Riding the Storm (7 page)

‘You say this because you remember the Robert who was. He’s sadly diminished these days; a shadow of his former self.’

‘Maybe. But even shadows can loom large. I’m not sure I should risk it.’

‘No? Not even for the sake of working with your beloved Tommy again?’

‘Oh, that was a low blow – trying to tempt me with that.’ Ryan let go a long breath. ‘No, no. Tommy’s not mine any more. The best I could hope for is to be his strapper or something. I don’t have a trainer’s licence.’

‘Not yet. But I’m not without influence although I haven’t tested it lately. I might be able to help you do something about that. Don’t make up your mind right now. I want you to take your time and think it through before you refuse me. We can be of assistance to each other in this.’

‘I’m still not sure.’

‘Of course not. Your world has been turned upside down and you don’t know where you are. We won’t speak of this again until after the funeral.’

Joanne’s funeral was a simple cremation with no sentimental eulogy and very few flowers. Since she rarely left home, she
had no real friends so not many people bothered to attend, even for Ryan’s sake. Fiona also stayed behind, promising to meet up with them afterwards at the pub.

Later, as they sat there with unwanted drinks in front of them and lost in their own thoughts, neither Val nor Ryan had much to say. It was left to Fiona to keep the ball of trivial conversation rolling.

‘I loathe funerals,’ she said, pulling a long face. ‘In my opinion, they’re a medieval concept and largely out of date. Somebody needs to rethink the whole process.’

‘So what would you prefer, Fee?’ For once Glen was less than patient with his new love. ‘Build a big lime pit like the paupers’ graves in the Middle Ages or what?’

‘Have a care here.’ Val felt bound to break in, having seen Ryan’s stricken expression. ‘Don’t you realize how callous that sounds?’

‘Yeah. Sorry,’ Glen said, having the grace to look shamefaced.

‘Everyone’s suffered because of the cyclone,’ Fiona said, patting her overworked hair. Ryan gave a wan smile, thinking she had suffered little damage to her own trivial lifestyle. ‘And what are you smirking at?’

Ryan shrugged. Really, he was beginning to think his best option might be to go back to Melbourne with Val. Anything would be better than living here with Mike’s father and Fiona, who had taken to watching Tinka like a hawk, waiting for her to make a mistake so that she could be banished from the house.

There was no sign of the little dog when they returned to the Harrison home and she didn’t respond to Ryan’s call.
Usually, she would come running to the door to meet him after any absence. He was, after all, her last link to Joanne.

‘Tinka? Tinkie, where are you?’ he called, fearing that the little dog might have run off and got lost.

‘You don’t need to yell – she’s outside,’ Fiona said through pursed lips. ‘I had to put her out in the kennel. She soiled my new white rug – completely ruined it in fact—’

Recalling the dilapidated kennel that once housed a much larger dog and was probably full of lice or fleas, Ryan took off towards it, calling her again. She didn’t respond.

Inside the kennel, he found the little dog shivering and whimpering, attached to a chain that was much too large for her, dragging on her little collar. One eye was closed and she flinched when he touched her back. It was obvious that she had been strapped.

Val was next to arrive behind him.

‘Oh no,’ she whispered. ‘The poor little thing has been beaten. How could anyone be so cruel?’

After releasing Tinka from the heavy chain, Ryan placed the trembling animal in Val’s comforting arms and straightened his shoulders to confront Glen and Fiona, who were making their way towards them, taking their time.

Fiona was staring at the ground, refusing to meet his gaze.

‘OK, so I lost my temper,’ she muttered. ‘But it was a new rug—’

Ryan didn’t hesitate. As soon as she drew close enough, he gave her an open-handed slap across the face with the full force of his strength behind it.

Her legs gave way and she sat down, looking astonished as much as hurt, blood starting to ooze from where she had
bitten her lip. Gingerly, she put her hand to her mouth and started to weep when her fingers came away covered in blood.

Glen’s reaction was equally impulsive. He punched Ryan to the ground with two quick blows and stood over him, ready to administer more punishment. All this happening in the space of less than a minute.

‘Stop!’ Val grabbed Glen by the arm, trying to stand between them. ‘Stop it, both of you, before someone ends up in hospital.’

Glen shook Val off but she had succeeded in making him stand away from Ryan. After hauling the weeping Fiona to her feet, he put a supportive arm around her, half-lifting, half-dragging the woman back to the house. Ryan scrambled to his feet, feeling his jaw to make sure it wasn’t broken, watching them go. Val was the first to speak.

‘I can’t believe you did that.’ She gave a nervous laugh. ‘You seemed to me such a stoic, even-tempered person.’

‘Except when it comes to cruelty to animals – that always makes me see red.’

