Bode Chronicle:
COMMUNITY ‘COPS A LOOK’ FOR CHARITY
Locals turned out in droves last Saturday to support Bode Playcentre’s latest fundraising effort. Hoping to install shade sails for their outdoor play area, the team set up a charity auction that raised over $600 for the centre.
The highlight of the evening had to be the final ‘Win a Date’ auction, with our favourite police officer Kurt Baker getting his kit off to entice the ladies. The lucky recipient, Donna Jameson, declared it was the best $150 she’d spent in a long time. Her husband, Brett, joked that he should have put in a higher bid on the six-month membership to Fitz Gym.
Local cafe owner Mary Duncan was also thrilled with her loot in the mystery box auction, which set her back $80, but remained tight-lipped about who she would be taking with her for the romantic horse and cart ride for two.
“Shit,” Anna said, banging her hand down on the dashboard, causing the glove box to fly open. At least something in this shit-heap worked, she thought without much humour.
“I’m sorry, I’m never driving a manual again,” Faith moaned. “I knew I had bad karma. Maybe it’s payback for being fake plumbers.”
“Don’t be silly, she’s been making protesting noises at us for ages and we ignored it. We should have got someone to take a look in Dunedin.”
Wearily they got out of Rizzo. Faith eventually found the lever to pop the bonnet and they stood peering in, neither of them knowing what they were looking at.
Two trucks thundered past, then a car with a lone male driver. None of them stopped.
“I’ll put the hazard lights on. Maybe you should try and flash the cars with your T-shirt,” Faith said.
Anna glanced down. She was wearing the Baywatch top she’d bought in the op shop back in Christchurch. Her hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail and she was sure she must look like a wreck. In Auckland she wouldn’t have left the house without makeup but she somehow felt more like herself like this. Like the Anna she used to be when she’d been at tech in Hamilton, before she’d met Greg.
They’d broken down next to a long flat patchy brown paddock full of large fat black cows. One stood near the wire fence lowing sadly at them.
“I’ve got no reception at all here,” Faith told her.
“Shit.”
“Should we walk to the nearest house and use a phone maybe?” Faith suggested. Anna looked down the long straight stretch of road. A fair way down in the distance she could see a lone tin letterbox.
“I guess,” she said, thinking ruefully of her heeled boots.
“Maybe we could cut across the field?” Faith suggested, clambering down the verge towards the cow. “Oh, look at its lovely eyes,” she called as she leant over the fence to stroke its nose.
“Blooming heck!” she yelled, leaping back and landing on her butt, before scrambling to her feet again, bits of grass stuck to the elbows of her jumper.
“Are you okay?” Anna asked, trying not to laugh.
“Electric,” Faith panted, pointing at the fence. Anna took in the smudgy brown circle on the seat of her jeans and hoped it was just dirt. She was helping her back up the bank when the sound of a motor caught her attention.
An old mud-encrusted quad bike was coming along the verge towards them. A wiry-looking man in a blue Swanndri with a face of grey scruff sat atop it, gesturing frantically at them. He appeared to be yelling but it wasn’t until he pulled up beside them and cut the engine that she could hear what he was shouting.
“… leaving your rubbish and your poop and thinking you own the whole bloody place,” he was saying.
“Sorry?” Anna asked, looking warily at the gun strapped across the rear rack.
“You bloody freedom campers, thinking you can just park up anywhere, I’m sick of it.”
“Oh, we’re not …” Faith started but he cut her off.
“I’ve a good mind to take care of things the old-fashioned way,” he said, reaching back to touch the rifle. “You’re lucky I don’t. But I’ve called the police, and I suggest you not be here when they arrive, if you know what’s bleeding good for ya!”
“Look, we’ve broken down …” Anna started, but he was gunning the quad bike back to life, and then he was off, skidding around and flinging a layer of dirt and dust in their faces before she had a chance to finish, finger raised at them as he went.
“Blooming heck,” Faith said again. They looked at each other in disbelief. “What on earth will we do if he comes back?”
“Run?” Anna said with a grimace. “But seriously, I doubt that guy would really shoot us, but I’d rather not take the chance.”
They stood looking at the engine again, as if by some miracle one of them may have discovered some hidden mechanical talent.
“Is that thing supposed to be attached to that?” Faith asked, pointing at a long tube.
