Murfey's Law (10 page)

‘Oh Shit!’ Lori jumped as she rounded the corner.

Zeb was stood in the driveway unloading plastic crates from what looked like a brand new patrol car. He turned around to the voice to see Lori stood stock still and dripping wet. Bob, who had followed her through the hedge thinking it was a great game, gave out a woof of excitement and wagged his tail.

‘Hey there boy, having fun?’ Zeb stooped down to give the dog's ears a ruffle before standing back up. He said nothing to Lori, instead fixed her with a stare that said something. What though, she couldn't make out.

A roll of thunder made Lori jump nervously again and the wind, getting stronger, picked up her wet hair and twisted it this way and that, splashing drops all over her shoulders and chest. She could feel little beads of water running down from her bikini ties onto her breasts.

Zeb's eyes followed them briefly before turning his attention back on her face. ‘Lori, I...’ He looked uncomfortable.

And so he should, he has my father's ashes in his kitchen, Lori reminded herself. Unless maybe he'd dealt with them? The thought made Lori's stomach tighten. That was what she'd wanted wasn't it?

He cleared his throat and tried again. ‘Lori, I want you to know that I'm going to take Jack's ashes out on the board on Sunday, my stitches will be out by then and the swell's meant to be calm. I wanted to invite you... oh that sounds insane, he's your father for fuck's sake. I wanted you to know, because I think you should be there.’

Lori didn't expect to feel relief knowing he hadn't done it yet. The feeling curdled inside her making her nauseous. She didn't care. She couldn't care. He'd been nothing to her.

‘Thank you Zeb, but no, I won't be there,’ the words stuck in her throat.

Perhaps sensing Lori's anguish Zeb just nodded. ‘Ok.’

‘Well, I should probably get inside, we can't have the Twitchers Club living off this sight for days to come.’ Relieved he hadn't pushed it, Lori smiled bashfully and waved her hands over her flesh to emphasise the point.

‘No, definitely not.’ He smiled too. ‘It is quite a sight after all.’

Feeling her face flush Lori turned and walked up the steps onto the verandah, she needed to warm up, or was it cool down? Either way, she needed to get dressed.

‘Hey, wait.’ Zeb closed the back of the car and carried the crates over to the verandah where he put them down beside the door.

Lori held the door open for him presuming that was what he'd wanted. But he didn't pick up the boxes, instead he dropped his eyes to her waist and ran the fingers of his left hand ever so lightly along the right edge of her bikini bottoms to where the strings were tied in a bow on the side. She froze, not knowing what to do. Her mind screamed stop while the blood pumping round her veins screamed the opposite.

‘You've cut yourself.’ Zeb's fingers traced a line around the scratch on her hip before dipping under the tightly drawn string.

Shit. She couldn't breathe.

With her face turned downwards she watched as Zeb's fingers pulled a rose leaf, complete with thorns out from between her skin and the fabric.

He handed her the leaf, picked up his boxes and marched inside. ‘Junior, get your glitter out, the kids will be here any minute.’

Taking a moment to digest what had just happened Lori leant back against the open screen door and looked out into the road.

At the garden gate of the house directly opposite Mrs Westerly fixed Lori with stare so severe she was rocked back a little on her bare heels.

‘Oh marvellous.’

After dashing past Jenny and Jonah with a Hi and a Bye Lori fed Bob and went to take a long hot shower.

Clean and smelling of coconut shampoo Lori climbed into some new underwear and one of the cotton dresses she'd bought in Fisherman's Bay. Zeb's touch still burned into her skin around the scratch from her jaunt in the bushes. Her senses were heightened and like a teenager she couldn't wait to get back downstairs.

Not bothering to tie her hair up she just towel dried it and virtually skipped down to her office.

The doors between the kitchen and the room out the back were open and so as she worked Lori could hear the boys making Christmas cards with the kids. Whose idea had it been to get two local police officers to run a weekly arts and crafts style affair? The only logic behind it that Lori could think of was that it could be seen as a great way for little kids to be confident around, and make friends with, the local law enforcement.

Outside rain lashed at the window and every few minutes the garden and sea beyond was lit up by almighty forks of lightning. The youngest of Zeb and Jonah's charges would squeal every time the thunder rolled, shaking the shop. Several parents had already begun collecting their children and it wasn't long before the boys were left alone out the back sweeping glitter and glue from the tables.

Lori rubbed her temples. She'd stared at the screen for the last twenty minutes, and hadn't done a single thing. So much for getting anything done. Instead, her mind had skipped around, thinking of everything but work.

Knock Knock.

It was Zeb.