‘Well, Ryan, I’d say that tears it. You’ve no other choice but to come down to Melbourne with me. Now. Today. We’re both done here. You can’t go back into that house and I can’t accept any more of that woman’s grudging hospitality. You wait outside here with the dog while I get our things and ring for a taxi to take us to the airport. Hopefully, we can get tickets and take the dog on the same flight.’

‘Val, I’m so sorry. But seeing Tinka like that. It made me so angry that I didn’t think.’

‘Don’t apologize. I understand. That little dog is your only link with the past. I’m sure I’d have done the same in your
place. I hope you broke her false teeth.’

‘False teeth? I didn’t know she had them.’

‘Oh, yes. Those choppers are far too shiny and white for a woman of her age.’ Val winced, examining the little dog’s wounds, although Tinka seemed to be rallying now that Fiona was no longer around. ‘And I’ll raid their first-aid box for something to put on her eye. These little animals are so sensitive and thin-skinned.’

‘Tinka must have been seriously frightened. She isn’t usually dirty in the house.’

Val handed the little dog back and she snuggled into Ryan’s arms and sighed, hiding her face in his armpit. ‘I’ll ring for the taxi first and be as quick as I can. The sooner we get to the airport and throw ourselves on their mercy, the better.’

‘Can you bring a bottle of water when you come back? I’m dry as a bone and I’m sure Tinka’s thirsty after having such a fright.’

‘Trust me. I don’t want to spend any more time with these people than you do.’

‘You don’t think we should take her to a vet?’

‘There are no bones broken and I think she’s more frightened than hurt. We’ll take her to our own vet to make sure when we get home.’

I
N SPITE OF
Val’s best efforts, it wasn’t possible to get them all on a plane until the early morning of the following day. They spent an uncomfortable night in a cheap motel near the airport, having smuggled the little dog into their room. Tinka, still shivering and not quite over her ordeal, was too timid in these strange surroundings to bark and give herself away. In the early morning, after delivering Tinka to the care of those who would supervise her flight, Val made a phone call to her daughter before they boarded the plane.

‘Yes, I know,’ she said, growing impatient with Chrissie’s seemingly endless queries. ‘I’m coming home a lot earlier than you expected but I’ll tell you all about it when I get back. It hasn’t been the easiest of times. And yes, I made Ryan see sense and he’s coming with me – it’s quite a long story. Luggage? No. The poor kid’s lost nearly everything so you won’t need to come in the van. How’s Dad by the way? Driving Nurse up the wall, I suppose?’

It was obvious that Chrissie had some choice words on the subject as Val’s laugh in response had a bitter edge to it.

‘I’m not surprised she left if that’s what he called her,’ she said. ‘That’s three nurses he’s gone through in almost as
many weeks. And no,’ she added, ‘you’re not a lousy cook at all – you just have a limited range. Tell him he can eat what he’s given, or transfer to a nursing home. See how he likes the grey meat and overdone cabbage they’ll serve up to him there.’ She listened again and laughed more sincerely this time. ‘Don’t worry. Give him one of those heavy-duty pills and I’ll hire a new nurse to sort him out when I get back. I’ll find a gorgon this time who can give him as good as she gets.’ She listened for a few moments before going on. ‘Chrissie, it’s a long drive and will take you the best part of two hours even on the tollways. I’ll drive home if you’re tired. Oh, and there’s one more thing – we’re bringing Joanne’s little dog, an Italian greyhound. The poor little thing will be beside herself – she’s already missing Joanne and has had an unfortunate experience even before she can get on the plane. I don’t know how she’ll be when we get her back. We’ll wait for you outside Departures, then you can pick us up without paying to park. I think we have to pick the dog up somewhere else. Thanks, darlin’ – love you too. See you soon.’

Although they drove only across the top of town and Ryan didn’t see much of the city, it didn’t take him long to decide that Melbourne wasn’t at all as he had imagined it to be. He thought the city would be just a larger version of Cairns, but he could see at once that this was a modern, if compact, metropolis, confident and comfortable with its position in the twenty-first century. Brick walls, solid fences and thick hedges marked property lines in the suburbs, creating a privacy unknown in the North where rather ugly mesh fences or open front gardens separated most homes. Here too, there
were proper pavements or footpaths for people to get around on foot. His first impression of Melbourne was good and he looked forward to getting to know it better. Although it was not his intention to stay long at his uncle’s home, he was now in the very heartland of horse racing in Australia. And he was good at his job. Surely, someone would be willing to take him on? Much would depend on how Tommy received him; if the horse still loved him, it would be almost impossible to leave. But if Tommy was happy here and doing well enough without him, then Ryan would feel free to move on.

