre console before starting the van. It lurched into life with another backfire and they pulled out of the car park laughing.
“I hope we don’t get another puncture,” Anna said as they got back onto the main road. “We need to get the flat repaired in Dunedin, I guess.”
They’d been driving for about ten minutes when a figure walking on the side of the road caught their attention, red sweatshirt drenched, and his thumb out.
“Oh, it’s Red.” Anna looked questioningly at Faith, who nodded, and they pulled over a few metres in front of him, the van lurching in a pothole. A large milk tanker thundered past, kicking muddy water against the side of the van.
Red walked up to Faith’s window and she wound it down a notch.
“Jump in,” she told him, indicating the sliding side door.
He did, placing his basket and a backpack in the centre and hunched over, looking at the beds, before pulling off his sodden sweatshirt. His T-shirt rose with it and Anna felt like she and Faith were recreating Thelma & Louise for a minute as Red’s toned stomach came into view. A dragon tattoo swirled down into his jeans, the colours shimmering against his olive skin. When his head emerged, she gulped. He was beautiful. Long dark hair, full lips, gorgeous green eyes. But he was also not much older than Cameron, she guessed, and took her mind out of the gutter and gave him a nice, mumlike smile.
“Hi, Red. I’m Anna, this is Faith.”
“Thanks for stopping,” he said, perching on Anna’s bed with a wince.
“No problem. There’s an old towel in that crate,” she told him. “So, where are you headed? We’re going to Dunedin.”
She looked at her watch. “Or at least Oamaru.”
“Waimate,” he said. He was shivering with cold and when he reached into his bag, only drew out a thin top to pull on. Anna took her coffee and offered it to him. He took it with a grateful smile, rubbing at his hair with the towel and then sipping at it, hands cupped around it for warmth.
Anna turned up the heater and then pulled back out onto the highway.
“Where’s Waimate?” Faith asked.
“Just past Hook,” he told her. “There’s fine.”
Faith was googling on her phone. “Oh, I think we can drop you there. It’s only another ten minutes.” She looked over at Anna who agreed.
“I just got one of your art pieces,” Faith said. “You’re very talented.”
“Oh, thanks.” Anna could see him in the rear-view mirror and he was blushing. God, he was adorable.
“So, what’s in Waimate?” she asked.
“My grandmother,” he told her, but didn’t elaborate.
Faith rustled in her shopping bag and produced some beef jerky, offering it to him. He gave her a smile and accepted it and they drove with just the sound of the van’s windscreen wipers scraping against the glass, and the odd weird little rattle of the engine to break the rhythm. Every now and then the weird rattle became a kind of thumping noise. Anna wasn’t familiar with ancient Hiace vans and hoped it was something to do with Rizzo’s elderly status — perhaps vehicular arthritis.
“Not great weather for hitching,” Faith said, swivelling in her seat to look at Red. Anna wondered whether she found him as attractive as she did. When Faith bent towards her and whispered ‘Thelma and Louise’, she guessed she did. She raised her eyebrows at Faith.
“What? It’s not like I’ve never seen any movies. Daniel and I had a DVD player. And I mean — Brad Pitt.” She turned her attention back to Red.
“Been in worse,” he said. Rizzo thumped loudly in reply. “That doesn’t sound good,” he said.
Anna gripped the wheel, peering through the windscreen. They’d reached Hook and soon came to the turnoff leading to Waimate. It was still pelting down and she indicated to turn.
“Here’s good.”
Faith didn’t think there would be much chance of him getting another ride.
“Don’t be silly, it’s fine, it’s not far. Besides, we might look at stopping for the night.”
“You could park up in Gran’s driveway if you want. She likes company. Says I don’t talk enough.” As if he’d already said more than usual, he fell silent.
“Well, the temperature gauge has gone up, might be an idea to give Rizzo a rest.”
“Maybe I could have a go at driving tomorrow,” Faith said.
“I feel bad that I’m just sitting here eating the snacks.” She held out the packet of Fruit Bursts to Anna, who took an orange one, and then offered them to Red.
“You don’t have to, I really don’t mind,” Anna said.
“No, I’d quite like to actually. It would get me over this weird thing that I have where the only time I’ve ever driven a manual was when I was learning to drive. I skidded off the road and into a fence. Maybe it would reverse the bad juju.”
