Murderer's Thumb (12 page)

This time Snake shook his head.

Later that night Adam watched a car crawl up the driveway. The headlights were like two burning globes, blinding him. He pulled away from the eyepiece and rubbed his bad eye. It was simply a habit; he never used it to look through the telescope.

The car was lost for a moment behind the sheds before it turned down to the new brick house. Must have been Colin, returning from the pub. Adam checked his watch. It was twenty past eleven. Surely everyone would be in bed soon.

He packed up the telescope and put it in the spare room. The house was silent except for the ticking of the kitchen clock. He padded past Rosemary's room and paused, listening for her breath. Satisfied she was asleep, he grabbed his torch and snuck outside.

Finally he had a chance to look for the diary, but he was without Snake. Now he was on his own in the dark, pacing up the dusty driveway towards the tractor shed, switching his torch on and off at intervals, hoping he wouldn't be seen. At the entrance to the shed Adam ducked inside and swung the torch beam over the tractors. A rat scurried to a hole under the far wall, but otherwise everything was still.

A bellow came from outside. Startled, Adam turned off the torch and stood in the darkness, not breathing, heartbeat drumming in his chest.

The sound came again. It was only a cow, calling from a nearby paddock. Adam took a deep breath. His hands shook. He had to think clearly. A pirate ‘x' would be too obvious. Even a dickhead like Loody could work that one out. What else could an ‘x' be? A ten in Roman numerals perhaps. He flicked on the torch and made for the calendar on the cupboard door. On the tenth of October there was a small mark, an arrow, pointing down.

Adam looked under the bench, nothing but empty drums. But there was another ‘x' very faint, scratched into the edge of the bench. He remembered the cardboard stuck to the bottom of the bureau in his room. He ran his hand underneath and felt plastic taped to the underside of the bench. Brilliant! He'd found part two.

THIRTEEN

Saturday 2 September

I talked to Matt again today after milking. The Brolga, Emma and Rachel had gone to town—a fitting for the wedding. Matt was walking back to the house. I asked him if he liked other animals like rats, seeing as he liked cows so much. He shrugged and stammered that rats were OK. I said there was one in the garage, dead, and would he get rid of it please. He came over, mumbling something about the cat and how she always left mice and rats in strange places. He said he'd get rid of it. He picked it up by the tail.

I asked him what made him squeamish, because rats sure didn't. He looked me square in the eye and said ‘talking, just talking to people'. I smiled at him and agreed. I told him I found it hard to make friends too, that everyone was scared of me because of my spiky hairstyle and how I wore black lipstick. I didn't tell him I liked it that people were scared. He grinned, couldn't stop looking at me, and he didn't go red this time. ‘Got to get ready for footy,' he said. Then he took the rat away. I felt really powerful after that. I felt like I was taming a wild animal or something, gaining his trust.

M.T.

Sunday 3 September

Emma slept over last night. It was good to have a friend around, not that I'd call her a best friend, or anything, and I guess she'd consider Meredith Patterson her best friend anyway. They're inseparable at school, and sprawl themselves over the back seat of the bus, unless Emma sits with me. Meredith's a bit of a snob, though. Ignores me if she can. Probably jealous.

Emma asked about my family, about my past. I didn't tell her much. Just told her that Dad died when I was little, and how Mum has no time for me now. Spends her life in the boardroom or in the bedroom with her new husband. I didn't tell her about taking pills and squatting in derelict houses or meeting Granny Bell when I was smashed out of my brain.

She told me how obsessed her mum was, how she wouldn't buy Emma a bra or tampons or anything like that. Rachel gets stuff for her and she has to hide everything. Even Emma mentioning having her period sent the Brolga off. Emma said that mums were supposed to nurture their daughters. Looks like Emma and I bombed out in the mother-daughter department.

We headed down to the wetlands. Before we'd even left the yard Mongrel drove past. He slowed right down, asked us if we wanted a lift. I saw the way he looked at Emma. How he scanned every curve. It wasn't right. Not for someone who was about to be her brother-in-law.

M.T.

