Killarney, p.4
Killarney, page 4
‘Anything else?’ asked Lachlan.
‘Well, he was at the Catholic church in Rose Bay. Then the next thing you know, he’s back up here living in Warwick. Not what you’d expect.’
‘What’s your point, Dad?’
‘What’s a single man his age doing back here? I’m telling you, he came back because something went wrong.’
‘Not necessarily. Maybe after he’d lived there for a while, he realised that he wasn’t a fan of the big smoke.’
Pat tapped his nose. ‘You know what they say. Never ask a Brother where he’s going, or where he’s been.’
‘You really do thrive on gossip, Dad. Makes me wonder what you’re doing out here, all by yourself. Don’t you get lonely?’
‘I’m fine,’ Pat said gruffly. ‘Beau keeps me company.’
‘I was referring to human company.’
‘My mate, Pete, comes out sometimes. That’s all I need. What I don’t need, is you trying out your social work on me.’
An uncomfortable silence fell and Dana focused on her pie. Lachlan looked across to a framed photograph on the windowsill, of an older woman with bold red glasses and a straw hat. She was flanked by two men with their arms around her and a couple of younger boys crouching in front.
‘What are the cousins up to these days?’ Lachlan asked Pat.
‘The usual – drinking and driving trucks. And other proclivities which I’d rather not mention. They’re still under Edith’s thumb and doing exactly what she tells them.’
‘And how is Aunty Edith?’
‘The same. I keep asking her when she’s going to retire from the family business, but I don’t think she will. She can’t help herself.’
‘What business is that?’ asked Dana.
‘Transport,’ Pat said quickly.
‘Transport?’ asked Dana, curious about the sudden electricity in the air between Lachlan and his dad.
Pat smiled. ‘Killarney’s had trouble moving into the twenty-first century because it’s lost a lot of core farming business. Drug crime is up and I know Edith is worried about it. Not to mention, a lot of bad people have moved into town these past few years because of the border crackdowns.’
‘Lachlan did mention that,’ she said.
‘It’s a shame, because Killarney’s a beautiful place and has a wonderful community spirit.’
When they finished their morning tea, Pat gave Dana a bag of freshly picked apples and plums and walked them to their car.
‘Maybe you can drop by again soon, Lachy,’ he said, patting his son’s shoulder.
‘Sure thing.’
‘Feel free to bring your beautiful friend.’
‘Work colleague, Dad.’
Lachlan started the engine and Dana watched in the rear-view mirror as Pat waved until they reached the bottom of the driveway.
‘What were you so worried about?’ she asked, noticing Lachlan’s expression once they’d pulled onto the highway.
‘Don’t tell me you didn’t see the stack of empty whiskey bottles?’
She nodded and was silent for a moment. ‘Do you think there’s any truth in what he said about Blair?’
‘No, I don’t. I’ve known Blair since primary school and there’s no way he’d be involved in something like that.’ Lachlan sighed. ‘I have to say, it always depresses me when people make out that there’s something sinister about the church. I’ve always found that the people who go to church in Killarney are just genuinely nice folks.’
‘Still, it might be worth following up on?’
‘Not worth it,’ he said, as large splotches of rain hit the windscreen. ‘And anyway, I need to get back to the office. I’ve got to organise a social assessment this afternoon, then pick up the kids and be home in time for our anniversary dinner, otherwise Rachel will kill me.’
Her eyes turned to the endless fields of green. His blank refusal to talk to Blair surprised her. Why was Lachlan so dismissive of his father’s suspicions? It was clear that Lachlan was overly attached to the case, and to Killarney and the people who lived there. If Blair knew Jayden from church then it made sense to at least talk to him. It was better than telling their new manager that they’d lost track of a child who was supposed to be in the Department’s care.
When they got back to the office, Dana spent a few hours at her desk reading Jayden’s child protection history and the struggle of his young life. She was impressed by what a hard worker he was; against the odds he’d managed to find himself a home with Trevor and Connie and stable employment at the sawmill. She ruminated over what else might be going on and hoped he was alright, wherever he was.
