Mia lay in bed that night with the day’s events fighting for space in her mind.
She hadn’t noticed the make of the oncoming car but it was silver like the one in the hotel parking lot and Riley was certain about it being a Mercedes. Was that Carmody’s car? She didn’t know for sure. She’d made an assumption and the barman hadn’t actually named him as the man who owned it. They could have been talking about two different people. But the chances were high it was Carmody’s.
What about Riley? He had no idea what forces were at play here and Arlo didn’t seem particularly worried about exposing him to them. Too used to being on his own and taking risks. Surely after what happened in Africa he’d be hyper careful. What sort of man was he?
One who kissed her. Liked kissing her and made no secret of his attraction but didn’t force himself on her.
A man she liked kissing. Really liked kissing.
Mia turned over, dislodging most of the covers with the violence of her movement. That was stupid thinking. They had no future together. No way was she moving to this town, and a long-distance relationship was doomed in her opinion. She’d rather be on her own. She was happy on her own. She’d become reliant on Arlo because he was helping her and he was the only stability she had in this chaos, the only proper friend in this town.
When she left she’d never see him again and after a time would certainly forget him but right now Arlo was good company and she’d miss his calm determination even if it turned into stubbornness and single mindedness at times. She’d miss his kindness and his thoughtfulness. She’d miss him …
The dream punched her awake again, leaving her sweating and gasping for breath in the dark. Still shaking, she went to the bathroom for a drink of water and swallowed it down staring at herself in the mirror. She looked like a mad woman, hair awry, eyes wide, loose, crumpled night clothes. Like Lady Macbeth wandering about sleepless and distraught muttering Out damned spot.
What did she say before that to gear herself and her husband up to do the deed? Screw your courage to the sticking place and we’ll not fail.
That was a better sentiment even if it hadn’t worked out well for the Macbeths.
Arlo called the next morning soon after she returned to her room after breakfast. Having slept in she’d just made it to the dining room before the cut off time.
‘How are you?’
‘Okay, I had the dream again. Nothing different. Is Riley all right?’
‘Yep. Went off to school this morning. I had a call from Barry last night.’
‘What did he say?’
‘He was pretty angry about the article. Accused me of making all sorts of unfounded allegations and basically warned me off. It made me wonder if Carl had talked to him.’
‘Did he threaten you?’
‘Not exactly. It was more be careful what I write or I may end up in court.’
‘You didn’t write anything libellous.’
‘No, I know exactly where those lines are, believe me.’
‘So it was all bluff.’
‘Yes, but I doubt the Baran brothers and their uncle bother taking people to court. They have their own justice system. It’s the punitive style.’
‘What are you going to do now?’
‘I’ve got some friends investigating for me and when that information comes in I’m aiming to send an expose to one of the main papers.’
‘What did you tell Barry?’
‘That I wasn’t going to be told what to write by anyone,’ he said. ‘In other news, I’ll start moving things across to the house today and Riley can help finish it off over the weekend.’
‘Need a hand?’
‘I was getting around to that. Yes, please.’
‘I’ll bring my car over.’
Fifteen minutes later she walked across to her car in the empty hotel parking lot but stopped short, stunned by the lurid red paint splashed over the bonnet and windscreen, for a sickening moment thinking it was blood. Not content to stop there the bastard had scrawled fuck off bitch in block capitals along the side.
Burning rage boiled up inside. She marched across and touched the paint with the back of her fingers. Sticky. She yanked her phone from her pocket and called Arlo, voice quivering with anger.
‘I’ll be right over,’ he said. ‘Have you called Rupe?’
‘I’m going there now.’
Mia stomped back into the hotel and told the receptionist who was horrified and full of apology then headed out to make an official report. The police station was around the corner and a block down the side street.
She pushed the door open to find Shannon at the desk.
‘Hi, Mia, you look fit to be tied. What’s wrong?’
‘Hello. Someone poured red paint on my car and wrote “fuck off bitch” on it.’
‘I’ll get Rupe. Hang on a moment.’ Shannon knocked on the office door behind her, opened it and stuck her head in. ‘Mia’s here,’ she said. ‘Has a problem.’
Rupe came out, stern-faced. ‘Good morning, Mia. How can we help?’
‘Good morning. Someone put graffiti in red paint on my car in the hotel parking lot. I think it was last night because it’s still sticky.’
‘Any idea who might have done it?’
