Queen of the Road (16 page)

‘Mummy, we went to the zoo. We saw the pandas and Janice bought me one.’

Janice stood behind Claudia, beaming like a Cheshire cat. ‘Here come the weary workers,’ she gushed. ‘We’ve been having fun all day and you poor things have had to work. I’ve booked us in for a meal at seven, so you’ve got time to clean up. Your room’s next door, Angela.’

‘Thanks. Do you want to come, Claudia?’

‘Janice and I are doing a puzzle. It’s a panda puzzle.’

‘Sounds like you’ve been spoilt.’

‘We haven’t seen our little girl for so long. It was a special treat,’ Janice said, holding out a room key. ‘You go get cleaned up. Claudia’s fine with us.’

Janice’s sing-song voice echoed in Angela’s head as she opened the door to the room. Her stepmother was getting on her nerves and they’d barely seen each other. At least she’d picked a decent motel. The room was basic but clean – better than a truck bunk any day.

Angela’s mobile rang. She tugged it from her pocket and smiled. Kate’s name glowed on the screen. Angela put the phone to her ear as she pulled off her boots and flopped on the bed. There was time for a good chat.

Twenty minutes later she’d heard all about the goings-on in Kate’s world, and had filled her friend in on the highs and lows of life in Munirilla and on the road, and the latest surprise visit from Janice.

‘I agree with you,’ Kate said. ‘It’s weird she’s taking such an interest in Claudia, but maybe she just realised what she’s been missing.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Well, for someone with no kid experience, babies can be daunting. But Claud is at a more interesting age now. Walking, talking, no nappies, no chucking …’

‘You should see the stuff Janice is showering on her.’

‘My mum does that with my brother’s kids. It’s just what grandmas do.’

Angela wasn’t so sure that Kate’s mum was quite as indulgent as Janice but she let it go. ‘Maybe.’

‘Anyway, tell me more about this Coop guy.’

‘What do you mean? There’s nothing to tell.’

‘Come on, Angela. I can hear it in your voice every time you mention him.’

‘I’ve hardly seen him.’

‘Last time you told me you’d been on a picnic. Now you’ve been to the pub with him …’

‘Not
with
him …’

‘Then out to his farm, and you made him pizza …’

‘I made the pizza for Claudia and me. He just turned up – I couldn’t be rude.’

‘And now he’s driving the truck for you.’

‘I told you, he’s helping me out. I don’t have a dangerous goods licence.’

‘He sounds like an interesting guy.’

Angela didn’t like the way Kate rolled out ‘interesting’. ‘What do you mean?’

‘You know. One worth taking notice of, following up on. Sounds like he’s going out of his way to be nice. Come on, girlfriend, what’s he like? Is he worth putting on some lipstick for?’

Angela rolled onto her stomach and fidgeted with the corner of the pillow slip. She was glad Kate was on the phone, hundreds of kilometres away, and not here to see her squirm. ‘It’s not like that with Coop. You know I’m sworn off men. Nothing but friends … Which is what Coop is.’

‘Just because you’ve made a few mistakes doesn’t mean every man is off-limits.’

Angela rolled onto her side and sat up. ‘I’m not going there, Kate.

Anyway, I really have to get going. Janice has a dinner booking. Talk to you again soon.’

She hung up, tossed her phone on the bed and pulled her t-shirt off. Suddenly she felt very hot. Kate’s words had stirred up thoughts she wanted to keep firmly tucked away. She tried hard not to think of Coop as anything but a friend, but there was something about him that was beginning to melt her resolve.

She opened the door to the little bathroom. Hopefully it had a decent shower. She was going to need a good soak to wash away the grime of the day and ease the tension that was gripping her body.

Coop lifted his hat and wiped the perspiration away with the back of his hand. He studied the pipe in the greying light. It had taken some fiddling but he’d managed to remove the old, rusted house tank and install the new one. The gutter fittings had needed changing over and nothing had been straightforward about the joins. He needed something to replace the filter but that could wait for now.

There was a distant, low rumble.

‘Just in time, hey Rusty.’

The old dog was sleeping on the verandah as close to Coop as possible. He didn’t twitch an ear let alone lift his head.

‘Probably just as well you’re deaf, old boy,’ Coop said and bent to pick up his tools. Jilly, on the other hand, had perfect hearing and wasn’t so keen on thunder. She watched from her position in the driveway and gave a short, low howl. Coop was tempted to call her over. Rusty had been gradually accepting her into
the yard since Alice left but he didn’t want to tread on the old dog’s toes.