By the time she finished for the day and headed across Queens Park, the rain had cleared. She strode up Godsall Street admiring the glistening dew drops on the flowers and shrubs. As she drew closer to her house she heard raucous laughter and could just make out two people sitting on the verandah. One of them was Susan, but the other person – a man – had his back turned. Who could it be? She wasn’t expecting anyone.
When she reached the fence she could hear Susan’s voice. The man she was with turned and waved, giving her that broad grin. Lachlan’s brother. Dana opened the latch on the gate, trying not to trip over her feet as she walked up the path.
‘Sean?’ Her heart hammered as she took in his glittering blue eyes. ‘Fancy seeing you again.’
4
Dana raised an eyebrow at Susan, who shrugged. Clearly, Susan had no idea what Sean was doing there either, but judging by her smile, she was clearly enjoying herself. She stood up and smoothed the material of her coral pedal pushers. ‘Oh well, I’d better be going. Great to meet you, Sean.’ She headed down the front steps, where the blue star creeper was in bloom among the bricks.
‘So, what brings you here?’ Dana tried to pretend she wasn’t rattled that he’d made himself at home on her verandah. She took a seat next to him; it would be easier to talk without the requirement of eye contact.
He threw his arm over the back of the chair, crossing his legs in a way that reminded her of Lachlan. ‘I know it seems weird, but having Lachy visit made me realise how little I’ve seen of him and what a terrible uncle I’ve been. I thought I’d drop by and give Patrick the birthday present that’s been in my spare room for the past six months. I was really looking forward to seeing them, but when I arrived their place was empty.’
‘He did say that he couldn’t be late for his anniversary dinner with Rachel tonight, otherwise his head would be on the chopping block – his words not mine. Nice bike by the way, is that a Harley?’
‘Triumph Thunderbird. I bought it at an auction in South Australia. Dad and I spent five years doing it up. Mum hates it. She was a nurse before she retired and she’s convinced I’m going to have a terrible accident and never walk again.’ Sean smiled and she grinned back as though she’d known him for years.
‘How’d you know where I live?’
‘When I realised my brother wasn’t home I swung by his work, hoping I’d catch him. One of your colleagues – Vaughan, is it? – thought he might be with you. He said you lived on Godsall Street, so I took a punt and that’s when I bumped into Susan in her garden. She pointed me in the right direction. Lovely lady by the way.’
Dana tried not to think about the cancer diagnosis. ‘Yes, she is.’ A gust of wind whipped the branches of the neighbouring camphor laurels and she shivered. ‘I can’t imagine that Lachlan will be home for hours yet. It’s been a long day so I’m going to head inside for a drink. Would you like to join me?’
‘That would be great.’
Inside, she took Sean’s leather jacket and hung it on the rack near the door, then grabbed the wineglasses from the display cabinet and headed for the kitchen. She stopped, almost bumping into him as she turned back for a bottle of Penfolds. The colour rose in her face. ‘You can sit here if you like.’ She gestured to the Chesterfield before hurrying to the kitchen, relieved to have some space. Pull yourself together. She returned with a platter of brie and an assortment of dips and crackers, then poured the wine and handed him a glass. ‘Cheers.’
‘Yes, cheers.’ He grinned at her over his wineglass. ‘Thanks for taking pity on me. If it wasn’t for you, I’d still be sitting on Lachlan’s front doorstep.’ He hesitated. ‘And sorry about letting my emotions get the better of me back at the sawmill earlier. With Lachlan being the older brother and all, it always sets off my competitive instincts. Ever since we were young I’ve felt like he’s gotten everything – the better clothes, the better grades, the better girlfriends. Sometimes I just need to pull my head in.’ He helped himself to the food. ‘Did you have any luck finding Jayden?’
She shook her head. ‘How well do you know him?’
‘In Killarney you can’t even duck out for milk without running into five people you went to school with. And Jayden works at the sawmill. He’s a nice kid. Always says hi when he comes into the office.’
