The Red Cardigan (13 page)

‘Um, June 12th is when I started drawing the first one. The other stuff kind of followed after that.'

‘Have you seen missing persons posters before, Evie?' Mary of the narrow eyes asks this one.

‘Um, I've seen those um, smaller ones at the video shop and newsagency and um, places like that.'

Mary mumbles something to Frank Cooper. ‘I think we should check,' are the only words she says in an audible tone.

‘I definitely haven't seen the poster of Athena before.' Evie interrupts. ‘So there's no need to check.'

‘Pardon?' responds narrow eyes.

Evie is using all her energy to intercept the detective's thoughts and it's exhausting. Theo and Nick give her a puzzled look.

‘Nothing. Okay.' Evie shakes her head. ‘Don't worry about it.' The old clay figures flash into her head. This time, she dismisses them. She smells a sceptic.

‘Let's talk about the other things you've recorded. Like the dreams. Evie?'

‘What?' Evie snaps at Detective Cooper. ‘Sorry. Can you say that again?'

‘The dreams. Tell me about them.'

Evie shuffles around in her chair and loosens the jumper around her neck.

‘Um. The first one I had was really vivid,' she gulps. ‘The girl in the dream had long hair. She was wearing a ring that had a red stone in the shape of a heart. She was trying to rip my red cardigan off me. There was this loud noise like bells or something. I don't know what it was. It was just really loud and sort of shook everything. I've heard the noise a couple of times now.'

Mary doesn't look like she's listening. She's busy laying out an enlarged missing person's poster on the table. She leans over Evie pointing to something in the picture.

‘If you look closely. You can see Athena is wearing a chain around her neck. See?'

‘It's got something on it,' Evie says, covering her bad eye. ‘Look, I know what you're trying to say.'

‘It's the love heart ring. See?'

‘I just said, I know what you're trying to say.'

‘Pardon?'

A bead of sweat sits on her top lip. It dribbles into her mouth.

‘The other dream is of more interest to us,' continues Frank. ‘Tell us about that one.'

‘Yes. Tell us.' The narrow eyes watch and judge.

‘I was – um – I was at a fair with this – um – this man.'

‘Just take it slowly, Evie,' says Theo.

‘Um – this man was walking towards these lights that were shaped like a star. They kept going around and around in circles.'

‘Can you draw the star for me, Evie?'

‘I think so.' She draws six radiating points of a star, like the one she remembers from her dream.

‘And you're sure it was like this?' narrow eyes inquires.

Evie looks at Theo. ‘I am sure.'

‘You also mentioned a fence.' Frank flips through Evie's book. ‘You say here, “My hand gets cut on a fence”.'

‘Yes.'

‘Can you remember what the fence looked like?'

‘I think so.'

‘Can you draw it for me?'

Evie tries to picture the fence in the dream. There is something that identifies it but she can't get the detail right in her head. She's so distracted by the narrow eyes watching her every move. Her suspicious thoughts bore a hole through Evie's head like a jackhammer going off in her brain.

She begins to draw a line on the paper but her hands are shaking and sweaty. She's restless. There's not enough air in the room. She looks around at her dad.

‘Take it slowly, darling,' he whispers. ‘Just relax.'

‘I can't!' She hears a thump. It's her fist on the table.

‘What is it, Evie? Tell us, sweetheart.'

‘Not with her here I can't!'

‘Evie?'

‘Make her go away, Dad,' Evie's voice growls. ‘I can't concentrate with her here. She doesn't, she doesn't –'

‘Doesn't what, Evie?' Theo is looking at her. ‘Doesn't what?'

‘She doesn't believe me! I can feel it.'

Evie's foot is tapping the floor. That and the ticking of the clock are too much. Evie jumps up and starts walking to the door.

‘I've got to get out of here,' she is muttering. ‘I can't breathe. Victoria told me to remove myself,' Evie points at Detective Sergeant Mary Thackeray. ‘From people like
you
!'

Nick and Theo push their chairs aside and follow her out the door, down the corridor and to the lift. They almost have to jog to keep up. Evie pushes the ‘G' button until the lift doors keep opening and closing. They're going nowhere.