“I dunno. But I’m pretty sure that tank thing shouldn’t be empty either,” Anna said.
She reached back into her pocket and checked her phone again. Unsurprisingly, there was still no service.
“Maybe we need to get some elevation,” she said. They both looked around them at the flat grassy plains. There was no hill in sight.
“Perhaps if we got up on the roof?” Faith suggested.
“Oh yes, that might be worth a shot. Shall I boost you up?”
Faith looked a little dubious.
“Maybe I should boost you instead? I’m in a skirt and you’re taller …”
“All right,” Anna conceded. She slid open the side door and stepped up to stand on the floor inside, reaching up to hold the roof railing. “Just kind of push my bum up, and I’ll try to get leverage with my arms a bit.”
They heaved and grunted and Anna managed to get one arm up to hold the base of the loo and then Faith pushed until she got a knee over the top. Anna lay panting for a minute, glad the cement had held.
“Bloody hell, I’m nowhere near as fit as I thought I was,” she grumbled. “Okay, can you give me a leg up for the final bit?”
Eventually she managed to get herself to the roof, and she stood unsteadily, fishing for her phone.
“Bugger, I broke another nail,” she said, inspecting her French polish. “But I’ve got one bar,” she announced excitedly. “Hey, there’s that mate of Baz, in the red car,” she said, waving her arms wildly as the Mazda drove past them. “Bugger, I don’t know if he saw us.”
The car kept going down the road, but it did seem like perhaps he’d slowed for a minute.
“Maybe stand on the loo?” Faith said. “That will make you higher.”
Anna looked suspiciously at the old porcelain bowl. There was a large crack from the cistern to the seat and it was far from evenly mounted.
“It’s on a bit of a lean. I might slide off and break my neck.”
“Well, maybe get on your knees on it,” Faith asked hopefully.
“Yeah, maybe.”
She sat down carefully on the wonky seat, testing its durability, one arm raised with her phone in hand just as the red car came back towards them. It did a U-turn and slowed to pull in behind them. It seemed about to come to a stop when a police cruiser pulled up behind it. The driver of the Mazda suddenly gunned the engine, pulling back out onto the highway with a pelt of gravel.
“Darn it,” Faith said, hands on hips as she squinted after him. “Do you think he got scared off by the cop? Maybe he still thinks we have the drugs.”
A car door slammed shut. “Having some trouble, ladies?”
Anna turned towards the police officer. He looked to be in his mid-forties. He obviously still kept himself in shape judging by the way his uniform clung to his thighs and his shirt fitted tightly over his biceps. His face was handsome, dark eyes with short dark hair, lightly peppered with grey, and a sharp jawline. “Can I help you with anything?
“We didn’t poo anywhere,” Anna blurted out. “Not even in the loo. It’s not real. Well, I mean it is, but not, like, usable …” She trailed off while he stared silently up at her, lip twitching.
She slid down the side of the van as elegantly as she could, letting go with a little ‘oof’ as she landed on the ground. Her T-shirt had ridden up and she tugged it back down self-consciously.
“Was the Mazda driver a friend of yours?” he asked.
“No. I think he was after the drugs but then he saw you … I mean … not our drugs, his drugs,” she stuttered incoherently. Jesus Christ. Seeing a hot man seemed to turn her into a blundering idiot. How long had it been since she’d had sex anyway? And why was she thinking about sex right now? “I swear we’re not, like, doing some kind of deal …” She felt her face flush and fell silent.
“Our van broke down,” Faith interjected helpfully. “I think the guy in that car was going to help us but maybe he thought there was something he didn’t want you to find.” She reached over and gave Anna’s arm a sympathetic pat.
“Officer Kurt Baker,” he said to Faith. He glanced back over at Anna and his mouth twitched like he was trying to hide a smile. He didn’t look like he was thinking about having sex with her though, she thought, as he strode over to look under Rizzo’s bonnet. Anna wasn’t looking at his trousers, pulled tight over his arse. She really wasn’t.
“I’ll call a towie, I don’t think you’re going anywhere in a hurry. We can get you into Bode and get someone to have a look at her if you like?”
“Oh, thank you, that sounds good,” Faith said.