She found herself drifting into fantasy as he spoke, wondering what it would be like to be close to him, feel his breath on her neck.
His expression clouded with concern. ‘Am I boring you?’
Heat scorched her cheeks. ‘It’s been a long time since I had lunch and this wine is beginning to go to my head. I was thinking of cooking up some steak and salad for dinner, if you’re interested?’
‘Sure, but let me help. It’s the least I can do for crashing your night.’
In the kitchen, she took the meat and salad ingredients out of the fridge and poured more wine. She turned and leant against the bench, watching as he ground salt and pepper over the steaks.
‘So, have you always lived in Toowoomba?’ he asked, massaging some oil into the meat and taking a copper pan from the wall. ‘You don’t give me the impression that you’re someone who’s grown up here.’ He turned his head to look at her before switching on the gas.
‘I grew up in Sydney, but took a secondment here last year.’ She had a fleeting desire to tell him about losing her son, Oscar, then changed her mind. ‘But I’ve landed on my feet here. I’ve become good friends with Susan, who owns this house and rents it out to me, and I’ve also become close to her grandson who lives with her, Angus.’
He placed the steak in the hot pan, prodding it with the tongs as it began to sizzle. ‘Why isn’t the kid with his parents?’
‘He’s never really known his father and his mum’s had mental health and substance misuse problems so she’s never been stable.’ Dana stared out the kitchen window as diagonal sheets of rain began to fall. ‘Problem is, Susan’s just found out she has stage four bowel cancer.’
Sean turned to her, holding the tongs mid-air. ‘God, that’s awful. Poor Susan. What’s going to happen with the kid?’
‘She’s asked me to look after Angus. Which is fine, he’s become like a son to me. It’s just that I’m worried about what happens when he hits adolescence. What if he becomes this stony-faced, brooding teenager who won’t listen to me and is struggling with the fact that all of his family have gone at the exact moment his hormones have kicked in. I’m worried that it’s going to end in disaster.’ She took a deep breath. ‘I think that what he’s really going to need is a strong male role model. Someone with parenting experience who can talk to him about what it’s like to be a man. I have no idea how I’m going to give him that.’
She paused, realising that whatever gift Lachlan had for getting people to spill their secrets, Sean also had it in abundance. ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to burden you with all my problems.’
‘It’s fine, at the sawmill the only thing anyone ever talks about is how the Broncos are playing and how much booze they drank on the weekend. Believe me, this is a refreshing change.’ He reached for the knob of the gas and turned it off. ‘Okay. These are ready.’
‘God, sorry. I’ve been talking so much I forgot to make the salad.’ She grabbed a bowl and threw together spinach leaves, grape tomatoes, olives and crumbled feta, then mixed in balsamic vinegar and placed the bowl on the table.
She topped up their wine as they sat down. ‘This is amazing,’ she said savouring the tender meat. ‘Really.’
‘Thanks. It’s the one aspect of cooking I’m actually good at.’ He nodded at the Breville coffee machine in the corner. ‘I’ve been thinking about getting one of those.’
‘When I moved to Toowoomba I quickly realised that if I wanted a decent coffee in the morning, I was going to have to make it myself.’
‘If you think the coffee in Toowoomba’s bad, you should try it in Killarney.’ He smiled, elbows bent as he sliced through his steak.
‘Lachlan and I had one at the cafe yesterday. He described it as tepid brown water.’ She laughed. ‘Actually, we took a drive to Stanthorpe after we were in Killarney and I ended up meeting your mum and sister. And your dad.’
He looked up from his meal. ‘That would have been interesting.’
‘They were quite lovely actually,’ she said, finishing her wine. She felt a golden glow as they talked and told jokes. After they cleaned up their plates, she served them some ice cream for dessert. It was nearly midnight when Sean stood and walked over to the bay window, staring at the street lights shining onto the wet park. ‘Geez, I might have had one too many. It’s going to be a while until I’ll be right to drive. I should probably call a taxi.’