Monday 4 September

Emma's got the séance all planned for Friday night. Apparently there's a shack on old Mr Byrd's property. He's Mongrel's grandfather. Emma said you can almost see the shack from the house here because it runs along the same ridge. If we scale the fences we can walk there, cross-country style. She's lined up some guys who are interested, but she won't tell me who. Which pisses me off a bit because I think she's trying to set me up with someone and I'm only interested in Matt. But I'm willing to play along for now. Anyway we're meeting after 7.30 and saying we're watching a DVD at Meredith's house. Meredith's in on it too. So maybe Emma's organised a couple of blind dates.

I rang Granny Bell yesterday, telling her about the séance. I asked her for any hints and she told me to keep the circle alive and to watch for any sceptics who always try to push the glass. I told her I was still doing the cryptic puzzles in the newspaper. She was impressed.

M.T.

Tuesday 5 September

I wagged school today and wandered around town. I found a good bookshop and got myself a spell book. The op shops were good too. I bought a cool pair of black boots, not like Doc Martens, more witchy, with big square gold buckles. I love them. I found something special for Matt too: a paperweight, with a scene of a cow in the snow. When you upend it the snow flies all around. He'll love it. It's his party, not this weekend, but the next.

I sat over in the park for a while, just chilling out, doing the cryptic in the newspaper. Bloody Frank drove past. So now I'm in the shit with him again. Jane said I have to make more of an effort while I'm here. She said I wouldn't get a job in town if everyone saw me sitting in the park all day. I told her I'm out of here when I turn sixteen. I'll be off to the city then and no one will push me around. She said it's months away yet, so I better just cool it for now. I wish I were like those frogs at the wetlands. I would hang around while it suited, then vanish when the weather dried up, whenever the place gave me the shits.

M.T.

Thursday 7 September

I've been too busy to write every day because I've been reading.

I got into trouble at school yesterday because I'd wagged. The year level co-ordinator went off at me. Stupid bitch. She's so into control.

I sat on the bus with Emma on the way home. She was amazed that I didn't cut up bad over it. She reckons she would have burst into tears. I guess I'm used to everyone being pissed off with me. I don't care what anyone says. I'm not afraid of words. It's getting hit that scares me. I've seen too many kids thumped stupid by pushers and pimps. So glad I never fell that low. I don't know how anyone could live with someone who bashed them.

This spell book is really cool. I've got a heap of ideas for my own incantations. I've been working on a spell to get Matt to invite me to the party. I've invented it myself. It involves a pink candle, a calendar and a strand of his hair. I got one of his hairs from his work overalls. They're hanging up in the back room as you go into their house. Now I just have to get up at dawn and do some meditation on it.

Tomorrow night is the big session at the shack. Emma's all wound up about it, asking me how to set up the board. We drew up a board together last night on a big piece of art paper. Homework, eh!

I hope they do it properly and don't just muck around.

M.T.

Friday 8 September

I did the spell this morning. I felt really strong. Not long afterwards I saw Matt walk up the path to go milking. I hope it works.

After school Emma and I climbed the cypress and talked about what we wanted to do when we left school. She wants to do nursing like her sister, Rachel. She says it runs in the family. Her mum trained to be a nurse, but then met Colin, so she never finished.

Me, I don't know. Hairdressing isn't that tempting any more. I don't want to work in a bank, or kill cows or answer phones or clean floors. But I do like clothes and I do like finding out other people's secrets.

Emma's pissed off with Loody, the dorky apprentice. He keeps eyeing her off and hangs around when she's doing stuff outside. So now she feeds the calves and does her other chores when he's milking, so he can't bother her. I saw him doing fencing work with Matt. His hair is bright orange. Heaps of fire energy. No wonder she can't stand him.

I said she could do a spell to try and put him off. She looked scared, but interested. Said her mum would die if she knew. She reckons her mum is a born again Christian from this weird church in Booradoo where they're trying to rid the world of evil or some shit. She thinks we'll all burn in hell if we put a spell on someone. I said it was none of the Brolga's business.

She said she'd give it a try after she sees how tonight goes. Only twenty minutes left till I make my trek across the paddocks with her. Should be good.

