Melanie skipped her way up the driveway to Lyndall’s house, staying a safe distance from the curious donkeys which wandered to the fence line. Vince trudged behind.
Closer to the top the paddocks changed to manicured gardens and Melanie paused several times to smell this flower or that. Lyndall’s home was a masterpiece of architecture, designed by some award-winning Melbourne firm which still won awards. Every bit of it was environmentally friendly and fitted into the landscape. And it was huge, yet Vince had never seen family visiting. No adult children or grandkids.
When he caught up with Melanie she reached for his hand and led the way. This was more like the little girl he knew. Curious and naturally friendly. The sadness was there beneath the surface and would be for a long time to come, but it lifted his spirits seeing her emerge a little from the fog.
At the top of the driveway was a garage with four open doors side by side. Lyndall’s Range Rover was inside one and a quad bike in another. The other two were empty. Parked behind the garage, just showing on one side, was an old cattle truck. Lyndall had once said it was in case she needed to move all the donkeys and her handful of cows in one if there was a fire threat.
I can imagine you driving it.
‘Oh! Here you are, little kitty!’ Melanie squealed as the kitten hurtled toward her from around the corner of the house. She dropped to her knees and gently picked it up. Close behind was another kitten and an adult, presumably the mother, who inspected Melanie at a distance.
It was infectious, the joy on Melanie’s face. Vince almost squatted down beside her.
‘He remembers you.’ Lyndall followed the cats.
The mother cat padded around Melanie and rubbed her head against her leg.
‘Yep. Mum approves. Now you’ve only got to deal with Grandad.’ Lyndall leaned down to tickle the kitten’s chin. ‘Leave him to me. The kitten is as good as yours.’
Vince spluttered.
‘Are you good to sit here and watch these creatures while I have a chat to him?’ Lyndall asked. ‘Else you know where the kitchen is and there’s some freshly made lemonade on the table.’
Melanie nodded with a smile that looked permanent.
I think I’ve lost this battle.
Lyndall joined him. ‘Walk with me? Your girl is fine here.’ She headed toward the paddock in front of the house.
‘Be okay for a minute, Mel?’
She’d already adjusted herself to sit on the ground and the three felines curled around her.
He caught up with Lyndall, who dropped her arms on the top rail of the fence. The donkeys noticed her and began to wander up.
She gave him a long look. ‘Your decision about the kitten, but it seems to me that little girl needs something to hold onto. Something new to love.’
They gazed out over the paddock, which was several acres in size and just one of a dozen or so on the property. Lyndall’s animals were all rescued and she spent most of her waking hours making their lives good. Vince had no idea where her money had come from or what her story was. There’d never been a reason to ask.
‘Came home yesterday and there was some fellow parked in your driveway,’ Lyndall said.
‘Parked?’
‘Car was parked. He came from around the side of your house, busy taking photographs. Big lens on the camera.’
Vince’s gut churned.
‘I challenged him, of course,’ she added. ‘Asked who he was and what he was doing.’
‘Did he say?’
‘Pointed the camera at me and I gave him something worth photographing.’ There was a touch of anger in her tone. ‘The gall of him.’
The first of the donkeys arrived and poked its muzzle through the fence searching for Lyndall’s pockets. ‘Hello darlin.’ I figured he might be a real estate agent. But he was too rude. You annoy someone?’
‘Lots.’
‘But seriously, anyone checking up on you?’
‘Maybe. Dunno. Mel said…’
‘What?’
He shook his head and reached over to pet the donkey. ‘Probably nothing. Mel’s godmother, Carla, said something to her about making a special bedroom at their house. For Mel.’
‘I remember her.’ Lyndall’s expression made it clear she wasn’t a fan.
‘She does love Mel. And Susie trusted her.’
‘I’d be watching Melanie pretty closely. Just in case.’
There was such gravity in her last three words that Vince shot her a look.
‘Just in case what?’
She wanted to say something. Her eyes were serious.
‘What, Lyndall? What are you thinking?’
‘Out there are some bad people who will—’
‘Grandad!’
Both of them jumped as Melanie, kitten tucked up in her unplastered arm, appeared from nowhere. Lyndall bit her bottom lip. Vince wasn’t going to let that go, but with Melanie present, it would need to wait.
‘What’s up, Mel?’
‘Please, please, please may I have this little kitten?’ She stopped between the adults, eyes going from one to the other as a frown formed between her eyes. ‘I don’t like arguments.’
Vince squatted down in front of her. ‘I don’t like them either. Nor does Lyndall. We are only talking about you having the kitten and we were petting the donkeys.’
She looked at the donkey which was still trying to find a treat in Lyndall’s jacket, and then back to Vince. Some of the worry left her face. ‘Did you decide?’
‘You know a kitten takes a bit of work. Feeding. Cleaning the litter tray. Playing. Are you up for that?’
Melanie nodded.
‘And not just for a week. For a lifetime. And cats live a long time.’
‘I promise I will take such good care and do everything for Robbie.’
Lyndall made a funny sound which she quickly muffled.
‘Well, in that case, yes, you may have Robbie,’ Vince said.
With shining eyes, Melanie hugged Vince until the kitten protested. He got himself upright again after a failed first attempt. Squatting wasn’t a good decision. ‘Um… we’ll need to go shopping for… Robbie. And we have the appointment first at your school.’
