Kincaid,’ the constable says, ‘it’s his home.’
‘Well, I could argue that. Perhaps another time.’
His father leaves to go out again to look at the places where Zach’s mother was last seen – those spots irrefutable. Aden comes forward and speaks to Rebecca. Zach hears him tell her he’ll take her home. Aden squats beside her chair. ‘The police say you’re not allowed to drive. I’m going to take you and the car home and Nigel is going to come and pick me up. If that’s okay?’
She rubs her nose. ‘Thanks.’
Kara Claas comes over and puts her arm around Rebecca. ‘That was a bit much, wasn’t it, love?’
Aden straightens. ‘Does no-one ask where he was or what he was doing?’
‘Shh, Aden …’
‘What?’
His mother whispers, ‘Zach’s right there.’
Aden looks over, and his face does register some regret.
When it seems like he might approach, Zach gets to his feet and leaves the room. Rebecca is not far behind.
‘I’m so sorry, Zach,’ she says as she walks towards him. ‘I can’t believe it. I really can’t. I don’t know what to say.’
‘Can I see you out by your car?’
A look of confusion passes over her face. She nods.
As they leave she scans the room, looking – Zach can tell – for Aden Claas, as though he should come with them, as though he is, in a matter of hours, important to her.
They go down the steps and out through the gate. When they get to the car, Zach steps in close. ‘My mum’s not missing, Rebecca. You shouldn’t have called the cops.’
She looks blankly at him. ‘What do you mean?’
‘You shouldn’t have called the police.’
‘Where is she?’
‘You should have rung us.’
Rebecca is against the car, her face pale above the black of the jumper. ‘We did ring you. We couldn’t get on to you.’
‘You didn’t try too hard. All you had to do was ring Dad and he would have dealt with it.’
‘Dealt with what?’
‘Her being missing.’
She shakes her head. ‘I don’t understand. Is she missing or not?’
There are sounds of footsteps, the crunch of gravel, and an easing of tension in Rebecca. Zach turns to see Aden coming up beside the police car.
‘Fuck off,’ Zach says.
Aden holds his hands up in surrender. ‘Whoa … Just coming out to see if everything’s all right.’
‘Everything’s all right – fuck off.’
‘Well, I won’t actually.’ Aden starts forward again.
‘We’re talking.’
‘I don’t think Rebecca is comfortable talking to you right now.’
‘What would you know?’
‘Listen, mate —’
‘Don’t call me mate.’
‘I tell you what.’ Aden’s voice flattens out and loses its tolerant ring. ‘Rebecca’s going to go inside, we’re all going to go inside, and you can talk to her in there.’
‘Why is he here?’ Zach asks Rebecca. ‘Why the fuck is he following you around?’
Aden says, ‘Go inside, Rebecca.’
And she does.
No hesitation, just like that – Go inside, Rebecca , and it is like she’ll do whatever he tells her to.
Zach finds himself saying as a result, yelling on a night that he shouldn’t, with a clarity that shouldn’t be there, in a voice he recognises, but one he doesn’t own, ‘So it’s true then! You do fuck anyone! I’m disappointed though, Toyer – you didn’t howl like a dog for me. You didn’t bark for me , Beccy!’
More might have been said – it’s a stream issuing from him, out of his control, but Aden shoves him in the chest and Zach stumbles against the car’s side mirror.
Aden apologises roughly. ‘Sorry.’
‘Fuck off!’
‘I didn’t mean to —’
‘Fuck off!’
Aden steps back. ‘Fine. Whatever, mate.’
‘Don’t call me mate! Don’t touch me! Don’t think you’re my brother, or half-brother, or anything. Don’t come near me. Go back to your slut mother and tell her she’s not getting another cent from us!’
11
As a consequence of the day, the night, Zach’s behaviour, the relief at having left at
‘Well, I could argue that. Perhaps another time.’
His father leaves to go out again to look at the places where Zach’s mother was last seen – those spots irrefutable. Aden comes forward and speaks to Rebecca. Zach hears him tell her he’ll take her home. Aden squats beside her chair. ‘The police say you’re not allowed to drive. I’m going to take you and the car home and Nigel is going to come and pick me up. If that’s okay?’
She rubs her nose. ‘Thanks.’
Kara Claas comes over and puts her arm around Rebecca. ‘That was a bit much, wasn’t it, love?’
Aden straightens. ‘Does no-one ask where he was or what he was doing?’
‘Shh, Aden …’
‘What?’
His mother whispers, ‘Zach’s right there.’
Aden looks over, and his face does register some regret.
When it seems like he might approach, Zach gets to his feet and leaves the room. Rebecca is not far behind.
‘I’m so sorry, Zach,’ she says as she walks towards him. ‘I can’t believe it. I really can’t. I don’t know what to say.’
‘Can I see you out by your car?’
A look of confusion passes over her face. She nods.
As they leave she scans the room, looking – Zach can tell – for Aden Claas, as though he should come with them, as though he is, in a matter of hours, important to her.
They go down the steps and out through the gate. When they get to the car, Zach steps in close. ‘My mum’s not missing, Rebecca. You shouldn’t have called the cops.’
She looks blankly at him. ‘What do you mean?’
‘You shouldn’t have called the police.’
‘Where is she?’
‘You should have rung us.’
Rebecca is against the car, her face pale above the black of the jumper. ‘We did ring you. We couldn’t get on to you.’
‘You didn’t try too hard. All you had to do was ring Dad and he would have dealt with it.’
‘Dealt with what?’
‘Her being missing.’
She shakes her head. ‘I don’t understand. Is she missing or not?’
There are sounds of footsteps, the crunch of gravel, and an easing of tension in Rebecca. Zach turns to see Aden coming up beside the police car.
‘Fuck off,’ Zach says.
Aden holds his hands up in surrender. ‘Whoa … Just coming out to see if everything’s all right.’
‘Everything’s all right – fuck off.’
‘Well, I won’t actually.’ Aden starts forward again.
‘We’re talking.’
‘I don’t think Rebecca is comfortable talking to you right now.’
‘What would you know?’
‘Listen, mate —’
‘Don’t call me mate.’
‘I tell you what.’ Aden’s voice flattens out and loses its tolerant ring. ‘Rebecca’s going to go inside, we’re all going to go inside, and you can talk to her in there.’
‘Why is he here?’ Zach asks Rebecca. ‘Why the fuck is he following you around?’
Aden says, ‘Go inside, Rebecca.’
And she does.
No hesitation, just like that – Go inside, Rebecca , and it is like she’ll do whatever he tells her to.
Zach finds himself saying as a result, yelling on a night that he shouldn’t, with a clarity that shouldn’t be there, in a voice he recognises, but one he doesn’t own, ‘So it’s true then! You do fuck anyone! I’m disappointed though, Toyer – you didn’t howl like a dog for me. You didn’t bark for me , Beccy!’
More might have been said – it’s a stream issuing from him, out of his control, but Aden shoves him in the chest and Zach stumbles against the car’s side mirror.
Aden apologises roughly. ‘Sorry.’
‘Fuck off!’
‘I didn’t mean to —’
‘Fuck off!’
Aden steps back. ‘Fine. Whatever, mate.’
‘Don’t call me mate! Don’t touch me! Don’t think you’re my brother, or half-brother, or anything. Don’t come near me. Go back to your slut mother and tell her she’s not getting another cent from us!’
11
As a consequence of the day, the night, Zach’s behaviour, the relief at having left at
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