Could I believe Ronnie’s interpretation?
Maybe. But my heart wouldn’t let the hope swell to any level of significance.
What if she was wrong?
_____
Ben
Rockhampton, Australia
3rd of August, 2009, 1:22 p.m.
My phone vibrated in my pocket. I ignored it, shooting the nail gun to secure some skirting. Half a minute later, it buzzed again. I put the gun down and slid the mobile from my pocket. Four missed calls from Lee. And a text message. He hadn’t shown up to work this morning. I’d sent him a text asking if he was okay. He’d finally replied. I opened it.
Andy was right.
About what?
Dialling the number for my voicemail, I listened for messages. He hadn’t left any. What the hell was going on?
Gripping the phone, I brought up his contact and hit the call button.
I heard a click like he’d answered, but no other sound came through the speaker. “Hello? Lee?”
“Yeah.”
“Mate, what’s going on?”
“My parents died in a plane crash yesterday afternoon. Andy was right.”
Oh, fuck.
“Jesus. Are you at home?”
“Yes.”
“Is Midget with you?”
“Yes.”
“I’m coming. Stay put.” I hung up and went to find the foreman. “Rob. I gotta go, mate. That was Bradlee. I wouldn’t expect him in for the rest of the week. He just lost his parents.”
“Shit. Yeah, you go. Send him our condolences.” He slapped a palm on my shoulder.
I packed away at record speed, dialling Andy’s number before hanging up. She’d still be in school. I couldn’t tell her yet. That was if she took my call at all.
Turning into Lee’s street, I almost had the ute on two wheels. It was pointless and stupid to speed, but they didn’t have any other family around, apart from a grandmother in Brisbane somewhere. I didn’t have a clue if she was still alive, or capable of travelling to be with them. A mate needed a mate so I got there ASAP.
Lee opened the door before I reached it. He looked like death warmed up, with dark sunken pits under his eyes, and hair sticking out at all angles.
I didn’t say anything. Instead, I pulled him in for a hug right there on the doorstep.
He shut the door and sat on the small step to the entry. “How did she know?” he choked.
“Andy?” I joined him.
“Yeah.”
“She knows things. She might not get all the details, but she gains enough to make a person stand up and listen.”
“I didn’t.” His eyes glazed over as he stared ahead.
I bent my knees, hooking my arms around them. “Don’t beat yourself up. Don’t do that. How could you have stopped them anyway? Do you think they would’ve listened?”
“No.”
“There ya go.”
“But I should’ve tried.” His voice faded as tears flooded his eyes.
Hooking an arm over his shoulders, I brought him in close. He was my brother by choice. I shared his pain. The whole fucking situation ripped me to shreds. I couldn’t imagine having to face the black hole that had opened before him. But I wasn’t going to let him wrestle with it alone.
“What’s done is done. Maybe it was just their time. I know it’s fucked, but I kinda believe everything happens for a reason. And if there’s one good thing in this, it’s that they went together.”
I was talking out of my arse. There wasn’t anything good about this. Two kids had been orphaned. Lee was only nineteen and Letitia, thirteen. He was gonna have to raise his sister now on an apprentice’s wage. I hoped they had insurance to pay off any debts and cover the funerals. Fuck, he’d need help planning those.
“Have they recovered the bodies?”
He straightened, wiping his face. “No.”
Ah, fuck. My head went loose on my neck. He wasn’t going to get any closure until they’d been found and put to rest. If there was anything left of them. The ocean could be violently unforgiving.
“How’s Midget?”
“Passed out on the couch.”
“Is Larissa with her?”
“No. She’s working.”
“Did you tell her?”
“Yeah. She said she’d be over later.”
Wow.
The sound of gravel crunching under tyres approached. Stewart’s car pulled to a stop outside the house, and Andy jumped out of the passenger side before running up the path. She squatted and caught Lee in a hug. “I’m so sorry. So sorry.”
“How did you know? I haven’t told anyone else.”
“I had a feeling. I knew for sure as soon as I saw you sitting out here.”
Stewart ambled behind her. “It’s true?”
Lee bounced his chin once.
“Shit. I didn’t believe her.”
I locked Andy in my sights, willing her to return my gaze, but she was focused solely on Lee. And rightly so. This wasn’t about my fuck-up, or needing her back in my life so bad I could hardly breathe.
“Is Tish inside?” she murmured.
“On the couch.”
She patted him on the back “Do you mind if I go in?”
“Go ahead.”
After pushing to her feet, she disappeared inside the house.
Stew joined us on the stoop. “Wanna get pissed?”
Typical Stew.
Brad rested his elbows on his knees, holding his head in his hands. “Actually, yes. I’d love to pass out for a decade and forget this ever happened, but I’ve got a little sister who needs me.”
Stew pouted, nodding his head. “Does she wanna get pissed?”
My gaze shot to his. “Jesus, Stewart.”
“What? It might help them both sleep.” He turned to Lee. “I bet you haven’t done much of that.”
“None.”
“I’ve got alcohol in the car. Me and Andy can stay over tonight. She can look after Midget. She’s good like that.”
Actually, that was a stellar idea. But if they were staying, so was I. Stewart and Lee needed someone to cut them off before it got ugly. Andy and Tish shouldn’t have to deal with two drunken idiots. And