‘Hey!’ Lori jumped up from her seat and tucked her hair behind her ears. It was ridiculous how he made her feel.

‘Hey yourself,’ Zeb replied stepping into the room. ‘The place is looking really great Lorikeet. I mean it.’

Her skin prickled as he spoke and she stepped forward, closer to him. Jonah was running back and forth to the car with the boxes, cursing at the rain.

‘I came to say we're done.’ Zeb smiled making Lori edge even closer.

‘Zeb... I want to ask you about...’

‘About?’ He raised an eyebrow, tucking his hands into his regulation blue overalls. The muscles in his forearms twitched.

Jonah cursed again, this time as a fork of lightning cracked somewhere nearby.

‘About earlier. About what happened, between us.’ As she said it Lori knew she was coming across like a desperate loon. Too late now though.

Zeb's face changed. A grin spread from ear to ear creating little dimples in his cheeks and he let out a little snort. ‘Earlier?’

Confused Lori felt she had nothing to lose. ‘Yes Zeb, earlier, on the verandah.’

‘Well, my recollection of earlier is that you were standing there all wet and everything and with Mrs Westerly watching us I took the opportunity to...’

‘To what exactly?’ Lori retorted.

‘You know, the opportunity to show the old girl that her obsession with me is misplaced.’ Zeb shrugged his shoulders like it was no big deal.

‘How fucking dare you!’ Lori spat, incensed. Zeb had used a moment between them, a moment which apparently hadn't even happened, to send a message to a harmless old woman with a crush. Lori was livid.

Stepping away from her as though she was about to combust Zeb furrowed his brow and asked, ‘Oh shit, you didn't think that I...? Did you?’ He made no sense, but at the same time perfect sense.

Lori wasn't going to give him the satisfaction. ‘Think? I didn't think anything Zebediah, other than the fact that you are completely out of your tiny mind. Your touching me was nothing. In fact, even your brother stirred more of a reaction from me than you could ever do.’

He stepped back as though he'd been slapped.

‘Zeb, you ready? Oh hi Lori,’ Jonah chose this exact moment to walk back inside. At least he had the decency to look appropriately uncomfortable.

‘Get the in the fucking car Junior,’ Zeb snarled. Not taking his eyes off of Lori's he stared in silence for a moment before turning on his booted heel and disappearing out the door behind a terrified looking Jonah.

As the car sped out of the driveway, spitting sand everywhere, Lori let out a blood curdling scream, making Bob rush to her side.

‘Bastaaaarrrd!!!’

Taking several deep breaths Lori smacked off the lights. Just as she did, the phone rang.

Fumbling along the wall in the dark Lori picked up the receiver and snapped, ‘Hello?’

It was Jenny. ‘Lorikeet darling. I heard a scream is everything ok? It sounded like someone was being murdered!’

Lori slapped her forehead with her hand. She couldn't believe she'd let him do it to her again.

‘Lorikeet?’

‘Uh, oh yes, sorry Jenny. Yes everything's ok. It was just a nasty creepy crawly, but don't worry, it's all under control now,’ Lori sighed, ‘I'm going to find it, and I'm going to kill it.’

‘Two. Million. Dollars. Twooooo million dollars. Two MILLION dollars.’

The bespectacled man from the bank, where Jack had been a long term customer, had emailed Lori his valuation of the property on Thursday. Since then she had tried numerous different ways of saying out loud the figure at the bottom of his report.

It was an insane amount of money and no matter how many times she said it, it still made her squirm with a strange mix of elation and embarrassment. Was it really ok to accept such a life changing amount of money from someone she detested? Or was it just getting what she deserved in exchange for having to live through puberty and the angst of her teenage years alone with a mother who was fast falling victim to heart-breaking mental illness?

‘Dalawang milyong dolyar,’ Lori tried again, consulting an online translator. It was no better, and the likelihood of anyone turning up today that spoke Filipino was pretty unlikely.

According to several Real Estate Agents' websites, Saturday was the most popular choice for holding an open home and so Lori had spent the last few days cleaning, gardening, and fixing up as much she could get done in daylight hours. Her evenings had been equally frantic, answering emails from the web advert she'd placed, carefully avoiding answering any questions of price and, with Bob for company, leafleting every single house in both Murfey's Beach and Green Bay.

Lori had decided, with a little coaching from Sara via a video call, not to open the shop this morning. Eliminating the chance of anyone trying to sneak in an early viewing she used the time to finish a few last minute jobs and to prepare herself. Again on Sara's advice, she had put away her regulation frayed denim shorts and off white vest, and had instead opted for a floaty summer dress and Grecian sandals. Her hair, glowing from its recent natural highlights, hung knot-free and tousled softly down her back. It belied the dodgy plumbing perfectly.