Mia breathed in, lips firmed in anger. ‘Any number of people. Some lowlife called Bluey accosted me outside the hotel on Wednesday night. Another couple abused me in the street last week, a woman in a shop was unpleasant and rude about my father, people stare and mutter. Some idiot painted a symbol on my house and someone left me a rotting rabbit. Take your pick but I’d start with Bluey.’
Rupe and Shannon exchanged glances.
‘I’m sorry, Mia,’ Rupe said. ‘We’ll investigate this and find who did it.’
‘Do you think Arlo’s article might have had anything to do with it?’ asked Shannon.
‘Possibly. This town has certainly made up its mind about my dad. Did Arlo tell you someone ran us off the road yesterday on the way back from Willoughby?’
‘No, he didn’t. A local?’
‘I don’t think so. At least, Arlo didn’t say he recognised either car.’
‘Two cars?’ asked Shannon.
Mia described the incident.
‘So you think it was deliberate?’ Rupe asked.
Mia nodded. ‘We do.’
‘Can you give me a description of either car?’
‘The one behind us was dark blue and Riley thought the other one was a Mercedes. It was silver.’ Should she tell him about that man at the hotel with a similar car? She had no proof it was the same one.
‘Riley was with you?’
‘We’d picked him up from school.’
‘Christ,’ Rupe said softly. ‘I’ll talk to them both, but right now we’ll go and have a look at your car.’
Arlo was already in the parking area taking photos with a couple of the hotel staff watching on, when Mia and Rupe arrived.
‘You didn’t waste any time,’ said Rupe. He glanced at Mia. ‘Called him first, did you?’
‘Why not?’ she asked. ‘I was going to help him move to my house this morning.’
‘Morning, mate,’ said Arlo. ‘What a bloody minded thing to do.’
‘Anyone see anything? I assume you’ve already asked,’ Rupe said drily.
‘No. Isn’t that your job?’
‘Yes, it is. Mia told me about yesterday’s incident. Were you going to report it?’
‘There’s not much we can tell you.’
‘Okay.’
‘We saw the blue Toyota out at the Greenhill resort site,’ said Mia. ‘We think it was the same car. And there was a silver Mercedes here the weekend of the football. It might have belonged to Joel Carmody.’
Rupe’s eyes narrowed but he didn’t comment beyond saying, ‘I’ll look into it.’ He took a notebook from his pocket and jotted something down.
‘This paint is still a bit wet but it’s been so cold that doesn’t help much.’ Arlo gestured to the car.
‘When did you last drive it?’ Rupe asked Mia.
‘Not since I came back on Wednesday evening from Canberra. That’s when that guy harassed me.’
‘Which guy?’ Arlo asked.
‘Keep out of this,’ said Rupe sharply. ‘You’ve stirred things up enough lately.’ He turned back to Mia. ‘Anything else you can tell me? Did you hear anything last night?’
‘No, but my room is at the front and it was trivia night.’
‘This area would have been full. Too risky to do it last night, they must have been busy early this morning.’ Rupe put his notebook in his pocket and walked around the car, bending to peer at the ground then straightening and touching a finger to the paint.
‘Will it come off?’ Mia asked.
‘I’m not sure. Depends what it is, but I doubt it’ll need a respray,’ said Rupe. ‘The paint will be traceable. I’ll send Shannon around for a sample but it will take a while to get a result back from the lab.’
He walked across to the two staff members lounging in the doorway and began asking questions.
‘Who harassed you?’ Arlo asked, anger simmering quietly in the tone.
‘Some random crawled out of a hole somewhere.’ Mia shook her head. ‘Don’t worry about it.’
‘What did he say?’
She raised both hands. ‘Arlo. Stop. I’ve had enough. I’ll need to hire a car. Can you drive me to Willoughby, please?’
‘We might need to go to Wagga.’
‘You can use mine whenever you want,’ he said.
She exhaled slowly, rubbing her hands over her face. ‘I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Thank you for the offer.’ She tried a smile which wobbled and fell over.
Arlo took a half pace forward, hand outstretched, but Rupe interrupted with, ‘I’m really sorry about this, Mia. It’s a hell of a thing to happen on top of everything else and I promise we’ll find the perpetrator.’
‘Thank you.’
‘Shannon will let you know when you can take the car to the repairer.’
‘Did those two say anything useful?’ Arlo asked.