Anna remained silent. A small giggle escaped as she thought to herself ‘you have the right to remain silent …’ and Officer Baker gave her a puzzled look. He probably thought she was on drugs. She wondered whether she should offer to take a saliva test.
“Okay then.” He strode to his car and made the call.
“It’ll be ten minutes or so. If you ladies would like to wait in my car I’ll give you a ride into town.”
“Oh, I’ve never ridden in a police car before,” Faith said. “That’s a good thing right?”
“I got picked up going to a fancy dress party with a friend once,” Anna said as they took their handbags from the van and crossed to the police car. “The officer offered to drive us since we were dressed like French maids and she was worried we wouldn’t make it safely.”
“Well, God bless the New Zealand police force.”
“Indeed,” Anna replied. She hadn’t realised that Kurt had moved to his car with them. He opened the car door and indicated inside.
“Mind your head,” he said as she ducked inside.
Faith got into the other side and leant over to Anna. “Do you think we could take a selfie? The kids would just about die, I think.”
“Yeah, and do you think we could persuade Officer Hottie to pose with us?”
Faith giggled. “He is rather dreamy, isn’t he? I think he liked your T-shirt too.”
“What do you mean?” Anna squawked.
“Well, he was trying to act professional but he looked a bit embarrassed when I caught him looking.”
Anna huffed. Faith was probably imagining things.
When Kurt had talked to the towie, who he explained was his cousin Mike, he drove them into Bode. It was a small town, about ten kilometres from where they’d broken down. The streets were wide and quiet, lined with old lantern-style lamps. The houses and shops lining it had painted wooden porches, and tables and chairs dotted the sidewalks. It was rather quaint and charming. They pulled up in front of a corrugated iron building, painted bright blue with large black lettering proclaiming it to be ‘Baker’s Garage and Towing’.
“My dad’s business,” he explained. “I’m not showing favouritism, it’s the only one in town.”
They climbed out of the car. Faith rather reluctantly. Anna thought she’d seemed to enjoy her brief brush with the law.
They should have asked him to put on the siren.
A large black lab came rushing out of the mechanics bay barking furiously until he saw Kurt and then he ran to greet him, tail wagging furiously.
“Hey, King,” Kurt said fondly, giving him a vigorous pat.
Anna crouched down and held out her hand. “Hello, gorgeous boy,” she cooed and received a wet lick in her ear for her efforts. “Oh, he’s beautiful,” she said.
Kurt gave her a contemplative look.
“He’s not usually so friendly to strangers,” he said. “He’s more of a guard dog.” His tone was a little miffed, like she’d done something to bewitch him, and she shrugged.
“Dogs just always like me,” she told him with a grin and then proceeded to smooch King who rubbed up against her like a cat in heat, panting delightedly.
“Anyway, there’s a coffee shop just down the road if you want to grab something to eat or drink. Mary does the best cheese rolls I’ve ever had. Mike shouldn’t be too long and I’ll get Cliff to have a look and he can tell you what he thinks when you get back.” He looked at his watch. “Maybe give him half an hour or so?”
They thanked him and headed in the direction he’d indicated, passing a pharmacy, a beauty salon and a newsagent before coming to the cafe. Old-fashioned lace curtains covered half the large front window and a sign outside said ‘Duncan’s Doughnuts — open, come on in’. Anna pushed open the hot-pink-painted door and stepped inside to be assaulted by the welcome smell of fresh coffee and icing sugar. It was a smell she remembered from visiting the bakery when she was a child. Her brother used to tease her because she’d spend ages deciding whether to get a custard square or a cream bun. She’d always end up choosing the cream bun. Her mouth watered now at the memory.
“Ooh, lamingtons. And look at all those doughnuts,” Faith said, approaching the counter. The vinyl curtain from the kitchen flapped and an older woman stepped out. She shuffled painfully towards the counter.
“Don’t mind me, hurt my back,” she said. “What can I get you, ladies?”
“I’d love a pot of tea and one of those maple walnut doughnuts, if it’s no trouble,” Faith said.
Anna ordered a coffee and decided to try one of the famous cheese rolls.
“It’s no trouble at all, always lovely to have new faces. What brings you into town?”
Faith explained about the breakdown and that they were passing time while their van was being looked at.
“Cliff is the best. Well, his is the only garage in town but he’s also the best. I’m Mary Duncan by the way.”