‘Leave him here for now and I’ll bring him down the minute you call.’ Lyndall held a hand out and after kissing his nose, Melanie handed him over. ‘Good girl. I’ll text Grandad a little list so he can get the same food and stuff.’
‘Come on, Grandad. Let’s go!’ Melanie started off without a backward look.
When Vince went to follow, Lyndall touched his arm with her free hand. ‘Wait a sec.’ She found a piece of paper in her pocket. ‘Rego of the intruder. The photographer. Run it past your police friends.’
‘Thank you.’
‘Hey, Melanie,’ Lyndall called before the little girl disappeared down the driveway. ‘I’ll bring him down later and you can call me anytime if you have any questions.’
‘Okay, thanks, Lyndall.’ She turned and waved with a big smile.
Lyndall’s voice softened. ‘My pleasure, darlin’.’
Vince followed Melanie.
‘Goes for you, too,’ Lyndall said as he passed.
He gave her a sideways glance but managed to avoid smiling until she couldn’t see his face.
It was weird being at a school with no pupils. Melanie led the way to Mrs McCoy’s office where they were ushered inside with a smile by a tall, thin woman with a furrowed brow.
For a few minutes, Melanie and the principal chatted about the coming term and which subject Melanie was most excited about. It was art. Mrs McCoy suggested Melanie head to her usual classroom where her teacher was setting up the room.
As soon as the door closed again, her smile vanished. ‘I am so very sorry about Melanie’s parents, Mr Carter. Susie was active here, more than just as part of the requirements of parents to volunteer their time. She really loved helping with the students.’
He’d expected mention of the loss but it still gripped his guts. ‘Thank you.’ Sympathy wasn’t bringing his daughter back. Social manners kicked in a lot at the moment.
‘Will Melanie be ready to be back at school, Mr Carter?’
‘Her arm will be in plaster for a while but she’s managing well.’
‘I mean… emotionally. She’s had a terrible experience between being in the car accident and losing her parents. There’s been a big change in her life.’
‘Which makes having some normalcy important,’ Vince said. ‘Her psychologist said it helps.’
‘Ah. She is seeing someone then. And of course we have support here. Our chaplaincy system is excellent. Are you familiar with our school? I don’t recall seeing you here for any of Melanie’s open nights or concerts, not that I meet every grandparent of course.’
You’re judging me.
Deciding if he was worthy of having custody. Or good enough for the school.
She pursed her lips as she opened a folder on the desk.
‘Was it a long drive for you? To bring Melanie?’
‘Forty minutes.’
‘In the middle of the morning. It might be as much as an hour each way during rush hour, which is when you’d drop her off. There’s no easy public transport route I can find so unless you have someone closer who—’
‘Nobody.’ His fingers tensed and he flattened them against his legs. ‘I’ll bring her each day. Pick her up each afternoon.’
‘I see.’
No. You don’t.
‘Will there be a list of what Mel needs this term? So I can begin arranging things.’
‘Perhaps.’
‘Mrs McCoy… is there an issue with Melanie? Or me?’
With a quick nod, the woman turned the open folder. ‘Nothing personal. We love Melanie. She’s a good student. Kind and inquisitive. But as we briefly discussed on the phone, there’s the matter of payment. And I think it best this be addressed now.’ She gestured at the sheet of paper facing Vince.
It was a copy of what he had in his top pocket.
‘Aren’t these things normally paid in advance?’
‘This is Melanie’s third year with us, and her father always paid at the beginning of each year. Not for a term, but a whole year which was more than expected. And often there’d be a bit extra as well, to help out if another family struggled. In fact, David paid for a full term for another child at one point which made the difference for that family.’
‘Why?’
Her mouth dropped open and she blinked.
‘I mean, why would David pay for the child of a stranger, but not pay for his own daughter?’ Vince clarified.
‘Oh, I see.’
‘I don’t.’
‘It was before his company went into financial distress, Mr Carter. In the previous two years, money was not an issue. The family was like almost every other family here. Financially stable. Engaged in the education of their child. And because he’d been so generous in the past, we extended a grace period for him until the middle of the year.’
What financial distress? Did Susie know?
He opened his mouth to ask what proof she’d been given and closed it. This meeting was about Melanie. Not David.
She offered a smile. ‘Nobody expected this tragedy. And of course, Melanie is welcome here and so are you, Mr Carter, as a volunteer, which is normally twenty hours a month, but we could increase that to help with the cost… as long as you are willing to get a working with children card and have the usual police checks?’
If he wasn’t gripping his knees so hard now, he’d throw back his head in hysterical laughter. Instead, he smiled in return.
‘I can provide those. I have to ask if you are assuming I can’t afford Melanie’s fees. There’s also assets to be realised. Melanie is all that matters and if she wishes to stay in this school, then the fees will be kept up to date.’
The principle looked uncomfortable now, fidgeting in her seat.
He stood. ‘Would you point me in the direction of where Melanie is?’
‘Of course.’
At the door, she gave him brief instructions and then touched his arm. ‘Before you leave… I hope I didn’t sound… well, anyway, I’m happy you wish your granddaughter to stay with us. And I am here to answer any questions, although her teacher is best placed to give you information about the next term. It’s just… although I knew Susie best, it was David who paid the accounts and he once said… well, he mentioned you. Said you weren’t in a good situation. My apologies.’
There was only one response which came to mind. ‘I see.’
With that, he stepped into the hallway and went in search of Melanie.