A Child In Need

There was no choice. Move…

But when he went to hand over Harry, the child’s arms tightened like a vice, and if Nick had tried to disengage him he would have woken and sobbed.

So when the kindergarten door opened and Shanni, Nick and Harry emerged, to the huge relief of the waiting constabulary, it was the new town magistrate who was holding the baby, and it was the kindergarten teacher who was holding the gun.

CHAPTER THREE

AND after that it was over-sort of. Police officers surged into the building and emerged with one dazed sixteen-year-old who looked half asleep and as if he didn’t know what was happening.

‘Please look after him,’ Shanni said softly as he emerged, handcuffed and secured. ‘He’s just a scared kid.’

But the police were taking no chances. He was taken away, sirens screaming, while Nick and Shanni blinked in the unaccustomed daylight and Harry stirred in Nick’s arms and started to sob.

A woman-in her late twenties, dishevelled and fearful-emerged from the crowd and tried to take him from Nick’s arms. ‘Harry. Oh, baby, we’ve been so worried. Come to Wendy.’

This, then, must be the woman in charge of Harry’s home within the orphanage, but Harry was unimpressed. He clung desperately to Nick, and as she tried to take him he screamed.

But Nick had had enough. There was nothing more he could do. He unfastened the desperate fingers and placed the weeping bundle of baby into the woman’s outstretched arms.

‘He’s all yours.’

‘No! I want to stay. I want to stay with my Nick.’ Harry was screaming with desperation, and Shanni reached forward to hug him.

‘Harry, don’t worry. Nick’s staying here for two years. Maybe we can visit…’

He had no intention of travelling down that road. No way!

‘We can visit you, Nick?’ Shanni asked, and something snapped.

‘I don’t think so.’

‘Why ever not?’ She sounded astounded.

This was blackmail, he thought desperately. He had to get out of here-fast! And it was kinder to be blunt.

‘See that mountain up there?’ He’d had more than he needed of this emotional heart-pull. What a way to start a new life! ‘Harry, look at the mountain,’ he told him. He raised his voice. ‘Now!’

He could still get through to him. Harry stopped sobbing for long enough to stare up to where Mount Borrowah towered over the town.

‘That’s where I live,’ Nick said flatly-definitely. ‘I’m sorry, mate, but visiting me’s impossible.’ He softened then, just a little. ‘But it was great to meet you. You be good for Wendy, now.’

And he turned away before he could see the child’s face crumple into despair.

Then followed the police debriefing. Hours of it, with question after question. What had happened? What threats had been made? Nick and Shanni were interviewed together and separately, and by the time they were finished Nick conceded that the local police force knew their stuff. They’d get a solid conviction.

It was a major crime, he thought ruefully. Damn. There’d now been one major crime in Bay Beach but he couldn’t be involved as magistrate because he was a witness. The committal proceedings would be heard somewhere else.

Which left him still with fishing licences and farm disputes to look forward to. Terrific!

Finally, with interviews complete and after knocking back offers of counselling and psychological help, he emerged to find the police inspector waiting to greet him in his new capacity as magistrate.

‘Mr Daniels.’ His hand was gripped in a massive paw. ‘Welcome to Bay Beach. I’m sorry your arrival turned into such a mess. This place isn’t always so exciting.’

Great. He made himself say something polite and noncommittal while behind him, Shanni emerged from her own interview room. There were a dozen or so people waiting. They’d been silent as Nick had talked to the inspector but now they surged forward, engulfing Shanni in a sea of hugs and laughter and relief. When they finally released her, Nick was introduced to what must have been almost the entire population of the town.

Shanni looked exhausted. Since Nick’s mention of the mountain to Harry, she’d been decidedly cool, but she was still in control enough to stay polite.

‘Nick, these are my parents. This is my brother, Rob-he’s a senior constable here. Mary’s my sister and she’s your clerk of courts. Here’s Sam, Hatty, Will and Louise-they’re all my younger brothers and sisters. Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Merle…Uncle Simon-he’s the one with the car yard. Uncle Simon, I want you to write a letter for me. Everybody, this is Nick Daniels, the town’s new magistrate. He lives up on Borrowah Mountain. I don’t think!’

They didn’t understand that, but Nick was surged on, regardless, and his hand was wrung until it felt as if it would drop off.

‘We’re so grateful you were here to take care of our Shanni,’ Shanni’s grandmother quavered and, to Nick’s astonishment, Shanni’s brothers and sisters hooted with laughter. He must have looked stunned, because Guy McDonald, Shanni’s father, noticed.

‘Don’t look like that, Nick.’ The elderly farmer clapped Nick on the shoulder. ‘I’m sure you did well, boy, but we know Shanni isn’t a shrinking violet. All last night, when the rest of the town were worrying themselves sick about their kindergarten teacher, Shanni’s mother and I were wondering whether the kid would get out of there alive.’

‘I was never going to shoot him,’ Shanni said, affronted.

‘No, dear, but you could have talked him into shooting himself,’ her mother said comfortably. ‘And when Rob rang and asked what Louise took for night-time hay fever…’

‘You mean…you don’t get hay fever?’ Nick demanded, staggered.

‘Louise does,’ Shanni said blithely. ‘Didn’t I sneeze well? When Louise has hay fever she blows us away, and the medicine she takes at night knocks her out so hard she snores the roof off.’

‘I do not!’ Louise glared.

‘Do, too.’ There was general laughter, and then the police station door burst open. A large young man came striding in, looking deeply anxious. He seemed every inch a farmer-open, weathered face with eyes creased by the sun, moleskins, flannelette shirt, wide-brimmed hat… It only needed a straw sticking out of the side of his mouth to complete the picture.

The man was in no mood for interruptions-or introductions. He was looking for his woman.

‘Shanni!’ He walked straight to Shanni, gathered her into his arms and he held her as if there was no tomorrow. And she submitted to his embrace as if she belonged there.

Which made Nick feel…weird? But there was nothing he could do but watch and listen.

‘Shanni, love,’ the stranger was saying, ‘I took cattle over to the sales at Warrbook and I’ve only just got back to hear this. Hell! Love, are you okay? I’ll kill the…’

‘Hush.’ She was being raised right off her feet as she was hugged. As she smiled down into the stranger’s eyes, Nick was aware of a sharp stab of something that might have been jealousy.

No. Ridiculous thought. There was nothing to be jealous of here, for heaven’s sake.

‘I’m fine,’ Shanni was saying, struggling to find her feet. She motioned to Nick. ‘Nick, this is John Blainey. John, Nick’s our new magistrate. He was taken hostage, too.’

‘And you looked after my girl.’ Nick’s hand was seized and wrung again until his wrist felt broken. ‘You got her out of there. I owe you…’

‘I think you’ll find Shanni got herself out of there,’ Nick said wryly. ‘I just babysat.’

The man stared-and then he grinned. ‘You can still joke. That’s fantastic.’ He turned and held Shanni tight again. ‘That does it, sweetheart. We’ll get married. I know I don’t have the house built yet, but if you think I’m going to let you run yourself into danger again…’

‘By teaching kindergarten?’

‘By doing anything without me,’ John said stolidly. ‘I know how to protect my own, and I’ll protect you.’

He needed to get out of here, Nick decided. As, obviously, did the rest of Shanni’s family. They were all