From time to time, he glanced at his cousin, Chrissie, who didn’t have much to say for herself. His first impression was of a slimmer, younger version of her mother; it was a relief to see nothing of Robert in her. Robert! Even the thought of running into that man again made him shudder, in spite of Val’s reassurances that his uncle was embarrassed by his predicament and spent most of his time upstairs in his room, even taking his meals there. It didn’t take Ryan long to gain the impression that there was no love lost between Chrissie and her father. It wouldn’t be fair to say that she welcomed his setback, but his condition did seem to make life easier for herself and her mother. While Val thought it prudent to let Robert think he was still in charge of the stables, it was clear that in her own quiet way, she had taken over the reins of the business entirely. At Ryan’s insistence, she put him to work in the stables right away.

His reunion with Tommy had even the most unsentimental of stable hands blowing their noses. The horse heard his approach and started whinnying with pleasure, even before he caught sight of his old friend. Ryan went into the stall
and embraced the animal, hiding his face in his mane as he breathed in the familiar scent of the young horse.

‘Oh,’ Ryan said at last as Tommy nuzzled his pockets. ‘And I didn’t even bring you a carrot.’

One of the lads stepped forward at once and remedied this deficiency. Ryan gave it to him and watched as the horse munched it greedily.

‘I’ll be damned.’ Jim Wolfe, the stable foreman had been watching the reunion. ‘That’s the first time I’ve seen him eat anything with enthusiasm since he got here. You’d better take over as his strapper, Mr Lanigan. The sooner the better for everyone, I’d say.’

‘Ryan, please. And I’d love to look after Tommy. Just try and stop me.’

He had been in Melbourne for a full week before he ran into Robert at all and this was not in the house but in the stables. He heard his uncle’s voice raised in criticism and barking orders, even before he caught sight of him in his wheelchair. He paused in the middle of grooming Tommy, wondering whether to stay out of sight or get it over with at once, revealing himself right away.

‘Jim! Get Sam or someone to shift that pile of dung at once.’ Robert’s voice wasn’t as strong as before but still had authority. ‘You know I won’t tolerate the stink of shit in the stables—’

‘Sorry, Mr Lanigan. Won’t let it happen again.’

‘Better not. And why didn’t anyone tell me there was a new boy looking after Tommy? You should have checked with me first.’

‘But he’s good with the horse, Mr Lanigan – you know how difficult Tommy was. An’ Mrs Lanigan said it would be OK.’

‘Oh, did she? Well, I’ll be the judge of that. Jus’ remember I’m still in charge here – not Mrs Lanigan.’

‘Right you are, sir.’

Robert put on a falsetto, mimicking him. ‘“Three bags full, sir!” Don’t you have a mind of your own, Jim? Or have you been told to humour me?’

Jim shrugged, looking uncomfortable.

‘Come on, then. Show me my horse. How’s he doing? I haven’t seen much of him since he came down from Queensland and that idiot truckie drove into me.’

Ryan saw no point in trying to avoid his uncle – he would have to meet up with him sooner or later. Quickly, he slipped a leading rein on Tommy, opened the stable door and marched the horse out. To begin with, Robert had eyes only for his horse.

‘My word – you’re turning into a beauty, aren’t you? A far cry from the half-starved colt I brought down from the North—’

‘That’s a lie.’ Ryan was so angry, he spoke impulsively before he could think better of it. ‘My father gave Tommy the best of everything. He even built a new stable for him.’

‘You!’ Robert turned his chair to look up at him, finally recognizing the nephew he hoped to have left behind in North Queensland, never to be seen again. ‘What in the name of Hades are you doing here?’

‘Well now, Miss Lanigan – Christine.’ Colin Walker spread his hands on either side of her personnel file that, to her eyes,
looked thin and pitifully small. ‘Best not waste time beating about the bush – no point in prolonging the agony. We – that is, the directors and I – have decided to let you go.’

Chrissie felt suddenly numb and felt as if she were hearing Mr Walker from a long way off, although this news was no more than she was expecting. ‘I see. Because I’m the newest recruit, I suppose?’

Colin Walker sat back, regarding her. ‘That does come into it, of course. But I’m afraid you haven’t lived up to your promise and our expectations. We are disappointed in you.’

Chrissie was shocked. ‘Disappointed? But why? This is the first I’ve heard of it. And, apart from time off that was due to me after working through several weekends, I haven’t taken any sick leave or—’

‘So clearly, you are a clock-watcher. If you were really committed to your job here, you wouldn’t be counting the extra hours.’

‘I didn’t. I don’t. I admit I have been distracted with family problems lately. My father had a serious accident and I—’

‘Spare me the details – they are of no interest to us here.’

Chrissie closed her mouth, shocked by the man’s callousness.

‘Also, when you came to us, you never said you were planning a wedding. When we hired you – ahead of many equally promising girls – you never mentioned your intention to marry and take an extended trip overseas—’

‘No. It was only to be a holiday – a few weeks. But even that isn’t happening now. My fiancé called it off.’

‘So? He found you as unreliable as we do, I suppose?’