A flash caught Coop’s eye. He frowned, peering at the northern sky. A fork of lightning lit the distant horizon. The air around him was still and warm. No sign of moisture. An electrical storm wasn’t a good thing. In spite of the good rain a couple of weeks back, there was still too much dry vegetation.

He strode to the ute. That was another job to add to his list. The water truck and pump were in the shed – always ready – but it had been a while since he’d tested them.

The thunder rumbled again. It was still a long way off but the lightning was becoming more frequent and spearing the sky over the reserve behind Alice’s property.

Coop opened the passenger door and Jilly jumped in without waiting to be asked. He gave her a reassuring pat.

‘She’ll be right, Jilly. Nothing to fear.’

The dog focused her big, trusting eyes on him and gave the softest of whines as another rumble gathered in intensity. In the distance, a huge fork stretched across the sky and down to the horizon. It looked like it reached the ground.

‘Not from the thunder anyway,’ Coop muttered, hurrying around to the driver’s side.

***

Those words came back to haunt him later as a boom of thunder overhead made him flinch. He was thankful he’d left Jilly tied up back at the quarters. She wouldn’t be happy but at least she’d be safe while he was out fighting fires.

Several other locals, including Alice’s neighbours, Barry and Skitch Barnes, and Phil and Annabel Cameron, had gathered along the edge of the reserve. Coop had heard the commotion
on the two-way radio just after dark. He’d headed out to the back of Alice’s property straight away, thankful he’d made sure the fire truck was ready. It had been tough to start when he checked it earlier in the day, but after some tinkering it was running like a charm.

Together they put out several spotfires. The Country Fire Service was dealing with a couple of larger blazes on properties farther west, but the reserve was being left to burn. This group of worried farmers and their assorted vehicles was the only thing between the spreading fires in the dry timber country of the reserve and the farms that edged it – their farms.

Lightning strikes sparked a number of fires during the night. A few short showers dampened some of the spotfires before they had a chance to take hold, but what the firefighters needed now was a decent rain to come to their aid. The wind was strengthening and it carried thick ash in their direction.

Coop cruised the edge of the property along a track on the reserve side of the fence. He kept his eyes peeled for signs of fire in Alice’s paddocks. Thankfully he saw none. The storm was right on top of them now and lightning lit the sky in every direction.

Headlights came towards him and he stopped his slow-moving vehicle. Three kangaroos broke from the reserve and bounded across the track, leaping Alice’s boundary fence. Two did it with ease but the third, smaller one clipped it and fell. It got to its feet in an instant and hopped away. He lost sight of them in the paddock as the other vehicle drew level with his. Barry Barnes rolled down his window.

‘All clear up ahead?’

Coop could see the outline of Skitch in the passenger seat beside his father. ‘So far,’ he replied.

‘We’ll do another run along the track.’

Thunder boomed again. Coop flinched and saw the same
reaction in the Barnes men. The two-way crackled and he heard the report in stereo as the same voices came from their radio.

‘There’s another spotty the other side of our place,’ Barry said.

‘Camerons and a few others are there by the sound of it,’ Coop said. He was loath to go too far from Alice’s property unless it was absolutely crucial.

‘Yeah, sounds like they’ve got enough help. You go back to the meeting point for a break.’ Barry jerked his thumb in the direction Coop had been heading. ‘The missus has turned up with some tucker and a thermos.’

‘Thanks.’ Coop nodded and continued on to the meeting point at the end of the road that ran between Alice’s property and the Barnes’. Joan was the only one there when he arrived. She offered him a cup of tea and some sandwiches, using the boot of her car as a makeshift table.

‘Everyone’s headed to a fire the other side of our place,’ she said.

Coop gazed around at the landscape still being lit by huge flashes. Ash floated everywhere.

‘Some are saying the worst is over,’ Joan said.

‘Really?’ Coop took a bite of a sandwich. The bread was fresh and the chicken was coated in tangy mayonnaise. It tasted good.

‘They reckon there’ll be a big rain behind this,’ Joan continued.

‘I hope so.’

They were silent a moment while Coop munched down another mouthful.

‘When did you say you were going to see Alice?’ Joan’s question was nearly lost as thunder rumbled again.

‘At the end of the week.’

‘Will you be gone long?’

Coop paused. He remembered the open door into Alice’s room. ‘A day or so,’ he said vaguely.

‘Do you have someone to check the dogs? I could come over …’

‘No … I mean, yes, I have someone lined up. But thanks for the offer.’ Coop studied the thermos, not wanting to meet Joan’s eyes.

‘Okay.’ She turned away and busied herself with the food.