‘No, as Mia said the place was busy and they closed up at midnight. Neither came out here at all. They both walk to work. I’ll talk to the other staff, of course.’
When he’d gone inside, Arlo said, ‘I’ll call Stuey from the garage to come and see what he thinks about the paint.’
‘Can he do a respray?’
‘He may not need to but there’s a lot there. Looks like a whole can.’
Mia looked around the bleak parking area as Arlo made the call. Her feet were cold and she was closer to tears than she cared to admit. This bloody town!
‘He’ll be here in half an hour. He thinks it’ll come off.’ Arlo put his arm around her shoulders and kissed her cheek. ‘Come over to Hannah’s and have a coffee while we wait.’
‘You don’t need to wait with me.’ She forced her frozen feet into motion. His arm felt good, drawing her close, comforting.
‘I don’t mind.’
‘Thanks.’
***
Hannah’s was busy but a few tables were free and Arlo ushered Mia to the farthest from the door.
‘Coffee?’
She nodded. He went over to the counter and waited for Hannah to finish serving someone.
‘Morning, Arlo,’ she said. ‘You’re in early.’ She glanced at Mia, sitting with head bowed, hands clasped in front of her on the table. A picture of misery. ‘Is everything all right?’
‘Someone threw paint on her car last night and wrote “fuck off bitch” on it for good measure.’
‘That’s dreadful.’ Hannah shook her head. ‘Our town isn’t like this. What’s happening?’
He lowered his voice. ‘I feel responsible. I wrote that article …’
‘You didn’t say anything that wasn’t true, Arlo. There’s no excuse for doing that to Mia. She didn’t write it. What can I get you?’
Arlo ordered then went back to Mia and sat down.
‘I’ll have to contact the insurance company. Is Stuey an approved repairer?’
‘I think so. He’s pretty good.’
‘Thank God for that, at least.’
What could he possibly say to her? No words would help overcome her anger and outrage at this treatment. He wouldn’t be surprised if she decided to leave. Who could blame her? His heart sank as the image of a future together disappeared into the mists of despondency.
‘It’s like being cursed,’ she said suddenly. ‘Maybe that crazy witch woman really did put a curse on me.’
Her eyes stared wildly at him and he stared back as his brain fumbled for something to say. He stretched across and enclosed her cold hands in his, gripping tightly when he felt how much they were shaking.
‘You’re not cursed,’ he said firmly. ‘And neither is the town. Stuey will fix your car and you can go home. Or I’ll drive you to Wagga today, right now, and you can fly back to Sydney. If that’s what you want to do.’
Her eyes seemed to refocus, and she swallowed, blinked and shook her head. ‘No, you warned me there could be trouble and I’m staying, I already decided that. You’re right. I’m sorry … I … it just all got on top of me for a moment.’
‘Sure?’
She nodded. ‘I’ll help you move after we see Stuey.’
The ‘we’ pleased him more than her return to her customary rationality and the fact she hadn’t withdrawn her hands from his pleased him even more. He smiled and she smiled back, successfully this time.
‘Sorry,’ she murmured. ‘I don’t usually have meltdowns in public. It’s just that this is so senseless. Moronic vandalism—like the rabbit.’
‘Yes, you’re right. It’s on a different level to being physically threatened.’
‘Your coffee.’ Hannah placed the two mugs on the table and a plate with two chocolate brownies. ‘How are you, Mia? I want to apologise on behalf of the town. What a despicable act. I’m ashamed of my fellow citizens.’
‘Thanks, Hannah. That’s kind of you but you’re in no way to blame for what some lowlife does.’
‘It reflects on us all,’ she said. ‘Taylor’s Bend isn’t usually that type of town. You should write about that next time, Arlo.’ She gave him a fierce look, smiled at Mia and went back behind the counter.
‘She’s right,’ said Arlo. ‘It’s not that type of town.’
‘Except it is,’ Mia said. ‘Every town is when you scratch a bit of the shiny paint away.’
After an encouraging discussion with Stuey during which he took multiple photographs for the insurance company then proceeded to clean the windscreen enough for him to drive the car to his workshop, Mia was happier. In spite of his laidback air, dirty overalls over a maroon jumper, bright green knitted beanie and muddy boots, Stuey radiated the confidence of an experienced mechanic, a man who knew everything there was to know about cars and their maintenance.
‘Don’t worry, love,’ he said. ‘We’ll have her back to you good as new in a day or two.’