‘Now that isn’t fair.’ Tears sprang to Chrissie’s eyes and her
temper rose at the unjust accusation. ‘I’ve always done more than my share of the work here. I’ve come in early most days. I worked like a dog for you.’

‘But I don’t need a dog, Christine, I need a reliable law clerk—’

‘And my name isn’t Christine actually – it’s Christalynne.’ She took pleasure in correcting him but she could have saved her breath as Walker ignored it.

‘I need a young person dedicated to being here. Someone prepared to grow with the company – to be here for the next ten years or more—’

‘That’s insane. No one can promise you that.’

‘Clearly, you can’t. Which only goes to show what a mistake we made in hiring you. Clear your desk, Miss Lanigan. You can expect to be paid until the end of the current month.’

‘But that’s only a week away. And what about holiday pay? Surely I’ll be entitled to something for that?’

Walker pulled a face, shaking his head. ‘Not here long enough,’ he said. ‘Sorry.’

‘A reference, then?’ She had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, already knowing what the answer would be. Sure enough, Walker shook his head yet again.

‘Company policy. We don’t give out references for people who’ve been here for less than twelve months. In any case, I don’t think you’d like what we had to say.’

‘Damn you, then.’ Suddenly, Chrissie’s temper got the better of her. ‘You haven’t heard the last of this. Mr Walker. You know of Sir Henry Wheeler, I suppose?’

‘Sir Henry? Oh, indeed. A rather colourful character, I’d say.’

‘Well, Sir Henry is my mother’s uncle. He’ll be happy to cause a stir over this. I could even take you to tribunal.’

Colin Walker sat back, smiling thinly through bloodless lips, and somehow she knew this wasn’t the first time he’d done this. It was familiar territory to him and he almost enjoyed it, wanting people to cringe and plead. ‘That would be most unwise, even with the support of your Mr Wheeler. If word gets around that you’re a troublemaker, Miss Lanigan, it may be impossible for you to get hired anywhere. A word here and there. It doesn’t take much.’

‘You can’t do this. You can’t stop me from getting employment elsewhere. That just isn’t fair.’

‘Life is as it is, Miss Lanigan. Nobody promised it had to be fair.’

‘How long?’ Robert had returned from the stables and was confronting his wife in the kitchen. ‘How long has that interloper been living here? Eating at our table. Taking over the care of my best horse.’

Val regarded the angry man, hands on hips, trying not to feel pleased that she could loom over him as he sat in the wheelchair. ‘Rob, you need to calm down. You’ll have another stroke or something.’

‘Oh, you’d like that, wouldn’t you? I expect you wish I’d died in that accident. Much tidier than having a cripple to care for. Well, I’m here to tell you I’m not finished yet.’ Angrily, he smote the arms of his wheelchair. ‘I won’t be in this damned chair forever. Then you and Chrissie had better watch out.’

Val stared at him. She knew something that Robert did not; his doctors had told her in no uncertain terms that the
nerves in his spine had been severed and he’d never walk again. At the same time, they had warned her to keep that news to herself; he shouldn’t be allowed to live without hope of recovery or he might fall into a depression.

‘I don’t even know why you were there.’ Val sighed in exasperation. ‘You could have bypassed Sydney altogether. What were you thinking? Driving through the city on unfamiliar roads when you’d already been travelling for hours.’

‘If you must know, I was looking for a decent meal. Something other than the usual cholesterol cocktail from a roadside café.’

‘And as usual, you’ve strayed from the subject. We were discussing Ryan. Instead of complaining, you should be grateful he’s here. Hunter’s Moon was going into a decline, missing the warmer weather as well as the handlers he’s used to. Ryan has given him a new lease of life. He’ll be ready to race again soon. Perhaps you’ll like to go and see him when he does.’

‘And maybe I won’t. You haven’t heard the last of this, Val. That boy doesn’t belong here. He has to go.’

‘For God’s sake, Rob! He’s your brother’s child – Joanne’s child. Remember you loved her once?’

‘That was a long time ago. You’d have a shock if you’d seen her.’ Robert’s mouth twisted in a sneer. ‘An ageing beauty, half her mind gone as well.’

‘All the more reason to offer a safe haven to her son. You won’t even have to see him, if you don’t want to.’

‘I don’t care. I don’t want him here.’

‘Why? I suppose he reminds you of the shabby way you treated his father. Paying him a pittance for his share of the stables.’

‘He was happy enough at the time. He’s the one who wanted to leave.’

‘Yes. Because you made life unbearable for him. And now you want to take out your spite on his son. The lad has lost everything – father, mother and home in a matter of weeks. And now you want to part him from the horse that he loves.’

‘Sentimental twaddle. It doesn’t pay to get too fond of a horse. It’s only good for as long as it can race and then it’s dog food,’ Robert growled, turning his chair towards the door. ‘I’m going up to my room. See that I’m not disturbed.’