Coop had decided to ask Annabel Cameron to keep an eye on the place while he was gone but he hadn’t actually spoken to her yet. He watched Joan repacking the food. She had offered him nothing but kindness but something about the Barnes family made him cautious.

That said, he knew little about Annabel Cameron. She’d only moved back a few months ago to help out while her brother was away. Coop gathered she’d done some degree in genetics, then had travelled and worked in Canada. He’d seen her briefly tonight but they were all so busy fighting fires there’d been no time for conversation. Hopefully she’d be around at the end of the week. The trip to Adelaide should only take two days, but he needed someone to keep an eye on the ewes, as well as feed the dogs.

He planned to call in and see her tomorrow. There was the seeding plan to discuss as well. If good rain fell, everyone would be out on their tractors. He needed to know how the Camerons were going to manage Alice’s place as well as their own.

‘Would you like some cake?’

Coop looked at the slice of chocolate cake Joan held out to him.

‘Thanks.’ He took a bite. The delicious smell of chocolate momentarily overpowered the smell of burning and the moist cake all but dissolved in his mouth. ‘This is good,’ he mumbled.

A smile lit her face, temporarily wiping away her usual drawn appearance. ‘I like to cook.’

‘And I thought Alice’s baking was good. Don’t tell her, but this beats her cake hands down.’

Joan’s smile widened. ‘Do you know we’re cousins?’

Coop shook his head.

‘At least by marriage,’ Joan said. ‘Alice’s husband was my cousin.’

‘She’s never mentioned it.’ Coop brushed his hands together to disperse the last few crumbs.

‘She had no need to tell you, most likely. Alice always keeps things pretty close to her chest.’

Coop studied Joan’s weathered face. He wondered what life was like for her out on the farm with only Barry and Skitch for company. She probably liked having Alice close by, a female companion, but Alice obviously didn’t feel the same need. Another boom of thunder sounded but it was a bit further away this time.

‘I wish she’d told me about the cancer.’

Coop frowned. Joan knew Alice was having treatment in Adelaide.

‘I mean, she must have known for a while before she went,’ Joan said. ‘She’s always been so darn independent, but troubles shared are troubles halved. You need family and friends at times like this.’

‘She’s got her cousin in Adelaide.’

‘I don’t think they’re that close.’

The sound of a vehicle approaching drew their attention.

‘That will be my men,’ Joan said. ‘Make sure you give Alice my best, and if there’s anything she needs …’ Joan’s voice faltered. ‘We’re happy to help in any way we can.’

‘I will,’ Coop said.

Rain started to fall. It was heavier this time and brought the ash down with it. By the time Coop made it to his vehicle he was wet through, grey with slime and shivering from the cold.

‘Crazy, crazy weather,’ he muttered.

The call went to voicemail and the sound of Janice’s recorded voice played in Angela’s ear again. There was no point leaving another message. She looked at her watch.

‘Damn!’ she muttered. It was getting late. Janice had promised to have Claudia at the depot by two; it was now well after four. Angela resisted the urge to get out and check her load. She’d already done it twice. Her assorted cargo included some refrigerated stock for the IGA. She needed to be on the road.

She rang her father’s phone. Maybe Janice had been in touch with him. It went to his message bank.

‘Damn!’ Angela muttered again.

A strong gust of wind buffeted the cab and she leaned forward to peer at the darkening sky. The forecast wasn’t good, which only added to her agitation. She’d rung Jim and he said they’d had a wild night in Munirilla. First an electrical storm and several small paddock fires, then strong winds and a huge downpour. No doubt
it was heading in her direction and she’d prefer to tackle it with daylight on her side.

She glanced back at the case containing the new laptop. Her father had given it to her to use at the Munirilla office and on the road. She was tempted to get it out but she’d do that once they were back at the depot, if they ever got there.
Damn Janice!

Her phone beeped with an incoming text and she scrabbled to check it.
What if there’s been an accident?
Perhaps that’s why they were late.

A message from Nigel appeared on the screen. He wanted to make contact. He was planning a trip to South Australia and wanted to see Claudia.

Angela tightened her grip on her phone. Nigel had made it perfectly clear he didn’t want her in his life and yet he still tormented her through his link to Claudia – the daughter he only remembered when it suited him.
Damn him!
Angela deleted the message. She wasn’t going to let Nigel turn her little girl’s life into an emotional rollercoaster like he had Angela’s.