More than happy to assist, possibly due to her vested interest, Jenny busied herself by realigning for the third time the cupcakes and jugs of lemonade she'd spent last night making. She was to man the refreshments and watch the shop whilst Lori would do the guided tours and answer any questions that would no doubt arise. Bob took his bone, a gift from Jenny, and disappeared off under the deck.

‘Are you ready?’ Lori asked as she came back downstairs after making one last round of checks for underwear on the floor.

‘Ready as I'll ever be.’ Jenny gave an encouraging smile.

Lori returned the gesture, she knew that selling the shop was not what her temporary neighbour wanted, but was genuinely grateful that it remained an unspoken understanding between the two of them.

‘Ok then, let's do this.’ Lori walked with purpose to the front door and swung it open.

Within ten minutes the entire place was bursting with people.

Of course the village busybodies' turned out just to snoop around, but Lori was pleased to see that there were also a lot of faces that she didn't recognise. With any luck they were here with a genuine interest in the place as a potential investment. The advert had covered tactfully, that the shop would only be sold to someone with the village's best interests in mind.

Crossing her fingers Lori headed up the stairs.

‘So watcha want for the place Darl?’ A large American tourist asked through a mouthful of Jenny's chocolate cupcake as Lori entered her bedroom. His wife and three larger than life children were stood beside him, all staring out of the window, all dropping great blobs of icing onto her freshly washed floorboards.

Admittedly, she wasn't the greatest judge of character, however, on this occasion Lori was fairly confident that the price she had been practising over and over and over again would be well out of their range.

‘Um, well, I have been advised that offers should umm, be in excess of umm, two million dollars.’ Lori felt a blush instantly rise in her cheeks. She would much rather of had to say the figure for the first time to someone who looked like they could actually afford the price tag.

‘Mmmm mm hmm.’ Predictably, the tourist took another bite of cupcake before shuffling off in the direction of the stairs, his family in tow.

Well, that went well, Lori told herself as she slumped onto the neatly made bed.

‘You shouldn't waste your energy and efforts on time-wasters like that Miss James,’ a figure appeared in the doorway, ‘it is Miss James isn't it?’

A man, Lori judged to be around her age, dressed in head to toe linen stepped into the room. He crossed the floor in two long strides to stand in front of, and above, where she sat glued to the bed. She'd never seen anyone other than well to do post-menopausal women, wear and get away with, white trousers. Let alone white trousers paired with a white shirt.

‘Um, yes it is Miss James, but please feel free to call me Lori.’ She forced herself to stand up so that her line of sight was no longer directed straight at his crotch.

He was just a little taller than her and although quite slim, appeared to be very well toned under the floppy drape of translucent fabric.

‘Casper Stockton,’ he took her hand to shake it gently and kissed both her cheeks, speaking softly into her ear, ‘and I'm very pleased to meet you Lori.’

You can tell a lot from the way a man smells. Casper Stockton smelt rich. Really really rich.

‘Pleased to meet you too Casper,’ Lori rasped, intoxicated. She couldn't step back due to the bed being directly behind her. And in such close proximity to a man of this pedigree her insides swirled. He oozed money.

The white of his clothes accented the mellow warmth of his tan, which in turn set the perfect background for his piercing blue eyes. His hair, a mix of spiky light and dark blonde somehow looked both scruffy and perfectly styled at the same time.

‘Come, show me around will you?’ He stepped to the side and placed his hand lightly in the small of Lori's back guiding her out of the bedroom.

At the bottom of the garden half an hour later, Casper stood facing the sea silently surveying the horizon. The warm wind blew his shirt about like a ship's sail. Lori had left him alone at the end of their tour so that he would hopefully take in the beauty of the setting, and not the nightmare of the renovations required around the shop and living areas.

On the deck, discussing coastal planting schemes with a retired couple from Sydney, Lori felt her gaze being drawn back to him.

‘I think there could be some stiff competition for your beautiful home.’ The grey haired man winked at Lori as she turned back to the couple.

She reprimanded herself for not giving them her undivided attention. Casper hadn't actually made a single mention about buying the place. In fact he'd been more interested in asking her personal questions as they'd walked around the house and garden. Just because he was here, and just because he appeared to have lots of money didn't automatically make him her knight in linen armour.

‘I am so sorry Mr and Mrs Peters, let's go and look at the upstairs rooms shall we? I'm certain you will love the view.’ Lori ushered them indoors.