Anna hoped it would seem she was concentrating on driving rather than that she looked nervous at this declaration.
“Daniel bought me a little Toyota Corolla after that. Automatic. I still have it now.”
A far call from Anna’s new car every two years. And for what? Did it make her any happier? she wondered as she glanced over at Faith whose mouth was quirked into a smile. The fence incident can’t have been too traumatic. Hopefully she wasn’t that bad of a driver.
They drove straight through the township. From what Anna could see, it had that pleasant but slightly neglected feel small towns often have. The kind of place you usually wanted to leave as soon as you could if you’d grown up there but then yearned to return to once you were old and jaded. There was a cafe, she noted, closed now but it could be good the next morning for coffee before they got on the road, and a Caltex service station as they should probably fill up on petrol.
Red directed her to turn off the road and his grandmother’s property was a short drive into the countryside, nestled between farmland on one side and a heavily wooded area on two others. It was a squat, white brick house, smoke billowing from a chimney in a welcoming way with heavy lace curtains in the windows. There was a two-bay garage, in front of which was a large asphalted parking area, just as Red had promised. Anna parked as close to the house as she could and they got out slamming the doors and running through the rain to the front porch.
Red pushed open the door and Anna and Faith followed him inside. The heavy, rich smell of roasting lamb and wood-smoke greeted them and Anna’s stomach rumbled. It was cosy and warm after the dank cold outside.
“Hello, sweet, oh, you’ve brought visitors.” A woman appeared in the hallway, large bosomed with curly grey hair, wiping her hands on the tea towel slung over her shoulder. She held out her hands to Red, grasping his in her own. “What cold hands you have. Come and get warm in front of the fire.” She looked questioningly at Red and then at the two strangers who had appeared unannounced in her house, but didn’t seem overly fazed.
“This is Anna and Faith,” Red mumbled. “They’re headed to Dunners. I said it would be okay if they parked their camper outside overnight.”
The woman smiled warmly at them and held out a hand. “Joyce,” she told them. “Of course you’re welcome to stay. I hope you’ll have some dinner with us. I’ve a huge roast on and I was just about to put some veggies in so it’s no trouble to throw in a few extras.”
“We don’t want to be a bother,” Faith said weakly. Anna’s stomach gave another loud growl.
“You brought my young man all the way out here and saved him from the weather, so you’re no bother. Besides, he’s not much of a one for conversation. Do either of you play Scrabble?”
“Can we help you to do anything?” Faith asked, but Joyce shook her head. “Come and warm up. Can I get you a sherry? Glass of wine maybe?”
“Oh, thank you. We actually have wine in the van. I’ll get it,” Anna said as Faith removed her shoes and followed Joyce down the hall.
“I’ll go,” Red volunteered and she handed him the keys with a smile.
“In the supermarket bag in the passenger seat, thanks.”
The living room was crowded with well-worn furniture, and a cosy wood-burner glowed invitingly. There was an eclectic collection of pictures on the walls, from landscape watercolours to Red’s modern artwork, family portraits — including a large framed photo of a man in his thirties with his arm around a much younger looking Red.
“My son,” Joyce said, noticing Anna looking. “He worked at the sawmill before he got laid off. He’s got a woodcutting business near Methven now.”
“Are you sure we’re not imposing?” Faith asked.
“No, not at all,” Joyce insisted, taking out several wine glasses from a small corner unit. Red returned, wine in hand and even more soaked. “Why don’t you have a hot shower,” Joyce told him. “And throw your clothes in the machine. You’re leaving a big puddle.”
He handed the wine over and gave her a kiss on the cheek before heading back down the hall. Joyce sighed as she poured the wine.
“I’m so relieved he’s back,” she told Anna as she passed out the drinks. “I worry so much when I know he’s out in this sort of weather. You really are lovely to pick him up and bring him home.”
“Oh, it’s no trouble, really,” Anna said. “Does he live with you then?”
“On and off,” Joyce told her with a sad smile. “He’s a bit of a gypsy that boy, but he knows I like his company. It can get lonely out here on my own. Although I do have Grey.”
“Is that your son?” Faith asked.
“Oh no, dear, that’s my …” A low growl came from the kitchen then and the sound of claws on the lino before a huge snout and raised ears appeared in the doorway. Faith made a little squeaking noise and took a few steps back before sinking onto the couch. What appeared to be a large silver wolf padded into the lounge and pressed its nose into Joyce’s hand.