A car tooted and she looked in her side mirror. Janice’s hire car was pulling up next to the office. ‘Finally!’ she said, breathing a sigh of relief and pushing Nigel from her mind. She switched on the motor: the air tanks would be full and the truck ready to go by the time she’d grabbed Claudia and the pile of paraphernalia Janice had lavished on her.

‘Here we are.’ Janice’s sing-song voice carried to Angela as she strode across the yard.

‘Mummy, we’ve been to the shops and the beach and we had McDonald’s …’

‘Tell me on the way, Claudia.’ Angela pointed over her shoulder. ‘Take your things to the truck.’

‘But Janice said we were having ice-cream.’

‘We’ll get one later.’

‘Aww!’ Claudia stamped her feet. ‘Janice said I could have an ice-cream.’

‘I did
promise
,’ Janice said. ‘Can’t we go and have a quick coffee somewhere before you go?’

‘I have a business to run. We should have been out of here long ago.’

‘We’re not that late.’

Angela clenched her hands tightly at her sides. ‘I said two.’

Janice trickled her bright pink fingernails down Claudia’s cheek. ‘Get your things from the front seat, honey. Your mum’s in a hurry … apparently.’

If the car wasn’t between them at that moment Angela would have given Janice’s smiling face a slap. ‘You shouldn’t buy her so much stuff,’ she said. ‘She doesn’t need it.’

‘I’m doing my best for her.’

‘And I’m not?’ Angela snapped.

‘You might be able to fool your father but you don’t have that kind of sway with me.’ Janice’s voice was low and cold. ‘He can’t see it but you neglect Claudia. If you won’t let us take care of her, perhaps she should be with her father.’

Angela cast her eyes sideways to her daughter. The little girl was trying to get something out of the small bag slung over her shoulder and seemed oblivious to the conversation. ‘Hurry up, Claud.’

‘What about the museum?’ Claudia asked.

‘We’ll do that next time, honey,’ Janice said.

‘There won’t be a next time.’ Angela’s hands flew to her hips and she glared at Janice, who glowered back at her. As usual, the other woman’s makeup was perfect and not a hair was out of place on her carefully groomed head. Angela knew how much time Janice spent straightening and styling and spraying each morning, and how attentive she was during the day to keep her hair looking perfect and her lipstick fresh. It was impressive, in its own way, but it was a look Angela had never aspired to herself.

‘Bloody hell.’ The bag fell to Claudia’s feet.

Janice gasped and they both turned to the little girl, who was now trying to gather up an assortment of makeup items that had fallen to the ground. ‘I see what she’s learning from you,’ Janice sneered.

Angela bent down and scooped the makeup into the bag. She bit back the words she wanted to spit at her stepmother, staying silent only for Claudia’s sake. She turned away from Janice and pulled open the back door of the hire car. The wind blew the pages of a colouring book and flicked it across the seat. Angela snatched up the small overnight bag and the large panda and slammed the door.

‘What about my other things?’ Claudia said.

‘Go to the truck.’ Angela clicked her tongue, struggling to control the anger broiling inside her.

‘I’ll bring them,’ Janice said.

Claudia looked from one adult to the other with her big round eyes, then tugged the panda from her mother’s hand and marched to the truck. By the time Angela had everything in the cab, Janice was behind her with several bulging shopping bags.

‘We did lots of shopping,’ Claudia said.

‘Say thank you and goodbye to Janice.’

Angela took the shopping bags, shoved them onto the bunk then helped Claudia into her seat. The little girl blew kisses to her grandmother around Angela’s head as she made sure the seatbelt was adjusted properly.

With the cab door shut Angela turned to face Janice.

‘I don’t know what you think you’re doing but this run is a key part of Dad’s business.’ She kept her voice low. ‘You accuse me of neglect and yet you jeopardise his business, his reputation, his–’

‘What are you talking about?’ Janice’s carefully made up face formed a scowl.

‘You knew I had to leave by mid-afternoon. You stayed away on purpose.’

The wind swirled around them and the low rumble of distant thunder underscored Angela’s annoyance.

‘I lost track of time, that’s all.’ Janice flicked her hands up. ‘You’re always so melodramatic.’

‘I’m sure Dad doesn’t see it that way.’

Janice’s eyes flared. ‘And I’m sure he won’t be delighted to know the extent of your debt either.’

‘I’ve got it under control. Not that it’s any of your business.’ Angela began to move away. She was so late she didn’t have time to argue.

‘Just a minute.’ Janice rummaged in the bag slung over her shoulder. ‘I was going to offer to pay these for you, but since you’re so organised you can sort them out yourself.’ She thrust a bundle of letters at Angela. ‘Your father asked me to collect your mail.’

