Lola's Secret by Monica McInerney

Author:Monica McInerney [McInerney, Monica]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781742534077
Publisher: Penguin Group Australia
Published: 2011-05-09T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

Guest 1

Neil came out of his bedroom. Rick looked up in surprise.

‘Don’t look so shocked.’

‘I’m sorry, but I am. I haven’t seen you in weeks.’

‘I have to go to Centrelink.’

‘I saw the letters they’ve been sending you. They hounding you a bit?’

A shrug from Neil. ‘Usual bullshit. They’ll cut off my benefits if I don’t “present myself” for an interview.’

‘Do you want to head out for a drink later?’ Rick said. ‘My shout.’

‘No thanks.’

Rick waited until he heard the front door shut. Waited longer until he was completely sure Neil had gone. What he was about to do broke all the rules of flat-sharing. But how often did he get a phone call like the one he’d got at work the day before, from Neil’s mum? She’d been in tears. ‘I’m so worried about him, Rick. He tells me he’s fine, but I know he’s not. Is it drugs? Is that what’s wrong? Have you noticed him taking anything, or drinking too much?’

Rick told the truth. ‘I don’t even see him any more. He just stays in his room all the time.’

‘Something’s wrong, I know it is. Please, Rick, could you look in his room? He must go out some time.’

‘He doesn’t. Mrs Harris, I’m sorry, but he’s in there when I go to work and he’s in there when I come back. He’s just going through a bad time, I guess. Wants to be alone.’

‘He’s been like this for months, though. Please, Rick, if you get the chance, would you just take a look? See if it’s drugs, or alcohol? If I know, I can try to do something about it.’

‘It’s snooping.’

‘Rick, please. I’m worried sick.’

He’d agreed, reluctantly. He’d been worried about Neil at the start too, all that time locked away in his room, but no matter how many times he’d asked him out for a beer, or to share something he’d made for dinner, the answer had been no. There were only so many times he could shout through the bedroom door at him, invite him to do stuff. He’d taken the hint eventually. Neil just wanted to be left alone. Fair enough. Rick felt like that sometimes too.

But Mrs Harris had been so insistent. Rick figured this morning would be his best chance. It could be days again before Neil left the house. He went to Neil’s bedroom door, expecting it to be locked. Neil had been so secretive lately he was hardly going to leave it wide open. It was locked. What Neil probably didn’t know was that Rick had a spare key. The lease was in his name, he had copies of all the flat keys. It felt bad, and wrong to do it, but he kept thinking of Mrs Harris. He got the spare key, came back and unlocked the door.

The first thing he noticed was the smell. Not of drink or drugs, but of a stale room, shut up for too long. The blinds were down. The only light came from the computer glowing in the corner.

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