“… dog,” Joyce finished. She looked over at Faith and chuckled. “He’s harmless, honestly, a real softy.”
He was a husky, Anna thought, or perhaps a mix with Alsatian. She bent down and held out a fist for him to sniff. He came over instantly and then sat, paw raised to shake her hand. He was gorgeous. She gave him a good pat and rubbed his ears, which he loved, until Red returned and she was abandoned so Grey could go crazy for the young man.
“Grey adores him,” Joyce said fondly. “Dogs are very good at judging character, I believe.” Anna agreed. She had always wanted a dog but Greg hated them. She suspected he was actually afraid of them but wouldn’t admit it. She imagined Grey would hate Greg. It made her grin.
“Gran, where’s the hairdryer gone?” he asked, rubbing at his hair with a towel and trying to keep it from Grey.
“Oh, it broke, sorry, love. I had to throw it out. The motor burnt out, left a scorch mark on the counter too.”
“When was this?”
“Oh, a week or so ago. I’ll get a new one soon, but it’s down the list a bit, I’m afraid. The pension doesn’t really allow for luxuries like hairdryers.”
“I’ll keep an eye out in the thrift stores,” he told her and she gave him a beaming smile before turning to Anna and Faith.
“Right, so tell me all about yourselves,” she said, sitting in a brocade armchair. “What brings you to Waimate?”
“Well, it’s a funny story really,” Anna said. “It started as a bad drunken idea but it’s turned out to be a lovely adventure.”
“Well, now I’m intrigued,” Joyce said, leaning forward in her chair.
They told her about the van, and their decision to take a road trip. Anna didn’t mention her marriage, just that she’d gone to see her kids and that they were heading to Invercargill. Faith filled her in on Isaac and the palace.
“Well, now that sounds like something I’d go to see,” Joyce said. “I saw Charles and Diana back in ’83 when they were newly married. That woman was in a class of her own.” Her face softened at the memory, then hardened. “I didn’t bother when he came with that awful Camilla. Home-wrecking hussy.” They both tried not to laugh.
“Has your brother always been a royalist then?” she asked Faith, who shook her head.
“No, I doubt he’d even heard of the royal family as a child,” she said. Joyce gave her a questioning look. “We grew up in the Servants of Christ,” she said, and Joyce’s eyes went wide, her hand rising to her chest like she’d had disturbing news. Anna covered her laugh.
“Oh, my goodness,” Joyce said. “Well, that’s a big can of worms.”
After finishing off the wine, and having a lovely roast dinner, they sat and talked while Red offered to take the dog for a quick walk.
“Take your granddad’s coat in the hall cupboard,” Joyce told him. “It’s not like he’s using it,” she said sadly. He gave her another kiss on the cheek and slunk out.
“Sad,” Joyce told them. “His father and my late husband had a falling out when he was about the same age. We’ve only seen each other a handful of times since. I lost so much of their lives. And all over something silly. He hates me now, despite all my efforts to fix things.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that,” Anna said. The fire was on, the house warm and inviting and Joyce seemed so lovely. She couldn’t imagine anyone hating her.
“I’m sure he doesn’t hate you,” Faith said, reaching over and patting Joyce’s hand. “I haven’t seen my parents for a long, long time and things aren’t great, but I don’t hate them.”
“Well, darling, all I can say is, if you can make amends, do it. You never know when it’ll be too late. And there’s nothing worse than things staying unresolved.” She took a hanky from her pocket and dabbed at her eyes.
“Well, that’s enough doom and gloom from me,” she said with a little laugh. Anna smiled and looked over at Faith. Her face was contemplative.
“Well, I think perhaps it’s time we turn in,” she said.
“Thank you so much though for dinner.”
“My pleasure, love,” Joyce said. “Will you be warm enough out there?”
“We’ll be fine.”
They used the bathroom and headed back out to the van, the air crisp after the warmth of the house, but the rain now just an unrushed plinking on the roof as they got settled into their beds.
“Poor Joyce,” said Anna, “that must be hard not having your child around. She’s lucky she’s got Red.” Faith murmured in agreement. A thought occurred to her. “I wonder what his real name is.”
But Faith was already asleep.