The Crush (18 page)

Pages and pages of newspaper stories whirled through the microfiche machine in front of Matt's eyes in a stale, dark part of the State Library, where Mrs Sanderson and his mum had dropped him off. The blur of fast-moving black-and-white words and images made him feel nauseous. Finally, he saw the date he was after and stopped. There on the front page he saw it, the story about the capture of the Laughing Skull Bandit.

He read it through twice just to be sure. But there wasn't any doubt in his mind by then. Everything he had heard that afternoon was true.

Dressed in his trackpants and shirt, his dad shuffled into the mess hall with a large grin on his face. ‘G'day, champion. This is a surprise.'

He'd almost sat down when Matt asked, ‘Why'd you lie to me?'

His old man paused then smiled falsely and took his seat. ‘Whatd'ya mean?'

‘About Uncle Jack and the box?'

‘Did you deliver it to my friend like I asked?'

‘Yes.'

‘So what's the problem?'

‘Julie Sanderson.'

His dad flinched. ‘Who?'

‘You know who. The woman I delivered the box to.'

‘What about her?'

‘Why didn't you tell me about how you held her hostage? Or about the teenage boy you shot?'

His dad shifted in his seat. ‘He lived. End of story.'

‘He was my age.'

‘So?'

‘You could've killed him!'

‘I'm not the one who tried to be a hero.'

Matt couldn't believe what he was hearing. ‘Don't you even care?'

‘Why should I? It's all in the past.'

‘You obviously don't think so or you wouldn't have sent that package.'

‘Hey, don't you start with me. We may be in a prison, but that won't stop me from reaching over and belting you one, ya got it?'

Matt didn't care. ‘What happened to being honest with each other,
dad
?'

‘I have been honest.'

Matt smirked. His mum had been right. ‘You haven't changed, have you?'

‘Who's been filling your head with this rubbish?'

‘No one. I went to the State Library and double-checked the old newspapers myself. It's all true.'

‘Yeah, but someone had to tip ya off first. How'd you know what to look for?'

‘Mum found out about the box.'

‘Heather? How'd she find out? You didn't turn dog on me, did ya?'

‘No, but you overlooked one thing. Ever since your court case, mum and Mrs Sanderson have kept in contact with each other—'

‘Why those conniving—'

‘You wrecked both their lives so it was only a matter of time before they hooked up together and helped each other through it. When Mrs Sanderson found your package, she rang Mum. It wasn't long before she figured out you and “Uncle Jack” were using me. You got me to deliver the box so it couldn't be traced back to you. My fingerprints wouldn't be on any police records and you had a perfect alibi: you couldn't have delivered it because you were in prison.'

‘Why didn't ya tell me that your mother knew that woman?'

‘I didn't know until Mum told me. Just like I didn't know the truth about you.'

‘You want to know the truth? I've suffered for fourteen years in this place because of those two slags. Your mum for not letting me see you and that Sanderson woman for telling the court all her lies. If it wasn't for them, I would be a free man. You and me would be fishing from a yacht in the Bahamas about now.'

‘Nice dream, but I don't want to be part of your dreams any more.'

‘What?'

‘We're finished.'

His dad laughed. ‘You're kidding, right?'

‘Nope. Mum was right to hide you from me. You hurt people. You hurt her. You hurt Mrs Sanderson. You hurt that boy. And now you've hurt me. I've always wanted a dad and you came so close to being it. But no dad of mine would have shot that boy. He wouldn't have held that woman hostage. Or even asked me to deliver that package. I'm sorry I ever met you.'

Matt stood up, shadowed by Mr Ryan.

‘Sit down! Don't you walk out on me. We're not finished yet. I'm still your father and you'll do as I say.'

Matt stopped and looked at the man across from him. The man who still wore a mask. ‘No. My name's Matthew Cassidy. I get it from my mother—the only parent I've got.'

‘Hey! You get back here! Right now!'

His father's voice screamed along the corridors, even after the guards restrained him and threw him back in his cell. Matt kept walking out the front doors and didn't look back.

His dad tried making contact with him twice after that. Both times were by phone. The first call his mum answered while Matt was studying in his bedroom. After a brief but heated conversation, she hung up. ‘Don't you understand? He doesn't want to see you again?'
Slam!
The second time, Matt was packing moving boxes as he watched the sports news. His mum was out with Nan, scouting for a new unit to move into.

‘You too good to speak to your father now, are you?'

‘No.'

‘Then why the brush-off the other day?'

‘Stop harassing us, okay, or I'll call the cops.'

‘You're my son. I have a right to talk to you.'

‘But I'm no longer listening.'
Clunk
. Matt hung up the phone. He got their number changed that very minute.

The last sortie was carried out by Mrs Ryan. She banged on their door until Matt cracked it open.

‘Matthew, what's this business between you and your father?' she demanded.

‘I'm sorry Mrs Ryan, but I'm not talking to you or your son.'

‘Why? What have I done?'

‘You hid the truth about my father.'

‘He asked me not to tell you.'

