Tess, tell me what the matter is.
His names Mr Vale. I had him at my last school, no, the one before last, the school where I did Years 7 and 8. Swimming coach. I reported him then and I reported him again last week, but no one listens.
I’m listening.
Do you even care? At my old school he was always touching me and stuff, when I had my bathers on. I couldn’t believe it when he turned up at Penleigh.
Maybe there’d been complaints, Leah thought, and the school had quietly encouraged Vale to move on rather than take action against him. She shrugged inwardly. That had happened with priests in some parishes. Who did you report him to?
My mother, but she was too busy running around trying to find another husband. Plus I was always in trouble about something, you know. She was used to that.
Leah nodded. She herself had always been a handful for her elderly parents. What happened at Penleigh?
Tess squirmed in her seat. I was better at avoiding him, you know, being older and everything, but last Friday morning he cornered me when I was training. I used to swim every morning at six o’clock when I had the pool to myself. He made me touch his thing and showed me these gross pictures he’d downloaded.
Tess was rocking a little, her arms wrapped tightly about herself.
Who’d you report him to?
Dr Heyward, the principal.
And?
All shes interested in is the public image of the school, stupid cow.
Leah tried to picture the scene: a high-powered principal, intimidating and no doubt concerned with the image of her high-powered school, trying to gauge whether or not a chronic troublemaker was simply trying to make more mischief. Tess, no school principal is going to ignore that kind of thing, not these days.
What would you know?
Did you tell your mum this time?
You must be joking.
What about the police?
Yeah, right, like anyone would believe me. I got done for shoplifting last year.
Did you tell this Vale character you’d reported him?
I’m not stupid. The principal must have told him there’d been a complaint, because he got me into this corner and said stop making waves, no one would believe me because I was a known troublemaker and expelled from two other schools. I was just garbage as far as he was concerned. He said he had money and powerful friends, and it was his word against mine.
So you ran away because no one listened. I can see how that
I ran away, Tess said, because he threatened to kill me.
chapter 13
Kill you, said Leah flatly, registering her doubt.
Tess stormed at her. Thats exactly what he said. He meant it.
Okay, okay. So you ran away from school. Why not simply go home? Why hook up with Mitch and bring all that trouble down on yourself?
Mitch never judged me like you’re doing, like everyone else in my life.
You could have tried explaining things to your parents, to your mother at least.
Yeah, well shes overseas, isn’t she? Shes never been around for me.
Where is she?
India, for two years. My stepfathers the High Commissioner, okay? Thats why I’m a boarder.
Your brother?
Ian? Id just be an annoyance. He spends all day online, trading shares and gambling.
Leah stared out at the tricky night. A chilly wind had picked up in the past thirty minutes. The candle flame bent and guttered. She glanced at her watch: ten oclock.
We should get some sleep, she said, and have an early start in the morning. A rule of thumb is the bad guys always sleep in.
That earned her a grateful half-smile from Tess. Leah leant forward and touched her wrist. Which room to you want?
Can we share?
In one room there was a queen-size bed; three singles were in the other. It was clear to Leah that Tess wanted the security of sharing the room with her but, in truth, Leah herself wanted the comfort of sharing with Tess. Everyone wins, she thought.
Something woke her: a drifting odour, a small sound, a subtle realignment of the air molecules-something. She glanced at the red numerals of the digital clock beside her bed: 4:02. Two hours before dawn.
Then she heard a distant shout, sounds of effort and strife.
Leah rolled out of bed, crossed the room and placed her hand over Tess’s mouth. Tess woke immediately, ready to thrash about to free herself, until Leah whispered, Shhh. Its me. Somethings going on.
Tess relaxed, tried to speak. What? she whispered, when Leah had removed her hand.
Someones out there. Get dressed.
Are we leaving?
Soon.
What do you mean, soon?
Shhh. I need to check outside. I want you dressed and ready to go.
Moonlight was leaking into the room and Leah’s eyes were adjusting to the dimness. She saw the fear in Tess’s face and said, Its okay, Ill be careful. I just don’t want us walking out into a trap. I need to know if the car is secure, for example.
Youll come back for me?
Leah was pulling on her jeans. Yes.
Hysteria rose in Tess’s voice. But what if you don’t?
I promise, Ill be careful and Ill come back for you.
Do I wait in here? Tess asked, hunched in misery.
Leah pushed both feet into her trainers. Movement gave her time to think. Where could Tess hide? She glanced around the room. There was a massive, ancient wardrobe in the room, the false faade above the double doors effectively concealing a storage space for suitcases. A minute later she had hoisted Tess into the gap, saying, Lie curled up on your side. A cloud of dust puffed out. Leah sneezed.
Bless you, Tess said, in a small, lost voice.
Thanks. Now, try not to worry. Ill come back, I promise, but if something goes wrong then stay where you are until you hear friendly voices, like the farmer or the police. If its anyone else, lie still and don’t make a sound.
Leah left before Tess could protest. She slipped out of the bathroom window and ran half-crouched to the panel van. She locked it, first checking that no one was concealed inside. Then she ran to a corrugated-iron water tank on a stand constructed out of railway sleepers. Here it was quiet and cool. The wind had dropped, and for the next three minutes she listened intently and tried to pinpoint fugitive odours in the still air. Shed soon know if anyone nearby smoked, sweated, chewed gum or was wearing insect repellent, deodorant or aftershave.
Nothing.
Then she heard the tinkle of car keys, the soft brushing of a sleeve or trouser leg, the minute crackle of a foot falling on dry grass. She concentrated. Someone was down on the long slope of bushes, shrubs and ornamental trees beneath the cottage. She unfolded the main blade of her Swiss Army knife and set out to
