‘Looks like we’re your new neighbours…’ He broke off at the sound of a horn and turned in time to a police car pulling up at the kerb.
A short, fat man hauled himself out using the handrail. He had a large smile on his face.
‘Dave, my man! You’ve made good time. Didn’t think you’d be here for another half an hour. I was going to open the place up and give it a bit of an air before you got here. Get the air-con on.’ He gave his hand a cursory wipe on his shorts and held it out. ‘The heat’s made itself felt today.’
‘We had a smooth run,’ Dave answered, taking Spencer’s hand and shaking it hard. ‘How’re you going?’
‘Excellent, excellent.’ He turned to Melinda. ‘You must be the new bride! Congratulations. Welcome to Barrabine.’
‘This is Melinda.’ Dave turned to introduce her.
She nodded before saying, ‘Thanks.’
Dave wanted to cringe. One-word replies were an even worse sign than tight lips. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and saw she was swallowing hard. Maybe she was on the verge of tears.
‘Come in, come in.’ Spencer ushered Melinda towards the house.
‘Oi, who you mob?’ the Aboriginal man reminded them all he was still waiting for an answer. ‘G’day, Mr Spencer.’ ‘G’day there, Ernie.’ Spencer turned and said to Dave, ‘Ernie will make a great neighbour. Always keeps an eye on what’s going on, don’t you, mate? Loves a chat,’ he said by way of introduction. ‘Ernie, Dave and Melinda Burrows. Our new detective and his missus.’
Dave felt Melinda recoil at the word ‘missus’.
‘G’day,’ Ernie nodded to them both. ‘Good neighbours, good neighbours.’ He gave a grin, showing a perfectly white and straight set of teeth, and Dave couldn’t help but smile back. His cheeriness was infectious.
‘Go on with you now, Ernie,’ Spencer waved him away. ‘Let these good people settle in before you start having a yarn. All right?’ He turned back to Dave.
‘I don’t mind having a yarn,’ Dave began but was silenced with a look from Melinda.
Spencer slipped a key in the lock and madly shooed all the flies out of their hiding place in the shade, then threw open the door. ‘Now I know this place looks a bit ratty from the outside,’ he said, ‘but it’s nicely renovated inside. Come on in, Mel. You don’t mind if I call you that, do you? Have a look at your new home!’ He gave another wide smile and gestured as if he were a gameshow host.
‘I’m Melinda, not Mel,’ she said, walking in front of Spencer and into the house.
Spencer paused. ‘Apologies. My mistake. Everyone seems to have nicknames around this place. Melinda it is.’
‘Sorry,’ Dave said softly to Spencer’s back as he followed him inside. ‘Long day, and I think it’s all a bit of a…’
‘S’all right, mate.’ Spencer stopped and gave him a wink. ‘I’ve been here for a few years. Seen it all before. Barra can be a bit of a shock to anyone, let alone a new bride. Don’t worry about it. Gawd, you should’ve seen Kathy when she first got here. Cried for days. They adjust after a while. Come on, in you go.’ He patted Dave’s shoulder and turned back to the dimness of the house.
Dave was pleased to see the house was certainly better from the inside. It had the smell of new carpet and paint, and even though the kitchen looked a little tired, it was clean.
Dave watched as Melinda ran her fingertips across the benchtop, then looked at them to see how much dust they had collected. She brushed her hands across her shorts and moved off down the dark passageway. He could feel her eyes everywhere, taking in her new home. What he couldn’t see was her reaction.
Spencer continued to talk as if he hadn’t noticed Melinda’s aloofness or the fact she’d walked out of the room. ‘I’m sure you’ll feel much better once your furniture gets here, Melinda. Should only be about an hour away. I rang head office to check and they gave the driver a call on the radio. Having familiar things around you always makes a place feel like home. And I guess you’ve got some nice photos of the wedding to hang on your wall. Pictures always make a house seem homelier too. I know my wife has covered almost every spot. Photos of the kids when they were at school, holiday snaps, landscapes. You name it, it’s up there.’ He gave a bit of a chuckle. ‘Bit of a mad photographer, so she is.’
Dave frowned as Melinda didn’t answer. He hoped her rudeness wasn’t as obvious to Spencer as it was to him.
Spencer slapped his knee. ‘Oh, hell, I forgot. I’ve got bread, milk, coffee and butter in the car. I’d better grab the bag before the heat gets to them. And Kathy, that’s my wife, she’s coming over to see you tomorrow, Melinda. She’s more than happy to help you unpack and show you around. Local knowledge is good to have when it comes to Barra: where to shop, when the fresh fruit and veg trucks come in, and all of that. Be back in a sec.’
The front door slammed, leaving Dave and Melinda alone.
Dave made his way to what he thought was the main bedroom and stood in the doorway watching as Melinda turned in circles looking at the room. He could see the outline of a dark brown stain on the ceiling, under the new paint, but the walls were a clean, vivid white. Briefly he wondered how long they would stay like that with all the dust around. He hadn’t been here ten minutes and the red dust was already over his hands and shoes.
‘What do you think?’ he asked, then quickly wished he hadn’t. Her thoughts probably weren’t going to be good ones.
Melinda remained quiet.
‘It’s comfortable,’ Dave said, hoping to get Melinda talking. ‘And we don’t have to pay rent. We’re going to