They took a seat near the window. Anna thought it was a shame the curtain blocked the view from the road but she liked the old-fashioned Formica tables. Laminated menus were propped up between a cheery pot of red gerberas and a pink-painted box containing cutlery and paper napkins.
After a great amount of time, Mary shuffled over with their drinks. She walked slowly back to get their food. Anna feared her coffee would be cold by the time she returned.
“Sorry for the delay. I had a girl who was helping me out but she had to return to uni last week. Haven’t got round to putting up the ‘Help wanted’ sign yet but I’m not holding out much hope. I probably should think about selling up and retiring one of these days, I guess.”
Faith picked up a magazine from a rack and flipped through it while she sipped her tea. Anna watched Mary as she grimaced while wiping down one of the tables. The door jangled and a young woman with a toddler in a buggy came in.
“Afternoon, Mary, how’s the back?”
“Not getting much better, lovey. The physio says I need to take it easy but that’s not going to happen now that Gemma’s gone. Still, can’t complain — although that seems to be all I have been doing,” she said with a laugh.
“Can I trouble you for a coffee? A large flat white, please, and one of your little pink doughnuts with the sprinkles for Charlie?”
“Of course, my darling.” Mary straightened up and winced and Anna found herself practically leaping up from her seat. “Let me help you,” she said. “I know my way round a coffee machine, though I haven’t used a commercial one for years.”
Mary looked at her with surprise. “I couldn’t do that. You’re a customer.”
“It’ll be fun,” Anna said in what she hoped was a convincing manner. She was already making her way to the back of the shop. “Here, I’ll have it ready in no time. Double shot for your large size, Mary?” She didn’t give Mary a chance to protest but gave her hands a quick wash and started the process of making the coffee, added a little fluffy for Charlie with the leftover foamed milk and popped one of the small iced doughnuts onto a plate.
“I’ll do the till later,” Mary said as the woman handed Anna the correct change. “And thank you so much.”
Anna returned to her coffee with a grin. “These really are the best rolls,” she said.
“I might give you my secret recipe, if you come back for breakfast.” Mary laughed and went over to talk to her new customer.
“Speaking of breakfast, where are we going to stay tonight?” Faith asked, as she took a bite of her doughnut. Each bite she’d taken she’d closed her eyes in ecstasy, as if it was the best thing she’d ever eaten. “I’m getting a bit short of cash.”
“I will be soon too,” Anna admitted. “I’m going to have to budget for who knows how long until I get hold of a lawyer and get things sorted with Greg. We’ll have to pay for the van repairs too. Hopefully this Cliff guy will be able to sort it out quickly and we might be able to find a campground for the night.”
There was a bigger problem than they could have anticipated.
“Well, looks like it could be the turbo stepper motor,” Cliff told them, wiping his greasy hands on a rag. “I can get a better picture in the morning but I think I’m going to have to get a part from the city. It’s likely gonna set you back about three hundred bucks. I can ring around and see if I can find one a bit cheaper though.”
Kurt was leaning against an old muscle car in the engine bay listening. Anna had been surprised to see that he was still there. There was a strong resemblance. Cliff must have been in his late seventies but still moved about easily and was handsome in a worn kind of way.
“I can give you a ride to a motel for the night. The Paradise Inn is just down the road — it’s clean and pretty good value — but if you want something fancier there’s a really nice B&B just out of town,” Kurt said.
“The motel sounds like it might be best,” Anna told him. “It would be better to be close by. We can’t exactly ask you to run us around town in the morning, can we?”
Kurt opened his mouth to say something, then closed it, opened it again and said; “The Paradise is walking distance, but it’s on my way home. I’d be happy to take you and you can check it out.”
“I’m locking up for the night,” Cliff said. “Do you need anything out of the van? It’ll be safe here in the yard with King here, but I’ll give you the keys so you can come back for your bags if you decide to check in. If you come by in the morning, I’ll have made some phone calls about the part.”
King was busy leaning against Anna with lovesick eyes and making groaning noises as she rubbed his ears. Anna gave him a kiss on the head as they left and he hung his head sadly. They got back in the patrol car and pulled on their belts. It smelt nice, like vanilla. Kurt got into the driver’s seat and peered round at them through the mesh partition.