A quick glance at the first envelope made Angela’s heart skip a beat. The company she’d bought the flatscreen from. In the rush of moving she’d forgotten to organise the most recent payment. Or was it two by now? She couldn’t even remember when the payment was due.

Without another word, Angela strode to her door, tossed the mail into the truck and climbed in after it. She checked her mirrors while Claudia waved madly at Janice. Finally they were underway. Angela was furious to see it was now nearly six. She didn’t look to see if her stepmother watched them go.

***

Negotiating the traffic was one thing, but by the time they were out on the highway, they were driving right into the storm. Lightning flashed ahead of them and the grey clouds and driving rain
made visibility poor. Angela gripped the steering wheel and sat stiffly forward in her seat.

Anger was still simmering within her as she listened to Claudia’s retelling of everything she and Janice had done. Evidently they went to a fun park by the beach. That was on the other side of the city. Janice had clearly had no intention of meeting the two o’clock deadline. But what had she to gain by making Angela late? They all benefited from the family business. It made no sense.

‘What’s “neclet”?’ The question brought Angela out of her brooding. She glanced quickly at her daughter, who was watching her closely.

‘I don’t know, Claud.’

‘But Janice said you
neclet
me.’

Angela’s thoughts raced, Janice’s hissing words echoing in her head. She thought Claudia hadn’t overheard their conversation.

‘Janice gets her words mixed up sometimes.’ Angela took a deep breath. ‘She was sad to say goodbye at the depot and probably meant …’ Angela scrabbled for a word.
‘Collect
you. She meant I had come to collect you.’

‘No, not then.’ Claudia frowned. ‘Janice talked on her phone and said you neclet me.’

A shiver ran down Angela’s spine.

‘Who was she talking to?’

‘I don’t know. She said it two times.’ Claudia held up two fingers.

Angela could feel Claudia’s serious gaze on her. ‘Claud, you know I love you, don’t you?’

‘Yes.’

‘And we’re a team, you and me, working for Grandpa.’

‘Yes.’ Claudia sat up higher in her seat and the sparkle returned to her eyes.

‘It doesn’t matter what anyone says. I’ll always be your mum and care for you.’

‘Can we stop at the bakery?’ Claudia seemed to have lost interest in the conversation, much to Angela’s relief. They’d reached Port Wakefield and the rain had eased slightly but the truck was still being rocked by strong winds.

‘No. I’ve got food on board, but when we get back to Munirilla, how about I find out if you can go to pre-school with Josh?’ Josh was Leanne’s youngest. He and Claudia got on well.

‘Yes!’ Claudia shouted, jiggling about in her seat. ‘Can Leanne take me?’

‘We’ll see.’

‘Can we ask when we get home tonight?’

Angela peered at the highway and the gloomy sky. ‘I don’t think we’ll be home tonight, pumpkin. We’ll have to sleep in Big Red, but as soon as I can, I’ll find out about pre-school.’

‘It’s called kindy.’

‘What is?’

‘Where Josh goes. It’s not pre-school, it’s kindy.’

‘I think it’s the same thing.’

Angela gripped the steering wheel tightly. Even though Big Red could nearly drive itself, she was getting anxious.

‘Let’s sing to Waffles,’ Claudia said.

‘Who’s Waffles?’

‘My panda,’ she said, holding up the bear.

‘Do you want a CD on?’

‘No.’ Claudia rummaged in her bag. ‘Janice bought me an iPod.’

Angela flicked her eyes to the tiny player Claudia held up for her to see. It wasn’t an iPod but it was definitely a music-playing device of some kind. Claudia put in the earphones and began singing to the bear.

Angela moved her eyes back to the road as the lane-keeping alarm sounded its warning. Wind was hitting them from the west,
sometimes accompanied by sharp bursts of rain. She swept her eyes over the dials on the dash and eased back in her seat a little. Even with plenty to keep her occupied, Angela couldn’t stop the encounter with Janice from replaying in her head. The woman was going overboard with attention and gifts. And who was she telling that Angela neglected Claudia? None of it made any sense.

Claudia’s happy singing filled the cab and they rumbled on towards the ever-darkening horizon. By the time they reached Port Augusta Angela’s head hurt from concentrating in the difficult conditions. There’d been a lot of traffic and several slow-moving vehicles to stall their progress. They were now later than she’d anticipated.

She pulled in to the roadhouse truck stop. They snacked on the food she’d packed then drew the curtains to shut out the world. Curling up in the bunk, Claudia was asleep in minutes, but it was a long time before the turmoil of Angela’s thoughts let her sleep.