‘Evie?' Theo says. ‘Evie? Stop it. Take a breath. Come on.'

She holds onto her dad's jumper. ‘I'm sorry, I'm sorry. That woman, she was like …'

‘Sshhh.' Her dad puts his arms around her. ‘I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you. Ok? Theo and I are here.'

Evie's ribs hurt as she shakes and chokes. ‘I don't know if I can do this, Dad.'

 

They go to a park across the road.

‘Nick, I'll ring Frank and sort it out.' Theo paces up
and down. ‘There's got to be something he can do. I mean, they wanted to see us.'

‘Thanks, Theo.'

‘Remember what I said, Evie. We're going to meet sceptics along the way and that's when you'll really have to keep your head together.'

‘I just wasn't ready for that, Theo. She made me paranoid. I couldn't think straight.'

‘Well, now you know what to expect if you encounter one.'

‘It was like I had no energy. It was weird. I've never felt like that before not even with … Mum.'

‘That's something else we really need to discuss,' Theo says under his breath. ‘Nick?'

Nick puts his head in his hands and nods.

‘But, let's get through this bit first. I'm going off in search of decent coffee. Who wants one?'

And with his mobile phone pressed to his ear, Theo crosses the road. He will make the necessary calls. He's good at that.

Evie links her arm through her dad's, puts her head on his shoulder and soaks up the sedating potion of the sun, a thought stuck in her head: she never felt like that with her mum. Not like with Mary of the narrow eyes. Never
that
bad!

Theo returns with a tray of takeaway cappuccinos, looking relieved.

‘When you're ready, Evie, Frank'd like to see you back at headquarters. He promised Mary Dickface Thackeray won't be there.'

Evie laughs at Theo's description. Just his tone makes her feel lighter.

‘Thanks, Theo.'

‘He's very interested in what you have to say. He personally told me that.'

‘I quite liked him,' Evie says. ‘It was just her.'

‘And the other big news is that I'm expecting a call from Athena's uncle.'

‘What?'

‘Don't underestimate us Greeks, Evie. We've got a real network, nationwide. It's not hard to track someone down. It just takes a few phone calls from your Uncle Theo.'

‘Are you okay to go back?' asks Nick.

‘I think so, Dad. I'm sorry, I didn't handle that well before.'

‘I heard her tone too, Evie.'

‘Okay, then,' Theo says. ‘I'll call Frank and tell him we're on our way?'

Evie and her father look at each other and nod.

‘Let's go,' Evie says.

They head back to police headquarters. Evie walks between her dad and Theo, her arms linked in theirs, her strength returning. This time it's the real thing.

 

‘I'm sorry about before,' Frank says.

‘That's okay.' Evie even manages a smile.

‘I realise this must be very difficult for you. I've read through your diary carefully.' He holds up her exercise book.

‘A lot of your detail corresponds with the case. Remarkable,
really. There's enough to warrant me sending you to Adelaide. That's if you all agree, of course. I understand it's a very unusual situation.'

Evie's father puts his arms around her. ‘It's up to you,' he says to Evie. ‘Whatever you want to do, I'll support. Your call.'

‘In the dream, you described the exact jacket Athena was wearing when she set off for the Glendi Festival,' Frank explains. ‘Red silk with black and gold flowers. I'm also wondering if the fair you describe in the dream might even be the Glendi Festival? The Adelaide police had a couple of positive sightings to be fairly confident she did make it there.'

Evie, Nick and Theo sit forward in their seats.

‘I've liaised with the South Australian police and spoken to one of the head CIB detectives. Now the Poulos family's communicating with them they feel there is probably a reason to suspect foul play, though they have no factual evidence of it. There's really very little to go on and the family is quite desperate. Everyone there agrees it's worth a shot you going over. There's nothing to lose except the taxpayers' money.'

‘I'm expecting a call from a member of their family,' says Theo, getting out his notebook. ‘An uncle. Con Poulos.'

Franks stands up and directs his words at the two men. ‘Now, I have to say this. I don't want anything finding it's way to the media. We're dealing with a juvenile and the circumstances are very unusual. I'm sure it'd be a journo's dream stumbling across this type of story.'