‘That soon? It’s the weekend tomorrow.’
‘Gotta get onto it while the paint’s still a bit wet, see?’ he said.
Mia nodded and handed him the keys. ‘Thank you very much.’
‘Any idea who the mongrel was who did it?’ he asked.
‘No. Rupe and Shannon are investigating. He said they’d be able to match the paint.’
‘Yeah, he’s a good cop, Rupe. He’s quiet but thorough.’
***
With only one car, the move from Arlo’s flat to the house was slower but by the time Riley was due home everything they’d need for the first few days was in place, the heating was on and the house once again felt like a home. Arlo sent Riley a text to come straight to the house and he arrived with a grin as wide as a grand piano keyboard.
‘Great work, Dad.’
‘Mia helped. You and I can do the rest in the morning so no sleeping in.’
‘Sure.’ Instead of dumping his bag on the floor as usual he took it to the room he’d chosen.
‘Afternoon tea in the dining room,’ called Arlo.
‘Okay,’ floated back.
Mia smiled. ‘One happy camper.’
‘Thank goodness.’ Riley wasn’t the only happy camper. Mia had cheered up considerably while they packed and carried and unpacked. She insisted on making Riley’s bed even though Arlo said Riley could do it himself.
Riley came in and dropped two crumpled sheets of paper on the table in front of Arlo.
‘What’s this?’
‘From school. It’s okay it’s not another death threat.’ He sat down and began hacking into the date loaf Arlo had provided for afternoon tea.
Arlo read the letter. ‘An excursion to Canberra,’ he said.
‘Yeah.’
‘Do you want to go?’
‘Yeah, why not?’
‘Okay, just checking.’
‘There’s heaps to see there,’ said Mia. ‘I go to Canberra a lot for work.’
‘I’ve already been with my other school,’ said Riley. ‘Questacon was cool. You should go. They have these really cool things like an earthquake machine and a big cage with lightning in it.’
‘Write me an article on the trip,’ said Arlo. ‘And I’d like something for the next issue, please.’
‘Sure. I already have a few ideas.’
‘Good. Turn them into words.’
‘What’s front page?’ asked Mia.
‘Not sure. Depends if something happens. I want to do a follow up on the road maintenance. See if they have any plans for improvements. The council want to put their side now, of course. Having missed the deadline before, suddenly they’re eager to talk.’
‘Serves them right,’ said Riley.
‘I’ve had journos from Willoughby and Wagga on the line, too, about the Greenhill thing.’
‘But you don’t have any real proof of corruption yet, do you?’ asked Mia.
‘My sources are working on that.’
‘What about the piece on my dad?’
‘The reaction to that is local as you’d expect and apart from the incidents you’ve had people are generally keeping quiet. Surprisingly so.’ He turned to Riley. ‘I need to go back to the office for a couple of hours. You’ll stay inside, won’t you?’
‘I’m not going out there it’s too cold and anyway, Sam has what I had now. Can we have pizza for dinner?’
‘That sounds good. I’ll do that too,’ said Mia. ‘Pizza and a movie in my room with the TV. Perfect.’
Mia left with Arlo but walked to Dot and Laurie’s store. To replenish her chocolate supplies, she said. She seemed so intent on a quiet night alone in her room much as he wanted to, Arlo didn’t dare interfere with her plans by inviting her to eat at the house.
He drove to the office intending to bring his laptop and other files back with him. Georgia had been hard at work all day doing the layout for the next issue. He’d managed to stick his head in periodically to see if she needed assistance but knew she didn’t. She was capable of running the paper on her own now but he still felt guilty at neglecting his share of the work.
It was dark when he closed up the office and went out through the empty flat. Compared to the house it was poky and cramped, he could see that now. He made a final check for items he and Riley might need and took his gumboots from the laundry. He had a garden to maintain.
With everything stowed in the car he turned the key in the ignition and was met by the asthmatic wheeze of a dying battery. Damn it. He tried again but knew it was hopeless. He couldn’t remember when he’d bought a new battery and this freezing weather was guaranteed to kill an ailing one off. What a pain in the neck. Still, he could carry his laptop and the files to the house and walk back to collect the pizza from the takeaway. He went back inside to load everything into carry bags, let himself out the front door and went to order the pizza hoping he’d correctly remembered the strict instructions from Riley as to the correct toppings.