M.T.

Saturday 9 September

Last night was great. Emma and I got there just before eight. The boys were already there, sitting around one of those tin fire burner things, drinking beer. It was only Mongrel and Loody. That was the bad part.

The shack was just one room with the fire in the middle. There was a wooden table, the bench seat out of an old car, three kitchen chairs and a few empty chemical drums. The place smelled like dirt and rotten vegetables. Mongrel said they store turnips in there now, but it used to be accommodation for the farm worker eighty years ago. Pretty crappy place to live.

We hid in the dark and waited for Meredith to turn up. She walked in so terrifled, flashing her torch round, calling out for Emma. She focused on this lump in the corner with a blanket over it, which was Mongrel. She called out, ‘I know you're hiding…' then Mongrel went for her, shouting aaghhh! She shat herself. Ran out the door screaming. It was so funny. Emma had to go after her to get her back.

The ouija board started off badly. The guys wouldn't take it seriously. They kept laughing and saying dumb things like it was the spirit of Elvis returned, and how could it be? He's still alive, ha ha! Must have a split personality and all that shit. One of them was shoving the glass too. Probably Loody.

Then we got through to this spirit called Elaine. Granny Bell would have been impressed. It was so eerie! Elaine said she used to live round here. Died giving birth to her eighth child. Loody looked sick and said he had to go home early because he was milking tomorrow. Piker!

After that we played cards. Emma and Mongrel finished off the beers. Meredith and I shared one between us. I don't like beer much. Too bitter.

We got home after eleven. We decided to meet again next week and have another go at contacting Elaine.

The other thing that happened last night was that Mum rang just before Emma picked me up. I don't know why Mum bothers. All she talks about is herself: her gym, her promotion and her stupid share portfolio. I could have been one of the Thackerays' cows on the other end of the line and she wouldn't have known. The only thing she wanted to know was whether I was still attending school and how I should stick with it. I told her to piss off. Then I hung up.

Nag, nag, nag, criticise, criticise, criticise. I can't wait till I'm sixteen, then I'm out of here and Mum won't have a clue where I am and I won't care.

M.T.

Sunday 10 September

It worked! I saw Emma today. She told me I was invited to Matt's party. I'm so rapt! They're going to hold it on the lawn in front of the house. They're putting up a big marquee and just about everyone from the district is invited.

I can't wait. It will be so good! I don't know what I'm going to wear, though. I've got my black dress, but I don't think it's going to be that formal. Plus I'll freeze to death. Maybe just my black embroidered top and my black skirt and boots.

I saw Matt again today. I asked him if he was looking forward to his birthday. He is. He asked me if I'd seen any more rats. When I said I hadn't, he looked disappointed. He stood there for a few moments and neither of us knew what to say. Then he said, ‘I want you to come. Say you'll come to the party.' And I said, ‘sure'. As if I'd miss it.

He walked off then but he kept looking back at me and smiling. It's the spell. I know it is. It's worked better than I expected.

M.T.

Monday 11 September

Another crap day at school. I couldn't concentrate. We were given this huge assignment to do in science. It really sucks. I got into trouble because I wasn't listening. I think the next spell I do is to vex my science teacher. He's such an arsehole. I'll devise something. I'll have to read more of the spell book.

I'll have the place to myself tonight because Frank and Aunty Jane are going out. Some meeting in Booradoo about building regulations. They've been looking to buy a block of land closer to Booradoo, where they both work at the supermarket.

Now it's dusk. I'm sitting on the verandah writing this and it's almost too dark to write. It's cold, but I'm rugged up. I can still see the Thackerays' house from here, well the roof anyway. We're a bit higher up the hill. The tanker truck has just been. It comes up the road every second evening to pick up the milk.

There goes Colin, driving off in his ute. Its tray rattles as he drives over the cattle grid. I've got his routine worked out. He's going down the pub. He either goes out fishing or to the pub. Late in the evening towards dark, he's off drinking. In the daylight, if there's his tackle box and a bucket and rods and stuff, then he's off fishing.