Mallee Boys by Charlie Archbold

Author:Charlie Archbold
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: book, YFN, YAF007000
ISBN: 9781743055038
Publisher: Wakefield Press
Published: 2017-11-27T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 16

Red

Surprised

Heading off from Chris’s farm the chat with Sandy has got me thinking. I wonder if Ryan knows Lisa got in touch. Last time I saw him was just before he left for Melbourne, at the Dump House, and he’d been really weird. We were all watching some movie, having a few cans. I’d looked up and seen him staring at me. Almost sizing me up from the sofa. ‘You right, Ryan?’ He didn’t answer. ‘You right mate? What ya looking at?’

‘Nothing, Red. You’re a lucky bastard, that’s all.’

‘Yeah, how did you figure that?’

‘You’ve got it all.’

Was he winding me up? ‘Whatever, mate.’

He leaned forward. ‘It’s funny how quick things can change though, eh.’ Was that some sort of threat? But he was smiling. I just shrugged at him. What can you say? Keg caught my look and rolled his eyes.

Shaking him off I put my foot down. To get back to the highway from Chris’s place takes forever so I head back home on the dirt roads. It’s dark as. Just that thin glaze of grey mist skimming the paddocks. I think that’s why the glare of lights coming from the Herbert’s place takes me by surprise.

Everyone from the district is at Sandy’s party so it’s odd to see all the lights on: the sheds, house, all lit up. In fact I just left the Herberts chatting with Dad over a piece of cake. I pull over and try and call them in case they want me to check it out. Things have been going missing from the farms and it could be suss. No reception. Typical! I’d better check it out.

The drive to their house block is long like ours and you get a good view of the place. There are no vehicles anywhere and it looks like they’ve left the kitchen light on, which makes sense. They’ll need it when they get back. But why the machinery shed? As I drive closer it goes dark. Now, that is weird. Parking at the house I get Ringer out. ‘Anyone home?’ I knock on the back door. Nothing. ‘Hello!’

Maybe a rat or something hit the shed lights? Unlikely. Dunno?

I can’t hear a thing except the wind and the flapping of a loose piece of tin. Just the other day Mickey was telling me how Old Lance swears he had a new angle grinder taken when he was at footy. A few weeks back Blakey reckons someone took his new socket set. This is pretty bad because things like that don’t happen much out here. I mean, nobody locks a shed. All the farms are so spread out that only someone who knew the area would know where they were.

The shed door is open a fraction. I’d better check it out. Ringer stays close beside me. He’s not running about. He knows something isn’t quite right. It’s dark in here and I’ve no idea where the freakin’ light switch is so I go slow. Something’s definitely moving near the back of the shed and it sounds a lot bigger than a rat.

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