‘What are you suggesting?' Nick's anger is sudden and stinging. ‘The last thing I want, or my daughter needs, is the
press on our back. I'm standing on the other side of the fence this time. Look at me, I've got no power, no control. I know what they're like. I know what they'd do to her. How can you even –'

‘It's okay, mate. It's okay,' Theo is saying. Theo, the middleman this time.

The men discuss a media ban, the South Australian police, travel plans and adequate supervision. Evie watches Frank rub his chin and crack his knuckles, watches Theo wildly throw his arms around as he speaks and her dad frown and shake his head as he questions the potential dangers for his daughter.

But it's only her eyes that watch them. The rest of her feels and hears and smells and even tastes the cold and hollow loneliness of Athena Poulos. Now Evie knows.

‘I want to go to Adelaide,' she announces.

The men stop and look at her. ‘Okay,' they say.

 

Their plane has been delayed half an hour. They sit in the business lounge waiting. Theo eats the small triangular sandwiches and Nick drinks the coffee, even though he keeps saying how bad it is. Evie fiddles with her discman.

‘So what did Dr Malouf say about Evie's eye?' Theo speaks through a mouthful of curried egg.

‘That reminds me,' Nick says. ‘Time for your eye medicine.'

He hands her a bag containing two types of eye drops and a thin tube of ointment.

‘What did he give her?'

‘Some antibiotics and anti-inflammatory cream.'

‘So what did he say it was?'

‘He thinks it's uveitis, some eye infection.'

‘How do you spell it?'

‘I don't know, Theo. U-v-e-i-t-i-s, I s'pose?'

‘And how do you get it?'

‘Why are you writing this down, mate? You've gone deadset mad with that notebook.'

‘I just reckon we should be informed about this. Don't you, Evie?'

‘You two sound like a couple of old women,' laughs Evie. She enjoys their banter. ‘Actually, Dad, I do think it's a good idea. Victoria said I should record everything, just in case.'

‘There we go, even your daughter and the mysterious Victoria agree with me,' Theo says. ‘Now, how did the good doctor say you get it?'

‘I'll tell him, Dad,' she teases. ‘He thinks a while ago I probably got something in my eye and it didn't all come out. He called it a retained foreign body! I'll never forget that line.'

‘You put the drops in both eyes?'

‘Apparently it can easily spread to the other eye. I'd be really attractive then, wouldn't I?' Evie slips on her new sunglasses. ‘Do you like them, Theo?'

‘They're pretty cool.'

‘So they should be,' Nick interrupts. ‘They cost me a bloody fortune. I can't believe I bought my sixteen-year-old daughter Gucci sunglasses.'

‘It's the stress, mate,' Theo laughs.

Nick gives him a look. Theo pulls a funny face. These are the moments Evie craves – light, silly, flippant.

‘Flight Q1-11 to Adelaide is now ready for boarding. Please have your boarding passes ready.' The announcement echoes through the lounge.

Nick holds out his hand to his daughter. ‘That's us.'

‘It's time,' Evie sighs, wrapping his hand around her shoulder.

‘You okay?' he asks softly.

‘You know, Dad, I can't get there quick enough. That's the truth. I want to get this over and done with.'

 

Evie feels self-conscious walking down the aisle, looking for her seat. She senses the other passengers staring at her. Wearing her tweed coat and high camel boots, her long beaded earrings and Gucci sunglasses, she can guess what they think about the stylish girl who looks older than her years. How easily the outer shell fools, she thinks.

Evie grips the seat as they take off and lift through the cloud cover.

Ding
, the seatbelt sign turns off. The plane seems motionless as it glides above the still, blue landscape. Evie stares out the window. Athena is dead. The knowledge sits in her bones.

‘Maybe you knew her in a past life?' Alex said on the phone last night.

‘Maybe,' Evie had answered.

‘Maybe she was your best friend in a past life?'

Evie gets out her sketchbook. She isn't going to do any
drawings, at least not for a while. She turns to a blank page. Her dad and Theo sit a couple of rows ahead. This is why she wanted to be on her own; there are things she needs to say. Things she needs to ask.