‘Wow!’ Mrs Peters' hand flew to her mouth, mimicking Lori's first reaction to the view from her bedroom window.

‘Now that is truly to die for,’ Mr Peters laughed before realising his faux pas, ‘oh Lori, my apologies, I overheard someone downstairs say you just inherited this from your father. That was very tactless of me.’

‘Please, don't apologise, my father and I were strangers. I have no connection to the home.’ She wafted her hand through the air.

The couple shared a fleeting look of sadness.

‘So, you can see that the master bedroom is a great size, and these floor to ceiling windows capture the view perfectly.’ Lori brought the conversation back round to business.

‘It is absolutely divine.’ Mrs Peters walked around the bed. ‘And the floors are all original I take it?’

‘Yes. The floors throughout the house are all the original boards. I'm told this is quite a rare feature as most homes through the nineteen eighties would have either covered them with tiles or worse still gaudy floral carpet.’ Lori was so pleased she had paid the Valuer at the bank to conduct a full home report and not just provide her with a number. She'd memorised as many aspects of it as she could, the fee she had paid was already proving well worth it.

Leaving the couple to explore to the bathroom and the second bedroom alone, Lori re-plumped the pillows and covers on her bed. As she turned to once again go back downstairs she noticed, through the window, Casper still at the bottom of the garden. He was no longer facing out to sea and now appeared to be holding a heated discussion with someone on his mobile phone. His face contorted with anger and his free arm gesticulated violently. Maybe someone had missed a barnacle when they were cleaning his yacht; you couldn't wear all white and not own a boat Lori decided.

‘Ah! There you are Lori,’ Casper rasped when she walked back through the kitchen and into the shop. The tan on his flawless cheekbones was now tinted rosy red. ‘I'm afraid I need to leave, sort some...umm, urgent family business out, but first I need to know, you will have dinner with me tonight, ok.’

Was that a question? Confused, Lori wasn't sure how to respond and so without thinking she just nodded.

Behind Casper, she could see Jenny frowning at her.

‘Great, well I'll pick you up at eight sharp. Wear something... nice.’ He cast his eyes over her twenty dollar superstore dress then kissed her on both cheeks and turned to leave.

He didn't get very far.

‘Who's fucking yellow Lamborghini is blocking the road?’ Zeb snarled as he burst through the front door wearing just his board shorts.

Casper seemed at first to recoil in shock, but then rose up a little on his toes and puffed out his chest. He spat back, ‘That would be my fucking Giallo Lamborghini, but it is most certainly NOT blocking the road.’

‘Ah ok, my mistake.’ Zeb shot Jenny a grin. She seemed to be relishing the show. ‘It must be someone else's Giallo Lamborghini that the Emergency Services are trying to push out of the way with their Crimson fire truck then.’

He stepped out of the way as Casper shot outside.

Jenny sniggered and went back to offering drinks to the few groups of people who had witnessed the commotion. Her placatory measures didn't work and Lori watched thunderstruck as half a dozen people sidled out the front door. When the shop was empty Lori turned on Zeb.

‘What the hell do you think you are doing?’

‘Your selfish wants and needs do not come before the safety of the community Lorikeet.’ Zeb put his hands on his hips making the veins in his biceps stand out.

Lori flared her nostrils involuntarily.

‘Is there a fire?’ She questioned.

‘No, but that's not the point.’ Zeb raised his eyebrows in defiance.

‘Is the fire truck even trying to get through?’

The corner of Zeb's mouth twitched. ‘No, but again that's not the point. Jenny's place could burst into flames at any moment with all that baking she's been doing for you.’

‘Don't you drag me into this Zebediah!’ Jenny called from the back room.

The sound of squealing tyres indicated Casper wasn't game to come back and take Zeb on. Lori couldn't be sure he would even return for their dinner date tonight. She sighed in complete frustration and rubbed her hands over her face, pulling her hair back off her shoulders.

‘Listen, while I'm here I want to remind you about tomorrow morning, about your dad,’ Zeb dropped his voice and his hands, and walked over to where Lori stood.

Up close, she could see his stitches had now been removed, the wound looked a little better and the bruising had begun to fade. He must be on his way out for his first surf since the incident with the drink-driver.

‘I don't want to be involved Zeb, I told you that before.’

‘That as it may be Lori, it'd still be remiss of me not to make one last attempt at making sure you don't do something you may later regret.’ He made it sound like he was reading her her rights.

‘Well, I appreciate your concern,’ Lori snorted with sarcasm, fixing him with a scowl, ‘but the answer is still no. Thank you.’

Zeb took an in-breath as though he wanted to say something, then stopped himself.