‘Then you lied to me as much as he did.'

He shut the door but she began pounding on it. ‘I'll get my lawyers if you don't open up!'

‘Go ahead! See if you can find us first!'

He would miss their unit above the fish and chip shop, as well as Mr and Mrs Nassaris's warm and salty hospitality. But he and his mum were forced to move once again to escape from his father and grandmother. Thankfully, though, the move was going to be a short one. His mum had caved in to his pleas to stay in the area.

 

Dressed in boardies, Matt and his mates were enjoying a game of touch footy at Bondi Beach the
weekend before the grand final. Thousands of shiny, oiled bodies lazed on the yellow-white sand in the early spring sunlight. Long-haired surfers paddled through the water, ready to sign their names in the waves. Children waded in their own kiddies' pool in the far distance under the watchful eye of their parents. Tourists strolled along the boardwalk to walk off a rich meal at one of the seafront cafes as a group of seven-year-olds played What's the Time, Mr Wolf on a nearby grassy embankment.

For the first time in ages, Matt felt happy. He was playing footy again. The drug allegations were forgotten. He had another shot at being selected by a Sydney club. Blackwell was no longer hassling him. He and his mum were talking to each other. And the mess with his father was behind him. After all that had happened, he wanted to have some fun.

The game was on. Matt caught the ball and ran forward sluggishly over the hot sand only to be nabbed by Hazem. A quick tap saw a pass to Grover, who threw it to Chris. The Sundance Kid wasn't paying attention, however, and the ball sconed him. Hazem scooped up the ball and ran ten metres for a try.

Clapping sarcastically, Matt walked over to his
mate, wondering if he was awake. Sure enough, Chris was perving on a bunch of beautiful bronze girls sunbaking in yellow and red bikinis.

‘Can we take them home with us? Just one, please?'

Matt grinned. ‘C'mon, we've got a game to win.'

Scooping up the ball, Matt zigzagged past his teammates then off-loaded to Grover, who dummied to Rhino. He ran forward and passed to Chris, who dabbed the ball into the sand for a try. The guys clapped each other on the back then returned to their positions.

The return kick flew over Matt's head and landed at the feet of a pair of long legs. He instantly recognised them, having studied them in detail many times.

‘You lose this?' Kelly asked, holding up the ball. She was wearing white shorts, an orange T-shirt and sunglasses. But most importantly, she had chopped off her long hair and now sported an attractive bob.

‘G'day, what are you doing here?'

‘Trying to find you.'

He grinned. ‘Oh, yeah? Why?'

‘I thought I'd join you for a swim or a game of touch,' she said, smiling.

‘What did you do to your hair?'

‘I needed a change in life.'

‘What does Aaron think about it?'

‘I don't care about what he thinks any more.'

Matt almost crowed. What was this?

‘Er, I think your friends want the ball back,' Kelly interrupted his thoughts.

‘C'mon, Matty!' Hazem shouted. ‘We've got a game on here. Stop hassling that girl. You're too ugly for her anyway.'

He blushed then shouted, ‘In a minute,' before booting the ball back to his mates.

Kelly laughed quietly.

‘Sorry about that. It's great to see you again. You should have told us you were coming though. We would've waited.'

‘I didn't know I was until I went looking for you this morning. Your mum said you'd be here.'

‘You came looking for me?'

‘Yes, why wouldn't I? We're friends, aren't we?'

‘Absolutely.'

They grinned together and Matt was sure he saw a new energy in her blue eyes. How that involved him, he was eager to find out.

‘How are you holding up anyway?'

‘What do you mean?' he asked.

‘Your mum told me about your dad.'

‘Oh, that? So-so but everything's getting back to normal. He's got the message that I don't want anything to do with him.'

‘That's pretty sad after all you went through.'

‘Yeah, but at least I now know who really cares about me.'

A pair of cops patrolling the beach caught their gazes. It gave Matt a chance to change the subject. ‘So what do you want to do?'

‘You keen for a swim?'

‘Yeah, sure. As long as there aren't any sharks.'

‘The only sharks here are on land,' Kelly joked, eyeing a group of guys circling round some good-looking girls. One of those guys was Chris.

Kicking off her sandals, she dropped her towel and bag onto the sand. She started taking off her T-shirt but winced as she rolled her shoulder. Fresh injuries, Matt realised. Stubbornly, she fought the pain and removed her shirt and shorts to reveal a violet and white-rimmed bikini. Matt's hormones went haywire as his eyes oiled over her shapely tanned body. Oh baby!

‘You want to leave your neck chain here?' she asked, indicating his silver crucifix.

‘Yeah, okay,' he said, starting to unclasp it.

But it was a ruse to catch him unaware. ‘Race you to the water!'

Without warning, she bolted towards the surf. Matt fumbled at his chain, dropped it then chased after her. He jumped over towels, sunbakers and kids eating ice-creams. Laughing, Kelly glanced over her shoulder at him and taunted him to run faster. It didn't phase him. The view from behind was just as good.

