Fractured by Barker Dawn

Author:Barker, Dawn [Barker, Dawn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780733629266
Publisher: Hachette Australia
Published: 2013-02-26T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Two weeks before

Friday, 28 August 2009

Tony stared out of the window of his office, watching the rain run down the glass. It wasn’t even four o’clock yet, but it was dark. He could see the blurred lights from the ferries crossing the harbour below him, but otherwise it was like being in the middle of a cloud. He liked the way the battering sound of the rain soaked up the noise around him. He leaned back in his chair and put his hands behind his head. The warmth of the room made him drowsy. He hadn’t been able to sleep much last night; every time he had turned over or stirred, Anna had been awake. He didn’t know why: Jack had slept quite well, only waking twice during the night, but Anna had been restless and tense, which in turn had meant that he couldn’t relax.

He yawned, then sat up straight and reached for the phone on his desk. He picked up the receiver, then hesitated. When he called her just before lunch, Anna had said she was fine. She was going to lie down if she got a chance; she might be sleeping now. He put the receiver down. She needed her rest; he wouldn’t disturb her. He’d leave soon, and they could go out for dinner tonight.

There was a knock at his door, and he looked up to see Neesha, one of the secretaries. She smiled. ‘You coming for a drink? We’re going to have it in the boardroom tonight, too wet out there.’

Tony looked at his watch. It would be awful on the roads now, in that weather. He smiled back. ‘Yeah, OK, just one. I’ll be there soon.’

By the time he drove out of the underground car park, the rain had slowed to a drizzle. The six o’clock news came on the radio. ‘Shit.’ He hadn’t meant to stay so long; Anna would be angry. He took some chewing gum out of the glove box to hide the beer on his breath. Looking up at the endless stream of red tail-lights ahead of him he groaned: the traffic seemed to be conspiring against him.

When he finally walked into the house, Anna was on the couch in her pyjamas and her old pink fluffy dressing-gown watching the news. Jack was asleep in his bassinette on the floor. Anna’s face was blotchy and wet; she didn’t even glance at him as he walked in.

‘Anna, what is it?’ He dropped his bag and hurried over to her.

She didn’t move her eyes from the television. She smiled as she wiped her nose with the back of her hand, and then the damp sleeve of her gown. ‘Nothing,’ she said. ‘It’s just the news. It’s so sad.’

‘Babe, the news is always sad.’ Tony walked over to the couch and massaged her shoulders as he stood behind her.

‘There was an accident on the M5. A whole family killed, just the grandma survived.’ Her voice quivered and her eyes filled with tears. ‘I was worried, you were late …’

‘Oh no.

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