‘You can stay over if you like.’ As soon as the words were out of her mouth she wanted to bite them back. ‘In the spare bedroom, of course.’
‘Of course.’
When she snuck a glance at him she was relieved to see that he was grinning. Everything was going to be fine, she told herself, repeating the mantra her counsellor had given over during the Christmas holidays: I am happy. I am healthy. I am safe. I am loved.
He nodded at the Breville and smiled across at her. ‘Looks like I’ll get to try that coffee after all.’
Sean left early the next morning and Dana drifted around the house with the glossy sheen of the previous night still on her. She listened to her Des’ree CD as she got dressed and then headed across the park to work, careful to avoid the swimming-pool-sized puddles that had formed on the oval overnight.
When she arrived at the office she was surprised to find a dozen long-stemmed red roses on her desk. The card staked in the centre of the bouquet read: Thanks for all your kindness last night. And for the coffee. Let me make it up to you with dinner Friday night? Sean. X
She pressed the velvety petals to her face and breathed in their scent. A feeling of warmth spread through her chest as she marvelled at how quickly he’d been able to arrange a flower delivery. She hurried to the tearoom for a vase and water, but when she got back to her desk she stared at the bouquet wondering what to do with it. She didn’t want to draw too much attention to herself on the second day back in the office.
Shivani rounded the corner and came into their pod. ‘Dana! Welcome back!’ she exclaimed, throwing her coat over the back of her chair and leaning against her desk. ‘Oh my god! Who are they from?’
Dana peered over the top of the partition to make sure there was no chance of them being overheard. She turned back to Shivani. ‘They’re from Sean – Lachlan’s brother.’
‘I didn’t even know he had a brother.’
‘Me neither, to be honest. He’s never really spoken about him.’ Dana stashed the flowers under her desk before any of her other colleagues had a chance to comment.
‘So, how’d you two meet?’
‘Lachlan introduced us when we went out to Killarney to make enquiries about Jayden. Turns out that most of Lachlan’s extended family live in Killarney.’
‘Wait, you were at work with Lachlan and Sean asked you out on a date?’ Shivani’s green eyes narrowed.
‘Not exactly.’
‘Come on. Don’t hold out on me!’
‘I still don’t know what to make of it, really. When I arrived home yesterday, I found Sean on my verandah chatting to my neighbour. Apparently, he’d been hoping to catch up with his brother, but Lachlan wasn’t home.’
‘Sounds a bit suss to me,’ Shivani murmured. ‘Has it occurred to you that his sole reason for visiting Toowoomba might have been to visit you?’
‘It did cross my mind.’ Dana tried to keep the smile from her face.
Shivani threw out her arms in a Roy Orbison rendition. ‘He drove all night, to get to you!’
‘It was only an hour and a half, but still …’
They collapsed in front of their computers with laughter.
At that moment, Lachlan came into the pod looking expectant. He placed his thermos of coffee on the desk. ‘What’s all the hilarity about?’
‘Nothing,’ Dana said flatly. There was no point getting him involved in a relationship that might not last till the end of the week.
‘Oh hey, Lachlan,’ said Shivani. ‘I was just telling Dana that a nice firm massage is exactly what she needs. It’ll loosen her up a bit.’ She let out a shriek of laughter as Dana shook her head and turned back to her computer.
The entire office had filed into the conference room for the monthly team meeting and Dana stared across the table at Lachlan as he gave an overview of the upcoming team planning day. Again, she pondered whether she should be telling him what had happened with Sean. They’d only had dinner together, she told herself, it wasn’t as though she’d entered a life-long commitment.
When the meeting was over, she strolled into the kitchen for a glass of water trying to remember the last time she’d felt this happy. She promised herself that this year she was going to enjoy herself. Allow herself to be vulnerable. Not take life so seriously.
When she returned to the pod and sat down at her computer Lachlan came over and perched on the edge of her desk. ‘I just picked up a Notification from the Intake team. It’s from the kindy. About five-year-old Brooke Buckley.’