Kelly hit the water first and ran into a breaking wave, but Matt caught her by the waist before she dived into the surf. Her soft warm belly was satiny in his hands but he didn't have long to enjoy the moment. He dragged her back and then plunged into the sea, stealing the lead from her.

Stroke after stroke, the cool water bubbled around him as he powered through the waves. He ducked under some and was pummelled by others but he maintained a straight course, knowing Kelly wouldn't be far behind him. One hundred metres out, he slowed to a stop. A stitch needled his side and he wanted a break. Whipping back his hair, he searched for her but couldn't see her. He'd won!

But where was she? There were no other swimmers or surfers near him. And no one was splashing towards him.

‘Kelly?' he called out.

He heard only the distant sounds of people enjoying themselves on the shore. He twisted about. Maybe she was behind him. No. There was only the hazy blue horizon and clear seas.

‘Kelly?'

Panic set in. She was an experienced swimmer and should have caught up with him by then. He hoped she hadn't got into any trouble. It would be his fault if she did. He shouldn't have tackled her at the shore like that. The grab might have injured her and …

No, she hasn't drowned. Don't think like that. It's as bad as worrying about sharks. C'mon, man. Don't freak out. Remember what Kelly said: there aren't any sharks.

Whoosh!
A loud thrashing sound startled him from behind. He turned to see bubbles rising to the surface as the object submerged. His muscles clenching tight, he realised he wasn't alone. And whatever was out there with him was big.

A shark!

He kicked frantically as he felt a pair of jaws snap over his right leg. Ahhhhhh! He'd been bitten! His body turned numb with fright and he started to panic. Any minute now and a gigantic gush of blood would pool around him.

Suddenly, Kelly's head bobbed out of the water beside him and he screamed. The monster had chomped it clean off! But then it started laughing and he blanched. She was alive!

‘Get out of here, Kelly! A shark just attacked me!'

‘Did it? Wait a minute, I'll go check.'

‘No! Don't!'

She plunged under the surface with Matt shouting her name. Frantically, he looked everywhere for her, afraid the two of them were doomed. He was growing tired and didn't know how much longer he could hold up, what with one leg missing.

What a minute. He could still feel his toes.

A great rush of water reared up behind him. Something large loomed from it and bore down on him. Heart pounding, all he could do was watch as two giant arms grabbed him by the shoulders, ready to snap him in half.

Hold on. Since when did sharks have arms?

‘Kelly!'

She laughed hysterically as she let go of his shoulders and swam around him, a wickedly playful look on her face. ‘Who else were you expecting?'

‘But something bit me.'

Kelly grinned and chomped her teeth together three times.

‘That was
you
?'

She laughed. ‘You should have seen your face! You really thought you were fish bait, didn't you? You even screamed.'

He flushed with goofish embarrassment. She'd got him good.

‘But you bit me!'

‘That's revenge for tackling me on the shore, you cheat.'

‘Why you …!'

He splashed water at her then swam and caught her before she could get away. Slippery in his arms, she playfully fought back, until she managed to eel away from him. Starting to feel drained, he gave up and told her he needed a breather. She gave him a mocking, poor baby look then swam back towards him. They slowed to a stop and gently bobbed in one spot. Alone, they were only an arm's length from each other. Their mouths were below the water but not their noses and eyes. They looked at each other, enticing each other to make the next move. Her eyes were teasing. His were eager. He'd heard about The Right Moment and he was sure this was theirs.

Nervous, he swallowed and moved towards her. He wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her. Kelly didn't move; her eyes urged him on.

But The Right Moment passed and Kelly shot away from him.

‘Last one to shore pays for the bus trip home!' she said.

With long flowing arms, she stole a head start and raced him back to shore. Dumbstruck, Matt waited as he chided himself. He'd taken too long.

Beginning his return swim, he consoled himself that they were both shy, but in love. All their mucking around had shown him that. It would only be a matter of time before they got together.

Kelly was already on her towel when he crawled out of the surf. He stood up, coughed to clear his throat then staggered over to her, his whole body aching. Panting, he flopped next to her and lay coated in a glassy skin of sand as he tried to catch his breath.

‘Do you think we should alert the lifesavers to that shark of yours?' Kelly joked, shaking water from her ear.

‘Only if love bites are dangerous,' he answered.

She blushed big-time before Matt started coughing up more seawater. He leaned forward, spluttered out the last few drops then said he was okay. Seeing he was fine, Kelly sat cross-legged next to him and helped put his neck chain back on. He said
thanks before she asked him if she could tell him something private.

‘Yeah sure, what?'

‘I'm leaving Aaron.'

He almost choked some more. ‘As in dumping him?'

She nodded. ‘This time it's for real.'

‘What brought this on?'

‘You.'

‘Me?'

‘Yes. All that stuff you've told me—y'know, about this being my life and nobody else's. Well, it's made me think. I want my life back. I want my power back. The only way I'm going to get them is by leaving him.'

‘Excellent. When are you going to tell him?'

‘Tuesday. During the grand final.'