“So, where are you ladies from?”
“Hawke’s Bay for me. Anna’s in Auckland,” Faith told him.
“We just met in Wellington a week ago though.”
He gave them a curious look and then turned and started the car, pulling out onto the main road.
“I don’t suppose we could turn the siren on, could we?” Faith asked, making Anna laugh loudly. She saw Kurt’s face in the rear-vision mirror and he was grinning. He caught her eye and a weird bolt of energy went through her. Lust, she realised with shock. When was the last time she’d felt that? She blushed. The poor man was probably married with four kids and the last thing he was feeling was any kind of lust for her. She kept her eyes on the scenery as they drove through the town, feeling like a fool.
Kurt dropped them at the motel and left. They stood in the front, neither of them making a move to go inside. Faith had been googling to see if they had vacancies on booking.com and looked up at Anna. “It’s $179 for the night,” she said, worry lines creasing her forehead.
“You know,” Anna said slowly, “we could still stay in the van.”
“How do you mean?”
“Well, it’s just sitting in the yard. We could use the public toilet at that park over the road for the loo and to brush our teeth. We’ve still got snacks so we could have them for dinner, if you’re happy with that?”
“That actually makes sense. We’ve got perfectly good beds just sitting there for free and I’m not that hungry after the doughnut anyway.”
Anna would have to disagree about the perfectly good beds but she was as happy as Faith was to save a bit of money.
It was dusk and the town was quiet. The main street shops had closed up for the night and the only sounds were the odd dog barking and, far in the distance, a morepork. They wandered back to the garage and pulled open the steel framed gate. It rolled open, the catch clanking against the wire mesh. King came out growling deep in his throat, looking a bit menacing in the evening’s fading light until Anna called out to him and he bounded towards them with a delighted whine. She gave him a pat as Faith closed up the gate.
“Man, you’d never find a place unlocked like this in Auckland,” she whispered.
“I feel like a burglar,” Faith whispered back.
They crept across the lot with exaggerated mincing steps, trying not to laugh, King pressed to Anna’s side. The van door protested loudly as they slid it open and Anna pulled it carefully shut behind her with a gentle snick. King had gone back to his kennel where he could keep watch over the lot. It was too early to sleep, so they sat on the beds and ate mixed nuts and drank warm iced tea and talked.
“You haven’t said much about your husband,” Faith said after a bit. “And I’m not sure I should ask?”
Anna thought of brushing things off. She’d gotten used to being vague with friends and family about her marriage, saying ‘Oh, we’re fine, after twenty-odd years you can hardly expect us to still be madly in love.’ But the truth was she was starting to think that not only wasn’t she in love with her husband, but that she really didn’t even like him very much.
“Things are definitely over there,” she told Faith. “They have been for years if I’m honest. I guess I was just biding my time, and it was easier to leave things as they were than make a break and start again. It’s a bit scary, change. But I think I’m starting to realise that I’m also excited about that.”
Faith gave her a smile.
“I know what you mean. When I left the community, I was so afraid that I’d regret it. That I’d find the grass wasn’t greener, you know?”
“Yeah, but you’re glad you did leave, right?”
“Absolutely.”
“I think this trip has been great actually. It’s made me think about who I was, who I’ve become, who I want to be.” She laughed. “Gawd, that’s a bit philosophical for a Tuesday night without a drink, isn’t it?”
Faith gave her a warm smile. “Maybe, but I’m glad we’ve done this. It’s been a long time since I’ve had so much fun. And I hope we stay in touch after all this too.”
“Oh definitely,” Anna agreed.
“I can’t be bothered to brush my teeth,” Anna confessed.
“Me neither. But I bet I’ll have to have a wee in the night.”
They jostled around in the back getting on pyjamas and then got into bed.
They lay in the dark, and it felt comfortable, peaceful even. A car drove past slowly then picked up speed after King started to bark. Maybe she could get a dog now, Anna thought. She thought about her marriage, about being on her own, about the possibility of dating again. The image of Kurt came to mind. She imagined what it would be like to kiss another man, to kiss him. He had lovely lips, full and wide, and she imagined what it would be like, breathing him in.
“Would it be bad to have another doughnut for breakfast?” Faith asked suddenly. “Because that was seriously one of the best things I’ve ever eaten.”